If you’re struggling with your digestion – maybe your getting bloated, your digestion is sluggish or you’re feeling uncomfortable – then making sure your gut biome is balanced is a great place to start. The bacteria in your gut also plays an important role in your immune system. If you’re getting ill a lot, especially with UTI’s or yeast infections, then your gut desperately needs some attention. Healthy gut biome helps to reduce inflammation too, which helps with so many conditions such as endometriosis or arthritis. Here’s how to improve your gut health and help those digestive issues (and more!).

Gut is all about balance.
We have millions of bacteria in our gut working hard for us. Even the e-coli in our gut will be there because it’s doing a job – breaking something down or fighting something off. We even have bacteria in our gut that helps with our hormones and stops oestrogen being recycled. When we are having gut issues (or problems linked to them) the problem is more about balance than bad bacteria. When things are out of balance (too much of certain bacteria or not enough of something) then other bacteria can come in and take over such as yeast infections. Some bacteria are very helpful for balancing. These are sometimes referred to as good bacteria, but it’s really all about getting that balance right.

So how do we do that?
- Fermented foods. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha all have loads of balancing bacteria in them which is a great way to help your digestion. Building one or more of these into your diet on a regular basis can really help keep your gut flora balanced.
- 30 plants a week. This is one of the best ways to keep you gut on point. Consuming 30 different plants a week makes sure you get a huge range in your diet and your gut will thank you. It’s a great way to keep your gut balanced and make sure it has everything it needs for excellent digestion. 30 might sound like a lot but remember that includes grains and herbs and spices. It’s not all vegetables.

- Abdominal massage. Massage is a great way to get your gut back on track and keep it there. If you feel your gut is not healthy then massage is a fast way to improve it. Massage improves circulation, reduces inflammation and helps with absorption, so if you are already having gut related issues then this can really help get things back on track. Abdominal massage stretches out the gut and helps to clear any blockages or pouches where problems start. Having a clearer gut really helps you gut function properly as well as addressing any digestive issues you’re struggling with. To book a session click here. For more information about how the massage can help you book a free discovery call here.
- Probiotics and prebiotics. Is your gut flora is off or are you taking (or have recently taken) antibiotics? Then it’s a good idea to kick-start things with a probiotic supplement for a month or 2. The best ones are the multi-strain, ideally containing 7-14 strains of different bacteria rather than just loads of 1. These are more likely to match up with your individual gut biome. It’s also good to have ones with prebiotics. Probiotics are the balancing bacteria and prebiotics are what these bacteria eat. Both are good to help increase the bacteria you need. Supplements are best. Avoid the yogurt drinks with probiotics though. These have lots of sugar and dairy which are not helpful for the gut and bacteria in particular.

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