The New Buzz…
If your TikTok for you page is anything like mine, you’ve definitely heard how “hot girls have stomach problems”. People are using TikTok to share their painfully honest experiences from bad digestion to irritable bowel syndrome, excessive bloating, acid reflux and much more. While the sharing of these intimate health concerns are TMI to some, the online resurgence concerning gut health has sparked a very important conversation as to why so many people can relate to having #stomachproblems. The answer to why you keep being one sip of coffee from taking a pitstop to the nearest ladies restroom has everything to do with your gut.
What Is Gut Health?
Our guts hold an ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that makeup our microbiome. As uncomfortable as that sounds, this is a good thing! Humans need these microorganisms to survive just as much as they need a place to call home. Some organisms are good for us, some are not, but all must coexist harmoniously for our microbiome to remain happy, healthy and thriving. When this balance is disrupted our bodies become most susceptible to stomach and digestion problems.
The happiness of your microbiome also affects the efficiency of other bodily systems. A lot of your daily battles, brain fog, anxiety, frat flu alongside digestion issues, are reflections of the state of your gut. Who said you can’t kill more than one bird with one stone?
Simple Steps to Improve Gut Health
“So how do I improve my gut health?” Great question, tricky answer. Improving the balance of your microbiome is complicated. Everyone’s gut has different needs based on their lifestyle decisions. There is no one-size fits all cure, but there are mindful habits we can adopt to do our part in keeping our guts happy.
Processed food and refined sugar hurt the good bacteria in our microbiome and are the main contributors to gut inflammation and irritation…but it tastes so good. So try to eliminate eating sugar and processed foods slowly over time. Substitute that brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso for a hot tea with lemon and honey every once in a while. Eat foods that promote high energy an hour before you go to the gym instead of that pre-workout concoction with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Eating a lot of food after restricticting can cause damage too. Your stomach shrinks and expands like a balloon, so when you don’t give it a reason to stretch it deflates a little bit. When you expect your stomach to be able to shift back and forth from its small size to its stretched size, you experience discomfort. So if you haven’t had the chance to eat because you’ve been busy walking up and down the quad from class to class, opt for a light late lunch. Try a bowl of soup and whole grain bread followed by some ginger tea to improve digestion or a savory oatmeal recipe with beet juice to promote inflammation.
Incorporate nutritious food in your diet. Target fermented foods, food in fiber, prebiotics, probiotics and vegetables to encourage the good microorganisms in your biome to replenish and repopulate. Top your salad with beans and avocados, research what supplement might work for you, blend some kale into your smoothie and ditch the ice cream for some yogurt with granola, honey and fruit.
Now What?
Improving gut health is not about suddenly becoming a vegan drinking 1L of water a day, taking every supplement ever made and swearing to never eat a donut again. It’s more about mindfulness and finding a balance of eating for enjoyment with eating what your body needs to function correctly. No matter where you are in your gut health journey, celebrate your small wins, take baby steps and remember to be kind to yourself always!