Do you have upset gut balance? Are you suffering from digestive issues? Your gut health directly impacts your overall health. It plays a role in strengthening your immune system, heart health and brain health. In addition to this, a healthy gut is necessary for effective digestion. Similarly, the colon aids in proper digestion and eliminating toxins from the body.
Considering the functions of a healthy gut and colon, it’s imperative to take active measures to improve and maintain them. A disbalance can lead to a variety of health conditions including obesity, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, skin allergies and fatigue issues.
That being said, maintaining a healthy gut and colon isn’t as complex. Check out our top tips for strong gut and colon health.
1. Improve your diet
A diet full of red meat and processed food will seriously harm your digestive system. Foods full of saturated fats and refined sugar are harder to breakdown and thereby, slows down the process.
Reform your lifestyle by consuming a balanced meal full of natural and organic produce. If possible, try eating a few vegan or vegetarian meals every week.
2. Incorporate daily probiotics
The human digestive tract hosts gut microbes or gut flora, which play a major part in controlling digestion and improve immunity. It’s crucial to keep these gut microbes thriving and probiotics do exactly that.
You can take natural probiotics by including yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso or kefir in your diet. Probiotics are also available in the form of drinks, capsules and powders.
3. Include more fibre
Fibre aids the gut microbes and assists in the digestion process. Therefore, your daily diet must include 20-25 grams of fibre-rich foods such as wholegrain, leafy vegetables, berries, beans, legumes and nuts.
4. Drink sufficient water
Drinking sufficient water has a multitude of benefits, good gut and colon health being one of them. Staying hydrated promotes gut flora balance.
You should drink at least eight glasses or 2 litres of water every day.
5. Consult a professional
If your gut or colon is bothering you, consult a medical professional. You might be recommended a gut health program or colon cleanse to improve your digestive health. It’s best to identify a medical issue in its early stages.
6. Alleviate stress
High levels of stress have a direct correlation with gut health. If work or personal life is causing your constant tension, it’s time to take a step back. Try meditating or seek professional help to manage and lower stress levels. It’s important for your mental and physical wellbeing.
7. Chew slowly
If you have the habit of finishing a meal in minutes, our only advice is- SLOW DOWN. Even if you have a busy day at work, take out 15-20 minutes to properly chew and enjoy your meal.
Also, it’s best to eat frequent and smaller meals instead of eating two big portions twice a day.
8. Sleep more
With the neverending motions of life, sleep often takes the back seat. But this could be the very reason for your gut problems. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Prioritizing sleep is essential for your overall health.
9. Sweat it out
Don’t use lack of time or energy as an excuse to get out of exercising. You can easily take out 20 minutes from your schedule to participate in physical activities.
10. Avoid caffeine, alcohol & smoking
Replace your caffeine addiction with a healthier alternative such as matcha or apple cider.
To improve your gut and colon health, you must avoid consuming alcohol and quit smoking. These vices will deteriorate your health and even expose you to the risk of getting cancer.
The Bottom Line
Prevention is always better than cure. It’s best to incorporate these tips into your everyday lifestyle and keep gut and colon issues at bay.