Top Tips for Gut Health

'Your fridge is your medicine cabinet' was the message that resonated from the recent workshop with Nutritionist Louisa Dobbs. Everything from hormone imbalance, sleep, bone health, mood swings are all impacted by the bacteria in our gut- something we can manage with simple changes to our diet.

Here are 5 top tips:
1) Fibre! Fibre is the gut’s best friend. 30 grams a day is needed to maintain a healthy gut but on average we are consuming only about 19 grams a day. What can you add to your diet?

2) Plant diversity. Eat the Rainbow! Louisa recommends 30 different plant-based foods a week. I loved her concept of 'pimp my porridge' by adding nuts, seeds, and fruit, you can easily increase your fibre intake. (But increase it gradually!)

3) Water! We need 2 litres a day to help the gut function at top form. However, interestingly, we should avoid it at mealtimes as it dilutes the digestive enzymes (!)
This is a big one for me, since increasing my water intake I have noticed a huge impact on my concentration and energy levels.

4) Movement! Find something you love to do and get moving. Movement helps the digestive system and sends those happy hormones around the body. More happy hormones = less stress.

5) Stress Management! This is key to a healthy gut. When we are stressed, the body is in flight or flight mode. Currently, we are spending too much of our time in fight or flight. When this happens, our energy, adrenaline, and blood go to other areas including the brain or the muscles, and away from areas like the gut or reproductive organs.

Healing can only happen when we are relaxed, Yoga, breathing techniques, and meditation are perfect environments for this to take place. There might be a temptation to rush out of Shavasana at the end of class but that is where the magic happens; our bodies need to rest and heal.

So what changes can you make to keep your gut happy and healthy?