Gut Health Affects You in Many Ways
In general terms, you probably know maintaining your gut health is desirable just like maintaining the health of any system in your body is desirable. But you may no be aware of all the ways proper gut health (or the lack of it) can affect you. It’s no exaggeration to say that the functioning of this system affects virtually everything else including your hormones, your immune system, and your mood.
So it’s essential to support the gut biome responsible for your gut health. The good news is that there are a number of ways you can do this, some perhaps somewhat obvious, some less so, by incorporating these habits into your morning routine.
Gut Health Tip #1: Drink Water
It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, but drinking a big glass of water in the morning is especially desirable because while you slept, you weren’t getting any. Among other benefits, it will fight constipation.
Gut Health Tip #2: Take a Probiotic
Probiotics contain plentiful amounts of good bacteria to replace depleted intestinal bacteria and balance your gut health environment. Your doctor can advise you on which probiotic will produce the best results for you.
Gut Health Tip #3: Eat Fiber
You’ve probably heard that fiber fights constipation. High-fiber foods include 100% whole-grain bread, chia seeds, and oatmeal. Oatmeal is also a probiotic food that feeds the good gut bacteria involved in gut health.
Gut Health Tip #4: Sit Down When You Eat Breakfast
If you aren’t doing this, it’s probably because you feel rushed or are multi-tasking. But your body will do a better job of digesting food if you’re focused on breakfast and breakfast alone.
Gut Health Tip #5: Take Time to Poop
In the morning, your body’s level of cortisol is at its highest. That’s optimal for gut motility and thus for regularity.
Gut Health Tip #6: Brush Your Teeth
Research has linked poor oral hygiene with a number of overall health issues including disruption of the healthy gut microbiome.
Gut Health Tip #7: Go for Walks
Exercise will increase blood flow to the digestive organs, strengthen the muscles involved with bowel movements, and relieve stress. It improves digestion.
Gut Health Tip #8: Stretch
Stretching boosts your good gut bacteria, and the movement stimulates gut motility.
Gut Health Tip #9: Meditate
Five to ten minutes of meditation can calm the mind, relax the body, ease stress and anxiety, and so promote digestive health. One nice thing about meditation is that you can do it while you’re pooping.
Gut Health Tip #10: Open the Curtains
Natural light helps wake you up and regulates your circadian rhythm. This means it helps your mood, sleep, and overall health including gut health.
Gut Health Tip #11: Stand Under Cold Water
When you shower, stand under a stream of cold water for a few seconds. This activates your vagus nerve that connects the brain and the gut and thus promotes gut motility.
Gut Health Tip #12: Go Easy on Coffee
Like other products containing caffeine, coffee can dehydrate you and lead to the release of too much acid in your stomach. If you’re going to drink coffee in the morning, be sure to have that big glass of water first.
Gut Health Tip #13: Get Enough Sleep
This, of course, isn’t something you can address when getting up in the morning, but it has a great deal to do with how pleasant your morning will be. Go to bed early enough that you get seven hours of sleep in a dark, cool, quiet place.