Much has been said about how a healthy gut is essential for your wellbeing. But did you know that 80% of your immune system lives inside your gut? That’s why good gut health impacts not only your digestive system but all your body functions.
So, if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a healthy gut can help you alleviate or even eliminate the uncomfortable symptoms.
In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of good gut health, so you can achieve a healthy gut and improve your quality of life, keeping your IBS symptoms under control.
Let’s start by breaking down IBS and how it relates to your gut health. Then, we’ll give you some tips on how to take good care of your gut so it operates at peak performance.
What’s Behind Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is a disorder that affects your gastrointestinal tract through the presence of uncomfortable symptoms, which can be mild or severe and may include the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps
- Gas and flatulence
- Food intolerances or allergies
- Bloating
- Altered bowel habits
- Stomach ache
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Urgent bowel movements
- Nausea
- Weight loss or gain
- Loss of appetite
IBS is more of a chronic condition than a short-term one. It can affect both children and adults, causing embarrassing situations and compromising your quality of life. You certainly know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had to rush to the toilet after a delicious dessert!
If you have IBS, your bowel is constantly irritated, causing a lot of inconvenience.
But there’s hope. Once you understand the causes and what triggers your symptoms, they become more manageable. And one of the leading causes of IBS is related to gut health. That’s why good gut health matters so much with IBS.
The Importance of Good Gut Health to Manage IBS Symptoms
Your gut is often referred to as your second brain because it’s home to millions of nerves that communicate with your brain and trillions of microorganisms that play a crucial role in your overall health.
These microorganisms – your gut flora – form two categories: beneficial (good) and harmful (bad) bacteria. The balance of these good and bad microorganisms determines how healthy your gut is. Sounds simple. And they’d be even simpler to organize if you could see them!
But you can help to keep these unseen gut flora balanced (and consequently, your IBS symptoms under control) by taking the following steps:
1 Have a Gut-Friendly Diet
When it comes to maintaining a healthy gut, diet is crucial. The food you eat affects the overall health of your gut and can either harm or help it. If you have IBS symptoms, this is even more important.
Aim for a diet rich in fiber and healthy fats. Some examples of gut-friendly foods include
- sweet potatoes,
- bananas,
- spinach,
- salmon, and
- avocados.
Additionally, fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi are loaded with beneficial bacteria that can promote good gut health.
And don’t forget to stay hydrated. Drinking adequate amounts of water can help prevent constipation, a common symptom of IBS. Besides, hydration can help flush out toxins from the body, which benefits your overall gut health.
2 Stress Management
Although many factors can contribute to IBS symptoms, stress is a significant one.
That’s because when you’re under stress, your body releases hormones that can disrupt your digestive system and cause gut-related issues. So, managing your stress is crucial to maintaining good gut health.
Consider incorporating stress-relieving practices into your daily routine, such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.
3 Supplements
Supplements can play a supportive role in keeping your gut healthy, especially if you have IBS symptoms.
Probiotics are one of the most common types of supplements taken to help support good gut health. They contain beneficial bacteria that can help balance the bacteria levels in your gut. Make sure you buy a good quality supplement with a suitable variety of bacteria.
Additionally, digestive enzymes can aid food digestion – which can be helpful if you struggle with IBS symptoms like bloating or gas.
4 Peptide Therapy
Peptide therapy is a great way to improve health and control your IBS symptoms naturally. These short chains of amino acids, found in your body’s cells and tissues, are essential to keep your body functioning well.
Peptide therapy is a customizable treatment using peptides to target specific areas of the body to decrease inflammation and improve your overall health.
Nava Health uses BCP-157 peptide therapy to target your gut health. BPC-157 is short for “body protection compound” that (among other benefits)
- improves your intestinal health,
- heals your gut lining,
- alleviates IBS symptoms, and
- improves your quality of life.
5 Exercise
Staying physically active is essential for maintaining good gut health. Exercise helps keep your digestive system moving, which aids healthy digestion.
Additionally, exercise can reduce stress and, in turn, decrease your risk of experiencing gut-related issues.
Try incorporating physical activity into your daily routine – maybe walking, jogging, or taking a fitness class.
6 HBOT
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) is a simple, painless, and non-invasive therapy in which you sit comfortably, or lie down, in a hyperbaric chamber to breathe 100% pure oxygen.
High pressure in the chamber increases the oxygen in your blood, triggering your body’s healing process and fighting inflammation. The inflammation we’re talking about here is in your gut, causing IBS symptoms.
So – although HBOT has traditionally been used to treat decompression sickness and wound healing in diabetic people, clinical studies have now shown the effectiveness of HBOT in improving IBS symptoms and treating other conditions related to the GI tract. These include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn’s disease.
Struggling With IBS Symptoms? Nava Can Help
Good gut health is crucial to your overall health and wellness – and especially so if you have IBS symptoms.
But when it comes to a healthy gut and IBS, there’s no such thing as one size fits all. Symptoms and treatments vary from one patient to another. That’s why it’s essential to consult an integrative healthcare provider to develop the best care plan for your condition.
At Nava Health, our functional nutritionists work side by side with you to develop a customized program that targets the root cause of your IBS symptoms.
We’ll do a comprehensive health check and assess your gut health, so you can start the healing process from the inside out.
If you’d like us to provide you with a sustainable personalized nutrition and lifestyle plan to improve your life, contact us today and uncover a healthier you!