Sarah’s guide on how to get a healthy gut

How to get a healthy gut? That is a massive question and one I would love to know the absolute answer to! But as we know we are all unique and a one size approach definitely does not fit all. However, good news! There are some simple tweaks that could reap gut benefits for us all.

We’ll look at foods, stress management and I’ll give you some of my own personal recommendations.

There’s a lot of buzz about our microbiome, the billions of bacteria that live in our digestive track. The more diversity in our microbiome the healthier the gut! Varied plant-based diets are great for building our microbiome, eating as many different types of fruits, veggies and legumes as you can. If you find certain foods cause gut symptoms such as bloating, nausea, loose stools, constipation etc (firstly check with your GP to rule out other causes) try avoiding overly processed foods, large amounts of caffeine and alcohol. I promise you can still love life!!

The pros know (and I know!) that stress has a massive effect on our gut health. This is called the Gut/Brain Axis. If we are upset, stressed, angry etc it could affect the way our gut digests food. One thing I’ve found really important is trying to manage my levels of stress. My go to is a relaxing bath with a good book or a brisk walk with my dog, Jet.

Deep breathing (slowly in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, out for 4 counts) might help calm the vegas nerve and relieve some of those stress induced gut symptoms.