Did you know that unhealthy gut is the reason behind many of your diseases. Most of the diseases are caused due to weak digestion. In Ayurveda the ancient science for health there is a saying that” sarve rogapi mandagni “. The term healthy gut is most often used to describe how well your body can digest the food you eat, absorb the nutrition and eliminate the toxins from the body. While it’s true that your gut( digestive process) affect all other aspect of your health be it physical or mental. A healthy digestive system support formation of healthy tissue in your body that in return allow your immune system to run efficiently & help to stave off infections.
Also a healthy digestive system support strong inflammatory response which makes it easier for your circulatory system to deliver nutrients throughout your body. So your organs receive the nourishment ( Ras Dhatu )they need. It’s all interconnected & starts with your gut health.
How does gut health affects your health
Gut is the place where digestion process is completed. however if gut is not healthy it affects the process of digestion, absorption and excretion of toxins. As a result of this the toxins start accumulating into the body. This toxins then gets absorbed in the body and travel to different parts of the body. Slowly this toxins affects the cells of the organs in which they get accumulated .
Studies over the past decade have confirmed the what ayurveda said in regard to gut . These studies have found links between gut health and many diseases conditions such as
* the immunity
* gastrointestinal disorder
* endocrine disorder
* cardiovascular diseases
* psoriasis & skin allergy
* respiratory allergy
* arthritis
* cancers
7 Signs of poor Gut Health
Skin itching and dryness
A weak digestion & poor gut health can lead to accumulation of ama ( toxins) in the digestive system. This causes inflammation in your stomach may cause to leak protein (Ama) into your blood stream. This ama eventually finds their way to your skin where they can cause skin conditions such as psoriasis eczema, urticaria, and itching .
Digestive problems
An upset stomach can happen at any time usually from something you ate or from stress in other parts of your life. But prolonged stomach disturbances that happen often such as
heartburn,
constipation ,
bloating ,
gas may be sign of poor gut health.
Feeling of weakness and fatigue :
A healthy gut produces the nutrition that body uses for energy and cell repairs. However because of weak digestion there is formation of toxins and blood supply to cells get affected. Because of this cells, tissues and muscle gets deprived of good nutrition as result there is weakness and fatigue in the body.
Disturbed sleep
Healthy gut produces hormone serotonin; this serotonin in turn has direct effect on your sleep pattern. If your gut is not healthy and toxins are accumulated into it will affect the production of this serotonin hormone. Because of lack of serotonin hormone you may suffer from insomnia and poor sleep. Overtime this condition can lead to low energy levels, brain fog, confusion & constant fatigue.
Unintentional weight changes
Poor gut health can disrupt your body natural ability to store fat, absorb nutrient and balance blood sugar levels. When that happens your body can start to gain or lose weight without any change to your diet and exercise routine.
Joint Pain
Poor gut health leads to formation of ama (toxins ) in your digestive system. This ama ( toxins) get leaked into your blood stream and travels to joints of your body. This ama (toxins) affects the inflammatory response which in turn makes your immune system weak. This leads to various inflammatory joint disorder like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus etc.
Ayurvedic Tips to make your gut healthy naturally
1. Add herbs & Spices to your diet.
Herbs like ginger, cloves, pudina , garlic supports your digestion and helps strengthen your digestive fire. Along with this spices such as turmeric, black pepper, dry ginger, cummin seeds, coriander have very good digestive and carminative properties. Including these spices in your daily diet as per your constitution helps build strong intestinal flora.
2. Take serving of Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a natural probiotic. It is also a best digestive tonic that helps in maintaining the intestinal flora. It helps in igniting the digestive fire (agni) and is very effective in diarrhea, indigestion, anemia, obesity and disease caused due to eating oily foods. However buttermilk should be avoided in person having fever, giddiness, burning sensation, bleeding disorder and during summers.
3. Skip the Sugars
As mentioned earlier excess amount of sugar wreck havoc on your gut health. Although some amount of sugar is required for body nourishment, but excess is not good for your health. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables as part of your balanced diet.
4. Exercise daily to improve digestive health
It is well known fact that regular exercise play important role in maintaining healthy weight strong heart and a fit body. But it also is very important to improve your gut health.
Physical activity increases blood flow to the muscles in the digestive system, which massages our food along the digestive tract. A process known as peristalsis – causing them to work more quickly and effectively.
Research also suggests that exercise affects the balance of bacteria in the gut2. This gut flora, as it’s known, plays an active role in protecting our immune system, preventing the growth of bad bacteria and helping the body digest and absorb what it needs from the foods we eat.
5. Maintaining a healthy sleep routine
A healthy sleep routine such as going to bed & getting up at the same time each day as well as getting at least seven hours of sleep per night can improve your micro biome and overall health. Sleeping is the time body uses for recharging itself. If it is not recharged properly then all its organ including gut does not work at its optimal levels.
6. Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water is an effective way to maintain both healthy micro biome & good gut health. For an active adult it is recommended to drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water daily .However quantity of water intake may differ from person to person, his body type, his working routine and other factors. Water can leave beneficial effect on the mucosal lining of your intestines & provide an optimal environment in which your micro biome can grow.
7. Always try to stay happy
Not only the physical level your psychological approach towards life also deeply impact your gut health. In Ayurveda Achraya charak has said that physcological factors such as anger, grief, fear, affection, jealously, ego, anxiety makes your digestion process slow and produces toxins in your gut which affects the intestinal flora. So try to stay happy.
Read more Ayurvedic diet for improving gut health
