- Health advice
- Sep 23, 2019
You mind think that getting your gut back on track is about food, diet and good gut bacteria. This is only part of the story. Gut health is also about your overall health, it is easy enough to see that a healthy gut improves the nutrients delivered to the rest of the body for it to function. We are also now seeing how the health of the rest of the body can impact on gut health.
Why is it not just about food?
Over 70% of our immune system resides in the gut, inflammation due to immune responses can can reduce gut bacteria. A review of studies done on stress and its impact on the gut confirms that stress “ultimately disturbs the microbiota”. Lack of sleep can reduce metabolism regulating hormones and slow repair to the body. Sleep is a time when inflammation is reduced and healing is promoted. How you eat can make a difference too. Eating too fast can reduce absorption of nutrients from the food. Chewing slowly is the starting point that helps ensure proper digestion. Eating mindfully without a blaring TV or eating away from your desk can improve both your gut bacteria and mental health. Sufficient water helps break down and digest food, remove toxins from the body, and soften stools. Therefore it becomes important to improve the following in order to improve gut health:- General health
- Stress management
- Sleep
- Hydration