Your body is constantly attempting to communicate with you. Come learn how to communicate with your gut.
Behind the scenes, our gut is in charge of keeping our bodies in working order. Our gut absorbs nutrients that support our body’s functions as it breaks down the foods we eat, from energy production to hormone balance, skin health to mental health, and even toxin and waste elimination.
In fact, the gut houses roughly 70% of the immune system, so keeping our digestive system in tip-top shape can be critical to addressing many of our bodily woes. But how do we turn our gut instincts into health solutions?
Although your gut does not have a literal voice, its functions communicate in a code. Discover what’s going on inside, from complete silence to hunger pangs and bathroom habits.
1. Is your poop on time?
Normal poop frequency can range from three times per week to three times per day. While every gut is unique, a healthy gut often follows a pattern. To put this in context, it typically takes 24 to 72 hours for food to pass through your digestive tract. Because food does not enter your large intestine (colon) for six to eight hours, you will need to use the restroom after that. So don’t be scared into sitting on the toilet waiting for a drop (that can lead to hemorrhoids).
Constipation could be the result of an irregular schedule. Constipation can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from dehydration to a lack of fiber to thyroid issues, but your best bet is to start with a diet check. Make sure you’re drinking enough water and eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Psst: If you aren’t pooping on a regular basis, you may be holding onto food that you ate days — even weeks — ago. Waste that sits around for longer than it should putsrefies in your body, potentially causing smelly gas and other health issues.
2. Processed foods are invading space.
Processed foods can irritate the lining of our GI tract, which is where food is absorbed. Your gut may not recognize what you’ve eaten as digestible food and instead interprets the presence of high-fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients as a “attacker.”
This triggers an inflammatory response in which our bodies fight these foods as if they were an infection. Sticking to more whole foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables and unprocessed meats, can help to reduce the stress on your body.
3. Not always a fan of gluten
Even if you don’t have celiac disease, gluten has been shown to increase intestinal permeability (commonly known as “leaky gut”). This implies that items like as undigested food and trash, as well as infections such as bacteria, can pass through the intestines’ weakened lining, enter the bloodstream, and cause inflammation and sickness.
The easiest approach to find out if gluten is a no-no is to eliminate it altogether for at least four weeks and then reintroduce it to see what your stomach says.
Read the labels and ingredient lists carefully! Wheat is used as a binder, filler, and other ingredients in a variety of goods, including chewing gum, salad dressing, potato chips, spices, and more.
4. Without prebiotics, it gets lonely.
You’ll need to assist your stomach create new mates if you’ve recently taken antibiotics. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, even healthy bacteria like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, which are known as probiotics.
You’ll need to assist your stomach create new mates if you’ve recently taken antibiotics. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, even healthy bacteria like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, which are known as probiotics.
Onions, garlic, asparagus, bananas, and legumes are prebiotics, which have a different function than probiotics. They’re dietary fibers that feed your gut’s healthy bacteria, assist reinoculate your microbiome, and counteract the impacts of your gut flora changes. (Birth control drugs may also change the ecology in your intestines.)
5. Sauerkraut, please!
Your gut, like your friends the prebiotics, requires a healthy supply of probiotics to keep your bodily systems running smoothly. Live organisms in fermented foods and beverages including kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh, as well as kefir and kombucha, assist your gut break down foods and enhance your immune system.
Start with 1/4 cup at a time if you’re new to fermented foods and work your way up to greater amounts. Digestive problems can occur if you start with a larger serving.
6. Do you have a bad mood? It could be your food.
When our digestion is hampered, our bodies can produce fewer neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. (The small intestine produces 95% of serotonin.) Low serotonin levels are linked to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
It may not be the case for everyone who suffers from these symptoms, but changing your diet may help to alleviate brain fog, sadness, and fatigue.
7. On weekends, sleep in.
Don’t feel bad about foregoing brunch in order to get an extra hour under the covers, especially if you haven’t been sleeping well during the week. Researchers are still investigating the gut-sleep relationship to see if improving your gut health will improve your sleep, but there is definitely a link between poor sleep and your gut’s bacterial environment.
Getting enough sleep lowers cortisol levels and gives the gut time to repair itself. So put your sleep mask back on your eyes and enjoy your next late morning.
8. The race is won by going slowly and steadily.
Pat yourself on the back if you’re a slow eater! Taking the time to chew your food helps to kick-start the digestive process. When you use your teeth to break down food into smaller pieces and stimulate saliva production, you are also signaling to the rest of your body that it is time for the digestive system to get to work.
9. Relax your mind in order to reset your gut.
The more relaxed you are, the better you will be able to nourish your body — and we don’t just mean digestion.
Stress can transform your gut into a butterfly cage of discomfort. According to research, taking the time to meditate can help alleviate the symptoms of gut disorders. Learn which probiotic strain is best for your mood for an extra mindful boost.
10. No news is better than bad news.
If you haven’t heard from your gut in a while, you’re eliminating regularly, and you haven’t experienced any bloating or abdominal pain, you’re fine. If it could speak, it would thank you for keeping it nourished and healthy, as well as for creating a stress-free environment in which your body could thrive!
