Top 10 Ways to Heal Your Gut (Supplements that Can Help)
The health science community is discovering why gut health is a new pillar of overall health. Some scientists are thinking about calling the novel gut microbiome an organ of the body.
They’re finding that the microbiome, which contains more bacteria than the total amount of cells in the human body, is responsible for an immense number of metabolic, immune, and even neurological functions in the body.
I am convinced that you should heal your gut yet.
Perhaps you’re wondering why you should be concerned about ways to heal your gut. The answer is: We live in a world that destroys our gut health right, left, and center.
From pesticides in our food (especially glyphosate) to stress, poor lifestyle habits, and junk food, many forces work against our sensitive guts!
Have you ever heard of intestinal permeability? A breakthrough review by researcher Alessio Fasano shed light on the pathogenesis of many modern, mystery chronic inflammatory diseases.
His findings are consistent with that of Hippocrates made 2500 years ago: “all disease begins in the gut.” Intestinal permeability describes “leaky gut,” or the process by which the tight junctions in the mucosa lining are weakened, thus allowing the material to pass unwanted into the bloodstream.
Healing the gut is a long journey that won’t encompass a simple weekend cleanse or a week of clean eating. It takes a long-term lifestyle approach—a fact that’s difficult for many people to accept before beginning their healing journey. Hopefully, these ten ways to heal your gut provide inspiration and hope.
1. Stop Eating Junk Food
Gut healing has less to do with what you add to your diet and more with what you take away. You can exercise, take supplements, and follow other suggestions listed below, but as long as you’re eating junk food, it will be near impossible to heal your gut!
Junk food includes the obvious: packaged foods with mystery ingredients, added sugar, fast food, and sweet treats.
But there are less obvious gut triggers that could easily be labeled as junk: conventional dairy, gluten, vegetable oils, and inorganic grains (due to the herbicide glyphosate).
2. Eat Whole Foods
Whole food doesn’t have an ingredient label and comes from the produce section. High-quality, grass-fed/pasture-raised meats are also fair game for many people.
Eating real food gives our guts a chance to recuperate from damage induced by our post-industrial world. Real food, especially plant foods, has also been shown to be ample fuel for the beneficial microbes living in our guts (a component of gut health many people think about nowadays).
3. Digest Well
How we digest food is arguably as important as what we’re eating. Good digestion means good nutrient assimilation and, thus, better energy levels.
That being said, here are some handy tips to help you digest better:
- Stop taxing your gut with massive meals.
- Leave plenty of time between each meal to properly digest your last one.
- Chew your food correctly instead of mowing it down.
- Eat while you’re calm. When you’re relaxed, you’re in your parasympathetic (rest and digest) rather than your sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system.
- Use digestive bitters with each meal for extra support. They tend to support the production of beneficial digestive components such as hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and enzymes. Ginger and dandelion are examples of bitter herbs.
4. Stop Eating Gluten
In research, gluten has been identified as a precursor to zonulin release. Zonulin is a protein whose heightened levels are associated with gut permeability and autoimmunity.
It was once thought that only people with celiac disease or a severe intolerance should avoid gluten. But now we’re seeing how most people have slight gluten sensitivities that could gradually tear away at their guts over time.
5. Practice Breathwork
Stress is detrimental to gut health. A routine breathwork practice can go a long way in eliminating stress from your life. It doesn’t have to be anything too severe or time-consuming.
Try this:
- Sit erect. Take a couple of ordinary, clearing breaths.
- Begin breathing in for a count of 2 and out for a count of 4. Set a timer and do this for 10 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, deeply inhale, exhale, and hold for as long as possible.
6. Practice Meditation
Meditation is another practice that can help your gut by down-regulating stress in the mind and body.
Demystifying Meditation is essential for some to begin effectively. Meditation is the simple practice of deep focus on the breath to form sensations of nonattachment to the many thoughts that often run our lives.
Research into the benefits of Meditation has identified notable stress-reduction benefits.
7. Walk Outside Barefoot (Earthing)
If you’ve been investing yourself in the health and wellness world for some time, you may have heard of the benefits of walking barefoot by now.
But aside from the apparent anti-inflammatory and stress-reduction properties of being barefoot, it also seems effective for introducing beneficial microbes into the gut microbiome (as does being in nature in general). This can help anyone reclaim a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in their gut.
8. Eat Fermented Foods
According to studies, fermented foods boost microbiome diversity and bolster the immune system.
Most people enjoy fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir. They’re delicious and provide an easy way to optimize gut health.
9. Try Collagen
Our grass-fed Wild Collagen Peptides provide an exciting opportunity to promote gut healing. Interesting because, according to research, Collagen can heal the epithelial layer of the gut microbiome. This is important for sealing a leaky gut and preventing chronic illness.
10. Try a Probiotic
Aside from eating plenty of fermented foods and getting outside barefoot, try a high-quality probiotic if you feel your gut microbiome is significantly compromised.
A good quality probiotic such as our Wild Prebiotic & Probiotic + Digestive Enzyme Blend supports healthy digestion, immunity, and reduced cramping/bloating. It also provides essential digestive enzymes that promote gut, skin, and hair health.
