How to Improve Your Gut Health & Combat Everyday Bloating
Everybody in the health and wellness industry is talking about gut health and bloating. Whether it’s seeing people drink their daily greens or hearing influencers talk about how they got rid of chronic bloating, most of us have already been exposed to the topic. Maintaining a healthy gut is actually far more intricate than most believe and very few people talk about the natural ways you can avoid bloating. I’m here to teach you everything you need to know: how to achieve a healthy gut, how to maintain a strong digestive system, and how to combat everyday bloating!
In order to improve your gut health, first you need to have a basic understanding of the digestive system and why it’s so important to our body. Your gut houses trillions of microbiomes, both good and bad. These microbiomes are essential for breaking down food and turning them into nutrients and minerals. The type of microbiome in your body is dependent on a variety of factors: genetics, age, weight, and your current diet and overall health. When you neglect your gut by consistently consuming foods that irritate your unique microbiome, you will experience consistent bloating, stomach cramps, stress, and tiredness. Poor gut health can also lead to weight loss or weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and may even affect your basic brain functions.
When you make the effort to maintain a healthy gut, everyday bloating will nearly disappear entirely and your immune system will strengthen. Stomach irritation, cramps, and irregular bowel movements will also steadily decline. Having a strong gut also means improved brain function: better sleep, improved mood, and increased energy! Gut health has also been linked to a decrease in certain cancers and autoimmune diseases.
So what steps do you need to take in order to benefit from a healthy digestive system? Just like your gut microbiome, maintaining a healthy gut is relatively unique for each individual. Everybody has different food irritants and allergies and the first step is to eliminate those foods from your regular diet. Once those have been eliminated, you’ll want to begin incorporating fermented foods such as yogurt or kombucha into your diet, and look for foods that are high in probiotics (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). In addition to diet, a strong gut requires healthy sleeping patterns and physical exercise. Think of your gut like your muscles. When you are trying to tone and define, both a healthy diet and physical exercise are needed to achieve the results you are looking for.
I always encourage people to be consistent in incorporating gut-friendly foods into their diets, in ways that are simple and effective. Many of us already have the right ingredients in their kitchen, it’s just knowing how to make filling and satisfying foods out of them. There are thousands of easy recipes available online that can make a huge difference! Below are two of my absolute favorite recipes that are high in whole foods and probiotics. These are a great start for those looking to transform their gut health and eliminate everyday bloating!
Morning Probiotic Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 Whole banana
A handful of baby spinach
½ - 1 cup of organic blueberries
1 Tablespoon Flax seeds
½ cup almond or oat milk
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
Add all ingredients to a blender and enjoy!
Mocha Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cups of almond or oat milk
½ cup chia seeds
3 Tablespoon almond butter
2 Teaspoon cocoa powder
1 Teaspoon instant coffee (skip this ingredient if you don’t want the coffee flavor!)
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
Optional Topping: Almonds or walnuts
This makes 4 servings! Put all of the ingredients into sealable jars/containers and let sit at least an hour in the fridge (overnight is better). Add the almonds and walnuts when you’re ready to eat.
Not sure how to build a gut-friendly diet? Schedule a virtual one-on-one visit to get all of your questions answered!
