5 Ways To A Healthy Gut

My Gut-wrenching Truth: 

I love food, I work out every day, I do my squats, and eat pretty healthily and still, there are days when even I, myself cannot dodge the curse of the occasional bloated day. 2018 has already been an incredible year for me in many ways, but mostly for health and fitness. I have changed my workout plan and I never feel guilty for eating my favourite dishes, indulgent snacks, or dining out. 

You know how you probably roll your eyes when your tree-hugging, perfectly portion eating, green goddess drinking trainer repeatedly tells you that their body is their temple? No? Wait, is that only moi? Right, don’t be too hard on them because if you actually thought that way more, then you really would be in better form, at the very least, mentally. 

The good news is that nobody is “perfect,“ that’s right, not even a trainer. You certainly needn’t become overly excessive about your body, however, there are ways to have a healthier gut for any time or season, especially during your period. You can first start with Gundry MD Energy Renew to help aid a healthy gut. This can also be a helpful start to learn more about other ways of assisting your guts health. There is also Unify Health Labs Reviews that can help you to learn about other customer experiences. You can figure out what lab is best for your needs. 

As we grow, our bodies also change over time and I have several anti-fail remedies to share, that have worked for me. 

1. 1. Sleep + Exercise + Tea:  

Stop ignoring your body during your menstrual cycle! If you’re tired, then get proper rest. There’s nothing like a good slumber, and lack of it with stress doesn’t help your body. A lot of women that I know still don’t want to exercise during their period and it’s understandable. I was one of those girls growing up who never actually had cramps during this time of the month. I only started to get really painful cramps when I turned 25. I know, don’t hate me! 

 

Add the following elements into your lifestyle during or before your most bloated and painful days and they will make a difference: Chakra meditation for clarity, balance and yoga for breathing, as well as exercises focussing on my lower back, and full–body stretching keeps me centred and prevents bloating. There are also teas to improve overall digestive health, these are herbs and botanical plants that are natural ways to help you. Nourishing your gut from the inside out is essential to maintain a healthy gut.

I pair yoga with the additions of dandelion root tea, a natural diuretic that helps with digestion, and balancing blood sugar levels. It’s also rich in minerals (magnesium, potassium, and iron) and vitamins (A, C, and D, amongst others). *If you are pregnant you should consult your physician to see what teas you can drink, especially if you have allergies. 

2. Eat Fermented Foods: Yoghurt (cultures with good bacteria), and foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir (fermented milk), miso, tempeh, even pickles, etc. Don’t be alarmed, I find that most pungent or stinky-ish foods are simply the best for you! With supplements like Bio Complete 3 reviews (check out these to learn more), you can get your gut in gear alongside healthy foods. 

3. Consume High-Fibrous Foods: I love quinoa anyway but give myself generous doses during these times, it’s also high in protein. Complex carbs are carbohydrates that promote healthy longevity and make it easier to maintain weight when you eat more. They pack in more nutrients than simple carbs. Foods rich in fibre such as carrots, broccoli, whole grains, spinach, flax, beans, and seeds provide healthy nutrients for our bodies. See #5 for more info. 

4. 4. Ditch Processed & Refined Foods:Listen, I’ve heard many people say, “All carbs are the devil!” That’s not exactly true. If it were, then you wouldn’t eat veggies, fruits, legumes—all foods that happen to naturally have carbs in them but also nutrients. We need carbohydrates for fuel, for energy throughout the day. Have you ever tried to run a marathon without loading on carbs nights or days before? Well, I have, then I learnt a hard lesson because I nearly passed out. This is because your body needs extra supplies of glucose in storage if you’re going to run a race like that. Studies have successfully shown that glucose also helps to power the brain. 

The real lesson to learn is to eat the right type of carbs and balance them without ridding of them completely from your diet. There are simple carbs (basic sugars, easily digested that have less nutrition) and the aforementioned, complex carbs. I actually consume a small number of carbs for every meal, that way I am satisfied, energised and it keeps my metabolism going throughout the day. Go for more complex carbs, unprocessed foods, and eat more plant-based foods with good fibre content. 

Even though I bake for others requested with sugar when it comes to what I eat, I bake with sugar-free ingredients that is why you will usually find sugar alternatives in my recipes. I grew up with a rare health allergy to raw cane sugar. No, it’s not diabetes nor is it for religious purposes (I am constantly asked those two questions).  

I used to feel as if I was missing out on all the foodie fun as a child: the ice cream parties and cakes, but now that nixing cane sugar is somewhat a trendy mindset, but also a hard to digest truth to some who over-consume it, all I can say is … “Welcome to my world!” This is actually why I started learning how to bake many years ago.

Forgoing it though is not for everyone, but if ditching sugar from your diet is something that you want to work on, then try to avoid added sugar one day at a time. And, no worries, I will still have heaps of recipes for both sides of the lot. However, understanding the effects of removing added sugar from your diet, even a little bit can help.

5. 5. Go Nuts & Get Seedy! By eating more nuts (obviously, if you aren’t allergic) your gut gets fed good bacteria. Studies have shown that nuts can provide protection to probiotic bacteria. Healthy bacteria feed on fibre, therefore if you have a healthy diet high in fibre it can help your body to have good bacteria in the intestine. My favourites are pistachios, almonds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds. *You can find my spice bread recipe here for pumpkin oil. It’s such a great idea to add this seed to your diet, as it has a stellar nutrient profile alone (with zinc, vitamin A&E, magnesium). 

With fruits, vegetables, legumes and even fermented dairy products, these give your body sources of prebiotics and probiotics, ultimately giving you a healthier gut. 

My apologies for such a long post, however, I hope this was insightful to you and helped to shed some light on this topic. 

Tell me, what do you think of my guide? Do you have a favourite tip to add? 

References: Sources: Australian Macadamias, Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi, PH.D, Life Science, Holly A. Taylor, PH.D, Tufts University Department of Psychology.