Restoring your gut health should always be a top priority. Having indigestion problems might not just be from the foods you are eating but from bacteria and microbiome issues in your gut, which affects your overall health. Here are some tips for helping to restore your gut health. Functional Medicine Los Angeles specializes in helping individuals achieve optimal gut health through personalized care.
Start with Probiotics
Everyone should include more probiotics in their diet, especially if you are dealing with gut health issues. Probiotics come in the form of supplements you can take daily or in the foods you eat. Depending on the issues you have and their severity, you might want to introduce both of them for a while. Some foods with probiotics include fermented foods like kombucha, certain types of yogurt, kefir, and dark chocolate.
Examine Your Diet
Aside from adding more probiotic foods, it is also a good idea to remove some of the unhealthy foods in your diet. Eating a well-balanced diet is crucial if you want to restore your gut health. Start by removing processed and unrefined foods from your diet, which are typically packaged and frozen foods, with the exception of frozen vegetables. Try to eat more whole, clean, and fresh foods, cooking more meals at home.
Removing dairy from your diet is often recommended for better gut health, which means no more butter, milk, cream, or cheese. Some people can have a modified dairy-free diet where you switch to ghee instead of butter and can have some types of cheese.
It is also good to add in some healthier fats to your diet, which provide excellent omega 3 fatty acids which are great for your gut health. Think about coconut oil and olive oil as good fats. If you’re in the area, functional medicine San Bernardino provides expert guidance on dietary changes for optimal gut health.
Consider Intermittent Fasting
The next lifestyle change you can make that will help to restore your gut health is to try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting changes when you eat during the day. You will typically reduce your eating period each day to a certain number of hours, then the remainder of the day will be in a fasted state. Many people start by fasting for 16 hours, including overnight, then eat for 8 hours during the day. Over time, you can extend the fasting period and eat over a shorter period of time.
Why intermittent fasting? Studies have shown that when you reduce how often you eat, you are able to reduce inflammation and increase the good gut bacteria in your body. For those looking to incorporate intermittent fasting into their wellness routine, functional medicine Sherman Oaks provides comprehensive support and strategies.