Gut Health: How to stay healthy and improve your digestion

The global pandemic has disrupted our way of life in many ways—from changing our working environment and daily routines to limiting our social gatherings and imposing prolonged isolation. All these changes could contribute to more mental and physical health stress—some of them could impact our general health in more ways than we realise. One important area that it could affect is our gut. 

The repeated long periods of lockdowns, constant use of hand sanitizer, and changes to our mood and diet, could indirectly affect our gut health. The gut microbiome is a complex system that has 100 million to 100 trillion microorganisms playing essential roles to keep our immune and metabolic systems healthy.¹ 

Here are five ways to keep your digestion healthy, which could improve your physical and mental health, during this pandemic. 

Lowering stress with self-care

Feeling stressed can take a toll on our bodies—we become distracted or fall into a depressive state. Actively taking small steps to take care of ourselves is important. It can be as simple as listening to music, stretching, meditating, watching comedy, diffusing essential oils, or going through your skincare routine before you go to bed. For some of us, it may be hard to incorporate self-care. However, self-care can be of any form, as long as you consciously clear your mind and take a break. Start small by taking 5-minute breaks every hour throughout the day to stretch or look out the window. 

Getting enough sleep

Revenge bedtime procrastination can heavily impact your sleep. With stricter lockdown restrictions, we have to get a lot of things done during the day on top of working, like cooking, taking care of our children, getting groceries, doing house chores, among others. Revenge bedtime procrastination is a way to get that few hours in a day to entertain ourselves at the expense of our sleep. Late nights and early mornings can cause serious sleep deprivation, which can negatively impact our physical, mental, and emotional health. Positive sleep habits like setting a nighttime routine, avoiding caffeine late in the afternoon, limiting the use of electronic devices before bed, and relaxing stretches, can help ease you into sleep and prevent sleep procrastination. 

Drinking water and staying hydrated

Our body needs water to perform important functions like regulating body temperature, maintaining blood pressure, flushing body waste, preventing kidney damage, and breaking down food for nutrient absorption. Water is needed in every step of the digestive process. Our saliva helps moisten food, making it easier to chew and swallow. As the food passes into our stomach, gastric juices containing enzymes that break down proteins and carbohydrates are released. Once the nutrients are absorbed, the leftover food goes into our bowels where water is needed to help promote regular bowel movements. Drinking enough water is important for a healthy gut and to keep the system running smoothly.

Check for food intolerances

If you are experiencing cramping, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, acid reflux, nausea, rashes, or even fatigue, you could be suffering from a food intolerance. There are some common trigger foods include beans, cabbage, citrus fruit, milk, grains, and processed meats. Start by eliminating these foods to see if your symptoms improve. Identifying a food that your system does not react well can help improve your digestive health. 

Consuming health food like Beautox

Having a well-balanced diet is, no doubt, important for our general health. And with Beautox, you can make sure your gut health is optimal.

Its unique proprietary blend of enzymes, patented probiotics, prebiotics, vegetables and fruit extracts, water-soluble fiber, and herbal extracts help:

Mix Beautox with 200ml of room temperature water, and consume it immediately to enjoy a deliciously fragrant pineapple taste. It is recommended to take it only once a day as BEAUTOX is rich in dietary fibers. It is important to drink at least 2 liters of water after to make sure your digestive tract stays hydrated in order to promote healthy bowel movement.

Reference

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293/