Understanding the Importance of Gut Health
In your quest to feel your absolute best, you’ve got to do more than just get in plenty of exercise and eat lots of fruits and veggies (although all that is important). Educating yourself on the importance of gastrointestinal health can go a long way in helping you understand how much more you can do for the improvement of your mental health and immune system.
The Body’s Second Brain
Maybe you’ve completely changed how you eat and exercise but still feel something is missing. That something could be the fact that your gut health is out of whack. You may not realize it, but your gastrointestinal health can impact everything from your overall mood to your memory. This is because your gut needs a specific type of bacteria that lets the brain know everything in your body is alright.
Something else to think about is the fact that any vitamins, nutrients or supplements you’re taking to get healthier have to pass through your gut. Having the right bacteria in your intestines makes a big difference in determining how well minerals, vitamins and nutrients are absorbed in your body. Gut bacteria also plays a part in hormone regulation, vitamin production, overall digestion and your body’s ability to flush out harmful toxins.
Bowel Disorders and Mental Health
Do you know someone with a bowel disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome, Celiac disease or leaky gut? If so, does that person also have a mental health issue like anxiety or depression? Perhaps she or he also has some type of autoimmune disease. The reason for this is a bowel disorder can throw off a person’s balance of bad gut bacteria and good gut bacteria. What may happen is a bowel disorder can weaken the gastrointestinal tract and all allow food proteins into the bloodstream. The immune system responds with such symptoms as food sensitivities and inflammation.
How To Improve Your Gut Health
There are certain supplements and programs, like Le-Vel Thrive, you can try to improve your gut health, but there are additional steps you can take as well. For instance, if you’re a stress eater, it’s best you find healthy ways to manage and avoid stress so you aren’t as tempted to eat unhealthy foods. You should also focus on food rich in fiber to keep things moving in your GI tract. What’s more is fiber gives the cells of the colon energy.
The Thrive experience and other health and wellness programs focused on keeping you healthy go a long way in helping you maintain a good body weight. Having a healthy body weight can go a long way in helping you avoid a number of cancers, such as esophageal, colon and gastric. Going for a brief walk after meals is also a good idea, as doing so can keep you from feeling bloated or constipated.
If you’re a smoker, know that the habit can put you at risk for a number of cancers, including colon cancer. Stopping is, of course, a good idea, but you can take that one step further. No matter if you smoke or not, it’s good to get screened for cancer whenever you visit your doctor for a checkup. Know that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That said, the cancer is both preventable and curable, but only when it’s detected as early as possible. It’s an especially good idea to receive regular screenings if you have a family history of cancer.
Do you think you’re doing a good job of taking care of your gastrointestinal health? Try out some of the above tips and insights yourself to see how your overall mood and state of mind change. Always keep your gut health in mind with every meal you eat and every exercise routine you perform.
