Blog Post: 5 Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Did you know that it’s estimated 90% of our serotonin levels – the happy hormone – is produced in our gut?

I don’t know about you, but my cupboards are constantly filled with snacks. And not cut up veggies and fruit, but sugary, easy snacks. Why? Because I have a teenager who has the metabolism of a superhero and because it was (and sometimes still is) my excuse for simple grab and go. It’s easy for her to grab while she’s TikTok-ing and it’s easy for me as I peruse my cupboards for the third time searching for something to eat because I’m bored. Will power status, nonexistent.

My gut health journey started eight years ago when I was 28. I was over at my mom’s for dinner one night and she had made cinnamon rolls for dessert, delicious. I hadn’t even gotten halfway through before I found myself running to the bathroom where I remained in the fetal position for over an hour. I had never had issues with food prior to this, always healthy with a strong immune system. On the athletic scale, I was average-ish; ate relatively healthy, and drank my water. But that one cinnamon roll was the start of a very downward trajectory for me for the next 2 years. I visited multiple doctors and various naturopaths—after too many temporary medications and supplements and food-eliminating diets, I only ate cucumber for 3 weeks, they still could not tell me what was wrong. Frustration didn’t even begin to describe it. I felt like absolute poop, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Finally, after 730 days, a colonoscopy, an endoscopy, and a biopsy, I was lying in a hospital bed with some news. I had Crohn’s disease. While to some, this would have been a blow, and respectfully so—for me, it was an answer. Finally, an answer. And what did this answer tell me? I needed to fix my gut. So I started my research and poured endless hours into articles, forums, essays, and anything I could get my greedy eyes on. What I learned? Our gut is made up of a complex balance of different microorganisms that inhabit our digestive tract. These microorganisms are made up of various yeasts, viruses, and bacteria which are said to be in the trillions. That’s a lot of microorganisms and I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a bullet journal big enough to track all of these bad boys.

We’ve all seen those yogurt commercials promoting good gut flora and can mentally rationalize that good gut health is preferable over bad gut health. And while that notion is great, sometimes it’s not easy.Sabine Hazan, an M.D., gastroenterologist, founder of Ventura Clinical Trials in Ventura, California, and author, states that “A healthy gut means you have a stronger immune system, a better mood, effective digestion that’s free of discomfort and a healthy brain and heart.” While eating yogurt may not instill the immediate necessity of pulling out your yoga mat and performing a downward dog as they do in the commercials, it is beneficial to your gut health. Yogurt is a fermented food which means it is full of probiotic cultures that can actually strengthen your digestive tract.

I needed to reduce my stress level. Time to pull out those yoga mats we were talking about—pigeon pose, anyone? At the time, I was so mentally drained from the lack of knowledge about my health, I was a single mom working a graveyard shift with a rambunctious year-old at home. I was stressed. Harvard Health states “a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.” While we all can’t change our circumstances, I certainly couldn’t at the time, a few small changes and five minutes of “me” time can make a huge difference.

Nutrition. This is a big one, and while I can easily argue that pizza is simply a cooked salad on a bed of eggs and flour, others may say different. Good nutritional foods like bananas and leafy greens like baby spinach are what are called prebiotics. These mixed with probiotics, found in fermented foods and phytobiotics like apples and berries are the perfect cocktail for your gut.

If you love drinking ice cold water, don’t. This habit is not for you anymore. According to Ayurvedic medicine, we should be drinking room temperature, warm or hot water only—think tea. According to Sahara Rose, an Ayurvedic expert, and author “Your internal temperature is 98 degrees; therefore, we should drink our water with a similar temperature for absorption… When we drink cold water, our body has to expend a lot of energy to increase the temperature of the water to our internal organs, leaving us with less energy for healing and mental function."

Send a friend request to the Sandman. Sleep is an essential part of gut health. The University of Tsukuba in Japan has conducted a study on how gut microbes contribute to good sleep led by Prof. Masashi Yanagisawa. The Professor stated, “We found that microbe depletion eliminated serotonin in the gut, and we know that serotonin levels in the brain can affect sleep-wake cycles… Thus, changing which microbes are in the gut by altering diet has the potential to help those who have trouble sleeping.” So not only will sleep help your gut health, but good gut health will help your sleep! Win, win.