Your gut is the host to an entire microbiome of bacteria - an estimated 100 trillion of them, believe it or not! It is essential to keep those bacteria happy, healthy, and in balance for your wellness. It affects everything from your digestion, mood, energy, aches and pains, and even brain function. Ever heard of the saying “listen to your gut”? It has been known for centuries that our gut and well-being are connected. Science is finally beginning to uncover just how connected the two are. Those trillions of microorganisms living in your gut break down everything you eat. This provides your body with fuel to function properly, gives you necessary nutrients, hormones, and enzymes that power your body’s processes, and repairs and recovers muscles. Your gut is a major part of your immune system. It serves as your body’s reception area, ushering in the good guys (all the nutrients and micronutrients found in your food) and working hard to push and keep out intruders (pathogens, bad bacteria, and more). The job is taken care of by the lining in your gut called “gut associated lymphoid tissue” or GALT. When your gut microbes are healthy and in balance, your GALT is functioning properly and will recognize when an intruder has entered and attack it. You could imagine that if your gut microbes are unhealthy and out of balance, then intruders are able to get into your gut and begin to grow without detection. This can cause an array of issues that affect you on a daily basis, from digestive upset to chronic inflammation and immune system issues. You might be thinking back to a time of gut discomfort or maybe you are currently going through this pain, and we are here to help get your gut health back on track! So what causes a gut imbalance? This is a huge area of research, but some of the bigger players consist of a poor diet, stress, food sensitivities, and infections. Simply put, a healthy gut starts with a healthy lifestyle - getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and exercising regularly. What you feed your gut microbiome is one of the most important factors to a healthy gut. Let’s begin with cleaning out the stuff in your cabinets and fridge that aren’t serving you: mainly high-sugar, low-fiber, and processed foods. An easy way to recognize a processed food is by reading the nutrition label, if the list consists of words you’ve never heard before then it is highly processed and should be eaten in small quantities. Instead, let’s fuel your gut and body with more of the GOOD stuff. Focus on pre- and probiotics to create a healthy and happy gut microbiome. Prebiotics are made up of indigestible fibers such as insulin. These fibers are tough enough to make it through your digestive track and into your colon, where the healthy microbes feed on them. This is important because it leads to a better functioning immune system and lower inflammation issues. Probiotics are the “good” microorganisms that live in your gut and intestines. Probiotics naturally occur in your body, but you can also get them through fermented foods and some supplements. We are going to list 5 prebiotic and probiotic foods that will create a strong and healthy gut! 5 prebiotic foods - It’s all about fiber! Apples Flaxseeds Garlic, leeks, and onions Bananas Oats 5 probiotic foods - fermented products Kimchi Miso Kombucha Pickles (salt and water, not vinegar) Yogurt Begin by adding one pre- and probiotic to your daily intake and you’ll begin to notice a huge difference in your gut health! If you have any additional questions we are here to support you. Please reach out to info@recouppersonaltraining.com and we’d be more than happy to assist you in your health journey.
