Introduction
Having an unhealthy gut can be a major source of discomfort and can lead to a variety of health issues. Fortunately, there are many ways to fix your gut quickly and easily. Eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can make a huge difference in your gut health. In this article, we will discuss some of the best foods to eat and the worst foods to avoid in order to fix your unhealthy gut fast. We will also provide some tips on how to make sure you are getting the most out of your diet and lifestyle changes. By following these simple steps, you can get your gut back on track and start feeling better in no time.
Ways to Fix Your “Unhealthy Gut” Fast — Eat This Not That
Having an unhealthy gut can be a major source of discomfort and can lead to a variety of health issues. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help improve your gut health and get back on track. Here are some of the best ways to fix your unhealthy gut fast.
1. Eat Probiotic-Rich Foods
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to keep your gut healthy. Eating probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso can help to restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut. You can also take a probiotic supplement to get an extra boost.
2. Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods are often high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, which can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut. Try to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole, unprocessed foods instead.
3. Eat Prebiotic-Rich Foods
Prebiotics are a type of fiber that helps to feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Eating prebiotic-rich foods such as bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus, and oats can help to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut.
4. Reduce Stress
Stress can have a negative impact on your gut health. Try to reduce stress in your life by taking time for yourself, practicing relaxation techniques, and getting enough sleep. This can help to improve your gut health and overall wellbeing.
5. Exercise Regularly
Exercise can help to improve your gut health by reducing inflammation and promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day to help keep your gut healthy.
6. Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is important for your gut health. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to help keep your gut healthy and functioning properly.
Conclusion
By following these simple steps, you can help to improve your gut health and get back on track. Eating probiotic-rich foods, avoiding processed foods, eating prebiotic-rich foods, reducing stress, exercising regularly, and drinking plenty of water can all help to improve your gut health and keep it functioning properly.
A healthy gut means a healthy you. “The gut microbiome is one of the most important aspects of our overall health,” says Dr. Will Cole. “Medical research has confirmed the powerful role our gut plays in even seemingly unrelated health problems such as autoimmune conditions, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and even skin problems like acne and eczema. An unhealthy gut often starts before there are any obvious symptoms. A combination of genetics and lifestyle factors such as poor diet, chronic stress, and medications are all triggers that build up over time that perpetuate a cycle of chronic inflammation and continue to weaken the microbiome.” Here are five ways to fix your unhealthy gut, according to experts. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
One 10-week study from Stanford University showed that fermented foods (such as kimchi and yogurt) are not only good for the microbiome, but can also help support a healthy, robust immune response. “This is a stunning finding,” says Justin Sonnenburg, Ph.D, associate professor of microbiology and immunology. “It provides one of the first examples of how a simple change in diet can reproducibly remodel the microbiota across a cohort of healthy adults.”
Good quality sleep (and the right amount) is strongly linked to a healthy gut, experts say. “Given the strong gut-brain bidirectional communication they likely influence each other,” says Jaime Tartar, Ph.D. “Based on previous reports, we think that poor sleep probably exerts a strong negative effect on gut health/microbiome diversity.”
Multiple studies show exercise has a positive impact on gut health. “When we say that phrase [‘exercise as medicine’], we think of it as meaning that exercise will help people stay healthier and live longer. But you don’t think about your gut bacteria,” says San Francisco State graduate student Ryan Durk. “We now know that exercise is crucial for increasing beneficial bacteria in the gut.”
Chronic stress can alter gut bacteria diversity and lead to higher numbers of harmful bacteria, studies show. “These bacteria affect immune function, and may help explain why stress dysregulates the immune response,” says Michael Bailey, Ph.D. “These changes can have profound implications for physiological function. When we reduced the number of bacteria in the intestines using antibiotics, we found that some of the effects of stress on the immune system were prevented. This suggests that not only does stress change the bacteria levels in the gut, but that these alterations can, in turn, impact our immunity.”
“It’s very hard to know exactly what it is in junk food that is causing a problem,” says epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector. “It’s not the fat, carbs and protein, it’s the extra chemicals. The data is probably best for artificial sweeteners that are derived from things like paraffin and the petrol industry, so our bodies and our microbes are not used to breaking them down. But it could be other stuff, like the enzymes you don’t get on the label, or emulsifiers. There are few studies on emulsifiers, and nearly all in animals, but they show that you get reduced diversity and more inflammatory microbes. The idea is that they’re doing the same as they are in cooking: sticking your microbes together, creating an emulsion. Or it could be the lack of fibre and the fact that everything is refined. We haven’t nailed it down, but I think it’s safe to say that ultra-processed foods are bad for your gut microbes and we should avoid eating them regularly.”
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