Having a healthy – and happy! – gut isn’t just key to your general wellbeing, it also plays a crucial role in supporting your mental health. It can also influence how you feel, think and react.

The gut microbes produce neurotransmitters like serotonin (AKA the ‘happy hormone’) and dopamine, which affect everything from skin health and sex drive to energy levels, hormone balance and mental health. The gut also plays a key role in immunity, and keeping it feeling good can have a knock-on effect in so many areas of your life.

With all that in mind, we’ve lined up a few tips to help your nurture your gut’s health and wellbeing, which is easier than you think…

Feed it the good stuff

Getting your gut to be as healthy and happy as it can be starts with what you feed it. We’re not talking just about supplements and powders to mix in smoothies, but about nourishing your gut with foods that will allow your microbiome to flourish. And having a happy gut isn’t about limiting all the good stuff, it’s about creating a healthy balanced diet with foods that nourish you.

Try to avoid packaged or processed foods that are high in unwanted food additives and preservatives, such as sugary cereals, that disrupt the healthy bacteria in the gut. Instead opt for fermented, probiotic-rich, gut-supportive foods like kimchi or yoghurt, and try replacing processed fizzy drinks (which are often packed with sugar or artificial sweeteners) with live-cultured kombucha. Fibre is also essential for a healthy gut and making sure you’re getting your five-plus a day of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Adjust your dinner time

Getting into the habit of having an early dinner can help to support gut health by allowing for a longer time between dinner and breakfast. A 12-hour fast overnight can allow the gut to clear out, break down food and better absorb nutrients. And be sure to properly chew your food while you’re at it – it is said we should chew our food 20-30 times before swallowing to aid digestion.

Opt for low-impact exercise

According to a 2017 study, exercise can enhance the number of beneficial microbial species and enrich microflora diversity in the gut. The trick is that you need to do the right type of exercise to grab those endorphins with a side of gut-friendly benefits. High-intensity circuits aren’t just hard on your lungs and quads – they’re also tough on your gut, but low-impact exercise can help reduce transient stool time, which can help to support regular bowel movements, leading to better gut health. In addition, slow movement can be soothing and relaxing, and when we are relaxed, we put less stress on the digestive system. So think about dialling down the intensity with yoga and low-impact strength exercises, such as lunges and squats.

Watch your stress levels

There’s a direct relationship between how stressed you are and your digestive health – the mind-gut connection is real. So, focusing on improving your mental state and generally slowing down can dramatically help with gut symptoms. It is said that 95 percent of serotonin, the hormone responsible for feeling happy, is created in the gut, where 70 percent of our immune system is located. Our immune system manages our inflammation levels, and high inflammation in the body has been associated with a higher risk of depression and other health concerns.

Try slow, deep breathing techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce your cortisol levels, and put your gut into rest-and-digest mode. And eating in a stressed state can leave us with gut symptoms, so if you’re having a rough day, take a few deep breaths before a meal to de-stress.

Grab some probiotics

Supplementing with a full spectrum, bioavailable source of probiotics is a great step to take if you’re looking to create a healthy microbiome and in maintain overall gut health. Probiotics are known to be a healthy source of bacteria that will penetrate the gut lining, absorb seamlessly into the system and begin to support the microbial environment upon ingestion.

We love the approach taken by Imbibe, who create delicious, multi-strain, gut nourishing, skin-loving, bioavailable probiotics that taste fantastic. Each serving of Imbibe’s Beauty Renewal provides an amazing six billion active probiotics with six different strains of healthy bacteria. In addition, it contains naturally occurring antioxidants which can help mop up free radical damage, leaving your skin feeling ultra-hydrated and lit from within.

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