5 Keys to Fostering a Healthy Gut Microbiome
We have talked about the importance of having a healthy gut in order to support a strong immune system, but remember that your gut microbiome affects many more areas than digestion and immunity! Here are some top ways to foster a healthy gut and bring it back to full function.
Avoid Common Gut Bombs
Here are some of the most common “gut bombs” that can hold you back from healing your gut and maintaining optimal health down the road:
Refined sugar is highly inflammatory, causing damage to the gut lining and fueling pathogenic microorganisms.
Gluten triggers the secretion of zonulin, a protein that affects cells in the intestinal lining, and is often highly allergenic.
Conventional dairy and other conventional animal products contain hormones and antibiotics that interfere with gut function.
Glyphosate is a herbicide used in conventional agriculture that kills bacteria and is suggested to cause dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance) in humans.
Antibiotic use interferes with the bacterial balance in the gut, allowing harmful bacteria to flourish and breaking down immune defenses.
NSAIDs like aspirin have been shown to increase inflammation, leading to leaky gut.
These commonly consumed foods and chemicals can have serious consequences when overused and abused. I’ll dive further into these in my next article!
Feed Your Gut Well
What does this look like? Well, it’s different for every individual, because your gut is unique to you. Many people, whether they experience digestive symptoms or not, are dealing with some form of gut-related issue, such as overgrowth of bacteria or dysbiosis, fungal overgrowth, malabsorption or an underactive stomach. The general recommendation is to eat plenty of fibre-rich foods, lots of fresh, colourful vegetables, probiotic foods, clean protein and fat, keep refined foods to a minimum and eat from the earth as much as possible. Additionally, soil-based probiotics can be a great supplement to a healthy diet!
Customized Nutritional Support
Eating a healthy, gut-healing, anti-inflammatory diet is incredibly important, but sometimes it’s not enough to heal the gut once and for all. There may be underlying imbalances, nutritional deficiencies due to poor digestion and absorption, or high levels of inflammation inhibiting healing and keeping you from functioning and feeling your best.
Many of my clients need additional support through a more specific healing diet and the use of specialized supplements to help clear out infections, re-balance and heal their gut. I don’t recommend that you simply grab the latest and greatest supplement off the shelf, as that can do more harm than good, but to seek advice from a trusted health practitioner.
Stress Must Be Addressed
Stress is necessary and vital for living, but chronic, long-term stress becomes a major roadblock to health if left unaddressed. There are different kinds of stressors such as a poor diet, chemicals, toxins, mold, stealth infections, heavy metals, medications, etc.
Emotional stress cannot be overlooked when working towards healing your gut and body. Unforgiveness, suppressed anger, bitterness, resentment, unsolved conflict, disappointment and feelings of low self-worth are a few factors that can lead to chronic stress and gut dysfunction. I strongly encourage you to begin healing the emotional in tandem with the physical to see the greatest results, as they work intricately together.
Exercise
A study published in Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews concluded that exercise has been shown to alter the composition of bacteria and the function of the microbiota, independent from other factors, therefore fostering a healthier gut!
Your digestive system is not an area that should be neglected, act today! Click here to book your FREE 15 minute Stress & Immunity Consult now!
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist™
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31442459
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3384703/
Beans are often touted as an incredibly nutritious, fibre-rich food you must consume if you want a healthy gut microbiome. But are they really great for people dealing with digestive issues like bloating, gas, irregularity and gut dysbiosis? What about the anti-nutrients they contain? This article will dive into these topics, as well as guide you in how to tell if beans are problematic for you personally…