Gut health. It is so important (read this). And yet we don’t know how we can improve it. How to restore your gut health completely? In my opinion, again, not a doctor, but it cannot be done with just an overnight change.
You must find ways that work exactly for you. What might work for one person, might not immediately work for you. Here are all the ways that I could find.
I created this site because I was struggling with a lot of health issues. And over the years, I never knew what was going on – even the doctors I would visit had no clue. My frustration and my symptoms were increasing every day until one day when I couldn’t take it anymore.
At this point, I heard about “gut health” and decided to learn all about it. Ever since I changed my diet completely drastically, my life completely changed. I am now healthy, energetic, and mentally strong!
Every gastrointestinal symptom such as stomach pain, food intolerances, and acid reflux that I had, completely disappeared over a time frame of around 3 months, but I saw results right away.
It was also a struggle to figure out all this stuff about food in a short period. I mean, I knew the basics and felt like I was already eating quite healthily. I didn’t eat any processed food at home and enjoyed my fruits and vegetables daily.
Oh, boy was I wrong. There is so much more to nutrition.
And over the year, I learned SO much about foods and how I can take back control of my health.
Now it’s my turn to help you!
Here’s exactly how you can restore your gut health: diet-wise, antibiotics in-depth, and other ways.
1. Take probiotic supplements:
research has shown that probiotics can support a healthy gut and it can prevent gut inflammation and other intestinal problems (Medical News Today).
2. Eat fermented foods:
this is pretty much a natural source of probiotics and may improve gut health. My favorites are miso, kimchi, and kombucha. Careful for industry versions though with lots of added sugar.
3. Eat prebiotic fiber:
Fiber is key to a happy gut (by Healthline). You can feed the bacteria in your gut with: green peas, broccoli, beans, lentils, berries, bananas, walnuts, flax seed, legumes, onions, garlic, whole grains, and more.
These are foods that help you improve your gut health and help increase the good type of bacteria.
4. Less sugar and sweeteners:
it is a fact (proven by research) that sugar and sweeteners negatively affect the healthy microbiome. With a known link to your brain and behavior.
There are even studies being done where it shows that sugar and sweeteners can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. And sugar, even artificial sweeteners, can impact blood glucose levels.
Check out this book if you want to learn more about this. I also wrote about sugar in my article Foods That Are Bad For Your (Gut) Health
5. Reduce alcohol
Reducing the amount of alcohol that you drink is generally a smart approach for improving your health. It affects the gut as well by increasing the type of microbes. This can result in constipation, diarrhea, and bloating.
There is nothing wrong with having a glass of red wine from time to time. Red wine contains antioxidants that help protect you from inflammation and disease. And lastly even increases the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
I stopped drinking alcohol, except red wine. Most alcohol is bad for your gut and due to its sugar level also doesn’t help to try to stay a healthy fit weight in my experience.
6. Avoid too many antibiotics
Antibiotics are necessary to combat in many cases. Unfortunately, it is shared that 30% of cases of antibiotics are unnecessary. Overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance, damage to the gut microbiota, and even immunity.
This was my case; doctors couldn’t find the issues so whenever I would land in a hospital bed… you guessed it, antibiotics were given to fight the infection.
I am now immune to 7 out of 12 antibiotics for this case and my gut was destroyed. Luckily I was able to restore my gut health and no longer need antibiotics!
7. Easy on the painkillers
Painkillers that are most commonly prescribed treat pain by targeting inflammation. Although they produce short-term relief (such as on your period), chronic use can damage your gut health. It irritates the intestinal lining, causing inflammation and damaging your microbiome.
8. Hold off on the laxatives
Often due to poor diet habits, you’re not as regular as you should be. Long-term use of laxatives can make you dependent and remove all the good gut flora.
If there is no underlying medical condition, try adding fiber to your diet and exercising more.
9. Play and get dirty
Allow me to explain! Studies have shown that exposure to pets and dirt can help us replenish our microbiota and encourage diversity.
Exposure to the natural microbes around us is a beneficial thing. Do not go too crazy when playing in the dirt. Simply be less worried about it.
10. Eat a vegetarian diet
It is shown that a vegetarian diet (eliminating all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs) has lower levels of gut inflammation.
The extensive use of antibiotics in factory farming, even in healthy animals, is increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. (shared by Sentient Media)
I also write about this in my article Foods That Are Bad For Your (Gut) Health. The main takeaway is that often the food, completely naturally, is healthy. But unfortunately, due to the industrialization of our Western diet, many foods now include antibiotics.
11. Get enough sleep
Sleep is another thing that will always be promoted as part of general good health. Your sleep is so crucial as it will help you improve your mood for starters. There’s an animal study that shows irregular sleep habits may increase the risk of inflammatory conditions.
12. Avoid smoking
Smoking affects gut health. There’s research done in 2018 where shows intestinal flora is altered by decreasing the good bacteria and increasing the bad ones.
The study states that it may increase the risk of certain gut-related health issues such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
13. Drink more water
Proper hydration is key. We know it already and is repeated on numerous occasions. Wow, there are even apps nowadays that can track the amount you drink.
Drinking water is so important for your gut is that it helps keep the food moving through your intestines properly. It’s all part of the amazing system of the human body!
14. Eat slowly
Your gut is the headquarters of your digestive system. Eating slowly by chewing and swallowing your food at a slower rate can help promote full digestion and absorption of nutrients.
According to a famous publication, it also may help you reduce digestive tract discomfort and maintain a healthy gut.
15. Reduce Stress:
Stressors can negatively affect gut health, such as psychological stress, environmental stress, and sleep deprivation. (shared by Medical News Today).
Reducing stress is easier said than done. It can be tricky. I always feel that it helps to (at least try!) to be in a routine with sleep, diet, and exercise.
16. Use different cleaning products
This is very much linked to disinfectant cleaning products and their use of it close to babies or young children. Researchers studied people living in houses who used these products at least weekly.
The results are that they have twice as likely to a specific gut microbe (Lachnospiraceae) that is the same type associated with type 2 diabetes.
17. Exercise regularly
Exercise will always be considered as healthy and will be recommended by every medical practitioner around the world. It is proven (published by BMC genomics) that people that exercise more, such as athletes, have a larger variety (and therefore healthier) of gut flora.
How to restore your gut health? Take a look at the list provided here and see where you can make a small change. It is all about making changes toward better gut health. Many of us assume it is only dietary, but as you can read, there is a lot more to it.
