Our gut health has been the center of attention for the last few decades and studies have found that not only does it have an impact on our body but also our mind. When your gut health is at its best, your mood, mental health, immune system, and your vitamin level will be optimum.
Let us address these tiny little creatures sitting in our stomach that do wonders for us when healthy and worst for us when they are unhappy.
Our gut has more than 100 trillion cells which are bacteria that have a great impact on our health. There are 300 to 500 different species in our digestive tract.
To keep our gut healthy it is important to find the right balance by strengthening the good bacteria and limiting the growth of the bad bacteria.
Once this balance is established your are going to be your best version and the benefits will start rolling in.
Now how do we know if our gut health has gone for a toss you ask?
Let us see how we can identify and nip the problem at the gut so that we can reap the benefits of an energetic lifestyle
Weight gain
Gut bacteria just like marriage are there for the better or worse and when there is instability nothing works well right? The same way when your microbiome changes which can be due to lifestyle, fad diets [high fat, low carb, high protein, etc] they adversely affect the flora and lead to inflammation and weight gain.
Digestive issues
Ever thought what is making you feel bloated, constipated, acidic and going through conditions like IBS [irritable bowel syndrome]? These are all signs of poor gut health!
We often pop antacids or other medicines like candy thinking all these issues would go away.
However, these medications aggravate the problem even more and are just temporary solutions.
Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue
When we have an unhealthy gut our entire sleep pattern goes for a toss due to which we are tired, stressed, and fatigued the next day.
A very important hormone called serotonin is produced in our gut which affects mood and sleep. Now if our gut is damaged it becomes difficult for our body to function at its best and this causes a turmoil within.
Sleep disturbances have also been linked to a risk for fibromyalgia which is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues.
Mental Health
Our gut has the power to affect our brain health. It may come as a shock to you but yes it is true! Scientists have discovered that issues like depression, anxiety, brain fog, and OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder] have been linked to poor gut health.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
The gut plays a role in producing essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12, B7, and magnesium. Hence, when your gut bacteria is out of balance, your body has a hard time producing important vitamins and minerals
Skin conditions
When you have an unhealthy gut certain proteins leak out of your gut and lead to problems like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.
Autoimmune diseases
Autoimmune diseases are of course difficult to deal with as the body is already turning against itself. There are emerging links between gut health and autoimmune diseases like irritable bowel disease, Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and much more.
To sum it all up, a healthy lifestyle with a balance between food, exercise, sleep, recovery, and a peaceful mind can change your Gut and in turn, change your Life.
All it requires is for you to take a step towards making your health a priority and dedication to become better!
Author
Swetha Ashok- TheGutGuru Microbiologist, Biochemist, and Nutritionist, working on developing programs and recipes for a healthy gut. My personal interest in helping others started when I started figuring out how to solve my own digestive issues & how important it is to work on oneself. I believe in not just prescribing incomprehensible dietary practices, but in educating on the WHATs and HOWs about a meal, increasing awareness about the intrinsic relationship between food, mind, and body.