The secrets of gut health wellness

We now know that having a healthy and happy gut, helps with much more than our digestion. Our gut health helps with mood, immune protection, healthy skin, energy levels, sleep and even our joint health.

What we eat and how we live all have the ability to impact on our gut health, our stress levels, environment and diet all contribute to our gut wellbeing.  But there are some easy ways we can help our gut, see below for the favourite healthy ingredients for optimal gut health. 

The top four foods for gut health

1. Prebiotics, we find these largely in fibre, fruit with skins, think apples, berries or pears. Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, beans, legumes (soaked and cooked) shallots, carrots, avocado and onions all pack in a good amount of fibre. Finding what suits you is important, as this differs from person to person.
2. Whole foods, think plant based here, anything not in a can or package, fresh and in its whole form ready to prep and cook. Herbs such as Kawakawa or ginger help to relax and soothe bloated or upset tummies.
3. Fermented foods, think sauerkraut, kombucha and yoghurt these feed our good bacteria, helping them multiply just like our fibre. They are prebiotic fuel for our probiotics. Prebiotics help our probiotics be more effective, acting as their ideal food.
4. Nuts and seeds also help with gut health and contain omegas, these are important essential fatty acids for us, meaning we only get them from our diet and do not make them in our body. Adding probiotics can help, alongside a balanced and wholefood diet when there is extra support needed.

The top four wellness tips for gut health

1. Include physical movement daily, this helps the diversity of our gut bacteria. People that exercise more have been shown to have more diverse gut flora.
2. Our emotional health, the way we think and how we manage stress affects the gut microbiome. Finding ways to de stress and relax is important for everyone for optimal wellbeing. Including your favourite past time and hobbies into your week or whatever is that helps you relax, laugh and enjoy life is your essential wellness ingredient for complete body health.
3. Breathe, our breathing controls our nervous system both the parasympathetic and sympathetic. These govern our stress and relax responses in the body. Deep breathing such as mediation helps us to relax as it stimulates certain brain waves such as theta brain waves which help us relax as opposed to alpha brain waves which help us be alert. Withania is a top herbal option for stress and helps to soothe tensions and worries away with its relaxing and stress supporting  properties, helping you to find more calm.
4. Getting enough sleep, the time we go to sleep and the hours we sleep can affect the health of gut bacteria. Getting to sleep by 11pm and staying asleep for 7-9 hours is where most people function best. This also helps with healthy gut flora, therefore helping our mental health, mood and energy levels for the day ahead. Herbs such as kava and passionflower can help with soundly sleeping through the night and encourage a deep restful night’s sleep.

Including these easy but good gut guide tips into your day can hep in setting up your gut wellbeing for easy digestion and your everyday wellness.