Many aspects of our lives contribute to our gut health. Aspects like lifestyle, diet, food intolerances, sleep, stress, hormones, and medications affect how our gut digests and removes what we eat and drink.
Gut health issues are becoming more common, some of these including irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, inflammation, abdominal pain, constipation, eczema, and migraine headaches.
Our overall health needs to heal our guts. Your gut is the gastrointestinal system, including the stomach, intestines, and colon. Your gut digests and absorbs nutrients and excretes waste. The gut system is a very complex ecosystem made up of microorganisms that live there, referred to as the microbiome. Some of the microorganisms living in your gut are harmful, but most of them are beneficial to the process of the gastrointestinal system. The microbiome also affects our mood, immune system, and mental health. Doctors and scientists agree that excellent gut health is important in ensuring overall health at any age. So, it’s important to understand the signs of an unhealthy gut and then treat those symptoms through gut healing techniques.
10 Signs You May Have an Unhealthy Gut
1) Upset Stomach
If you have frequent bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn, this could mean your gut is unhealthy. If you regularly have an upset stomach, it could be a sign that your digestive system is having trouble processing food and eliminating waste. Imbalances in your gut microbiome can play a role in developing irritable bowel syndrome for some people.
2) Exhaustion
Regular fatigue could mean that you have an imbalance in your gut microbiome. Chronic inflammation causes stress to the body and its organs, using energy and resources to protect itself. Cortisol levels, a hormone in our body that regulates stress, reduces inflammation, and regulates your sleep-wake cycle, are also affected by inflammation. A low cortisol level can result in burnout, fatigue, and exhaustion.
3) Bad Sleep
Fatigue and bad sleep typically go hand in hand; when there is an imbalance in your gut microbiome, it makes it harder for your body to get good sleep. Most of your body’s serotonin, which affects mood and sleep, is produced in your gut. If there is inflammation or bad bacteria in your gut, it could affect your sleep, leading to fatigue.
4) Food Intolerances
If you get an upset stomach, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and nausea from certain foods, this may mean that you have a food intolerance. Your body is telling you that you aren’t properly digesting specific foods. Food intolerances can be caused by poor-quality bacteria in your gut.
5) Food Cravings
If you are experiencing extreme food cravings, especially sugar cravings, this could be related to your gut health. Eating many sugary foods, especially foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, can cause an imbalance in your gut microbiome. Consuming large amounts of sugar is linked to inflammation in the body and other diseases. Cravings may be directly linked to the types of microorganisms living in our guts. The microorganisms make us crave foods that will help our health, even if it is detrimental to our body’s health.
6) Unintentional Weight Gain/Loss
An imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome can cause unintentional weight gain or loss. Your body may struggle to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat properly. This could indicate bacteria overgrowth or lack of nutrients in your microbiome.
7) Skin Irritations
Skin conditions like eczema, acne, and psoriasis may be related to your gut health. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, you might have an imbalanced gut microbiome. The gut microbiome can affect other organs, including your skin. Bad bacteria in the gut can result in your skin having a decreased ability to protect your body, absorb moisture, and regulate temperature.
8) Migraines
Headaches could indicate poor gut health, especially if your migraines cause nausea and vomiting. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can play a role in the development of a migraine. Studies show that people who have recurring migraines are more likely to have gastrointestinal disorders as well.
9) Autoimmune Problems
Thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis may all be provoked by poor gut health. Certain gut bacteria can escape from the intestines, leading to inflammation linked to many autoimmune diseases.
10) Frequent Mood Changes
Poor gut health can also cause anxiety and depression, bringing on frequent mood changes. Many serotonin receptors are located in the gut, and when there is an imbalance in the microbiome, it can cause both positive and negative mood changes.
6 Steps To Gut Healing
1)Probiotics
Probiotics are the live microorganisms that live in your gut. They aid digestion, support our immune system, and help nutrient absorption. You can try a probiotic digestive supplement or foods rich in probiotics. A probiotic digestive supplement can add to the good bacteria already in your gut, helping fight off bad bacteria and boosting your immune system. You can also get probiotics by consuming fermented foods and drinks such as yogurt, cottage cheese, kombucha, miso soup, pickles, pickle juice, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
2)Prebiotics
Probiotics use prebiotics as energy sources to flourish so that the gut microbiome has the right balance. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best sources of prebiotics; other great sources are garlic, onions, asparagus, citrus fruits, apples, bananas, flax seeds, cocoa, oats, wheat bran, and leafy greens. You can also use a digestive supplement as a source of prebiotics.
3) Collagen
Collagen is rich in amino acids, two of which are glycine and glutamine, making it beneficial for promoting good gut health. Collagen helps seal the gut lining, making it stronger and more resilient. Your gut lining can prevent bacteria from escaping, so a strong gut lining can suppress inflammation. You can use collagen powder with a smoothie or coffee. You can also get collagen through bone broth. Regular collagen consumption is a great way to keep your gut microbiome healthy.
4)Exercise
Regular exercise is a great way to support your digestive system along with your mood, energy levels, and immunity system. A lack of physical activity is a major cause of constipation; moving your body is essential for bowel movement. Exercise benefits your gut health by increasing good bacteria, improving microbiome diversity, reducing inflammation, aiding the digestive system, and supporting the gut lining.
5)Water
Water is essential for our overall health. Drinking more water can help assist with digestion, elimination of toxins and waste, and gut healing. Hydration is essential for the gut lining and mucosa of the intestine. Drinking plenty of water may also be linked with increased diversity of good bacteria in your gut microbiome.
6)Diet
A healthy diet is one of the most important factors of good gut health. Nourish your body with more fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and leafy greens. Reduce your consumption of highly processed foods, alcohol, and refined sugars, as these are all inflammatory. They also have limited nutrients and contain fillers, preservatives, artificial flavors, or sweeteners that can cause digestive problems. Having a well-balanced diet is very beneficial for your overall health and your gut healing.
Start Your Gut Healing Journey
Now that you know more about your gut health, you can start your gut healing journey. Having good gut health is important to our overall health. Check for signs of an imbalanced gut microbiome, including a regularly upset stomach, fatigue, poor sleep, food intolerance and cravings, unintentional weight gain or loss, skin irritations, migraines, autoimmune problems, and frequent mood changes. Consult your doctor if you have any of these symptoms to see if they may be related to your gut health. Try probiotics, prebiotics, and collagen to support the balance of your gut microbiome. A balanced diet and high water consumption is a great way to promote a healthy gut microbiome. Exercise is a great way to keep your digestive system working as it’s meant to and can also improve the presence of diverse good bacteria in your gut. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is essential for a completely healthy lifestyle.
