“Trust your gut” is more than just a cliché. When it comes to our overall health, our gut health can often be a crucial piece in the puzzle.

Your gut contains trillions of bacteria, human cells and viruses. We now know the health of your gut can impact things like sleep, mood and even weight.  The balance of your gut can be disrupted by stress, poor diet, over usage of anti-biotics or various infections. Unfortunately – as you age, some of the “friendly” bacteria in your gut begin to decline.

A study of 20 Canadian women by Renew Life did a deep dive into the importance of gut health in everyday life. What they found is that each of the 20 women were unique in terms of their gut microbiomes and presented with different issues. For example, one 26-year-old with a low level of certain good bacteria was experiencing fatigue, while another 47-year-old woman with 3 kids was suffering from occasional constipation issues.

By doing an at-home test overseen by a naturopath, the women were able to dive into their gut health and find out some very beneficial information. This project definitely showcased just how different gut health can be from one person to another, and how an individual’s health history, nutritional intake, activity level and level of stress all have to be taken into account.

Steps for Better Gut Health

Even though everyone’s gut is different, there are some basic universals that we should all know:

• Pre-biotic foods – pre-biotic foods may help “the good” bacteria grow in your gut. Good options include dandelion greens, chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks and asparagus. 
• Fiber – dietary fiber is key to maintaining proper gut heath. In addition to keeping you regular, it helps detoxify the body, keeps blood sugars balanced and helps with proper weight management.  Examples include chia, ground flaxseeds, psyllium, vegetables and fruits such as berries, broccoli, collard greens and carrots.
• Probiotics supplements: Probiotics help to promote a healthy, friendly bacteria in your gut and set you up for optimal digestive health. When picking a probiotic, a mixed strain is recommended. 
• Optimize omega-3 rich foods:  foods high in omega-3 and the “good fats” may help reduce inflammation – walnuts, cold water fish such as salmon are all rich sources of omega-3 along with a fish oil supplement.
• Self-care – Stress and anxiety can upset your gut health – and we are all a little stressed these days! Self-care is more important than ever. This includes sleep, regular exercise, down time, drinking your water and time away from your screens. 

Probiotic Recommendations:

1. Renew Life Ultimate Flora Daily Care 30B probiotic – A mixed strain daily probiotic that helps to support intestinal and gastrointestinal health. It is also in an acid resistant capsule that ensures the safe passage of the beneficial bacteria.
2. Renew Life Ultimate Flora Women’s VS 50B probiotics – At 50 billion CFUs per capsule, this is a higher potency probiotic that is actually the #1 Women’s Probiotic in Canada. It contains an abundance of lactobacillus which is the most dominant strain in the vaginal microbiome.  It helps support intestinal and gastrointestinal health. 

Listen to your gut – and take care of it!