7 Real Ways to Balance Your Gut

Go with your gut. There is much more to this saying than just a way to make a decision. Your stomach is the gateway for disease and without a strong stomach, bad bacteria can cause all kind of health problems from mental anguish to chronic body pain.

Not all bacteria is bad. As a matter of fact, our stomachs contain trillions of bugs necessary for the digestion and absorption of vital nutrients.

The key is to balance the good with the bad.

At its best, your stomach should be roughly 85% good bacteria and 15% bad. There is a need for the bad guys believe it or not.

The good news is you are in complete control of those numbers. What you eat will determine the level of bacteria and enzymes in your digestive system.

The downside is that modern diets and medications cause serious harm to our gut health.

Here are some of the triggers that can throw the balance of our bellies out of control:

Antibiotics and other medications

Refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods
Lack of fermentable fibers
Toxins like GMO’d wheat and industrial seed oils that lead to leaky gut

Chronic stress
Chronic infections

Now here are the 7 simple and effective ways that you can balance your gut almost overnight:

1. Eat PRObiotic

I’ve discussed the benefits of fermented foods before and there is no better way to fortify your immune system then with foods that have an abundance of the good guy bacteria.

Steer clear of vinegar based or pasteurized varieties as they actually kill the bacteria which makes these kinds of foods so nutritionally valuable. Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, microalgae and coconut kefir are all great plant-based probiotic-rich foods.

2. Eat PREbiotic

As opposed to the foods which have the good bacteria in them, prebiotic foods encourage the natural growth of bacteria in the stomach. Here is a list of some of the best sources for prebiotics:

Artichokes
Dandelion Roots
Garlic

Leeks
Onions
Asparagus

Banana

3. Supplement

Taking a probiotic supplement will do more for your health than you can imagine. Not only will it help boost the good bacteria, it can help repair the damage caused by medications like antibiotics.

4. Eat less, more regularly

Modern lifestyle could be partially to blame for our poor health. The way we divide the day into large calorie soaked meals is terrible for our tummies.

Indigestion should not be a normal part of your day.

Eating small meals 5-6 times a day can keep the fire burning in your stomach and make digestion efficient helping the body properly absorb all the vital nutrients and vitamins.

5. Drink water

Your body needs water to keep food moving through your digestive tract and prevent blockages and constipation.

Some say you should drink half your bodyweight worth of water in ounces. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should be consuming 70 ounces of water a day.

6. Stay away from sugar

Refined sugars are like an all you can eat buffet for bad bacteria. Just don’t do it. There are enough natural sugars in fruits and vegetables that you can satisfy those sweet cravings without bringing your digestive system to a halt.

7. Relax

Stress starts in the stomach. The hormones which kick in to respond to stress will put your body into fight or flight mode and slow the blood flow in your gut. This will only freeze up good bacteria and reduce the natural secretions which help break down food.

Try some mindful breathing even just a few minutes a day to help heal your gut!