Secret To Happiness – A Healthy Gut

1. Eat a Diverse Range of Foods 

Think of your gut like a college admissions board: it likes diversity. There are hundreds of known bacterial species, and a happy gut should have a lot of them. Research is showing that the diversity (both the number of different species and the evenness of those species) of your microbiome is an important part of your health. In fact, a study in the journal Nature found that individuals with a low bacterial diversity were characterized by more overall adiposity, insulin resistance, abnormally elevated cholesterol and lipid levels in the blood and a more pronounced inflammatory phenotype.  A diet rich in whole foods provides your gut with a variety of nutrients that help promote the growth of different types of bacteria, resulting in more diverse gut flora.

2. Add more Prebiotics into your Diet

Prebiotics are fibers and natural sugars that stimulate the good bacteria in the gut. Just like us, the bacteria in our gut also need food. The best foods for the job are fiber-rich like leafy greens, resistant starches—including potatoes, legumes, and raw oats—grains, bananas, and even dark chocolate contain varying fibers that fuel our gut bugs. In fact, a study in the Journal of Functional Foods found that eating resistant starch actually strengthens your gut biome. It’s because healthy bacteria literally get a workout digesting the stuff, becoming more dominant and leading to a cleaner, better-functioning gut. Prebiotics are a variety of fiber that goes through the gut undigested and promotes the activity of friendly gut bacteria. Many foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, naturally contain prebiotic fiber.

3. Get More Sleep

Our gut follows a daily circadian-like rhythm. Disrupting our body-clock with lack of sleep, shift work, or eating late at night can be harmful to our gut bacteria. When the body doesn’t get adequate sleep, it starts producing a hormone called Ghrelin, which triggers hunger and reduces energy expenditure. Two days of sleep deprivation can cause small but impactful changes to gut flora while increasing the abundance of bacteria associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fat metabolism. Being tired and hungry is a dangerous combination, often resulting in cravings for carbohydrates. Adequate amounts of sleep allow our bodies to de-stress from the day’s events, promoting healthy brain function, emotional wellness, and hormone regulation.

4. Consume More Probiotics

Probiotics can increase the abundance of healthy gut bacteria. When the gut becomes unbalanced with unhealthy levels of certain bacteria, probiotics can help restore the balance. They’ve been shown to secrete protective substances, which may turn on the immune system and prevent pathogens from taking hold and creating major diseases. We can get more probiotics through supplements or fermented foods. Our handpicked blend of 12 probiotics, a.k.a digestive superheroes, are living ‘good bacteria’ microorganisms that help fight off harmful bacteria and pathogens found in the gut and GI tracts. They team up with your body’s healthy bacteria, Flora, to clear and prevent yeast and intestinal tract infections. When Flora is limited in the body, this powerful blend helps restore balance.

5. Eat More Raw

By nature, the human body is designed to function at its’ optimal potential with a diet that has a heavy emphasis on the consumption of raw foods. Not only are raw foods easy for the body to digest, but they also contain large numbers of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that our body needs to function. The naturally occurring enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables aid in the digestive process, helping breakdown cooked foods. At Betr Health, we aim for eating 70% of your daily fruit and veggies intake to be eaten raw.