10 Strategies for Promoting Optimal Gut Health

There are many factors that can wreak havoc on our overall gut health. A lifetime of poor food choices, antibiotic usage, stress and toxins can mess with your microbiome and overall gut health. It’s important to take actionable steps to rebuild your gut and replenish good bacteria. It’s important to work with a functional practitioner when optimizing your gut health (as there can be another root cause taking place). You can schedule your free 20-minute discovery call here. Below are 10 of my favorite strategies to recommend to clients looking to optimize their gut health. I’ve also included a few supplement remedies for indigestion and an upset stomach.

10 Strategies for Promoting Optimal Gut Health

1. Eliminate Food Sensitivities and Allergies

Food intolerances and allergies can be taxing on the gut, especially when they go undiagnosed and last for several years. In order to maintain and restore a healthy gut, you need to remove the foods that are causing distress on the gut. Long-term gut distress can cause symptoms like leaky gut and IBS.

2. Remove Inflammatory Foods from your Diet

Inflammatory foods can also wreak havoc on the gut if you are sensitive to some foods. The top 5 inflammatory foods that I see clients struggling with often are gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol and seed oils. Seed oils are often one of the biggest inflammatory foods that aren’t discussed enough, in my personal opinion. These oils include soybean, vegetable, canola, cottonseed, safflower, etc. These oils become rancid quickly and can often be toxic. I always like to recommend that clients switch to oils that perform better at high heat - ghee, coconut oil, beef tallow, etc.

3. Drink Bone Broth

If you’ve follow me at least for a little while, you know that I’m a huge fan of bone broth and what positive effects that it has on the body. Bone broth is extremely healing and full of key nutrients (which is why I often recommend this for pregnancy and postpartum!). Bone broth is especially helpful at rebuilding and sealing the gut lining - making it super helpful to promoting optimal gut health. I should note however, that bone broth can be hard on those struggling from histamine intolerance (it can cause an upset stomach). Here’s my favorite recipe from homemade bone broth.

4. Chew Your Food

Many of us inhale our food, barely chewing before gulping it down (especially moms since we’re often eating quickly and on-the-go). Chewing is the first step in the digestive process because, along with the mechanical action of your teeth, your saliva contains enzymes that start to break down food even before you swallow it. Chewing also signals to our body to create more enzymes to assist with breaking down our food. Put your fork down between bites and try to chew for 30 seconds.

5. Invest in a High-Quality Probiotic

Not all probiotics are created equally and it’s important to invest in a high-quality probiotic to supplement with. Prebiotics are necessary for creating an environment in the gut where good bacteria can thrive because the probiotic cultures feed on the prebiotic ingredients. My favorite probiotic to recommend is from Thrive (code livewild saves 15%).

6. Focus on Adding in Probiotic-Rich Foods

Much like probiotic supplements, probiotic-rich foods do a number for adding good bacteria into the gut. Fermented veggies, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, beets, are all great. These foods provide your gut with trillions of beneficial bacteria and contain organic acids that help get your gut to the proper pH for probiotics to proliferate.

7. Drink Lemon Water Upon Waking in the Morning

In an effort to provide a gentle detox for the body, while also hydrating the cells, providing an energy boost and hit of vitamin C, lemon water is often a go-to recommendation for most of my clients. It’s important to drink lemon water first thing.

8. Focus on De-Stressing

Stress impacts most of our bodily functions pretty drastically, so it likely won’t come as surprise that it does impact that gut! Stress decreases nutrient absorption, blood flow to digestive organs, and metabolism, while it also suppresses the gut’s immune system and has a negative effect on gut microflora. You might have noticed times when you feel anxious or stressed that you might experience a stomachache or need to make a trip to the bathroom. That can also cause gut irritation and overall irritability. It’s important to find de-stressing techniques like getting time out in nature, meditating, laughing, etc.

9. Try to Eliminate the Need to Over-Sanitize

In the times of Covid, we have been in a constant state on sanitizing and cleaning. Exposure to germs and bacteria isn’t all that bad, contrary to what we’ve been told. We need frequent micro-exposures to all sorts of germs to build up resistance to illnesses. Cleaning your home with bleach or other harsh antibacterial cleaners, using hand sanitizer multiple times a day, and taking antibiotics for every sickness are all forms of over-sanitizing.

10. Seek Support from a Practitioner

What really helps one person may not be right for the next because we are all bioindividual. A holistic health program should be customized based on the client’s health history, labs, lifestyle, specific needs, and goals. This individualized approach is what health practitioners can do for clients within their areas of expertise - if you would like to discuss how I can support healing and/or optimizing your gut, please reach out here!

Gut Distress and Supplements to Take

Diarrhea: Take Charcoal (2 every 4-6 hours) or Iberogast

Gas: Take Charcoal (2 every 4-6 hours) or Iberogast

Constipation: Up Magnesium to 400mg and consider adding in Aloe and Soluble Fiber

Indigestion After Meals: Take Digestive Enzymes prior to each meal