How to improve gut health? Your gut is a 30-foot-long organ that has between 800 and 900 folds to ensure it fits in your body. If your gut were laid out flat, it could cover an entire tennis court.

It’s important to take care of your gut health. Your gut is in charge of digestion and absorption of nutrients, so make sure it has all the needed support to work at capacity is crucial.

Keep reading for five tips on how to improve your gut health.

1. Avoid Antibiotics if Possible

Antibiotics shouldn’t be taken for every sniffle or sneeze you experience. While this medication is necessary sometimes, you should always ask if there are other options you can consider.

Antibiotics wreak havoc on your gut health. This medication attacks all bacteria in your body, including the good bacteria your gut needs to thrive. This negatively changes the existing populations of microorganisms in your gut.

These changes can in your gut microflora can lead to various gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or constipation. Everyone experiences the side effects in a different way, so it might not present the same way every time you take antibiotics.

While there are ways to combat the negative effects of antibiotics, the best course of action is to only use the medication when there aren’t other options.

2. Sleep and Hydrate

Getting enough sleep isn’t just beneficial to your gut health, but your general health will improve. Sleep deprivation can cause significant changes in your gut microbiome, so it should be avoided at all costs.

You’re also more likely to reach for sugary foods when you’re sleep deprived for a boost in energy. Not only does a high-sugar diet increase the risk of metabolic disorders, but it can throw off the balance of bacteria in your gut.

Making sleep a priority will help you regulate your gut health, while also helping you make smarter diet choices.

Hydration also plays a big role in ensuring your gut health is balanced. If you’re dehydrated, your body will start to retrieve fluid from your stool, which can lead to constipation.

While there isn’t a clear amount of water you should be drinking every day, the best way to check your hydration levels is to look at the color of your urine. If it’s pale yellow, you’re hydrated, but if it’s darker, you need to drink more water.

3. Exercise More

This might not be something you want to hear, but regular exercise can help you improve your gut health. Exercise is a great way to promote the increase in the diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut.

Longer workouts and high-intensity aerobic training are the best way to contribute to gut bacteria diversity, but any form of exercise that you enjoy will help your gut health. The key is finding a form of exercise that you can commit to and consistently do. It doesn’t help if you only exercise once a month because you’re forcing yourself.

Take the time to experiment with different exercise programs and classes to find one that suits your needs and schedule. Exercise shouldn’t be a chore.

4. Reduce Stress Levels

Stress plays a big role when it comes to your general health. Not only do your stress levels impact your sleeping and metabolism, but your gut can also be affected.

Finding ways to reduce your stress levels can have a positive impact on your gut health. Just think of how often your stomach aches when you’re extremely stressed. This shows you how badly stress can affect your gut.

By making a few lifestyle changes you can start to manage your stress in a healthy manner. Reducing screen time and “doom scrolling” can help you disconnect from the online world and focus on yourself. Taking care of your mental health is important when it comes to managing your stress levels.

While you’re disconnecting from the internet, you can take the time to focus on yourself and practice self-care. This will look different for everyone, as you might find meditation and yoga relaxing, or you might prefer to practice a hobby instead. Finding inner peace for a few minutes will drastically affect your stress levels.

5. Take Probiotics Daily

Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer health benefits when consumed. Probiotics are often prescribed when taking antibiotics, as probiotics are made up of good bacteria that antibiotics eliminate. But probiotics aren’t just useful when taking antibiotics.

Probiotics help you balance your gut bacteria and help you rebuild your microbiome. Probiotics can also help support your metabolism.

Taking a daily probiotic can also help you fight gut issues like leaky gut.

If you don’t like the idea of taking supplements, you can also consider eating more probiotic-rich foods. Foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir are naturally rich in probiotics. Most fermented foods contain a high count of lactobacilli bacteria, which will help you improve your gut health.

When it comes to yogurt, you need to be aware that many flavored options contain large amounts of sugar. If possible, stick to unflavored, plain yogurt for the best results.

Know How to Improve Gut Health

Knowing how to improve your gut health is the first step to reclaiming your life. Through a variety of exercises, gut health supplements, diet, and lifestyle changes you can successfully manage your gut health without medical intervention. So start researching the best ways to implement these changes.

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