The health of your gut affects the rest of your health. If you are experiencing weight gain, skin issues, fatigue, bloating, anxiety, or problems focusing, it could be related to your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome consists of a wide variety of good bacteria and some bad bacteria. The bad, or opportunistic bacteria, won't cause you any harm unless there is not enough of the good bacteria to keep them under control. Many people have experienced this in the form of a yeast infection after taking antibiotics. An imbalanced and inflamed gut is also referred to as leaky gut or dysbiosis. Here are some things you can do to improve your gut health.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities cause a more subtle reaction than food allergies. The most common food sensitivities include gluten, sugar, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, and nuts, but it is possible that you are sensitive to a less common food. Over time, food allergies and sensitivities will damage your gut and cause inflammation. One way you can determine if you have food allergies or sensitivities is to eliminate one food at a time for two weeks. Notice any change in your symptoms after 2 weeks. And then notice what happens when you re-introduce that food.
Stress
Your vagus nerve is a very important, yet rarely talked about nerve. It extends from your brain stem through your neck into your chest and abdomen. The nerve connects your brain and gut. If your vagus nerve is not functioning well, it can affect your digestion and gut microbiome health. To improve your vagus nerve function, reduce your stress levels and improve your sleep. Some things you can do to reduce stress is to increase laughter and gratitude, practice breathwork, meditate, pray, and connect with others.
Low Stomach Acid
Hydrochloric acid, or stomach acid, helps to sterilize the food that you eat. It also helps to break down protein. Having healthy levels of stomach acid is important for good digestion and gut flora balance. Low stomach acid can happen for a variety of reasons, including a poor diet, stress, or antibiotic use. It can lead to gas, bloating, acid reflux, and other digestive problems.
There are several ways you can test your stomach acid levels at home. The most common way uses baking soda. To do this, mix ¼ tablespoon of baking soda with 4 to 6 ounces of cold water. Drink this baking soda/water solution first thing in the morning before drinking or eating anything else. Keep track of how long it takes for you to burp after drinking it. If it takes longer than 5 minutes, you probably have insufficient stomach acid. If you burp right away or several times, you may have too much stomach acid. Small burps may happen from swallowing air from drinking the solution too quickly.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes include pancreatic enzymes, plant-derived enzymes and fungal-derived enzymes. They help break down food so that your body can more easily absorb it. Many raw fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple and papaya, contain enzymes that aid in their digestion. Enzyme deficiency comes from diet and lifestyle, but your body naturally produces fewer enzymes as you age. And it can be hard to get what you need through diet alone because the process of cooking destroys the enzymes contained within food. For general digestive health, it’s a good idea to take a full-spectrum high quality digestive enzyme blend that includes a variety of different enzymes.
Stay Hydrated
It is important to keep your cells and your digestive tract hydrated. Start your day with 32 oz of water and drink regularly throughout the day. You can set reminders on your phone if you tend to forget to drink healthy liquids. Make sure to drink clean, purified water. You can also get liquids from eating hydrating fruits and veggies, and drinking green juices, green smoothies, or herbal tea. And of course, it's best to remove unhealthy and dehydrating drinks like soda, alcohol, and sugary drinks.
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