Tired of feeling fatigued and being sick? Interested in regaining your health through gut restoration? Don’t despair. Just like you, I struggled with gut imbalance issues that led to low energy, inflammation and brain fog, but eventually discovered the power of gut balance in restoring my health.
It’s understandable how many people suffer disruptions to their gastrointestinal system after years of prolonged stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and lifestyle demands. But trust me, you can find plenty of support and various gut restoration alternatives. Come with me and discover new ways of enhancing your well-being with these 7 proven gut restoration strategies.
Why should I care about my gut health?
Because as Hippocrates said in 400 B.C., “Death sits in the bowels." Your gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem teeming with trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and other microbes, and it’s closely linked to your overall health. It breaks down the foods you eat and absorbs nutrients that support the functions of your body.
Poor gut health has been associated with various health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, sleep, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and even mental health conditions. With 70 to 80% of your immune cells residing in the gut, it’s critical to understand how your diet and lifestyle habits impact your physical health and even your mental well-being.
Here are some of the ways your gut keeps you healthy:
- Supports digestion and nutrient absorption: A healthy gut breaks down food and absorbs essential nutrients well, preventing bloating, gas, and constipation.
- Supports the immune system: A balanced gut microbiome helps train the immune system to determine which substances are dangerous, aiding in overall immunity.
- Helps prevent chronic diseases: Research shows that a diverse microbiome is linked with a decreased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some autoimmune conditions.
- Supports mental health: New research points to the connection between the gut and brain health, suggesting that the gut microbiome can play a role in anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.
- Promotes quality of life and well-being: A healthy gut contributes to reduced inflammation, improved sleep and energy levels, and a greater sense of well-being.
These benefits highlight the importance of a healthy gut in promoting your overall health, well-being, and longevity.
What factors contribute to poor gut health?
Your gut microbiome can be affected by multiple factors. Some of them are within our control, while others, such as genetics, environment, age, and birth mode, we have no power over. Some common factors that can contribute to an unhealthy microbiome include:
- Stress
- Not getting enough sleep
- Lack of physical activity
- Taking medications, especially antibiotics
- Having too many ultra-processed foods in your diet
- Drinking alcohol and smoking
What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?
Everyone is different, but in my personal experience, I discovered that fatigue, inflammation and brain fog were clear signs that something was not right with my gut. Unlike many other organs in our body, such as the brain, liver, or heart, there isn’t a specific tool to assess your gut health, but here are some signs that your gut may not be working properly.
- Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn
- Sleep problems and fatigue
- Mood/Emotional state- Anxiety, chronic stress, and depression
- Increased frequency of infectious illnesses, such as the common cold
- Migraines
- Skin irritations such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis
- Autoimmune problems trigger thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis
Having an unhealthy gut has also been linked to certain food intolerances, which often manifest with symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, skin problems, or headache. If you suspect you have a food intolerance, like I do, it may be wise to get properly tested. A 5Strands Food Intolerance Test is a step in the right direction to help you identify which foods may be the root cause of your symptoms.
7 Proven Methods for Gut Health Restoration
If you’ve been experiencing digestive problems, fatigue, anxiety, sleep issues, or migraines, you’re not alone. Like millions of people, I also have experienced disruptions to my gut microbiome, triggering inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and other issues. Fortunately, through intentional lifestyle changes, I’ve been able to gradually restore microbiome diversity and intestinal integrity. These seven proven strategies will help you restore your gut health, and improve your digestion and energy levels.
1. Start with a gentle detox
When it comes to detoxifying your gut, it is important to avoid extreme methods like prolonged fasting or harsh cleanses and approach gut detoxes gently. I’ve had to learn this the hard way. I’ve made the mistake of doing days-long dry fasts and other extreme cleansing methods in the past, but trust me, going gentle is the best way to start. What detox methods do experts recommend to best support a balanced microbiome and restore gut health?
Dr. Detzel, an alternative medicine practitioner at VitalM.E.D., thinks that fasting and intestinal cleansing are a powerful and effective detox combination, giving our digestive tract a break. She says: “The digestive organs are relieved, detoxification is massively stimulated, the metabolism is regulated, inflammation is reduced, and the immune system is significantly strengthened as a result.”
My detoxes have been most effective when I have decreased or eliminated things that would further disrupt my microbiome such as alcohol, refined sugar, processed foods, and artificial additives. Instead, I’ve focused on:
- Vegetables rich in fiber (broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens)
- Antioxidant-rich fruits (blueberries, red kidney beans, artichokes)
- Plenty of water hydration to flush out toxins and keep digestion moving
2. Embrace whole food nutrition
The food we eat impacts what microbes live in our gut. Incorporating whole food nutrition into your dietary lifestyle is a powerful and effective way of supporting the restoration of your gut. I can attest to this because whole food nutrition has been a game-changer for my health. Whole foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that your gut can absorb. Eating a wide variety of foods helps colonize the digestive microbiome with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that play a vital role in digestion, immune function, and skin health.
