Let’s get yucky. You may have heard, as of late, some phrases such as, “how to create a healthy gut microbiome,” and “foods for better gut health”. And sure, those terms might strike you just a bit icky. But the truth goes even further, because inside of our precious bodies, we’re filled with trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, just creeping and crawling, skulking and slithering, weaving and writhing around.

And sure, that’s a little gross. But it’s also essential to our health and well-being. We just have to accept the fact that inside of our guts is a whole inner world of important organisms, in all shapes and sizes, doing the good work to keep us feeling our best. And so we need to do our best to help it along. 

With that in mind, let’s get down and dirty and wade through the dirty truth about your gut microbiome, how to starve bad gut bacteria, and increase the good stuff naturally! 

What Is the Gut Microbiome Exactly?

Simply put, the gut microbiome is made up of the vast array of microorganisms (also called microbes) living inside of our intestines and on our skin. The majority of these microbes can be found in a small corner of our large intestines called the cecum. Many of these microscopic friends play several different roles towards our health – some good and others bad. 

But for our purposes, we’re going to be focusing on bacteria. There are around 1,000 different types of bacteria floating around in your gut microbiome, and all play varying roles in your body. 

How Does Gut Health Affect Your Body?

The condition of our gut microbiome impacts our bodies in several different ways. Here are some of the most important of those:

Fiber & Starch Digestion: Our bodies are not designed to readily digest and process starches and fiber without key bacteria inside our GI tract. But thankfully with these bacteria, we can break them right down. 

Fighting Bad Bacteria: Another key element of the good bacteria in our systems is that it’s extremely effective at fighting harmful bacteria strains that may cause disease. 

Boosting Immunity: Our gut microbiome actually communicates with our immune systems, helping control your body’s response to infection. 

Brain Activity: A lot of new and exciting research has shown that our gut can affect our central nervous system. 

Mental Health: It has been shown in several studies that having poor gut health has a direct link with mental health issues including anxiety, stress, and depression! 

Serious Disease: Although not fully understood, there have been studies linking gut health with incidence of autoimmune disorders, endocrine diseases, gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer!

Signs of an Unhealthy Gut

The most common signs that you’ve got an unhealthy gut microbiome are the following: 

• Upset stomach (including excess gas, bloating, diarrhea, and heartburn)
• Unexpected changes in weight (gaining or losing in a short amount of time)
• Disturbances in sleep & constantly feeling tired
• Blotchy or irritated skin
• An increase in food intolerances (not the same as allergies)

How to Improve Your Gut Health

Ok, now that we’ve covered the importance of good gut health, as well as symptoms of a poor gut microbiome, let’s talk about what you can do to improve it! 

Calm Down!

You’ve probably heard it before, but excess stress releases plenty of detrimental hormones that can compromise your gut health. If you want to improve yours, take proactive measures to calm yourself down. You can try walking, hiking, doing yoga, getting a massage, taking baths, traveling — anything that gets you to chill a bit. 

Extend Those ZZZs

The cranky cousin of high stress levels is always lack of sleep. Not getting enough sack time is responsible for so many negative health effects, it’s not even funny. And when it comes to our gut health, sleep disturbances are a key culprit. 

Hydrate More

It turns out that drinking more water has been linked with a diverse and expansive gut microbiota, which means a healthier system altogether. There was also a study done that revealed that increased water intake leads to lower incidence of harmful gut bacteria responsible for G.I. tract infections. 

Take Pre & Probiotics

One proven way to increase good gut bacteria naturally is by taking prebiotic and/or probiotic supplements. These supplements act as food for the bacteria we want to promote, and a way to starve bad bacteria we don’t want. 

Get that Heart Beating!

One final way to improve the health of your gut microbiota, is to exercise! It has been shown that regular cardiovascular exercise is linked to improved circulation throughout your body, including your gut. And this could be in the form of regular strength training, yoga, indoor cycling classes — anything to get you moving. And speaking of which, we’ve got just the thing to help you get that ticker ticking: a Free Trial with Studio SWEAT onDemand! We’ve got best-in-class onDemand fitness classes that you can do anytime, anywhere, on any device. And our world-class trainers and tight knit membership community will give you the inspiration you need to stick with it!

And if that weren’t enough, we also offer our Next Level Programs, which are intensive guided training programs, filled with daily workout plans, weekly fitness check-ins with our trainers, and even nutritional support to help your gut stay as healthy, and clean, as possible.

Sign up today – you’ll feel good from your head to your toes, gut included!