What is Gut health?
Gut health had never really crossed my mind when thinking of ways to improve my physical and mental well-being. And for a long while I was uncertain I really understood it, until I came across this explanation.
Our Gut, or Gastrointestinal system, is most commonly known for breaking down the food we eat, absorbing the nutrients our body requires for fuel and shuttling the waste out of our system.
But what if I told you, your gut was responsible for far more than food transportation/digestion?
What if I told you, in our gut, we have trillions of little bacteria responsible for the homeostasis in our bodies! Our gut is responsible for keeping the balance within the small eco system that lives inside us, the balance between good and bad bacteria, that ultimately impacts our day to day well-being, physically and mentally!
Studies have proven that an unhealthy Gut is commonly the cause of a lot of uncomfortable symptoms such as
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Stomach pain
Other conditions such as autoimmune disease, a high sugar diet, skin irritation and more relevant to menopause, unintentional weight changes and fatigue/sleep disturbances may all be signs that your Gut is in need of a little rebalancing!
Four ways to improve your Gut health in the menopause:
Reducing stress
Stress, as we know it, causes more than a few impractical symptoms within the menopause, such as hot flashes, anxiety, depression and magnified fatigue. However, stress is also responsible for impairing your Guts ability to function properly.
Ways to combat that stress may include, meditation, yoga, sleep, massage (specifically swedish as swedish massage includes a stomach massage, improving your Gastrointestinal flow), walking or even decreasing caffeine intake.Improving Diet/Nutrition
Nutrition as we all know it plays a fundamental part not just in the Menopause but, instead throughout our entire Life. Although I am a huge advocate for enjoying life and eating what you like, we can’t deny that diet is impartial to our health.
Ways to improve our nutrition during the menopause to optimize our bodies wellbeing may be, as mentioned, decreasing caffeine levels, reducing sugar intake, reducing high fat foods, increasing fibre and lean protein intake. Fibre has been proven to positively impact our gut health tremendously. Integrate Supplements and probiotics into your Lifestyle
Supplements are a great way to support your nutritional intake when you feel you aren’t able to consume enough of the food your body needs.
During the menopause it is especially difficult to keep up with the amount of nutrients your body requires, solely from your food. This is due to your body transitioning and changing drastically.
Supplements such as Organic Moringa, diatomaceous earth, L-Glutamine,curcumin, zinc and probiotics, are some of the lovely natural remedies to add to your nutritional lifestyle and rebalance your Guts ecosystem. And let’s not forget the amazing impact FeminaPause has on our bodies too!
(If suffering from underlying conditions/intolerances, please seek medical advice for confirmation of consumption, reducing the risk of any possible side effects)Water – stay hydrated Ladies!
Drinking enough water – staying hydrated, is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to improve the balance of your good vs bad bacteria, as well as mucosal Gut lining. Helping you feel more energise and less sluggish too!
Listen to your gut!
For a long time, our bodies health has been defined solely by the amount of physical activity we do and nutrients we consume without any concern for the tremendous role our gut plays in the significant process of healthy living, especially in the Menopause!
Listen to your gut, pay attention to the signs and take matters into your own hands. Our gut health plays an incredibly vital role in physical and mental wellbeing. From easing anxiety and sensations of depression, to revitalising your skin, hair and other physical aspects appearance and function.
