Healthy Gut for Glowing Skin
Did you know you are literally what you eat. Your skin, being the largest organ of the body never lies. If you are consuming foods (or drinks) that are not in line with your body’s chemistry and make-up, your skin will tell all. You may find your skin dry, itchy, irritated or pigmented. It’s not only important what you apply to your skin, but what you put into your gut (I like to call this our body’s engine room), in order to achieve your desired health goals.
The body is full of bacteria—most of which lives in our gut and has a huge impact on our overall health. Your microbiome regulates inflammation and immunity throughout your entire body.
That’s why tending to your gut is the first thing you can do to boost your overall health and immunity.
Here are five simple ways to boost your gut health today:
1. Remove the potential offenders
In order to rebuild a healthy gut, you have to remove what could potentially be causing the damage. This includes refined sugar, gluten, dairy, and most processed foods. Refined sugar is the worst offender because it feeds the negative gut bacteria and depletes the positive bacteria that support a healthy microbiome.
2. Focus on food – conscious eating is key
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, dark leafy greens, easy-to-digest grains (gluten-free oats, quinoa, millet and amaranth), and healthy fats like avocado, flax, hemp, pumpkin seeds, almonds, raw coconut and walnuts. These foods reduce inflammation and support gut health. For alternative sources of sweetness, try pure stevia, yacon syrup, coconut nectar or raw honey.
3. Bring back the good gut bacteria
Bring in good bacteria to combat the bad stuff that’s wreaking havoc on your gut. A good daily probiotic can make all the difference to your health. Also include healthy fermented foods like kefir, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh as they are all full of good bacteria. Raw asparagus, garlic, onion, leek, bananas and dandelion greens are also help to create the good gut bacteria that we need to function at our optimal levels.
4. Count your ZZZ’s
Sleep has a major impact on the digestive system, as deep sleep allows the digestive organs to rest, repair and replenish. During this time, the body detoxifies itself and gets rid of wastes from the day. Each person requires a different amount of sleep, but aim to get 7 to 8 hours a night to ensure a restorative sleep cycle.
5. Practice stress management
The stress of modern life often triggers the sympathetic nervous system, creating a fight-or-flight response in the body. This response may help you become more alert and focused, but can inhibit your digestion in the process.
Digesting food requires a parasympathetic nervous system response. Balancing the parasympathetic system decreases stress levels, so you can rest, repair, and heal your gut. Engaging in calming exercises such as walking, deep breathing, restorative yoga and meditation can help you do it.
Go on, feed your gut with the goodness it needs, so you can feel healthy, energised and glowing every single day.
