New studies show that overall good health relies on gut health. From foods to exercise and medicines, there are many ways you can help your gut help you. Here are four ways to start building healthy bacteria that leads to a healthy gut.
Eat foods rich in probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria that help promote a healthy gut and aid in digestion. They can be commonly found in yogurts and other foods. Yogurt appeals to many people, but if you want to be adventurous, there are several other foods you can try that are rich in probiotics. Some good sources of probiotics include foods that have been fermented or cultured. These foods include kefir – a drink similar to yogurt, kombucha, and pickled vegetables. So, if picking a peck of pickled peppers, beets, cabbage or carrots is your thing, keep at it. Your gut appreciates your efforts.
Related link: Understanding The Benefits Of Prebiotics
Eat foods with prebiotics
Prebiotics sounds very similar to probiotics, and they work hand-in-hand with these bacteria. Prebiotics are able to travel through the digestive tract to feed the probiotics. Some foods that contain prebiotics include onions, bananas, oatmeal, and garlic. For those who like to branch out to a wide variety of foods, you can try Jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, and dandelion greens. Do a little bit of research and you will find you can get a good dose of prebiotics from many different food sources.
Exercise regularly
It’s no secret that exercise is good for your health, but you may be surprised to find it can improve your gut health as well. New studies have shown that exercise can help build up the healthy bacteria in your gut. Exercise can not only help increase the number of good bacteria, but it can improve the quality and diversity of the bacteria as well.
Lay off the antibiotics
Antibiotics can save lives when used correctly, but they can cause problems if they are prescribed when they are not needed. A person’s gut is full of bacteria, which can include both good and bad bacteria. Antibiotics do not discriminate and will wipe out all of the bacteria, including the bacteria that helps a gut stay healthy. You should not refuse antibiotics when they are necessary to treat an infection, but don’t push for a prescription when the medicine may not help. Not only will they not take care of the problem, but they can disrupt the healthy bacteria in your gut as well.
Having a healthy gut will help you live a healthy lifestyle more than you think. “As someone who works in senior health I’ve recognized the importance of offering a healthy diet to our patients,” said Susan Cooper, certified dietary manager at Fort Dodge Health and Rehabilitation Center. “Our staff does a tremendous job at providing our staff and patients with healthy foods that bolster the immune system, improve treatment and rehabilitation efforts, lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease, reduce weight and control diabetes.”
Your gut will contribute to your overall health beyond just having a happy digestive system. Give your gut the help it needs and it may reward you for many years to come.
This article was originally published by the Daily Herald.
