Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.”
Gut health is more important than you might realize. The mindset of "we are what we eat" is only partly true. A better way to think of our overall health & nutrition is that we are what we eat & what we absorb through digestion.
There are many signs that your body may give you to tell you that the symbiosis of your gut health is out of whack. Some of these include:
· Poor digestion
· Chronic yeast infections
· Chronic upper respiratory infections
· Skin inflammations such as psoriasis or acne
· Bad breath
· Migraines
Many other common health issues can be cleared up simply by getting your gut healthy. But how do you do that?
Four of the simplest ways to get started include:
1. A consistent nutritional routine – Whole foods-based nutrition is the best way to keep your gut health in alignment. By choosing whole foods most of the time, you minimize the hazardous preservative ingredients contained in many packaged food items.
2. Chew your food – This may be one you want to pass over, thinking, "of course, I chew my food," but this is so important. Your digestive system begins working before you even put the bite in your mouth via your olfactory glands. When you smell food your saliva production immediately increases. Chewing your food thoroughly, produces even more saliva & it is that saliva aids your stomach in its job to fully finish the digestion. Complete digestion of food is how we absorb the benefits of the food we eat.
3. Add in foods that aid digestion – Plain Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurts, bone broth, kombucha & fermented foods are all incredibly beneficial to your gut. They help in allowing your body to digest food & turn on the body's ability to produce the right kind of stomach acid.
4. Probiotics & prebiotics – You’ve probably heard of both as they are a hot topic lately. Still, you may think they are only found in supplements. However, you can find probiotics & prebiotics in many foods. Probiotics can be found in things like the fermented foods mentioned above. Prebiotics can also be found in foods like bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic & onions, to name a few. Both probiotics & prebiotics play a significant role in food digestion & good gut health.
You can definitely attain good gut health through a whole foods plan. However, it will take disciplined effort & consistency. My top recommendation would be to work on the above list first; however, if you feel like working on each item only a few times a week, then adding some quality probiotic & prebiotic supplements can help get you on track as well.
The Just Thrive brand of supplements for gut health is a great place to start. Their broad spectrum of supplements can help you get your gut health on track. {Use code NOURISH at checkout for 15% off your first order!}
Improving gut health can improve many common inflammatory health symptoms. Making your gut health a priority is worth the effort!