In our 2nd installment of our Good Gut series we're taking a look at 5 ways to love your gut from our very own in-house Functional Medicine Practitioner, Founder Ineke.
Let's love those guts!
1. Let it rest. Often underrated is Sleep! Allowing your body to rest is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall health and particularly for your gut health. It is during periods of rest when the magic happens and your body goes through a process of repairing. In addition to sleeping, allowing a gap of 12 hours between your last meal for the day and your first meal for the next day is hugely beneficial for building a healthy microbiome. Try and have your last meal of the day at least 2 hours before going to bed.
2. Keep hydrated. Water is so vital here but remember Herbal teas as well as matcha and green tea can be beneficial as well. Avoid juices and other sugar laden beverages. Your microbiome does not thrive well in these liquids, and these high sugar beverages can case an imbalance in your microbiome diversity.
3. Fermented Foods – Including fermented foods such as kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, water kefir or coconut kefir can be very beneficial for encouraging a diverse microbiome and promoting good gut health. For those with histamine challenges, this can be difficult, in these cases monitor trigger foods and feed your gut microbiome with plenty of cruciferous vegetables and other foods such as activated seeds and nuts.
4. Eat the rainbow. Phytonutrient rich foods . Take a look at your plate next time you eat to see if you are getting the colors of the rainbow each day.
5. Exercise! It goes without saying… but does this mean you need to have a gym membership? Certainly not. Getting outside and walking every day, even if a handful of short walks around the block each day can do wonders for the microbiome. Exercise has been shown to have a direct effect on the health of your gut… so get moving in any way that works for you. As an aside, getting outside and gardening can even positively affect your gut microbiome!