5 Tips to Improve Gut Health

 

 

If you're experiencing digestive discomfort after indulging during the holiday season, you're not alone. It's common to deal with issues like gas, bloating, constipation, or even diarrhea. But don't worry, there are several strategies you can implement to help improve your digestion. Here are five essential tips for better digestive health from Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, Lindsey Day!

Tip #1: Take a bite of ginger root daily.  

It’s shown to help motility – pushing food through your gut – and to reduce gas, bloating and constipation (Foshati et al., 2023). 

 

For those who bloat easily, this could mean trialing a low FODMAP diet for two weeks to see if your bloating reduces. Low FODMAP diets have shown to be effective in reducing bloating and inflammation in those with microbial overgrowths (Wong, 2016).

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. These fancy terms are types of carbs that bacteria feed on and ferment. 

If you have a healthy gut, eating these foods will NOT cause an issue, and will actually be GOOD for you, as one of the cornerstones for health is to eat a diversity of plant based fibers (Cronin et al., 2021)! 

This topic confuses a lot of people because you actually do ultimately NEED to eat these fibers to have a healthy gut. HOWEVER, if you have an UNHEALTHY gut with various microbial overgrowths, eating these foods feeds already overgrown bacteria, causing excessive fermentation, gas and bloating. 

In this case, you’d want to TEMPORARILY avoid high FODMAP foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, beans, wheat, apples, cherries, mango, etc. Stick to low FODMAP foods like broccoli, green beans, raspberries, and any protein source. Here is a great FODMAP food list resource.  

You’d also want to work to restore microbial balance with the goal of reintroducing these foods because otherwise, you’ll run into problems down the road from the restrictive diet (Cronin et al., 2021).

• Eat between 30 to 45 g fiber per day. Research clearly shows that high fiber diets are key to health (Cronin et al., 2021)! If not, work to slowly increase fiber intake over the course of 2 weeks to 2 months, until hitting about 40 g fiber per day. 
• Eat a balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber! A healthy gut requires BOTH types in balanced amounts (McRorie et al., 2017). Soluble fiber sources include apples, avocados, pears, broccoli, potatoes, psyllium, chia seed, flaxseed, etc. 

Note: During the beginning phases of AIP, chia and flaxseed are not recommended, but these would be great foods to try reintroducing at some point considering their many health benefits!

Insoluble fiber sources include potato skins, berries, broccoli, kale, spinach, raspberries and the stems and skins of most fruits and vegetables. You’ll notice that many foods contain a bit of both!

Tip #3: Increase your water intake. 

As you increase your fiber intake, you MUST increase your water to push the fiber through your system and avoid constipation. Most people should be drinking about ¾ gallon per day. You need more water if you’re sweating more or if you weigh more.

Tip #4: Try one to four weeks of going completely dairy and grain-free to see how your body responds. 

I’ve seen this work wonders for my clients who accept the challenge, ESPECIALLY those with autoimmune conditions, digestive issues, brain fog, anxiety and depression! Various proteins in wheat/grain products are shown to elicit a greater immune response in a subset of the population, leading to a proinflammatory state and disrupted health (Sapone et al., 2011). Most adults have a reduced ability to digest lactose – some estimates show this affects up to about 70% of adults (Storhaug et al., 2017)! Thus, dairy and wheat products often contribute to digestive issues.

Tip #5: Work with a functional medicine doctor, dietitian or nutritionist to figure out the root cause of your digestive issues! 

Your head might be spinning trying to grasp all this info and understand how to apply it to YOU! Hence this 5th tip! The body is so complex and sometimes working with an expert is needed.

Need some additional resources? Join us at our upcoming webinar, The Fiber Connection: Gut Health & Autoimmunity, highlighting why adequate fiber intake is vital for optimal digestive function and overall health!  

 

 

Lindsey Day is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, a former broadcast meteorologist and is the founder of NutTriDay Fitness and the NuTriDay Fitness App. Lindsey is currently working on obtaining her Master's in Nutrition and is helping people achieve optimal health and wellness through better nutrition and fitness. Learn more at: nutridayfitness.com