A healthy gut plays a central role in overall well-being (including weight loss, better ageing, better skin….everything!), and small, consistent changes in your daily habits can help create big, lasting improvements for your gut health.
Whether you’re looking to ease digestive discomfort, improve your energy, boost immune and nervous system health, or support your hormones (ex. to boost fertility or alleviate menopause symptoms), building supportive daily “gut-healthy” habits can make a meaningful difference.
First, make sure to read my previous blog with the 5 foods you should be eating regularly to support gut health.
Today, we dive into the eight foundational habits that, when practiced regularly, support long-term gut health.
1. Manage your stress. Chronic stress can disrupt your gut, and lead to gut issues and inflammation. Implementing stress-management tools, such as: taking deep conscious breaths (upon waking, before meals and before bed), prioritizing mindfulness (make it a point to be more mindful in your day-to-day, avoiding multi-tasking and taking things step by step), organizing your days (schedule your day the night before, try journaling), tapping into your spiritual practice (incorporate yoga, meditation and/or prayer into your routine), and prioritizing activities that make you feel happy and relaxed.
2. Eat slower. Chew your food thoroughly. One of the best things we can do to encourage good gut health is to eat in a relaxed state as much as possible. Eat mindfully. Take the time to focus on and enjoy your food. Notice everything from the colors, texture, and taste. I always suggest (to all my clients) to put your fork down in between bites and try to chew your food until almost liquid before taking the next bite.
3. Allow time for proper digestion (and to support gut motility). Aim to leave 3 hours between meals/snacks (avoid munching/grazing), and avoid eating anything 2-3 hours before going to bed (no late-night snacking). Also, it helps immensely to practice some degree of Time Restricted Eating or Intermittent Fasting, ideally leaving 12 (or more) hours between dinner and breakfast, so your body has enough time to finish digesting, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating toxins. *Just note, strict intermittent fasting is NOT for everyone, read more HERE, however 12 hours does tend to be safe and beneficial for everyone.
4. Get 7-9 hours sleep daily. A full night’s rest allows for deep tissue repair and healthy hormone and neurotransmitter production. Syncing up with your natural circadian rhythm and getting into the flow of a full night’s sleep every night is a powerful way to heal your gut and overall body. HERE are my best tips.
5. Stay Active (daily). Some (moderate) physical activity every day does great things for the beneficial flora in the gut, and helps with tone, digestion, and motility. No need for tons of strenuous workouts (though they may have other benefits). Just focusing on getting 8-10k+ steps can be extremely beneficial for your gut, with added benefits if you include some strength training a few times per week, and some form of yoga, barre and/or pilates. I’m also a huge fan of MOVEMENT “SNACKS” (short bursts of movement throughout your day).
6. Apply the 80/20 rule. I suggest applying it in 3 ways. One, eat until you're 80% full (avoid over-stuffing yourself). Two, aim for 80% of your plate to be plant-based and as diverse as possible, regularly including a variety of greens/veggies/fruits/nuts/seeds/legumes/herbs etc. (roughly 20% animal protein - if/when you eat animal protein, following the food combining principles as much as possible); Three, follow all of the above suggestions at least 80% of the time!
7. Take a PAUSE before mealtime. Before starting each meal, take a deep breath, observe your meal, smell it and get your digestive juices flowing. It can also help to take a shot of raw apple cider vinegar with water before your meal (then limit liquid during the meal), as well as a digestive enzyme. For a full spectrum digestive enzyme I like this one, (or these with betaine HCL if you suspect you have low stomach acid: PURE or Designs for Health) and Beano is a great option if you typically get gassy from beans and cruciferous veggies. *Then make sure to practice my tip #2!
8. Cut back on foods that harm your gut and feed the “bad bacteria”. Try cutting out these foods for a while:
Highly Processed foods (almost anything in a package with ingredients that aren’t Whole Foods. Avoid packaged foods with preservatives, added flavors/colors and any ingredient you don’t recognize).
Sugar and all white starches/flours (that quickly convert into sugar, and spike your blood sugar)
“Bad fats” such as refined seed oils and trans fats (that kill our good bacterias, and lead to inflammation in the gut!). Stick to extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee and grass-fed butter. Small amounts of duck fat, beef tallow (for cooking), sesame oil and flaxseed oil are ok, too. Avoid fried foods, period.
Caffeine and alcohol (at least try to limit these!). Consider swapping your coffee for matcha (which gives you combined benefits of caffeine with L-theanine, for balanced and sustained energy without the common negative efffects of coffee on your cortisol/stress).
Note: Some foods often taste good and fulfill an emotional need but then leave us with an impaired gut and symptoms like bloating, fatigue, indigestion, and chronic inflammation. Pay attention to this! What foods do you KNOW are not great for your gut?
Eliminating these foods can be challenging but is 100% worth it (and usually necessary for gut healing).
One way to go about this is to try an elimination-diet based detox to help determine which foods are potentially contributing to your gut issues. I highly suggest my 10 day detox as an easy starting point (and then repeating it once or twice a year to support optimal gut health long term).
More generally,… if you read these 8 “gut healthy” habits above and find yourself thinking, “I know I need to implement these, but where do I start?” Or “How do I reset my system first?”… then both my 7-day detox or my 10 day detoxes are a great, supportive place to begin. My guided “reset” is designed to help your body gently eliminate common dietary stressors while nourishing your gut and restoring balance.
Remember, rebuilding a healthy gut after years of stress and poor eating habits can take some time and patience.
Just placing some emphasis on a “gut-healthy lifestyle” by remembering these 8 key lifestyle habits, while eating a nutritious whole foods diet (especially when you focus on including these 5 key gut-healthy foods) will have you on your way to enhanced nutrient absorption, better moods, better digestion, and a happier, more vibrant you!