Beyond the Bloat: How to Optimise Your Gut Health for Overall Wellbeing

Taking charge of your health is important. Technology allows us to participate actively in our wellbeing, and gut health is no exception. This article explores various strategies you can implement to improve gut health, including routines, tracking tools, and supplements.

Why routine is important

Routine may sound mundane and boring, but research shows it significantly improves mental and physical health. Regular activities can help reduce decision fatigue and stress. Your body has a natural 24-hour cycle that’s affected by light, and disruptions like late-night meals can negatively impact the gut microbiome, immunity, and appetite.

Starting your day with a gut-friendly breakfast that’s rich in fibre and prebiotics can be hugely beneficial. Fruits, nuts, and seeds provide sustained energy, stabilise blood sugar and help aid digestion. Berries and stewed apples with Greek yoghurt add a prebiotic boost, and the pectin in apples helps to strengthen the gut barrier. Caffeine offers an energy boost and has prebiotic properties, so a morning coffee is a good way to start your day.

Don’t forget to stay hydrated! Water not only helps regulate your body temperature, and lubricates joints, but it helps protect the brain too. Hydration can also impact gut health. Proper hydration reduces the risk of constipation and gut inflammation.

Tracking your health for great success

Wearable trackers and health apps allow people to monitor activity levels, heart rate, sleep quality, and calorie intake. Many trackers allow you to record your calorie and nutrient intake, essentially creating a food diary. It also helps ensure you get enough water, fibre, prebiotics, and probiotics for optimal gut health. 

Poor sleep quality can disrupt the gut microbiome, affecting immunity, metabolism, digestion, and mental health. It can also increase the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, and heart conditions. 

Tracking sleep cycles can provide insights into sleep duration, heart rate, body temperature, and sleep stages. Specific gut health apps can benefit those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. These apps may offer food databases, and track food and water intake, stress levels, bowel movements, and symptoms. 

Filling the gaps with supplements

To keep your gut healthy, eat plenty of fibre and probiotics, avoid processed foods and sugar, and manage stress. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements can help if you can’t get everything you need from food.

Probiotics are often found in yoghurt and fermented foods and they can also be taken as supplements. They help restore gut balance by promoting the growth of “friendly” bacteria that break down fibre, metabolise food, and prevent harmful bacteria from growing. IBS probiotics can also ease IBS symptoms like bloating and diarrhoea.

Managing your health can sometimes feel overwhelming, but many resources and products are designed to make it easier. It’s important to take an active role in your wellbeing, which means positively changing your daily routine. Take responsibility for your wellbeing, commit to positive lifestyle changes, and your gut will thank you for it.