The Value of Gut Health
Have you ever had a feeling that something just doesn’t feel right? Call it intuition, call it a sixth sense — or call it a gut reaction. Whatever label you put on it, it isn’t in your head — and feels very real.
Your gut isn’t merely the center for your feelings about a situation. It’s much more than that, and is often related to your overall health! Our stress levels, hormonal health, sleep and more are all tied to our gut health or a healthy gut microbiome. The term “gut microbiome” refers to the microorganisms living in your intestines. Each person has about 200 different species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in their digestive tract — trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. They are collectively known as the microbiome. The bacteria and other microbes in your gut help you digest food and may support the immune system, heart, and brain health.
While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are actually extremely important for your immune system, heart, weight and many other aspects of your health. Your microbiome is the home base for the bacteria in your digestive tract, where they work with digestive enzymes, breaking down food and ensuring nutrient absorption. Its impact goes far beyond digestion; some studies show that the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome might affect your emotions and even the way your brain processes information. There is a direct correlation between overall health and a healthy gut microbiome.
Your gut can be sensitive, though. Diet, environment, sleep habits, and stress all impact the health of your microbiome. The good news is, there are easy ways to take care of your gut (which will help it take care of you).
Life Priority is happy to announce a partnership with Transformation Specialty Products that are specifically formulated to work together with Life Priority products to enhance and improve your gut health!
Ways To Improve Your Gut Health:
• Include a quality multi vitamin/mineral supplement in your daily health regimen like Life Priority’s LIFESHIELD™.
• Eat fermented foods: Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir all contain healthy bacteria that can help reduce the amount of disease-causing species in the gut.
• Eat a wide range of foods: Examples include legumes, beans and fruit, which contain lots of fiber that can help promote the growth of health Bifidobacteria.
• Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners: Some research has shown that artificial sweeteners like aspartame increase blood sugar by stimulating the growth of unhealthy bacteria.
• Eat prebiotic foods: Prebiotics are a type of fiber that stimulates the growth of health bacteria and include foods like artichokes, bananas, asparagus, oats and apples.
• Eat whole grains: Whole grains contain lots of fiber and beneficial carbs which are digested by gut bacteria.
• Eat foods rich in polyphenols: Polyphenols are plant compounds found in red wine, dark chocolate, olive oil, green tea, and whole grains. They are broken down by the microbiome to stimulate healthy bacterial growth.
• Take a probiotic supplement: probiotics are live bacteria that can help restore the gut to a healthy state. Visit LifePriority.com and consider probiotic supplements like Transformation MasterZyme™, Transformation Probiotic™ Supplement, Transformation Digest Zyme™, and more.
• Take antibiotics only when medically necessary: Antibiotics kill many bad and good bacteria in the gut microbiome, possibly contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance.