How to improve gut health

Key Points

• Gut health is important because your gut feeds into many other systems, including your brain and immune system, making your microbiome balance ultra-influential.
• Gut-healthy habits include good sleep hygiene, slow chewing, stress management, and regular exercise.
• Gut-healthy foods include fiber, polyphenols, prebiotics, probiotics, and pulses.

Your gut microbiome – the microorganisms of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites in your digestive system – is as unique as your fingerprint. You inherit your first gut microbes at birth and gain more through diet and environmental factors.

You and your microbiome share a symbiotic relationship. What benefits you benefits your gut. That also means that if your gut is suffering, you are likely to suffer too – with gas, bloating, pain, and other uncomfortable symptoms.

Your gut may be suffering for any number of reasons: poor diet or lifestyle, unidentified food sensitivities or allergies, bacteria imbalance (called gut dysbiosis), vitamin deficiencies, and more.

Whether you’re experiencing ongoing digestive problems or simply want to prioritize your gut health, these tips can help. Here are some ways to improve gut health.

Why does gut health matter?

Your gut is connected to all of your other bodily systems: the immune system, nervous system, endocrine system, and more. As such, it is vital to keep it healthy and balanced.

So, whether you’re experiencing digestive discomfort or not, it’s always a good idea to cultivate gut-healthy habits to improve your gut health.

Having a strong gut means you have a stronger immune system, can maintain weight more easily, and may even improve your heart health.

Good habits for a healthy gut

While food is probably the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to your gut and digestion, there are plenty of other aspects to consider. Here are healthy habits to improve gut health:

Have good sleep hygiene

Sleep is foundational to all health pillars, including your gut health. Not getting enough sleep is linked to a higher prevalence of obesity, which sets you up for digestive system disorders. Focus on getting enough sleep (typically 7-10 hours per night) and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. Having a consistent wind-down routine can help regulate your natural melatonin production.

Manage stress

Mood and digestive system health (especially disorders like irritable bowel syndrome) are closely linked via the brain-gut connection. Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your digestive system over time. But being chronically stressed means you might not even realize that you’re stressed because you’ve become so accustomed to it.

If you think you might be dealing with ongoing stress, talk to your doctor. They may be able to run some tests to assess your stress levels and make recommendations accordingly.

If you’re dealing with an acute stressor, try to find moments of calm where you can. Deep breathing, meditation, and grounding exercises can all help bring in some much-needed calm in difficult moments.

Move more

Exercise, of course, also helps with digestion (as well as stress management and plenty of other health facets). One study found that it has “protective effects,” reducing the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and diverticulitis.

Both low-intensity and endurance exercise are positive influences on the gut and help reinforce the protective lining, reduce how long it takes stool to move through, and prevent obesity.

Strive to meet the recommended weekly goal of 120 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise as a first step. Focus on the exercise(s) you enjoy and can do on a regular basis.

Eat the right foods

We’ll dive into the best foods for gut health below, but there are a few easy guidelines to follow:

• Prioritize fiber, primarily through fruits and vegetables.
• Consume pre- and probiotic foods
• Reduce processed foods

Additionally, how you eat also impacts your gut. Eat slowly, making sure to chew your food thoroughly, to make it easier to digest.

You may also find that smaller, more frequent meals are easier to digest than a few larger ones. Be sure to consume plenty of fluids between meals.

Making your own meals rather than eating out is the best way to know exactly what you’re eating. Try not to eat too close to bedtime, as your digestive system slows down at night, and a recent meal may make sleep difficult.

Make small tweaks

It’s not about completely changing your lifestyle but making small tweaks throughout daily life.

Adding cinnamon to your coffee can provide a little anti-inflammatory kick. Substituting yogurt for mayonnaise introduces probiotics. Opting for chickpeas instead of pasta brings in more fiber. Aim for these small changes to build gut-healthy habits!

If you’re overwhelmed by how to take care of your gut, a registered dietitian can help. Working with a dietitian is the best way to cut through the noise and find a tailored approach to improve your gut health.

Find a qualified gut health dietitian with Fay now.

Best foods for gut health

Dietary fiber is foundational for gut health. All fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, are good sources of fiber. A diet rich in fiber helps to maintain bowel health, normalizes bowel movements, helps balance blood sugar, and lowers cholesterol levels.

Dietary polyphenols are a type of metabolite found in fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. They can also modulate intestinal microbes, which means they can influence gut bacteria.

These foods contain polyphenols:

• Apples
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Pears
• Plums
• Coffee
• Tea
• Artichokes

Pulses are a type of legume which are high in prebiotic fiber. Think: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans – all the beans! And peas. Pulses help maintain gut homeostasis. Their high fiber and protein content, as well as their accessibility, make them a great health food option for people of all ages to maintain overall health.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. Many fermented foods contain probiotics, but not all. They can also come in pill or capsule form. Probiotic foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and tempeh.

Prebiotics feed healthy bacteria, helping to balance your gut bacteria. They are generally made up of soluble fiber which can't be digested by humans but "feed" your gut microbes. Prebiotic foods include garlic, banana, oats, leeks, asparagus, and barley.

Get personalized gut health guidance

As previously mentioned, everyone’s gut is completely unique. If you’re not sure how to start improving your gut health or just want some extra support, consider working with a registered dietitian.

An RD can use their expertise to create a personalized meal plan that prioritizes gut-healthy foods and helps you build better habits.

With Fay, you can connect with a qualified dietitian almost instantly and get your care covered by health insurance. That means you could work with a top gut health dietitian for as little as $0 per session.

Start working with a Fay gut health dietitian today.

The views expressed by authors and contributors of such content are not endorsed or approved by Fay and are intended for informational purposes only. The content is reviewed by Fay only to confirm educational value and audience interest. You are encouraged to discuss any questions that you may have about your health with a healthcare provider.