The importance of our gut health is a well discussed topic. Knowing how our gut works and the importance of it can help us to make better decisions to improve our health.
Gut health plays a huge role in our overall health. It impacts various bodily functions, including digestion, immunity, and mental health.
Good gut health can also impact weight management and help to reduce the risk of diseases.
If you’re wondering how to improve your gut health, look no further. Here are our top tips to looking after your gut.
Possibly the most important one, but the first step to improving your gut health is reviewing your diet and what changes can be made that your gut will thank you for.
Your diet plays a huge role in your gut health and you want to be prioritising the right foods.
Not only does the gut digest food, but it's also responsible for absorbing nutrients and transporting them into the bloodstream and supporting our immune system.
Some key dietary changes that can improve your gut health include:
Foods high in fibre are well known for supporting your digestion and helping to reduce constipation. There has also been a link between high-fibre diets and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, according to the National Library of Medicine.
You can add more fibre into your diet by:
Eating more fermented foods can help to introduce probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria's for your digestive system. This helps to balance the gut microbiome.
This can benefit us by improving our overall gut health.
Some ways to include more fermented foods into your diet include: adding kefir or yogurt to your meals or as a snack, adding foods such as: kimchi, cheese, sourdough and vinegar to your diet where possible.
It may seem a no-brainer, but limiting the amount of processed foods you eat can really help to improve gut health.
Processed foods affect the gut by disrupting the balance of gut microbiomes. It can increase harmful bacteria in the gut which can lead to inflammation, which causes conditions like IBD and IBS.
Processed foods can also impact digestion, due to a lack of fibre, which could lead to things like bloating and constipation.
Whilst it’s normal to have processed foods sometimes, it’s definitely beneficial to consider how often you’re eating them and what alternatives you can consider.
We all know that we need to drink enough water for multiple health benefits, but staying hydrated is another big factor in improving gut health.
Water helps to aid digestion, nutrient absorption and waste removal.
Water plays a big role in dissolving and transporting nutrients into our bloodstream. This helps us get the essential nutrients and vitamins we need for our body to perform at its best.
Staying hydrated can also help to boost our metabolism, by promoting calorie burning and supporting the breakdown of food. Another key benefit of improving our gut health.
It can help with reducing constipation too and softening stools, which all contributes to your overall health, wellbeing and happiness.
Not only is sleep a great way to reset and get us refreshed for a new day, it also has a huge impact on our health and how our bodies work.
There are a number of ways a lack of sleep affects our gut health, including increased stress levels. If we don’t get enough good quality sleep, it can cause stress. This interferes with our gut health, as well as the rest of our lives.
Lack of sleep can cause hormones to become unbalanced, meaning the stress hormone rises. Increased stress can lead to an issue known as “leaky gut”. This causes food and toxins to pass through the intestine and into the bloodstream.
This could potentially lead to other problems, such as autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.
Poor sleep can also affect the gut by causing inflammation and disrupting digestive processes, which continue to happen whilst we sleep.
Getting sleep right isn’t always easy, but it’s really important to prioritise our sleep, not only to improve gut health, but our overall health and wellbeing.
Some simple ways to sleep better include:
Take a look at our top tips for a good night sleep.
Staying active and getting regular exercise is not only good for your vascular health and wellbeing, but for your gut health too.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week to contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.
Exercise can help to promote a healthy gut bacteria in numerous ways, including:
Overall exercise is a great part of a healthy lifestyle and a great way to prioritise your gut too.
It's important to never overlook your gut health and give it the prioritisation it needs. There's plenty of advice and support that can help to improve your gut health, offered by health insurers.
A health insurance policy will also usually come with 24/7 access to a digital GP service, meaning that any gut issues can be quickly discussed with a qualified doctor.
You may also benefit from lifestyle and nutrition consultations on your policy, allowing you to understand further about your gut health and receive advice to make the right choices.
If you're thinking about how you can protect your health with private medical insurance, you can reach out to our friendly expert advisers on 01285 864670. Or fill out the form below for one of our team to get in touch.