Are you plagued by bloating, gas, or fatigue and you’re not sure why?
Or maybe you’re someone who consistently eats healthy but doesn’t seem to make any progress.
Wondering what gives?
When it comes to losing weight and getting a flatter stomach, much of the focus is on the outside.
But no matter how many ab exercises you do, if your gut isn’t in order, you’ll still have a bloated and puffy appearance, especially in your midsection.
And if you’re already at that point, you may have a serious gut imbalance.
That’s why today’s guide is all about the basics of gut health.
I’ll dive into why you should care, what you can do to improve things or make matters worse, and how to cut down on stress, one of the biggest gut irritants.
To start, here’s why this should be on your radar in the first place.
Why Your Gut Health Matters More Than You Think
Have you ever wondered where the term gut instincts comes from?
You’re probably familiar with having a “gut feeling.”
You get butterflies in your stomach, may feel uneasy or even energized and worked up about something.
Sometimes gut instincts just feel like something is off in the back of your mind, but you can’t pinpoint it.
But why is it that your gut has this reaction?
It turns out, your gut is considered your second brain.
It’s packed with over 100 million neurons that send important signals about your safety (*).
While this is low compared to your brain’s 100 billion neurons (*), it’s still an incredible tool and crucial safety mechanism.
Those gut instincts can warn you of potential danger or that something’s just not right.
And these important signals are just the beginning.
Your Immune System is Connected to Your Gut Health
“Your gut is responsible for 75% of your immune system,” according to Lindsey Boyers of The Healthy Gut Cookbook
So while the common thing to do when you’re starting to feel sick is to pump yourself with Airborne, you may be better off focusing on your gut’s bacteria balance.
But you shouldn’t wait until something is wrong to do this.
Whether you realize it or not, there’s 100 trillion microorganisms living in your gut at any given time (*).
These powerful little organisms help you digest foods, build — or tears down, depending on what you’re putting in — your immune system, and facilitates your metabolism (*).
Not only that, they also send key signals to your immune system letting it know if a foreign invader is approaching.
But they can only do this if there’s the right mix of bacteria in your gut.
Speaking of that, did you know that there’s upwards of 400 bacteria species in there (*)?
In that mix, there’s a balance of both good and bad bacteria.
And if this balance tips in the wrong direction, with too much bad bacteria and not enough of the good stuff, you’ll notice uncomfortable digestive symptoms like:
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Heartburn
If this situation isn’t remedied soon enough, and it continues over a long period of time, chronic autoimmune conditions can surface.
Some of those include diabetes and thyroid issues, for example.
Before getting to that point though, you may also see other unwanted symptoms first.
Those include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Joint or muscle pain
- Low energy
- Eczema
- Skin rashes
- Hives
And sadly, once again, these are still just scratching the surface here.
Gut Imbalances Lead to Nutrient Malabsorption
As mentioned earlier, part of your gut organisms’ job is to help you properly break down the foods you eat.
In this process, they’re also helping you extract and absorb nutrients found in the foods.
These nutrients then facilitate certain processes and also help to make new cells and repair damaged ones.
The problem is that if your gut is out of order, or in dysbiosis, it has a much harder time tapping into these nutrients.
So even if you’re eating healthy and loading your plate with salads and veggies, if your gut balance is off, you won’t get as much of the nutrients as you should.
This could be one reason why you feel like you’re eating healthy but aren’t making any progress.
It could also be why you’re so tired all the time — your body is not actually using the nutrients in the foods you’re eating so it’s missing fuel to run on.
Now that you know how crucial your gut is, you should know:
What Is and Isn’t Normal When it Comes to Your Gut Health?
If you’re experiencing any of these uncomfortable symptoms, your gut is trying to send you a very important message:
- Burping, bloating, or having gas
- Indigestion, heartburn
- Itchy butt
- Greasy stools
- Feeling “stuffed” after eating
- Feeling tired more often than not
You may see these side effects within 1-2 hours of eating but, they could surface a few weeks later. This is why it pays to dial in on your gut health now.
By doing this, you’ll know when something is off and you can better pinpoint what caused it.
Some other long-term red flags here include:
- Rosacea, eczema, acne, and problematic skin
- If you bruise easily
- Cracked fingernails that break easily
It’s also important to note that most people may have a slight gut imbalance without having all of these symptoms.
In our fast-paced world, we’re exposed to a ton of toxins that affect our gut without us even knowing.
Since you and I can’t just live in a bubble, it’s about limiting your exposure and removing as much of the toxins in your environment as possible.
Here’s how to do that:
What to Add and Remove for Better Gut Health
Let’s start with what to get rid of.
Processed foods, ones packed with sugar, alcohol, and dairy can all irritate your gut lining and upset your bacteria balance.
Soy, gluten, and foods that contain yeast — read the label, many packaged foods are loaded with yeast — are also on the no-go list.
Stress, as you’ll learn about shortly, is also responsible for damaging your gut.
Since this one is such a big offender, I’ve given it its own section that we’ll dive into in just a moment.
Before doing so, you should know that you can (and should) start to repair your gut today.
It’s something you’ll want to do on a daily basis just like you would with exercising and eating healthy.
So if it wasn’t on your radar before this, I hope you’ll change that.
