The health of your gut bacteria plays an important role in your overall health. It helps to improve your digestion, boost your immune system, and affect your weight management, among other things.
There are many ways to improve the health of your gut bacteria, and here are 10 ways you can begin to do so today.
1. Eat a diverse range of foods
Did you know that your gut bacteria are like their own little ecosystem? Just like in the rainforest, there is a lot of biodiversity and different species of bacteria living in your gut.
And, just like in the rainforest, when there is more biodiversity, there is more stability and resilience. So, how do you create a diverse gut microbiome?
Eat a diversity of plants! Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of prebiotics – the food that feeds your gut bacteria.
2. lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruit to be Eaten
Vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruit are all great sources of fiber. Fiber is important for gut health because it feeds the good bacteria in your gut.
Good gut bacteria are important for a healthy body because they help with digestion, immunity, and even mental health.
So, eat lots of veggies, legumes, beans, and fruit to improve your gut bacteria and your overall health!
Fibrous foods also contain prebiotics, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The two main types of prebiotics you’ll want to look out for are fructans and galactooligosaccharides (GOS).
Fructans can be found in onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, and chicory root; GOS can be found in bananas, cereals like oatmeal, or barley flakes, as well as whole grains such as wheat germ or wheat bran.
Prebiotics act like probiotics—they’re beneficial food ingredients that feed your gut microbes—but there aren’t any actual living organisms involved like with probiotics; they just provide nutrients.
3. Eat fermented foods
Fermented foods are teeming with live, active cultures of good bacteria that can help improve your gut health.
Fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh. Eating just a few ounces of fermented food each day can help promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
It’s not just what you eat but also how you eat it: make sure to chew your food well, as this will increase the amount of saliva produced and helps activate enzymes that break down proteins into amino acids.
These healthy compounds then go on to feed probiotics in your digestive tract. The importance of exercise: Exercise is important for keeping your gut healthy because it stimulates muscles around the intestines and helps get things moving again.
If you don’t have time for regular exercise then try to walk more or do short bursts of activity throughout the day, such as taking breaks from sitting at work or going upstairs instead of using an elevator.
4. Eat prebiotic foods
Prebiotic foods are food for probiotics, and probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut. Eating prebiotic foods helps improve gut health by providing the good bacteria with food to grow and flourish.
Some great prebiotic foods include bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and oats. Adding these foods to your diet can help improve your gut health and overall body health.
One way to take care of your gut is by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement like Garden of Life Probiotics Ultimate Care, which contains 20 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 20 billion CFUs of Bifidobacterium lactis— two strains found in their original unadulterated form.
The supplement also contains the all-natural prebiotic FOS, which has been clinically shown to increase healthy gut flora.
5. If Possible, breastfeed for at least 6 months
Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your baby’s gut bacteria. It’s been shown to reduce the risk of allergies, obesity, and other chronic diseases.
Plus, it’s free, convenient, and good for bonding. These tips will help you breastfeed successfully:
1. Choose a comfortable position. Whether you’re sitting up or lying down, make sure you’re comfortable so you can relax and bond with your baby.
2. Have everything you need within reach. Have a water bottle and some snacks nearby so you can stay hydrated and nourished while breastfeeding.
3. Wear a supportive bra. A good nursing bra will help you feel comfortable and will support your breasts as they change during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
4. Be patient.
6. Eat whole grains
Eating whole grains is one of the best things you can do for your gut bacteria. Whole grains contain fiber, which helps keep your gut bacteria healthy and happy.
Plus, whole grains are packed with nutrients that your body needs to function properly. Some of the best whole grains to eat for gut health include oats, quinoa, and brown rice.
You should aim to eat at least three servings of whole grains per day. Fiber-rich foods like beans and veggies also promote good gut bacteria.
Add in probiotics: A lot of people forget about probiotics but they’re an important part of gut health as well.
Probiotics come in both pill form or food sources such as fermented food like yogurt or kefir. Probiotics help nourish our beneficial microbes by adding more good bacteria into our system while also keeping bad bacteria at bay.
7. Eat a plant-based diet
If you want to improve your gut bacteria, one of the best things you can do is eat a plant-based diet. Plant-based foods are packed with fiber, which helps feed the good bacteria in your gut.
They also contain prebiotics, which are essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria. In addition, plant-based diets are low in fat and sugar, which can help reduce inflammation in the gut.
8. Eat foods rich in polyphenols
Polyphenols are micronutrients found in plant-based foods and they offer a whole host of health benefits, including supporting gut health.
Eating foods rich in polyphenols can help improve the diversity and overall health of your gut bacteria. Here are 10 delicious ways to get more polyphenols into your diet:
1. Eat more berries. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all excellent sources of polyphenols.
2. Drink green tea. Green tea is packed with polyphenols, including catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These compounds have been shown to promote gut health.
3. Eat onions and garlic.
9. Increase your intake of probiotics
Probiotics can help improve gut health by restoring the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. You can increase your intake of probiotics by eating fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and tempeh.
You can also take probiotic supplements. Just make sure to buy them from a reputable source and follow the instructions on the label.
10. Limit Alcoholic Drinks – Choose Red Wine Instead
Alcohol can cause your gut bacteria levels to decrease. This is because when you drink alcohol, it kills off both the good and bad bacteria in your gut.
However, studies have shown that red wine may be good for your gut bacteria. This is because red wine contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that can help protect your gut bacteria from being killed off by alcohol.
So, if you’re going to drink alcohol, try to limit yourself to one or two glasses of red wine per day.