By Ms. Reema Kinjalkar
Your gut holds the key to your wellness. In addition to being a place for food digestion, the gut also houses the bulk of your serotonin and 70–80% of your immune system. Furthermore, the gut’s microorganisms and enzymes facilitate the effective transformation of meals into nutrients. Some microorganisms even produce B complex vitamins.
Your gut helps your body digest the food you eat, absorbs the minerals and vitamins from it, and uses them to sustain and power your body. In the process, your body eliminates pollutants and metabolic waste in the stomach. The basis of everything is in your belly. Therefore, it is harder to maintain good health if your gut is out of whack and your immune response isn’t operating at peak efficiency.
Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
Examine the following red flags to see if your gut is unwell –
1. Gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea are just a few symptoms of a dysfunctional gut, but there are many more.
2. An unhealthy gut can also be a symptom of autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s Disease, rheumatoid, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS), in which your immune system attacks various body organs.
3. A poor microbiota can also manifest as dizziness, migraines, poor memory and focus exhaustion, chronic pain, difficulties sleeping, and difficulties with cravings or depressive symptoms.
4. You have unintentionally gained or lost weight.
5. You experience skin irritation.
6. You have frequent emotional swings.
Effect of Plant-based diet on Gut Microbes
By encouraging the establishment of a more diversified gut microbial ecology and the spread of various species, a plant-based diet is good for human health. Due to the fibres, phytochemicals, and antioxidants found in plant foods, a plant-based diet primarily increases the protective bacteria while decreasing the inflammatory bacteria. While all forms of fibre are advantageous, some of them—known as prebiotics—provide more extraordinary food for the healthy bacteria in the gut.
Over the past ten years, interest in plant-based diets has grown. Dietary practices are known to influence the makeup and functioning of the microbiota population in the gut, affecting gut health. Nutritional choices are just one of the many variables that affect the gut microbiota’s variety of functions.
Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds comprise most plant-based diets. These foods play various roles in the upkeep of a diversified and advantageous ecosystem of bacteria in the gut, which in turn has an impact on health.
Ways to optimize your gut health
There are a variety of ways to optimize your gut health in your day-to-day life. Some of them include the following –
1. Consume freshly prepared food (packaged/processed food is not fresh)
2. Limit the amount of cereal/processed foods you eat
3. Emphasize consuming prebiotics and probiotics
4. Eat a mindful supper
5. Sleep for 7-8 hours every night
6. Exercise a minimum of 30 mins daily
7. Reduce stress levels
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that mending your gut requires patience, commitment, and perseverance. You won’t be able to completely repair the detrimental effects of your gut microorganisms on your health overnight. You can resume your path to rehabilitation and an ideal healthy gut by controlling your emotions and consuming a nutritious diet.
(Reema Kinjalkar is a Nutritionist with Urban Platter.)
