6 Ways to Improve Gut Health for Weight Loss

If you're trying to improve your gut health, try a few tips. (Image via Unsplash/ Julia Zolotova)
If you're trying to improve your gut health, try a few tips. (Image via Unsplash/ Julia Zolotova)

The gut is a powerful organ that helps digest food, absorb nutrients, as well as fight infections.

A healthy gut also connects every part of the body through the nervous system. Researchers have found that when gut health is off balance, it can lead to various health problems, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.


How to Improve Gut Health for Weight Loss

Here's a look at six tips:

#1 Boost Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that benefit your health. They can help maintain a healthy digestive system, which is essential for weight loss. Probiotics can also help with digestion, allergies, immune system function, mental health, and more.

Probiotics are bacteria that live in the gut and help keep it healthy by crowding out harmful organisms such as yeast or other types of bad bacteria. In addition to keeping the body’s natural flora balanced so that you don’t get sick (which is important if you’re trying to lose weight), probiotics have other benefits, like:

  • Lowering cholesterol level
  • Improving nutrient absorption
  • Reducing inflammation in the body

What do these things mean? It means if you take probiotics regularly, they can help improve your overall health while also helping you lose weight faster.


#2 Have Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can help you feel full longer. That can be important when you're trying to lose weight, as it allows you to eat less food overall (and therefore fewer calories).

Fruits and vegetables also contain many vitamins and minerals the body needs to function properly. They provide energy through carbs or fats—two other types of macronutrients. Frutis also serve as a good source of antioxidants that fight off disease by neutralizing free radicals produced by radiation or damage from toxins (such as those found in tobacco smoke).

Many fruits also contain vitamin C, which improves skin health by helping wounds heal faster while reducing inflammation in the body. By choosing whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice made with puree (which may have added sugars), you'll avoid extra calories without sacrificing any nutritional benefits.


#3 Have Healthy fats

Healthy fats are an essential component of a healthy diet. Fat is the most energetically dense macronutrient, meaning it provides the most calories per gram.

It's also essential for brain function, hormone balance, immune function, and energy production. Furthermore, healthy fats can help you feel full longer so that you can stay satiated throughout the day (this is especially important for weight loss).

Most people need about 50 to 60 grams of fat each day to optimize their health and well-being. However, it's important not to overdo it with unhealthy sources, as these can contribute excess calories that may make losing weight difficult.


#4 Boost Digestive Enzymes by Having Right Food

Digestive enzymes are a class of proteins found in food, as well as in the digestive tract. They help break down fats, protein, and carbohydrates into smaller nutrients that can be absorbed by the body.

The main digestive enzymes include salivary amylase (to begin breaking down starch), pancreatic amylase (to finish digesting starch), pepsinogen (a proteolytic enzyme secreted by the stomach lining), rennin (secreted by the stomach lining to cleave casein) and lipase (an exocrine enzyme which helps break down fats).

Digestive enzymes work best when they come into contact with their target food at an optimal pH level: neutral or slightly acidic. That means it's best not to take them with meals high in protein or fat, as they'll be less effective if your stomach acid levels aren't right.


#5 Reduce Refined Carbohydrates

One of the best ways to improve gut health is to reduce refined carbohydrates. They include sugar, white flour, and processed foods. They are digested into simple sugars quickly, which can wreak havoc on the digestive system. When you eat these types of food regularly, they can cause inflammation in the gut, leading to leaky gut syndrome.

To improve your gut health further:

  • Eat more whole grains instead of refined ones (such as brown rice vs white rice)
  • Add more fiber into your diet by eating dark leafy greens, like kale or spinach
  • Cut out sugary drinks, like soda or fruit juice.

#6 Manage Stress

Stress can also be a factor in gut health. Stress can cause the gut to become leaky, allowing bacteria and toxins to enter your system and make you feel sick. Stress can also cause digestive issues, food cravings, mood swings, and fatigue.

To manage stress level:

  • Get enough sleep at night so that you wake up feeling refreshed each morning (more than six hours of sleep is ideal)
  • Do activities that help you relax every day, such as meditation or yoga.

Takeaway

There you have it: six ways to improve gut health for weight loss. All these tips are easy to incorporate into your daily routine and can have a big impact on how quickly you achieve an ideal body.

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