Trust your gut! Easy hacks to keep gut bacteria happy and upbeat
The gut is so sensitive that improper sleep, stress, sugary and processed foods, tobacco and alcohol can throw it out of balance
Hyderabad: “I’ve got a gut feeling”, “they’ve got some guts”, “my gut tells me…”, “go with your gut”, “trust your gut” — we use these idioms all the time.
But, why is so much emotion attached to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract? Its job is ingestion, digestion, excretion — nothing fancy,
quite rudimentary, one may think.
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Yet, why is the gut personified to such an extent that it often makes for good small talk? We don’t miss a chance to put it out there that we’re having a ‘crappy’ day, of course in the confines of trusted company!
Well, there’s got to be some element of truth to those legendary idioms. Studies have time and again established that we have two
brains — the one sitting on top of our shoulders, which makes all the ‘smart’ life decisions for us, and the other in the lower part of the body, which nourishes every cell.
These two — the central nervous system (brain) and the enteric nervous system (gut) — are in constant communication with each other through a universe of complex channels, sharing information vital not only to gastrointestinal function but cognitive function too. You read it right, the gut has the power to influence our decisions and moods!
No wonder scientists call it the ‘small brain’. But it’s far from small. The gut has about 100 trillion bacteria (300-500 bacterial
species) — the human body, about 37 trillion cells.
These bacteria are our best friends — they work relentlessly to break down fibres, supply nutrients to nourish every cell of the body and promote enteric nerve function. But the slightest imbalance can turn these friends into foes over time. This manifests as sudden food allergies, disturbed sleep, autoimmune conditions, weight fluctuation, mood swings and indigestion, to name a few.
The gut is so sensitive that improper sleep, stress, sugary and processed foods, tobacco and alcohol can throw it out of balance.
Hold on! But aren’t these all part of modern lifestyle? In the day and age of cut-throat competition, FOMO (fear of missing out) and the popular way to unwind being late Friday nights, this magical, sophisticated wonder called the gut takes a beating.
Eat healthy, get your eight hours of beauty sleep, say ‘NO’ to smoking and drinking, and avoid anything that comes in a can — I know, all these are easier said than done in today’s fast life.
But here are some easy hacks to keep those gut bacteria happy and upbeat.
Diet: Your gut will love you for eating fermented foods — idli, dosa, paneer — and pampering it with a prebiotic or probiotic supplement. Prebiotics help good bacteria grow and probiotics are live, healthy bacteria that you consume, for instance, curd. Tweak your diet a bit to introduce high-fibre foods, garlic and high-collagen items such as broccoli, nuts and eggs.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Doctors cannot emphasise enough the importance of drinking plenty of water. It is not only good for overall health but also keeps constipation and GI tract infections at bay.
Fasting: Give your gut a break, it will thank you profusely. C’mon, even we get Sundays off! Studies show that fasting helps improve gut health. It helps the GI system to reset and get back to factory-settings mode. Pick a day in the week, follow intermittent fasting or fast every alternate day. Studies show that this can aid in increasing the diversity of the gut microbiome.
Cut out stress: It’s all in the mind, isn’t it? Stress is known to be the biggest cause of hormonal imbalance and you don’t want to feed your body with a concoction of misplaced juices. High levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone that the adrenal glands release in
response to stress, can cause gut inflammation. Try to be happy, appreciate the smaller joys of life and don’t take yourself too
seriously. In short, don’t let the world get to you!
Avoid popping those pills: Antibiotics can wreak havoc in your gut by killing some of those friendly bacteria. That doesn’t mean you stop taking your meds altogether, just be mindful. Always discuss with your doctor the side effects of an antibiotic and work out ways to counter them.
Here are some other tips: Chew your food well, workout regularly, sleep well, chomp on a lot of veggies and cut down on smoking and alcohol.
Although sensitive and with a mind of its own, the gut is quite forgiving. It doesn’t take much to rest this inbuilt ecosystem; just
try to meet it halfway. Consult your doctor or nutritionist, draw up a sustainable plan and go with your gut, literally.
