For a healthy digestive system, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. We’re not just talking the food you eat, but also the creatures that help break it down.
The digestive system and brain are interconnected, and sensations and abnormalities in one often influence the other. “Gut feelings” and stress vomiting, for example, are a conversation between the digestive and enteric nervous system. If your gut bacteria is out of whack, it can literally impact your mind or sleep patterns. The composition of people’s gut bacteria also correlates to their risk of diseases including cancer, obesity and inflammatory bowel, heart and liver diseases. It’s even linked to HIV, autism and mental illness. Digestive-wise, abnormal (bad) gut bacteria affects the way our bodies absorb carbohydrates and increases the storage of calories of fat. In short, it’s easier to gain weight and become unhealthy.
Because it’s so interconnected with the rest of your body, your gut bacteria is essentially a blueprint for your life. Some people are born lucky, with the ideal flora, and their bodies look and act the part. However, if your gut bacteria is abnormal, your digestive fate is not predestined. Follow these guidelines to get your gut bacteria on track.
Up Your Produce Intake
One of the easiest ways to get your digestive system on the fast track (quite literally) is to increase your fiber uptake. Where do you find it? Produce, the not-so-secret weapon of healthy eaters. Replace not-so-fibrous foods like red meat, beer and almost all processed foods with produce and your gut will thank you, inside and out. In addition to increasing your fiber intake, you’ll decrease consumption of substances that foster abnormal bacteria. Fleshier fruits and vegetables—sweet potatoes, lentils, even pineapples—are fantastic sources of fiber. You get bonus points for eating the skin and keeping it raw.
Eat Probiotics