And here are some tips for how to do that:
1. Digestive Enzymes May Be Able to Help
Normally your own digestive enzymes come in to finish off any undigested food particles leftover in your small intestine.
So they help to convert the last bits into a form of energy your body can use.
But, if your own enzymes are struggling to get the job done, or your body just doesn’t produce enough of them, those food particles may not end up getting broken down.
So you end up losing out on those nutrients you just consumed.
To combat this, supplementing with digestive enzymes may be an easy way to give your body the boost it needs as you work on repairing your gut.
I find digestive enzymes to be especially helpful during holidays and those times where I eat more than usual and slightly on the unhealthier side.
When choosing digestive enzymes, keep these tips in mind:
- Look for ones with several different enzymes, such as protease, lipase, and starches, which break down proteins, fat, and starches specifically
- Papain is another enzyme that can also help with amino acid and protein breakdown and utilization
My favorite digestive enzyme brand — this is not an ad or an affiliate link — is this one from Garden of Life, which contains 29 organic fruits and veggies plus 13 enzymes.
You can find these on Amazon too, which is where I usually go to buy them. Although they are available in most health stores and many supermarkets now.
2. Probiotic and Fermented Foods Should Also Be Included in Your Diet
While digestive enzymes help your body breakdown and use the nutrients in food, probiotics and fermented foods work to restore the right bacteria balance.
This means that they feed your good bacteria so it can grow and thrive while also helping to destroy the bad bacteria that wants to take over.
It’s this out-of-whack balance that leads to symptoms and chronic issues.
Some probiotic-rich and fermented foods include:
- Unflavored kefir and yogurt
- Sauerkraut
- Miso
- Pickles
- Kombucha
- Kimchi
Be sure to include 1-2 of these each day in a small amount to keep your bacteria balance in a good position.
I made the mistake of overdoing it on these and my asthma flared up and moved my bacteria balance in the wrong direction.
To avoid that, I enjoy these foods in small quantities — such as a half bottle of kombucha every other day and some kimchi in between those days — each week.
So I include them each day, but not to the point of overdoing it.
3. Stick to Whole Foods
Veggies, high-quality meats, and healthy fats should make up the bulk of what you’re eating too.
These foods are all helpful for keeping good bacteria around and the bad kind at bay.
Avoid buying whole foods that are seasoned and flavored already — many of these contain gluten and irritating chemical flavorings — and do this on your own instead.
It’s also a good idea to get rid of refined carbs — cakes, pastries, cookies, etc. — and low fiber foods (basically processed junk) since these take forever to digest.
This leads to putrification of bacteria in your bowels and unwanted side effects.
So, instead, keep your diet packed with whole foods as much as possible and don’t forget to also give this next tip your focus:
How Stress Affects Your Gut Health
If you’ve ever felt sick to your stomach, then you know firsthand just how quickly stress can wreak havoc on your system.
The problem is that many of us are under chronic stress conditions, meaning, the stress doesn’t end.
This is not only terrible for your mental well-being, it’s also a time-bomb for your gut health.
And when that sets off, your immune system loses its defenses and leaves you susceptible to getting sick.
That’s part of why so many of us get sick when we’re stressed.
Stress can also cause your body to produce more stomach acid, which eats away at your stomach lining.
A highly-acidic stomach also makes it harder to digest foods properly.
So they either stick around in your system for way too long and ferment or they get stored for later as fat.
The latter happens because your body sees the stress as a life-or-death situation.
In those moments, it shuts off digestion to help you fight whatever threat is up against you.
And each time you flare up due to stress, you have to start the gut repair cycle all over again.
Instead of doing all of that though, it’s time to get a better handle on your stressors.
I know this is easier said than done but it is possible and that fact should keep you motivated.
Some of my favorite ways to de-stress include:
- Meditation – I usually only get about 7-10 minutes in but even with just that I feel a huge difference
- Yoga/stretching
- Going for a walk without listening to music or a podcast – instead of getting lost in my thoughts, I try to stay present so this doubles as a meditation session. It’s also great to bring a friend!
- Journaling – I brain dump my problems for 10-20 minutes at a time and, by writing them out, I can usually let them go or uncover a solution that would have taken me hours to overthink and come up with
- Create something – I’ve made dream catchers, flower arrangements, and so many other art projects. They don’t have to be perfect — they just need to be something you can enjoy and get lost in time with
Getting rid of toxic people in your life is also a must since this can eat away at your stomach too.
Mending relationships, forgiving, and moving on are also keys to getting the underlying stress — the chronic kind you don’t realize is there — out of your system and your gut.
Stress can also come in the form of what you eat too.
So on top of getting rid of the foods mentioned in this guide, you should ditch these too.
That guide also gives you some examples of what else you can add into your diet to reduce your stress levels naturally.
Improve Your Gut Health Today
This guide gives you a ton of information when it comes to your gut and how you can improve it.
My hope is that it doesn’t overwhelm you and instead shows you why you need to give your gut some more of your attention.
So how do you get started from here?
Begin by adjusting one thing and master that before attempting to try all of these tips at once.
And when it comes to narrowing down that one thing, think about what will give you the biggest impact and run with that.
Don’t be tempted to go for an easy, low-hanging fix because you may see a slight — if any — improvement, which won’t be nearly as motivating.
As always, if you need my help, I’m only an email away: devan@behappynothangry.com.
To improving your gut health today,
Devan