Fibre
One of the best things you can do to support your gut health is to get enough fibre in your diet. We should all be aiming to consume around 30g of fibre per day, which you can get from wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables [6]. Fibre can improve gut health by supporting normal bowel function and reducing the risk of constipation [6].
And here’s the interesting thing about fibre – when it reaches the large intestine, it provides food and nutrients for the good bacteria in the gut. Gut microbes break down the fibre, producing lots of helpful compounds that are sent all around your body, including to your brain, skin, heart and kidneys [7]. So showing your gut some love by getting enough fibre in your diet can actually help support your overall health as well as your gut health.
Fruit and veg
For a diverse, healthy gut, it’s important to eat a wide range of different plants. This is because different species of microbes prefer different kinds of plant fibres. For a diverse gut microbiome filled with lots of good bacteria, you should aims for at least 30 different species of plants - fruits, veg, and legumes - per week [8].
That might sound like a lot, but there are things you can do to make it easier, like buying foods which already have different plants mixed together. For example, you could use tins of mixed beans in your chilli, mixed nuts and seeds for snacking, and bags of stir fry veggie mixes. In fact, if you included those products in your weekly shop, you’d be over halfway to your target of 30. So supporting your gut health doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, it just requires small, purposeful changes.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, kimchi, tempeh and miso can all be beneficial for your gut health. That’s because fermented foods contain live cultures (like probiotics and prebiotics) which help increase the diversity of your gut bacteria [9].
You can include more fermented foods in your diet by making simple swaps, like choosing kombucha over fizzy drinks, or including a gut-friendly yogurt in your breakfast or as a snack.
2. Stay hydrated
Getting enough fibre is all well and good, but it can’t do its job if you don’t drink enough water to support it. Making sure you’re hydrated is a really good way to support a healthy and diverse gut [10].
As a rough guide, you should aim for around two litres of water a day, but the exact right amount will be different for each person. The best way to tell you’re getting enough water is by checking the colour of your pee. It should be clear to pale yellow, so if it looks dark yellow or brown then you’re probably not hydrated enough.
3. Feel good through exercise
Getting regular exercise can be a great way to improve your gut health naturally, by increasing the diversity of your microbiome and supporting regular bowel habits[11] [12]. You don’t have to become an olympic athlete to support your gut health. Just try to fit more walking, running, cycling, or any activity you enjoy, into your daily routine. Even taking the stairs instead of the lift can help - every little change counts.
Plus, when we exercise our brain releases a powerful mix of feel-good hormones that can make us feel good. Bonus!
4. Prioritise restful sleep
Perhaps a less obvious way of supporting gut health naturally is by getting enough sleep. This is there’s a link between the amount of sleep you get and the diversity of bacteria in your gut [13].
Sleep deprivation can impact our food choices and affect our hunger hormones. This can make us more likely to overeat, or to reach for highly processed foods that contain more sugar and fewer nutrients. All of which can have a negative effect on our gut health, and in turn impact our sleep. A vicious cycle!
Most adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. But it’s not just the amount of sleep you get that matters – it’s the quality. If you’re not sleeping well, try improving your sleep hygiene by creating a consistent routine and creating a good sleeping environment.
5. Reduce stress
It’s normal to experience some stress day to day, but too much can start to have a negative impact on your gut health. Prolonged stress can cause our body to produce more of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol, which can damage the gut and cause inflammation [14].
To improve your gut health, try to manage your stress levels by practising meditation, using breathing exercises, and spending time with loved ones. This can help to reduce the amount of cortisol whizzing around your body, improving your gut health as well as your overall wellbeing.
If our guts are healthy, then we shouldn’t have too many troubling gut symptoms. But if your gut does need a little love, it will show up in symptoms like:
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Stomach pain
Bloating
Heartburn
Excessive flatulence
