GETTING GUT HEALTHY: THE EVERYDAY LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT CAN BOOST YOU

When your digestive system is put under strain, you certainly know about it. Stomach aches, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and nausea: they’re all symptoms of an unhappy tum. Yet while for some these digestive problems are an occasional nuisance, for many they’re a part of everyday life. But digestive distress doesn’t have to be the norm. And considering the vital role your gut plays in your overall health, it definitely shouldn’t be.

So to help you feel your best, we’ve pulled together some easy ways to improve your gut health for good.

Hone your supplement regime

At ncapsulate®, we believe the root cause of many health issues is not just what you eat, but what you don’t. You’d be amazed by how many people struggle to hit their nutritional targets from food and drink alone, leading to a whole load of chronic health issues. That’s why a carefully honed supplement regimen can help get you gut healthy. There are some good ones to consider:

1. Probiotics. Much of our food supply is industrially processed and laden with sugar, all of which can decrease the health of our microbiome. Taking a daily probiotic is a great way of topping up our good bacteria, helping bring balance to our digestive system.
2. Digestive Enzymes. We all have digestive enzymes that break down food into nutrients, but disease or inflammation may stop them from working as effectively as they should. Taking Digestive Enzymes as a supplement is a good way of treating this deficiency and helping to restore normal digestive function.
3. Multi-Fibre Nutritional Complex. Suffer from constipation? Chances are your diet is lacking in fibre. That’s where a supplement containing a multi-fiber blend including psyllium and flaxseed can help. Packed with both insoluble and soluble fibre, this daily supplement will help maintain normal bowel function.

Eat real food

The most common cause of digestive problems is what’s on your plate. That’s right: the typical Western diet is full of saturated fat, refined carbs and additives like glucose and salt – all ingredients proven to increase the risk of developing digestive disorders. In fact, one study found that eating 50 grams of the artificial sweetener xylitol (a common ingredient in diet drinks), leads to bloating and diarrhea in 70% of people, while 75 grams of the sweetener erythritol causes the same symptoms in 60% of people.

But the good news is that even a lifetime of unhealthy eating is fixable – at least as far as your microbes are concerned. Studies suggest that your body can begin creating a new microbiota in as little as 24 hours, just by changing what you eat. And a great way to do just that is by adding a whole range of ‘real foods’ to your diet. That means swapping a diet filled with refined sugar and trans fats for one packed with fiber-rich whole foods and probiotics.

Manage your stress

Poor diet isn’t the only thing that contributes to digestive issues. With more than 100 million neurons located in the stomach itself, it’s no surprise that psychology can play a huge part in gut health too. Researchers call this connection the “brain-gut axis”, and it explains why when a person becomes stressed enough to trigger the fight-or-flight response, digestion slows or stops altogether. Or why a nerve-wracking speech can cause “butterflies” in the stomach.

So it makes sense that managing stress is an important factor in getting gut healthy. From psychotherapies including CBT and hypnotherapy, to everyday relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga, there are lots of practical ways you can manage and relieve stress.

Conclusion

Easing chronic digestive health problems is unfortunately not always as easy as taking a pill. But with a combination of diet, medicine and lifestyle changes, it’s possible to boost your gut health and ease some of those uncomfortable symptoms.

Want to find out more ways in which supplements can improve your gut health?

Find out the incredible benefits of a daily probiotic supplement here.