6 Proven Ways To Improve Your Gut Health Naturally

How to Heal Your Gut Naturally: 6 Actionable Tips

Research has shown that a healthy gastrointestinal tract — also known as your gut microbiome — is key for optimum wellness.  The gut microbiome is a complex system of living microorganisms (ie: microbes) found in the colon.  Your gut microbiome is home to bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast — over 100 trillion microorganisms, consisting of 500-1,000 different species.  The diversity of your gut microbiome is critical — greater diversity allows your gut to be resilient and bounce back from any disturbances to the balance.  Several factors can upset the balance, including poor diet, stress, and medications, particularly antibiotics.

The benefits of a healthy gut microbiome impact every system in the body.  Good gut health:

• Enhances digestion and absorption of food and nutrients
• Mitigates inflammation
• Helps maintain a healthy immune system and defends against infections
• Supports the cardiovascular system, improving everything from blood pressure to heart health
• Boosts the endocrine system, which synthesizes and secretes hormones (thyroid hormones, melatonin, etc.)

Your gut microbiome also plays a big part in your mental health.  In the walls of your digestive system are two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells.  That is called the enteric nervous system (ENS), and it is considered your “second brain.”  The ENS communicates with your brain and can directly affect your brain chemistry and mood.  By improving your gut health you can often boost your mental health, too.

• Prayer
• Study
• Worship
• Celebration
• Fellowship
• Gratitude
• Service
• Submission
• Confession
• Guidance
• Evangelism

The Telltale Signs of an Unhealthy Gut

When your gut functions properly, the good bacteria help your body break down foods, clear toxins, fight against disease, and boost your mood.  Unfortunately, American culture neglects the gut, leaning into a diet filled with unhealthy, processed, and sugar-filled foods.

Here are 7 warning signs you may have an unhealthy gut:

1. Upset stomach:  Frequent gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn could mean your gut is having difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.
2. Unplanned weight changes:  When your gut is imbalanced, your body may struggle to absorb nutrients, store fat, and regulate blood sugar, leading to weight fluctuations.
3. Inconsistent sleep:  The majority of your body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, which impacts sleep.  When your gut is out of balance, your sleep will be, too.
4. Chronic fatigue:  “Bad” bacteria or inflammation in the gut may be related to the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome.
   Skin irritation:  An unhealthy gut is associated with an altered immune response, leading to skin diseases like psoriasis or eczema.
5. Autoimmune conditions:  “Bad” gut bacteria can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which may trigger autoimmune diseases where the body attacks itself rather than harmful invaders.
6. Food intolerances/sensitivities:  “Bad” gut bacteria means you can’t break down certain foods, and those food intolerances/sensitivities lead to inflammation in the gut.

6 Easy Ways to Heal Your Gut Naturally

Many factors affect your gut health, but there are steps you can take to heal your gut naturally through lifestyle and diet changes.

1. Get Those Zzzzzz’s

Proper sleep helps to balance your hormones, which helps balance your gut.  Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.  Heal your gut naturally by improving your quality of sleep:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends
• Exercise daily
• Limit use of caffeine, sugar, and alcohol
• Limit screen time before bed
• Sleep in a room that is cool, dark, and quiet

2. Adopt Stress Management Techniques

Stress is part of life, but you can control how you respond to it.  These stress management techniques will help heal your gut naturally:

• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Gratitude journaling
• Guided imagery
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Deep breathing
• Go for a walk
• Exercise

3. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is one of the most important factors in improving digestion and promoting a healthy gut.  Water helps break down the food you eat, allowing nutrients to be absorbed by your body, and assists in removing waste and other toxins.  Most adults should drink half of their body weight (in pounds) in fluid ounces.  For example, an adult who weights 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water each day.  Here are tips for staying hydrated:

• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
• Use alarms or notifications to keep you drinking throughout the day
• Focus on your body’s signals (thirst, tired, dizzy, dry mouth/lips/tongue)
• Check the color of your urine (the darker the color, the more dehydrated you are)

4. Use Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a superfood that can fuel your body as well as help heal your gut naturally.  Wheatgrass is a healthy powerhouse because it is 70% chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is a natural healer, minimizing chronic inflammation and stimulating tissue growth and regeneration.

Wheatgrass implants are great for naturally healing the gut.  After you’ve cleansed the colon with an enema, implant 4 oz of wheatgrass juice and retain for 20 minutes.  The implant detoxes the colon walls and replenishes the electrolytes and the healthy flora necessary for proper digestion and elimination.

5. Use Prebiotics and Probiotics

A probiotic is a product that contains a live strain of bacteria.  You will most often find probiotics in the form of supplements, but some foods also contain probiotics (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, pickles).  Many probiotic supplements focus on the number of organisms in a dose, which might lead you to buy the product with the highest number, but this might not be the best product for you.  Consult your healthcare provider and make sure that the specific strain you wish to take will be beneficial for you.

A prebiotic is a component of food (fiber) that humans can’t digest but that feeds “good” bacteria in the gut.  These fibers are prebiotics.  You can increase your prebiotic intake by adding these foods to your diet — bananas, tomatoes, onions, garlic, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, soy), nuts and seeds (almonds, flax).  Increase your prebiotic intake gradually, since sudden changes in the quantity of fibrous foods you eat can cause bloating, abdominal pain, and other digestive symptoms.

6. Slow Down and Eat Mindfully

Eating has become a mindless act, often done quickly.  By eating mindfully, you restore your attention and slow down, making eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one.  Mindful eating involves paying closer attention to your food and how it makes you feel.  That means eating slowly and without distraction (no TV or phone), chewing thoroughly, eating only until you’re full, and engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors.  Mindful eating helps heal the gut naturally because you give the body the time and space it needs to thoroughly digest food.

Take the Next Step to Heal Your Gut Naturally

A healthy gut plays an essential role in nearly every aspect of your health.  Pay attention to your body and take note if you have symptoms of an unhealthy gut.  Fortunately, there are easy ways to heal your gut naturally.

At OHI, we help you heal your gut naturally by detoxing your body with a wheatgrass juice cleanse.  Our diet also includes fermented foods like sauerkraut and sprouted seeds and nuts that incorporate healthy bacteria into the gut.  When you heal your gut naturally, you set the stage for a lifetime of optimal physical and mental wellness.

Heal your gut naturally — book your next visit to OHI today!

Start your holistic healing journey today.  Call OHI at (800) 588-0809 to learn more about our holistic approach to health and wellness.  It will change your life for good!