Cultivate Your Gut Garden
Contributed By - Prajakta Apte
A happy healthy gut is a happier healthy you, but what exactly does that mean? Frequent bloating, diarrhea, gas, bad breath, mood swings, autoimmune diseases and frequent headaches are some of the red flags that are indicating you that your gut health is not at its best. If you have ever felt any of those signs and symptoms, then you must take care of your gut.
First thing is to learn a little bit about your gut in general. A microbiome is the community of microorganisms—such as bacteria, fungi, as well as viruses—that inhabit an ecosystem or organism. There are around 40 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are in your gut. Researchers continue to uncover that this ecosystem plays a major role in nearly every biological function in your body. According to various scientific studies, the richer and more diverse the community of gut microbes are, the lower your risk of disease and allergies. Damage to the microbiome is the root cause of a plethora of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, cancer, and autism, just to name few.
As scary as it sounds, one can take these simple steps to prevent diseases from taking over your health.
? Focus on fiber: Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes to improve the health of the microbiota. Try to include one new vegetable and/or fruit in your diet each week that you have never tried before.
These high-fiber foods feed the healthy bacteria that improve immune function and nutritional status. It helps to reduce inflammation and even regulate your mood and behavior.
? Prebiotics and Probiotics: Prebiotics are dietary fiber that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, boost your immune system and provide health benefits to the human host. Good sources include Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, spinach, beans, bananas, oats, flax seeds, jicama and apples.
Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts found in fermented foods or supplements. When consumed, take residence in the gut and help improve health. Dietary sources include sauerkraut, tempeh, kefir, kombucha and foods like idli, dosa that are prepared by fermentation. Please choose a good quality probiotic supplement that is right for you.
? Foods to avoid: Red meat, high-fat dairy products, foods rich in sugar, fried foods, foods with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and also advanced glycation end products (AGEs). All these foods reduce the growth of healthy bacteria and enhance the growth of undesirable species linked to chronic diseases. AGEs include proteins and fats exposed to high heat, such as sausage links, and sugar molecules found in candy bars.
? Avoid antibiotics and non-essential medicines: Antibiotics result in a loss of good and bad bacteria and can take weeks to recover. Even over the counter drugs like NSAIDS such as Advil, Aspirin and antacids can interfere with microbes in your gut. The best way to keep your gut healthy is to avoid excessive use of antibiotics and other over the counter medications. There are times when antibiotics are necessary, but should be discussed with your health care provider.
? Stress and other lifestyle factors: Research studies have shown that ongoing stress, smoking and alcohol negatively affect the friendly bacteria in your gut and can severely compromise your gut health. Practicing daily stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercise along with other lifestyle modifications like regular physical activity (especially out door physical activities), enough sleep and structured daily schedule will result in optimal gut health.
Making these changes in your diet and life will help cultivate your gut garden which will help you achieve a happy healthy life, because “A happy gut is a smile from the inside.”