Gut Health And Tea

Gut Health

Digestive system symptoms are very common. Many struggle with consistent bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea. Whilst, dealing with these things is common it does not make them normal. Having, regular daily bowel movements that are easy to pass and having little bloating or gas is actually optimal!

Understanding your gut microbiome is a huge way to improve your health. Our gut includes over 200 different species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in our digestive tract. Each person’s microbiome is different and unique to them and our individual environments impact the health of our gut.

Things like our nutritional status, poor sleep, high-stress levels, and taking antibiotics can all impact our gut microbiome and digestion. If you notice the digestive system symptoms mentioned previously, it might be time to take a look into nutritional and lifestyle changes that can positively impact your feelings!

Gut health is not a one size fits all approach and it requires taking into account a number of systems in the body. Considerations for not only our digestive system but also our liver-detox pathways, immune system, and central nervous system are important in supporting a happy gut!

Let’s outline some strategies for working on improving gut health and some teas that you can incorporate to help along the way!

Keys to gut health:

Incorporating a wide variety Pre & probiotic-rich foods:

Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds found in foods that help to feed your good gut bacteria and provide balance in your microbiome. Having this appropriate balance can help with blood sugar balance, digestive system motility, support the immune system, and more…These include foods like:

Asparagus
Dandelion greens
Chickpeas
Lentils
Apples
Pomegranates
Oats
Couscous
Flaxseed

Probiotics are living organisms found in certain foods that can help improve our gut health. The microbiome is very complex and being able to consume a wide variety of these types of foods helps to ensure that you are providing different strains of bacteria to help with the balance in your gut. Some foods that can help with getting this variety are:

Yogurt
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Kombucha
Miso
Tempeh
Pickled vegetables

Water intake - water intake is essential for helping boost energy, support digestion, as well as for nutrient absorption. Most people should aim for about ½ their body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 lbs then you should aim for about 75 oz of water.

Reducing foods that cause oxidative stress - oxidative stress comes from environmental factors like the foods we eat and can cause inflammation in our bodies. Foods that are highly processed, vegetable oils, dairy, soy, and gluten can be some of the number one culprits of creating inflammation in our bodies. If you notice any digestive system symptoms after consuming these types of foods it can be helpful to keep a food and mood journal to try and identify foods that may be helpful to remove from your diet. Jot down the meal you ate and note how you feel immediately after as well as up to 24 hours after as some symptoms take longer to show up.

Getting quality sleep - prioritizing our sleep can help can in fact support our digestive health. There are some new studies that have shown strong correlation between gut microbiome and sleep quality. When we have good diversity in our gut microbiome it can positively impact our sleep quality. Prioritizing good quality sleep can also help with our energy levels as well as making good choices with our nutrition

Reducing stress and regulating the central nervous system is another area with strong research. Many studies show that the gut-brain axis is very strong and if we are experiencing high levels of stress it can impact our digestive tract. Psychological symptoms can also show up as physical symptoms in the body and so a holistic approach is needed to help address the root causes. Some steps you can take to reduce stress are by implementing rituals that help regulate the nervous system. Think about breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, drinking tea or EFT tapping.

These 5 keys to helping support your digestive system really take a holistic approach so that you can connect all systems to take an approach to understand deep health. It’s not just about good nutrition (but that certainly helps) but it also taking into consideration our environment as well as our stressors to make changes in all areas of our life to improve how we show up for ourselves.

Drinking tea is another way you can start a positive ritual. In fact, some teas can also improve your gut health. Here are some of our favorites:

Peppermint is very soothing and can help with symptoms of nausea, gas, and bloating
Ginger is also known to help with nausea, and morning sickness during pregnancy, as well as helping to stimulate emptying so if you struggle with constipation ginger tea with lemon first thing in the AM can be a really great option to add to your morning routine.
Green Tea can help support your liver-detox pathways
Black Tea has been shown to support delayed gastric emptying as well as protection against stomach ulcers.

The new sample set would be the perfect way to show your digestion system some self-care! Make sure you check it out here! We can’t wait to share more blogs like this that highlight ways you can help improve your health and how tea can play a positive role!

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