When thinking about gut-healing foods, aim for:
-A fresh rainbow of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, and buckwheat
- Grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish for lean protein and omega-3s
- Healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseeds, and nuts to help protect your gut lining
According to a 2019 study, garlic is another whole food product that has been found to increase gut microbiome diversity and improve gut health.
3. Rebuild your microbiome with prebiotics and probiotics
The International Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defines prebiotics as “a selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefit (s) upon health.”
Including prebiotics and probiotics in my diet has been a gentle yet powerful way of helping me restore my gut health by nourishing and increasing the good bacteria in my gut. Because I now understand the role of fermented food on gut health, I highly recommend them to people who need to rebuild the gut microbiome. Some prebiotics options are:
- Asparagus
- Barley
- Chicory root
- Dandelion greens
- Honey
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Leeks
- Onions
- Garlic
The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “the bacteria that, when consumed at an adequate level, improve health, cure and prevent disease.” Probiotics are typically fermented foods and have the “good” live bacteria that “interact with and stimulate a healthy microbiome.” Some probiotic food options include:
- Kefir
- Yogurt with live active cultures
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Pickled vegetables
- Tempeh
- Miso
- Tamari
- Tofu
-
Apple cider vinegar
4. Utilizing gut-healing ancient traditions
From India and Greece to Egypt and China, ancient cultures from around the world have been supporting gut health for thousands of years. Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine are two of those well-established systems that, in my view, can help improve your gut health.
In the Ayurveda tradition, the gut is seen as the “foundation of health” since it is involved in digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste elimination. Ayurveda treats gut issues according to the unique needs of each person’s dosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), since each one has a particular influence on gut health. Ayurveda makes dietary changes and lifestyle recommendations that support a healthy microbiome, including the use of herbs to reduce inflammation.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a holistic and individualized approach to gut restoration by helping modulate the gut microbiota, fixing the intestinal barrier, and improving digestive function through herbal formulas, acupuncture, warming foods, tonics, and natural remedies. Many studies have shown that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help modulate the gut microbiota in a “multi-targeted and comprehensive manner,” restoring flora homeostasis, fixing affected intestinal mucosal barriers, and potentially decreasing the development of obesity.
5. Incorporate daily hydration
I have discovered that drinking plenty of water is one of the simplest and most efficient ways of improving and maintaining my gut health. Hydration is linked to increased diversity of bacteria in your gut. A 2022 study found that people who practiced more water hydration had less of a type of bacteria associated with gastrointestinal infections. Other benefits of proper hydration for gut health include:
- Improves digestion and reduces the likelihood of constipation, promoting regular bowel movements
- Enhances nutrient absorption from foods
- Helps maintain gut barrier function
- Provides an ideal environment for beneficial bacteria growth
- Maintains the gut microbiota and immune homeostasis while promoting pathogen elimination
I’d also recommend choosing your water sources carefully. It is best if you drink plenty of pure water, limit dehydrating beverages, and eat hydrating foods, instead of drinking high-sugar-content beverages that are not beneficial to gut and overall health.
6. Decrease stress to heal the gut
Regardless of its source, whether it’s environmental, physical, or psychological, stress can damage the composition and function of your gut microbiome, contributing to various gastrointestinal issues. I’ve experienced the impact of stress on my gut health at various stages of my life. When my stress was left unmanaged and my lifestyle choices weren’t healthy, stress disrupted my gut health, causing inflammation, fatigue, brain fog and nutrient deficiency. This is why it’s now important for me to manage and reduce stress levels to help maintain my gut health.
We can’t eliminate stress from our lives, but we can learn to manage and minimize its impact on our physical and psychological health by taking specific and consistent steps. These may include:
- Exercise
- Connect with others and seek social support
- Spend time outdoors in nature and relaxing
- Avoid unhealthy habits such as drinking excessive alcohol or eating poorly
- Seek psychotherapy
- Keep a journal to write your thoughts and emotions
- Practice meditation
- Include yoga asanas or tai chi in your daily routine
- Practice deep breathing techniques
- Eating slowly and mindfully
- Listening to music or playing a musical instrument
7. Prioritize restorative sleep
I cannot think of many health-restoring methods as efficient as getting a good night's sleep. Sleeping is essential to maintain a healthy gut microbiome because it helps your gut repair itself, creating the conditions for optimal physiological and mental well-being. Chronic sleep deprivation can seriously interfere with this healing process, leading to inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and digestive problems.
When it comes to sleep, here are some recommendations:
- Try getting between 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night
- Preferably sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet room
- Keep distractions and sleep disruptors such as phones and other electronic devices away
- To support your circadian rhythm, maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule
- Try eating at least about three hours before going to sleep to give your digestive system a break while sleeping
Final Thoughts
The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in our overall health, impacting digestion, nutrient absorption, immunity, cognitive function and mental well-being. Unfortunately, we often neglect it until symptoms arise. If you have any gut health issues, it’s encouraging to know that you have the power to improve your health by implementing gradual changes. You can choose to do a gentle detox, eat more whole foods, drink more water, or simply improve your sleep. Gut health restoration begins with an understanding of the role of the gut on health and by taking the right approach to a balanced microbiome.
