Gut Health Protocol – Improve Your Gut For Vibrant Health

Gut Health Protocol – Improve Your Gut For Vibrant Health

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This is a guest post from Will Hartfield.

 

They say you are what you eat and the connections between gut health and overall health prove the point. Studies on how your gut interacts with every other system in your body have become increasingly popular and now doctors often recommend steps to address digestion as a way to treat everything from chronic anemia to high cholesterol to thinning, receding hair.

 

Gut Health Protocol

So what can you do to improve your gut health and make it a foundation of good health? This Gut Health Protocol will help you begin your journey to digestive health and show you just how powerful these changes can be.

 

  1. Probiotics for Gut Health – Take a Probiotic Supplement

 

Probiotic supplements have become increasingly popular and they’re a trend well worth taking note of. Probiotic supplements offer a better delivery system for good bacteria even when compared to the probiotics you get from eating foods like yogurt or kefir.

 

While whole food delivery is great, stomach acids can reduce the amount of good bacteria that actually makes it to your gut. When choosing a probiotic it’s important to know which types of bacteria to look for. Generally, you’ll want a mix of the following three types:

 

Elixa Probiotic

  • acidophilus – This is the most common form of good bacteria in most probiotics. It colonizes fairly easily in the small intestine and supports nutrient absorption as well as aiding in the digestion of dairy.

 

  • longum – This is another common strain of bacteria. It helps to maintain the structural integrity of the intestine and also works to fight against a number of toxins.

 

  • bifidum – This strain is found in both the large and small intestine. It plays a crucial role in the digestion of dairy. It also plays a big role in breaking down complex carbohydrates, fat and protein.

 

 

  1. Best Foods for Gut Health – Add Some Yogurt or Kefir

 

Yogurt is the most common food that delivers plenty of healthy bacteria. Adding yogurt to your diet is about as simple as it gets. Add it to your smoothies, have it as part of a breakfast with granola or just have a small pot for dessert. With all the flavors and different types, the hardest part of adding yogurt to your diet is deciding which to have first. Kefir is an even more potent probiotic than yogurt and is really easy to make at home.

 

  1. Eat Fermented Foods

 

Fermented foods offer the benefits normally associated with yogurt and kefir, but without the dairy. Fermented foods that don’t contain dairy include:

 

  • Sauerkraut
  • Pickles & pickled cucumbers
  • Pickled garlic, beets and corn relish
  • Korean kimchi
  • Miso
  • Tempeh
  • Soy sauce
  • Naturally fermented and unpasteurized beers

 

  1. Cut Back on Problematic Foods

 

Adding good foods is one thing, but it’s also important to cut back on foods notorious for causing problems in the gut. Yeast, gluten, grains, eggs, dairy, corn and peanuts are all known to cause problems for some people. This doesn’t mean you necessarily have to cut them completely from your diet, but it’s well worth cutting back or excluding them one at a time to see if you notice any difference.

 

  1. Drink Up!

 

Staying hydrated with water is pretty much a good idea no matter what your health goals. For cleaning and improving your gut health, drinking plenty of water helps to aid in digestion and to carry away toxins. Wondering how much is enough? Divide your body weight by half and that’s how many ounces you should aim for in a day. For example, a person weighing 160 pounds should drink about 80 ounces of water each day. That may seem like a lot at first, especially if you’re used to drinking more soda, coffee or tea. But cutting out sugary drinks – even the diet ones! – will have an almost immediate and positive impact on your gut health.

 

What do you think of this simple Gut Health Protocol? Leave a comment below to tell us what you’d add to this list to improve gut health.

 

WeightLoss

 

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