Gut health has become extremely popular in the last few years, mainly due to more scientific research discovering just how important it is for all aspects of our health – not just for our digestion. If you are someone who struggles with bloating, food sensitivities, low energy, constipation or you just feel sluggish, chances are that your gut needs a little bit of TLC. 

1. It’s not just about what you eat, it’s about how you eat too. 

If you struggle with gut issues like poor digestion or a lot of gas after eating, one of the reasons for this may actually be that you are eating too fast and you are not chewing your food properly. In this day and age when we are always busy and running around we try to eat on the go, eat at our desk or rush our meals. This is bad news for your gut health and digestive system. Take your time, slow it down and chew for a lot longer than you usually do. This can lead to less bloat and discomfort. 

2. Focus on fibre.

If you want to improve your gut health, then increasing fibre intake is the most important step to remember. Fibre is found in plant foods like fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and beans and it is made up of non-digestible carbohydrates. These cannot be broken down by humans, but gut bacteria are excellent in breaking them down and in turn, also provide metabolites that can benefit our long-term health. For optimal gut health you want to be consuming 30g fibre day. Although this may sound like a big number it can be easy if you focus on small easy swaps like changing your white rice to wholegrain rice, adding berries and fruits on top of yoghurts and oats, and even adopting supplements or superfoods into your routine. I am a big fan of the Naturya Gut Feel products like the Mixed Berry and Cacao & Maca as they are high in fibre, taste great and they are so versatile too. Try stirring them into porridge, making granola bars with them or even baking with them. You can also find more recipes for them on the Naturya Instagram page! 

3. Get more variety of plant foods.

It was recently discovered by The American Gut Project that those with the most diverse and healthiest gut microbiomes ate around 30 different plants per week. The 30 Plant Points system which is currently very popular came from this study, and encourages people to try and boost the variety of their diet to support better gut health. It is important to remember that plants don’t just mean fruit and vegetables, but things like whole grain bread, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds all count too! One of the best hacks I recommend is for people to mix different plants together and make a cereal topper you can enjoy on your cereal or porridge each week. For example, you could mix Naturya’s chia seeds, cacao nibs, goji berries and Gut Feel Apple and Cinnamon together in a jar to help you hit over 6 plant points for that week in one go! 

4. Stay hydrated.

One of the most important things to remember when looking to support your gut health is to boost your hydration levels. This can help reduce bloating, help move waste products through your system and support better digestive health. A general rule for hydration is to drink 8 glasses of water a day, however if you are sweating a lot, you are exercising heavily or are in a hot country, then more is recommended.