For years, I've been telling you to listen to your body. Digestive health is no different, it's all about listening to your gut. What’s your gut telling you, and what should you be doing to be your most nutritious self?
And I’m not just talking about reducing bloating, constipation, or indigestion. Gut health affects everything from your immune system, to your weight, to your brain function, so it’s really important to focus on what’s going on in your belly, or shall I say what’s going IN your belly?
Here’s how to get things moving as regular as your morning commute.
4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Digestive Health
Incorporate fermented foods
These are foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi. These foods begin with a live active culture and are fermented, giving them similar benefits of probiotics supplements.
Eat Fiber
Many fibers are considered prebiotics. This means that they feed the good bacteria already present in your gut. But different fibers feed different bacterias, so it’s important to get these prebiotics from multiple sources and from a variety of foods. Translation: eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Eat Frequently
It’s much more beneficial for good digestion to eat consistent small meals throughout the whole day rather than just eating a few large meals intermittently. It will keep your digestive tract regular which is something we all can appreciate. My most successful weight loss clients also are those that eat consistently throughout the day.
Drink lots of fluids.
Our bodies need water for skin health, immunity and energy, but also to push things along through digestion. So while we need the bacteria for gut health, we also need the fluids to keep everything moving as it should.
And there are other aspects of a healthy life to consider, too. Managing stress, exercising regularly, and even getting enough sleep will all affect your digestive health.
If you’re thinking, “Hey! I’m already doing those things right, and I’m still not right!” then a probiotic might be just what you need.
You can even take a probiotic as a bit of an "insurance policy" to make sure that you’re balancing the bacteria in your gut everyday, no matter what.
Just make sure that you’re taking one with the right strain for you and your body. There are a lot out there on the market available to you, and you want to make sure it will address your specific needs.