When thinking about ways we can be healthier and benefit our bodies our first thoughts are often towards our weight, heart, and brain. But sadly our gut often goes without proper care and this can make a big impact on our health and happiness.
Gut health is incredibly important and we should take certain precautions every day to ensure that our tummy is happy and that we are able to digest our food effectively.
Today we want to talk about how you can overhaul your gut health in the new year after Christmas and make a fresh start being healthier and happier.
Drink red wine
It might seem counterintuitive to drink wine after the festive season to stay healthy – however a small glass of red wine can be a helpful tool for digestion. If you are eating foods such as red meat or pasta, a side of red wine is a good idea because it will help to break down the stodge to aid digestion. It will also fill your body with lots of antioxidants that can be good for the skin so that’s a bonus too!
Take vitamins each day
When thinking about gut health it is important to consider the benefits of gummy vitamins and supplements in your diet. Consider starting to take vitamins every morning to keep your body healthy and strong and choose ginger supplements to help digest food as well as speed up your metabolism. It is important to invest in great gut health and vitamins are a great way to do this.
Consider IBS triggers
If you have IBS you will know how difficult it is to trust your diet and your gut. IBS inflicts many people and it makes eating certain foods painful and dicomforting. If you notice that you bloat up and feel in pain after eating a meal you might have signs of IBS. You can improve your digestive health by keeping a diary of what you eat including all ingredients and when you have a flare up, you can narrow down the culprits to find what foods trigger you. Avoiding foods that hurt your gut is a great way to stay healthy and keep your body happy.
Understand FODMAP
As well as checking for foods that don’t agree with you personally, you can take a look at the FODMAP list of foods that are the most common good triggers. This is a good indication to find out which foods you need to avoid or which ones you should show caution eating and monitor for a reaction. Foods such as onion and garlic, legumes, and broccoli are big culprits for digestive discomfort.
Eat little and often
It is a great idea when you want to look after your gut this year to eat little and often rather than in one or two big meals. When we eat a big meal it can overwhelm the body and our gut has a hard time digesting the quantity of food effectively. This can lead to bloating, constipation, or excessive storage of fat. By eating little and often throughout the day you will be able to keep your gut happy and make digestion a breeze.
Add color into your diet
Colour is an important thing to consider when trying to eat healthier – and if you want your gut to be happy you want to feed it the nutrients it needs to function properly. If you are new to healthy eating and want a simple trick for eating right – add as many colors onto your plate as you can each meal. Different colored foods contain different vitamins and minerals so it is a great idea to bring as many colors to your plate as you can to get a boost of essential vitamins. Your gut will thank you for this and it will make a huge difference to your health.
Ditch the complex carbs
It is a great idea when trying to eat healthy that you consider ditching the complex carbs such as white bread and pasta and make the switch instead to wholegrain bread and pasta. This might seem like a small change at first however it is something that you need to do in order to help your gut be happier without overwhelming yourself and making huge changes that you are unable to maintain.
Drink lemon water in the morning
Lemon water is the magic formula for a happy gut, and will make a massive difference if you drink it every morning before you have your breakfast. By drinking lemon water before breakfast you will be able to boost your metabolism and flush out any toxins from the night before. Lemon water is a good start to the day and you can also consider adding something like ginger to this to help wake you up and get you ready for the day ahead. It is so important to start the day right and this will keep your gut happy and healthy.
Avoid dairy
Dairy is a big problem for many people – and even if you are not intolerant to dairy it is important to reduce the amount of dairy you have because your gut finds it difficult to digest at times. Consider cutting down how much dairy you eat every day and think about trying meals that don’t require dairy at all.
Drink probiotics
Probiotics are your gut’s best friend. It is so important to drink probiotics every single day in the morning to help your gut stay healthy and happy. Probiotics meant to keep yeast under control fill your gut with healthy bacteria and they help break down foods to ensure that you digest with ease.
Sleep better
Sleep is so important for your health and you must always make sure to get some sleep in order to keep your gut happy. Gut health is determined largely by our rest because the body will only digest when we are jot actively moving around. By getting enough sleep you are helping your body digest more effectively and it will thank you for it.