Nutrition and Gut Health
Do you notice changes in your mood, sleep or digestive health when you don’t eat a balanced diet regularly? This could be caused by an overproduction of harmful bacteria in your gut, leading to poor gut health.
The gut is made up of your stomach, intestines and colon; its main job is to digest and absorb nutrients from the food you eat and excrete waste. A healthy gut is filled with bacteria. This bacteria breaks down food into nutrients your body needs to function properly.
Fueling your gut with foods high in probiotics will help create healthy bacteria. Research shows eating probiotics can boost your immune system and mental health while decreasing damaging inflammation and your risk for diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. Below is a list of foods high in probiotics that should be consumed one to two times a day for the best benefits.
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Cheese
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
It is also important to add variety to what you eat. Choose whole foods over processed foods and add variety to how you consume your fruits and vegetables because how foods are processed may change their nutritional benefits.
In addition to probiotics, foods high in prebiotics will help balance the bacteria in your gut. Prebiotic foods are high in fiber, build good bacteria and help guard the gut’s health. Below are a few prebiotic examples that should also be consumed one to two times a day for the best benefits.
- Beans and legumes
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Garlic
- Banana
- Onion
- Asparagus
- Seaweed
- Nuts and seeds
Though it is important to manage your nutrition when focusing on your gut health, it is also important to think about your mental and physical health. Your brain and gut are closely linked and can sense when the other is not regulating properly. What’s more, your overall health affects your gut health; for example, your gut will feel the effects of stress, a lack of sleep or physical activity.
To ensure your gut is at its heathiest, aim for some form of daily physical activity, get enough sleep, decrease your stress and create a balanced plate for all your meals. Try to add fruits and vegetables to your meals to ensure you are getting enough probiotics and prebiotics to create healthy bacteria in your gut. Maintaining a healthy gut will improve your energy, boost your mental health and lead you to a healthier lifestyle overall.
About the author
Ms. Alexandra Bollinger is a Health and Wellness Coach on the Slainte Fitness team at USLI. She enjoys staying active by strength training and going for daily walks and runs. Ms. Bollinger also enjoys working one-on-one with community members and customers to ensure they are on the right track to living a healthy lifestyle!