Our gut health has the power to affect everything, from our mood and immunity to our weight.
The mix of good (beneficial) and bad (perhaps harmful) bacteria and yeast in your digestive tract is the key to having a healthy gut.
In fact, the gut houses most of your body's serotonin and 80% of your immune system. In other words, if your stomach is unhealthy, your immune system, hormones and health will all suffer as a result, and you will get ill.
“Learn to listen to your gut, literally,” says Kerri Taylor, founder of Kiko Vitals, “because the more you can tune into it, the more you can really understand what it’s trying to tell you.”
Stephanie Rouillard, a Cape Town-based dietician offers four top, easy-to-implement tips to reset your gut this spring:
Remove the real offenders from your kitchen: Out of sight, out of mind.
Say goodbye to alcohol, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed carbohydrates, saturated fats, and preservatives. Stock up on whole, fresh foods.
Re-inoculate your gut by consuming a “live” food every day
Start with fermented foods – start low, and go slow – some may aggravate gut symptoms. Feed that community of ‘gut bugs’ with fibre-rich foods. The top items on your shopping list should be chia seeds and golden flax seeds if you want to consume the recommended 30g of fibre per day.
Repair the gut lining by fuelling your body with healing nutrients
Rouillard advises choosing foods rich in omega-3, clean protein and zinc. Polyphenols can improve the health of your cells. At every meal, try to include two different coloured vegetables. And remember to drink plenty of water!
Healthy eating often falls to the bottom of our priorities. Only after we begin to notice changes such as health problems or a lower quality of life do we realise we need to make lifestyle changes.
Rebalance your lifestyle. Have you ever heard of the gut-mind connection?
Stress is harmful to your digestive system. Restore balance by exercising every day and spending time with family or friends. Reduce your stress ito have a happy stomach.
SLOW DOWN: practice mindfulness, and eat slowly – chew thoroughly, away from distraction and with intention. Food is truly nature’s medicine.
Gut healing is rarely fast or generic. It entails a thoughtful, personalised and evidence-based approach – which always requires your best effort, alongside a dietitian’s expertise.
Making simple dietary adjustments today can have a big impact later on by boosting your energy levels, improving your health, reducing your discomfort, and improving your general wellbeing.
Most of us live in a twilight zone — we may be disease-free, but we may not be considered healthy. Wellness should be our best investment.
Read the latest issue of IOL Health digital magazine here.