Gut health is the new buzzword today. Many experts believe that gut health is responsible for almost all symptoms of poor health. The relationship between gastrointestinal health and obesity, mental health and low immunity is direct.
You must know the state of your microbiome to understand your gut health. Gut microbiomes consist of microorganisms that live in your intestines. In the gastrointestinal tract (GI), a healthy person can have between 300 and 500 different types of gut bacteria. These microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining a healthy body.
Good bacteria in the gut can improve your immune system and offer other health benefits. Many aspects of modern life, such as high stress levels, eating processed food, and lack of sleep, can harm your gut microbiome. This will further damage your overall health.
The first step to good gut health, therefore, is to determine if your microbiome is healthy. You can then take steps towards improving your gut health.
This article will discuss the different ways you can tell if your gut is healthy, and how to improve it.
There is a lot of information about keeping your gut healthy but not enough on how to determine if your biome is healthy. Here are some tips to help you determine whether your gut biome health.
Regularly check your stool
Check your stool every time you visit the toilet. Your stools are the best indicators of gut health. Check the type and smell of your stools to determine whether they are healthy. You want a soft stool. Avoid anything hard or squishy. Check the color of your chair. Brown is the perfect color for a stool. There may be something wrong if your stool smells bad.
Look for bloating and white tongue. All of these are signs of an imbalanced gut flora.
Get A Comprehensive Stool Test
You may want to consider a stool test that is comprehensive in order to determine the health of your gut biome. A stool test will give you an idea of the microbiota in your gut. The more diverse and abundant the bacteria are, the better for your health. A stool test will not only check your gut bacteria but also if you have a yeast or parasitic overgrowth. Check out sites like My Psomagen for more information about gut biome testing.
Take a SIBO Breath test
A SIBO or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is commonly associated with acid reflux, bloating, and several autoimmune-inflammation conditions. Fasting lactulose can be used to measure methane and hydrogen released by the bacteria overgrowth. This breath test will give you a good indication of whether or not you have an imbalance in your gut biome.
Common Signs Of Poor Gut Health
Unhealthy gut bacteria can be identified by bloating, an upset stomach or stomach pain, fatigue, poor sleep, skin irritations and food intolerances.
Improve Your Gut Health
There are many easy and simple ways to improve the health of your gut biome. There are three main ways to improve your gut biome.
Increase Your intake of probiotic foods
Fermented foods like kombucha or fermented drinks such as kafir lime yogurt or kimchi can help populate your gut microbiome.
Eat Soft Boiled Vegetables
Prebiotic fibers are essential for gut bacteria to grow and function properly. So, by boiling or pureeing the vegetables, they are broken down and easier to digest. This is good for your stomach.
Sleep Well
Sleeping patterns can be affected by not getting enough sleep. It is important to sleep eight hours every night.
Drink Plenty Of Water
It is important to stay hydrated as it benefits your mucous lining in your intestines and helps balance your good bacteria.
Reduce Stress
Stress can harm your entire body including your stomach. Reduce stress in your life to heal your gut. Include meditation, yoga or walking in your daily routine to help reduce stress.
Conclusion
Gut health is crucial to your overall wellbeing. A diverse and healthy biome can boost your immunity, improve your metabolism and help you absorb nutrients. You may be aware of the importance that gut health has, but you don’t know how to determine if your biome is healthy.
If you want to know more about your gut, check your stool regularly. Or get a stool test.
Consider making simple lifestyle adjustments to improve your gut health, such as increasing water intake, adding probiotics to your diet and reducing stress.
