Poor digestion, if you suffer from it, then you know. It’s the worst, right? Bloating, gas, stomach pain and cramping, diarrhea, and even nausea. The good news is, there are ways to improve gut health that you can incorporate into your everyday routine, starting today. The key to improving gut health is your gut microbiome, also often called our “second brain.” Read on friends for the best tips to help you take your gut health from gassy to glorious.
How to Improve Gut Health
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The health of your gut is incredibly important for your entire body. Did you know that your gut health affects virtually every aspect of your life and wellness, including how well you sleep and how well your brain functions? (Wow!) Yet, not nearly enough of us are considering our gut health.
The truth is that American diets are notoriously low in all the delicious nutrients our guts crave, like fiber. Raise your hand if you have gotten caught up in counting calories and grams of added sugars, fats, proteins, and carbs, but never really considered the amount of fiber you’re getting. Many studies have actually linked high-fiber diets with living longer and healthier lives. Here’s the deal: you don’t have to start eating only fiber-friendly foods all day long. Eat as much fiber as you can, and when it’s not enough, consider adding a fiber supplement like Bonny to your daily regimen!
Introducing: The Gut Microbiome
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The key to improving your overall gut health is to improve your gut bacteria. Our gut health is all about keeping the balance of microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. A diverse gut microbiome is a healthy microbiome. Oh, wait. (Record scratch.) You don’t know what a gut microbiome is? Let’s explain that first:
Gut Microbiome 101
Okay, don’t panic, but your body is actually full of trillions of fungi, viruses, and bacteria. While that might sound scary at first, these are all collectively known as the gut microbiome. Even though bacteria is usually thought of as a bad thing that we don’t want coming into contact with our bodies, some bacteria are actually hugely important for our heart health, weight management, immune systems, and other aspects of our health. Think of them as love bugs, that’s a lot better, right?
Tips to Improve Your Gut Health
Here are some of our favorite ways you can improve gut health. They are all totally doable starting right now (well after you finish reading this lovely article on gut health).
Eat a Wide Range of Foods
As the Spice Girls sang, spice up your life! The key to improving gut health is to eat a diverse, wide range of foods. Instead of picking up the same lunch at your regular salad bar every day for lunch, try mixing it up a little and grab a quinoa bowl instead. Go wild with grains you have to ask someone to help you pronounce (keen-wha)!
Yes, Eat Those Fruits and Veggies
It’s just like your parents said: eat your broccoli and brussel sprouts. And probably throw in a banana too. All the B letter fruits and veggies while you are at it. It’s true, the best sources of nutrients for a healthy microbiome are fruits and veggies.
Add More Fiber to Your Diet
In addition to fruits and veggies, try to adhere to a high-fiber diet. Even though our bodies can’t digest fiber, certain bacteria in your gut use it as fuel, and it stimulates their growth. (Which is a good thing. Trust us.) Some high-fiber foods that your gut bacteria will love are artichokes, green peas, whole grains, and apples.
Try Fermented Foods
Fermented foods (and no, that glass of red wine does not count if you were curious) are foods that have undergone fermentation, a process in which the sugars they contain are broken down by bacteria or yeast. Some fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi. If it’s your thing, yogurt, in particular, is good for the microbiome, and also has a ton of other health benefits. Just make sure you read the packaging. Avoid red flags like added sugar and grab the container that says “contains live active cultures” instead!
Cut Out Sugar and Processed Foods
Here’s the bad news: too much sugar can cause an imbalance of gut microbes. So, skip the sugary sweets and ice creams and trade them out for something naturally sweet, like fruit or nature’s candy dates.
Take a Probiotic
We know, you hear a lot about prebiotics and probiotics, and you’re probably wondering what are these biotics? Which is right for me? The answer is probably both (though we always recommend talking to your doctor if you’re unsure.) In short, prebiotics are the food for the probiotics in your gut. Similar names, different functions.
Try a Gut Health Supplement
It may seem like there are a zillion gut health supplements to choose from. (Almost as many as bacteria there are in our gut microbiomes!) Not all supplements are the same. The key is to select a supplement that is research-backed and provides something in your diet that you are not getting enough on your own, but that you can probably benefit from for your health. (More on gut health supplements below!)
Gut Health Supplements: Why Bonny is the Best
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The gif above says it all. One of the easiest and best ways to improve gut health is with fiber! You know that’s our favorite tip. However, it can be difficult to get enough fiber in your daily diet. (FYI: theDietary Guidelines for Americans recommends women eat at least 25 grams of fiber each day and 38 grams per day for men!)
Enter: your new BFF (best fiber forever), Bonny. Bonny is the best all-natural, plant-based, science-backed fiber powder supplement you need to reach your daily fiber goals. Bonny is delicious, easily combines with 8 ounces of cool water and, helps keep you regular.
How to Improve Gut Microbiome
Researchers found that just a two-week increase in fiber intake can significantly alter your gut’s microbiome. If you want to dramatically improve the health of your gut microbiome, the key is adding more fiber. It doesn’t mean you have to suddenly adhere to an all-fiber, all the time diet. Simply adding an all-natural fiber supplement like Bonny to your daily routine can greatly improve your gut health. Using Bonny can help you feel fuller longer, reduce bloating, give you easier and happier poops, and overall make you look and feel fabulous.
Try Bonny Today!
Pop quiz: what is the gut microbiome? We know you are a microbiome expert now and Jeopardy will be calling soon!
If you want to fix your poor digestion and improve gut health, your new BFF Bonny is here for you. Our all-natural, fruit-filled fiber supplements are the easiest and best way to add more fiber to your diet, improve digestion, and restore your gut health. Bonny has amazing flavors like Mixed Ripe Berries, Super Strawberry, and Apple Pie.
As always, we wish you pleasant poops (and a healthy gut)!