8 Ways To Improve Gut Flora To Aid Weight Loss, Beat Anxiety & Allergies

Health

4. Limit your use of antibiotics

Regular use of broad spectrum antibiotics destroy all bacteria, good and bad including strains of bacteria needed to fight other infections. American children who are prescribed one course of antibiotics per year can sustain long-term impacts on their health due to a permanent change in microbiota. Of course, there are times when an antibiotic is necessary, but it pays to limit your use and always take a probiotic when you are taking an antibiotic and eat a very healthy diet while on the antibiotics. Supplemental probiotics help to balance the bacterial pH level so that the good bacteria crowds out the bad bacteria and repopulate the gut to replace those killed by the medication. Be sure that you always select a high-quality probiotic (we reveal the best here) or you are wasting your money. Remain taking probiotics for at least two weeks after you finish your course of antibiotics. Of course, it is also a good idea just to take a high-quality probiotic on a daily basis.

5. Eat fermented foods

People have been fermenting foods for thousands of years as a means to keep food from spoiling. With the discovery of the refrigerator, the process of fermentation went by the wayside a bit. Fermented foods provide a very broad combination of bacteria which makes them the absolute best type for probiotic you can feed your gut. Some healthy fermented foods to include in your diet include kefir, pickles, kombucha tea, pickles, and sauerkraut. Try to include at least three tablespoons of fermented foods in your diet daily.

6. Sleep well

If you are not sleeping well; at least 6-8 hours of good sleep per night, your gut could be out of balance. Dr. David Perlmutter, the author of Brain Maker, notes that balancing gut bacteria is critical for a good night’s sleep and that when we don’t sleep, we don’t balance our gut, so it becomes a vicious cycle. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE ” “demonstrated that circadian disorganization could impact intestinal microbiota which may have implications for inflammatory diseases.”

7. Sweat

Yes, exercise is great for the body and the mind, and as it turns out, it is especially great for your gut flora, at least sweating is. Researchers in Ireland studied the feces of 40 professional rugby players. They found that athletes had far more diverse microbiomes than the average person. Other studies have conferred that exercise does, in fact, change the gut microbiota. So, add a good workout daily to your healthy living regime and your gut will thank you.

8. Don’t sweat the small stuff

The body has a tremendously powerful response to stress. It releases natural steroids and adrenaline along with inflammatory cytokines from your immune system. If you are being chased by an angry bear, this response could save your life. However, we live in a go-go culture, and many people are in this “fight or flight” mode daily – and not because they are being chased by a bear. Chronic stress does not allow the immune system to rest and it keeps sending inflammation messages to all parts of the body – your gut included. Over time, stress causes the microbiome to be unbalanced, and this causes a number of immune diseases including Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and ulcerative colitis. Getting a grip on your response to stress will help keep your gut microbiome balance and dangers conditions at bay.