![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lavyon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/00-story-image-gut-health.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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They don\u2019t call it the \u201csecond brain\u201d for nothing. The gut microbiome, which consists of no less than 100 trillion bacteria, affects everything from skin health and sex drive to energy levels and hormone balance. How, exactly? The gut has its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system (ENS), and while its main purpose is to regulate digestion, it also has a strong connection to the brain, and thus, a major impact on your mental well-being. \u201cIf your gut health is out of whack, your microbes send signals that negatively influence your mood,\u201d explains Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutritious Life.<\/p>\n
From understanding the signs of poor digestion to giving your microbiome the good bacteria it craves to stay balanced, experts weigh in on how to take a holistic approach to improving your gut health.<\/p>\n
Sleep More, Stress Less<\/strong> Add Probiotics to Your Diet<\/strong> Because the American diet is often infiltrated by processed foods that have lost their natural bacteria, probiotic supplements, like those on offer from RMS Beauty or The Nue Co., are also rising in popularity. \u201cFood sources are a better way to deliver bugs to the belly,\u201d explains Glassman. \u201cBut you can think of adding a supplement to your daily routine as a bit of an \u2018insurance\u2019 policy to make sure you\u2019re balancing the bacteria in your everyday, no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n Try a Gut-Resetting Cleanse<\/strong> Drink More Water and Decaffeinated Tea<\/strong> Exercise Regularly\u2014But Especially When You\u2019re Bloated<\/strong> Source: Vogue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They don\u2019t call it the \u201csecond brain\u201d for nothing. The gut microbiome, which consists of no less than 100 trillion bacteria, affects everything from skin health and sex drive to energy levels and hormone balance. How, exactly? The gut has its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system (ENS), and while its main purpose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13321,13318,17],"tags":[447,1067,1065,1069],"class_list":{"0":"post-1403","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-green-life","8":"category-mind-posivity","9":"category-wellness-tips","10":"tag-better-sleep","11":"tag-clear-skin","12":"tag-healthy-gut","13":"tag-less-stress"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWhile a no-brainer for allover health, getting adequate sleep and controlling stress play a pivotal part in keeping your gut in check. \u201cThe stress hormone epinephrine allows gut bacteria to proliferate,\u201d explains Christine Frissora, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. \u201cThe gut bacteria then bind to the intestinal wall and cause inflammation.\u201d What\u2019s more is that sleep loss can disrupt the regulation of the brain\u2019s flow of epinephrine, thus causing an increased concentration of gut bacteria. To ease into an earlier bedtime, turning in 15 minutes sooner each night will help to gradually arrive at a goal bedtime that ensures the suggested seven or eight hours; and to quell anxiety and keep stress levels low, techniques like a brief morning meditation or a short walk during the workday are small changes that yield big results.<\/p>\n
\nProbiotics are live \u201cgood\u201d bacteria and yeasts that keep your digestive system balanced and your body functioning properly. There are probiotic-rich foods, from cultured veggies, like sauerkraut or kimchi, to fermented drinks like kefir and kombucha. And then there are foods that are high in fiber (think: bananas, oats, and flaxseeds), which are considered prebiotic and feed the good bacteria. \u201cDifferent fibers feed different bacterias, so it\u2019s important to get these prebiotics from multiple sources and from a variety of foods,\u201d advises Glassman.<\/p>\n
\nIf you want to upend your diet in one fell swoop but find yourself in need of professional help, a targeted meal-delivery plan may be the answer: Sakara\u2019s latest organic offering, an intensive five-day Level II: Detox cleanse, is intentionally designed to \u201creset the gut,\u201d say cofounders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise, who firmly believe the stomach is the \u201ccenter of health.\u201d Teaming plant-based meals, kefirs, smoothies, broths, and supplements, like the gastrointestinal-health-boosting G.I. Rebuild + Repair, with the help of Yale-trained MD and herbalist Aviva Romm, it delivers beneficial bacteria to the gut\u2019s lining and prevents leaky gut, a condition in which pathogenic bacteria permeate the intestinal walls and cause food particles and toxic waste to enter the bloodstream, which causes inflammation. The total-body benefits\u2014more energy, better sleep, stress reduction, and brain clarity\u2014are not to be underestimated.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOur bodies need water for skin health, immunity, and energy, but also to push things along through digestion,\u201d explains Glassman. \u201cSo while we need the bacteria for gut health, we also need the fluids to keep everything moving as it should.\u201d Eight glasses of water per day is a solid rule of thumb, and you can also hydrate with decaffeinated teas, such as digestion-supporting ginger and soothing chamomile, says Dr. Frissora.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to a recent study conducted by researchers in Italy, exercise can enhance the number of beneficial microbial species and enrich microflora diversity in the gut, improving overall health and preventing disease in the long run. Not to mention, it will make you feel better day to day: \u201cExercise promotes motility or movement of the gut,\u201d says Renee Williams, MD, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine. \u201cI would actually challenge anyone who feels bloated to jump on a treadmill or elliptical machine for 30 minutes. You may be surprised at how much better you feel afterwards.\u201d If bloating, indigestion, or nausea are becoming a chronic issue, she suggests following up with a primary care doctor for evaluation. \u201cI usually tell patients that they are the best judges of what is going with their [gut] health.\u201d<\/p>\n