The SIX things you can do now to improve your gut health

With the benefits of a healthy gut widely discussed, there are more people than ever looking to transform and overhaul their gut health.

And while it may seem like a complicated process, there are a few simple things you can do right now to improve your gut health that will have you feeling healthier and happier almost immediately.

‘You know that old saying “happy life, happy wife”? If you want my personal opinion, I think it should be changed to “happy tummy, happy mummy”,’ Supercharged Food founder and Australian nutritionist, Lee Holmes told FEMAIL.

While it may seem like a complicated process, there are a few simple things you can do right now to improve your gut health that will have you feeling healthier and happier

While it may seem like a complicated process, there are a few simple things you can do right now to improve your gut health that will have you feeling healthier and happier

'If you want my personal opinion, I think it should be changed to "happy tummy, happy mummy",' Supercharged Food founder and nutritionist, Lee Holmes (pictured) told FEMAIL

‘If you want my personal opinion, I think it should be changed to “happy tummy, happy mummy”,’ Supercharged Food founder and nutritionist, Lee Holmes (pictured) told FEMAIL

‘The gut is the cornerstone to health and linked to many other bodily systems and parts. It can affect your hormones, immune system, your emotions and mental capacity and of course the way that you absorb and digest food.

‘If your gut isn’t happy, there’s a fairly good chance that you won’t be happy either.’

So what are six simple changes we can make to improve our gut health?

'If your gut isn’t happy, there's a fairly good chance that you won’t be happy either,' she said 

‘If your gut isn’t happy, there’s a fairly good chance that you won’t be happy either,’ she said 

How do you dry brush your skin?  

All you need to do is invest in a long-handled bath brush which contains natural bristles. 

Use long strokes, in a circular motion towards the heart. 

Before you dive straight in to brushing, ensure both your skin and your brush are dry. 

Begin with the soles of your feet and continue brushing upwards on both sides of your legs, then move to your back, then around to your abdomen where you can work in a clockwise direction following the direction of your colon and then head up towards your heart being careful with the chest region. 

Then, have a shower to remove debris and dead skin cells.

 Turns out you CAN brush your way to good gut health – who knew? 

1. DRY BRUSH YOUR SKIN 

According to Lee, glowing skin is an inside and outside job. 

‘The skin is the largest and arguably one of the most important organs in your body as it is the barometer to measure and notice what is really going on inside,’ Lee explained. 

‘Dry skin brushing is an easy and calming technique that looks after your skin, stimulates the digestive and lymphatic systems, liver and adrenal glands, and assists these organs in decongesting.

‘It also helps to give the body a gentle internal massage to stimulate circulation. Whenever I suggest dry skin brushing to someone when they’re suffering from gut health issues, they often look at me as if I’m crazy – how does brushing my skin make my stomach work properly? 

‘Well, by performing this technique you’ll actually be assisting the gut, by stimulating the digestive system, nutrient absorption and detoxification!’

'Dry skin brushing is an easy and calming technique that looks after your skin, stimulates the digestive and lymphatic systems, liver and adrenal glands, and assists these organs in decongesting,' Lee said 

‘Dry skin brushing is an easy and calming technique that looks after your skin, stimulates the digestive and lymphatic systems, liver and adrenal glands, and assists these organs in decongesting,’ Lee said 

2. KEEP YOUR STRESS LEVELS AT BAY 

Coming into one of the most frantic seasons this time of year, stress can be at a high and stress that lingers for a long period of time can be incredibly damaging to the gut. 

‘Evidence shows that our gut bacteria respond in a damaging way to negative emotions and stress out our bodies,’ Lee explained. 

‘When you’re stressed, your body produces hormones that can contribute to the proliferation of bad bacteria in the gut, sending it off kilter.

Coming into one of the most frantic seasons this time of year, stress can be at a high and stress that lingers for a long period of time can be incredibly damaging to the gut

Coming into one of the most frantic seasons this time of year, stress can be at a high and stress that lingers for a long period of time can be incredibly damaging to the gut

‘This can lead to cravings, skin disruptions, fatigue and weight gain. In order to keep our gut happy and humming, keeping stress at bay is key. 

‘Obviously, decreasing stress can look a little bit different to everybody, so find out what works best for you. 

‘A few good stress-busting techniques include calming yoga, walks, ocean swims, meditation, spending time out in the sun, good talks with friends and connecting with nature. I guess it’s time to get your “om” on!’

