Gut Health + Probiotics
Disclosure: I have participated in a paid partnership with New Roots Herbal. Opinions in this post are my own.
There’s a universe inside of you...Your digestive system is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes which make up an ecosystem called the gut microbiome. A diverse and healthy microbiome is crucial for overall mental and physical health. This includes digestion, skin health, metabolism, immune system, mood, and hormonal balance.
Things that can negatively affect your microbiome
Certain Medications and Antibiotics
High Levels of Stress
Too Much Alcohol
Lack of Regular Physical Activity
Unhealthy Diet
To maintain or restore the health of your microbiome and support overall health, it is important to maintain a strong balance of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract.
Ways to Improve Your microbiome (beneficial gut bacteria)
1. Eat a diverse range of high fiber (prebiotic) foods
Vegetables loaded with fiber are the main food source for the good bacteria in your gut. Some great examples of vegetables that feed your microbes are Leeks, Onions, Garlic, Asparagus, Broccoli, Spinach, mushrooms, Dandelion greens, Artichokes, and more!
2. Replenish with fermented food and probiotics:
As a Holistic Nutritionist, I’m a huge advocate of fermented foods as they can help with making sure you have a diverse range of good bacteria. Not to mention they are also delicious. Fermented foods include things like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, and miso. In addition to fermented food, you can also take a quality probiotic. But not all probiotics are created equal. I’ll give you the breakdown of the one I like to use, so you know what to look for and get what you pay for.
Probiotics can offer incredible health benefits -however, to get the most out of them, you need to ensure they make it to your intestines alive so they can actually work.
Make sure they are refrigerated
Look for one in the refrigerated section of your health food store. Studies show that all probiotics (but especially delicate Bifido strains) die off at a much higher speed when not refrigerated.·
Make sure you get one that’s enteric-coated!
You’ll see it right on the label. I love New Roots Herbal probiotics because they feature GPS Enteric Coating –a proven method that protects your probiotics. Studies have shown these capsules deliver 100% of the probiotics promised, to the small intestine alive and viable –so they can work their magic! Get more info on GPS Enteric Coating here
* I love Probiotic Intensity from New Roots as it’s formulated with 20 billion live cells, spanning 18 specific therapeutic probiotic strains, and an advanced colostrum extract to help modify gut flora.
3. Get enough sleep
Getting enough rest is so important! Not only is it important for cognitive function and reducing stress (which has been shown to reduce gut flora diversity), studies have shown that people with erratic sleeping patterns run the risk of disrupting their microbiome. Try to make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. I wrote an entire blog post on the importance of sleep that you can check out here.
When it comes to improving gut health everyone is unique. For you, this might look like reducing stress, incorporating more fermented foods, introducing a new probiotic supplement, or working with a practitioner for support. Whatever the case, start paying attention to the health and balance of your microbiome so you can show up as the best version of yourself.
When it comes to improving sleep, everyone is different. For you, this might look like reducing screen time, reducing stress, creating a better evening routine, or introducing a new supplement at night. Whatever the case, it can be more effective to slowly start to incorporate healthier habits into your routine instead of all at once. This way you can see what works and what doesn’t so you can get a decent night’s sleep, feel your best and show up as the best version of yourself the next day.