'This can lead to cravings, skin disruptions, fatigue and weight gain. In order to keep our gut happy and humming, keeping stress at bay is key. Lee said 

‘This can lead to cravings, skin disruptions, fatigue and weight gain. In order to keep our gut happy and humming, keeping stress at bay is key. Lee said 

3. DITCH SUGAR-FREE SWEETENERS  

While many people believe these are healthy alternatives, they are doing your gut no favours. 

‘It’s important to look at what you’re feeding your gut,’ Lee said. 

‘Unfortunately for some of you, this may mean saying sayonara to sugar-free sweeteners. 

‘Sugar-free sweets, snacks and diet soft drinks can aggravate the gut and cause bloating because of all the artificial chemicals they contain. 

‘These chemicals, that our DNA doesn’t recognise or digest properly, get completely swept up in the digestion and end-up in the colon, which is not what you want to happen when healing the gut! 

‘Large amounts of these additives can also cause flatulence; definitely another reason to stay away.’

'It’s important to look at what you’re feeding your gut,' Lee said

‘It’s important to look at what you’re feeding your gut,’ Lee said

4. UP YOUR FIBRE INTAKE 

‘So, if you can’t eat your favourite sugar-free snacks and soft drinks, what can you eat? Fibre!’ Lee said. 

‘Fibre is important when considering the health of your gut. Getting the right type of fibre into your diet will help you create a healthy and diverse community of gut bacteria and regulate your digestion. 

‘There are two types of fibre. Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water and helps speed up the passage of food and keep you regular, like some grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruit and vegetables. 

‘The other type of fibre, soluble fibre, dissolves in water and helps form a gel in the body. Foods rich in soluble fibre include oatmeal, psyllium husks, berries, lentils, fruit and vegetables.’

'Fibre is important when considering the health of your gut. Getting the right type of fibre into your diet will help you create a healthy and diverse community of gut bacteria and regulate your digestion,' Lee said 

‘Fibre is important when considering the health of your gut. Getting the right type of fibre into your diet will help you create a healthy and diverse community of gut bacteria and regulate your digestion,’ Lee said 

According to Lee, insoluble fibres are wonderful for flushing out the body but an excess of these fibres can be irritating. 

‘Soluble fibres on the other hand, are the ones you can also focus on for improved gut health,’ Lee said.

‘When you eat the soluble fibres from whole plant foods, your gut bacteria ferment these fibres into short chain fatty acids which act as prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in your gut. 

‘When you eat adequate levels of soluble fibre, they pass through the stomach and small intestine and land up in the large intestine where they help grow our probiotic bacteria.

‘This helps maintain the lining of the gut, improves digestion, increases absorption of minerals and can even increase immune system function. Some foods rich in soluble-fibre include sweet potatoes, carrots and root vegetables, green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds, grass fed, organic butter and ghee.’

'When you eat the soluble fibres from whole plant foods, your gut bacteria ferment these fibres into short chain fatty acids which act as prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in your gut,' she said

'When you eat adequate levels of soluble fibre, they pass through the stomach and small intestine and land up in the large intestine where they help grow our probiotic bacteria,' Lee said

‘When you eat the soluble fibres from whole plant foods, your gut bacteria ferment these fibres into short chain fatty acids which act as prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in your gut,’ she said

5. HYDRATION 

I know what you’re thinking – “If I hear another nutritionist talk about hydration being the key to good health, I’ll roll my eyes so far backwards they won’t come back to place”,’ Lee said. 

‘But, the simple technique of staying hydrated helps flush out negative bacteria within the gut and balance out the digestive system. 

‘This helps our body undergo all the complicated biochemical mechanisms to keep our guts happy and functioning. So yes, drinking water may be simple, but it does remarkable things for your gut health.’

6. STOP GULPING 

Those who gulp down their meals are more likely to struggle with poor gut health, Lee explained. 

‘Eating is not a race. And yet, we all tend to scoff down our food so quickly you’d think we were going for gold at the Olympics,’ Lee said. 

‘Our modern lack of mindful, slow eating and our forever on-the-go approach has a definite link to our gut health issues. 

‘Gulping down food, guzzling down drinks and moving while eating inhibits your body’s ability to digest nutrients properly. 

‘Chewing more thoroughly while sitting down to a meal mindfully helps you tune into your body more and send your body into rest and digest mode. You’ll be less likely to overeat when you know you’re full! 

‘Plus, when you chew properly, your food is able to mix with saliva and increase the ease of digestibility before it reaches the stomach. This means it’s less hard work for your gut and less chance of that food-baby feeling. It’s a win-win.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk