How to Heal your Gut and Maintain a Healthy Microbiome

Gut health is gaining a lot more attention in recent years. We used to consider the digestive system as easy to understand, however we now know that it is extremely complex, and we are learning just how significant of a role it plays in overall health. 

There are 300-500 different bacteria that contain almost 2 million genes residing inside of your gut. In addition to fungi and viruses, these diverse microorganisms inhabit the gastrointestinal tract and are what comprise your gut microbiome. Your microbiome is all over your body but predominantly in your gut. The bacteria in the gut is about 10 times more than all of the cells in the human body. 

Your gut bacteria help you to digest food, play a role in your metabolism and immune system and recent research suggests these bacteria influence diabetes, obesity and even depression. Your microbiota is unique to you and fluctuates over time. These bacteria are shaped by both diet and lifestyle, initially coming from your mother’s microbiota and your environment. 

A healthy microbiome contains both good and bad bacteria and is balanced. Healthy gut bacteria enhance a strong immune system, protects you from diseases and reduces risk of inflammation. 

There are lifestyle factors that can adversely affect the bacteria in your gut which include stress, sleep deprivation and diet. Antibiotics are another factor that can negatively affect your gut. Antibiotics are sometimes necessary to fix bacterial infections; however, studies show that antibiotics change the composition and function of the gut microbiome. Antibiotics can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome because they wipe out all bacteria, both good and bad. If you do get prescribed antibiotics, I recommend asking your doctor for a probiotic to take with them in addition to taking specific measures to feed the good bacteria. 

My experience with antibiotics set me on a path to find out how to restore my gut bacteria and I’ve included what I’ve learned to be the best strategies for restoring and feeding the good bacteria. Keep in mind that rebuilding a healthy microbiome can take as long as 6 months if you adopt healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, everyone has a unique microbiome so what might work for someone else won’t always work for you. 

Lifestyle factors play a huge role in your gut health, which begins with prioritizing a nutrient rich diet high in fiber. If you consume a diet high in fat and sugar you may kill bacteria which will reduce the diversity of your microbiome. The diversity of your microbiome is believed to promote overall health including mitigating the risk of disease. 

Lifestyle Factors to Improve Your Gut

1. Fiber 

Fibers promote good bacteria in the gut. Incorporate more fiber rich foods into your diet including nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables (asparagus and leeks). You can take psyllium husk as a daily supplement to ensure you meet your dietary fiber intake. 

2. Bone Broth

Consuming 1-3 cups of bone broth per day will help to heal the lining of your gut. 

3. Eat Whole Foods 

Prioritize nutrient dense food full of fiber and naturally raised animal products including grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon and pasture-raised eggs. 

4. Avoid Damaging Foods 

Eliminate the foods that will promote bad bacteria, such as refined sugar filled foods which include high glycemic index foods that contain gluten and dairy. Gluten can be very damaging to the lining of your gut. You can experiment with elimination diets such as a FODMAP diet which includes the elimination of dairy, gluten, garlic and onions among other foods. Some believe in the benefits of garlic and onion because they can enhance immune system function which is associated with the gut. However, much of this is anecdotal so I recommend doing an elimination diet and find out what works for you, especially since there are significant individual variances with microbiota.

5. Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are full of probiotics to feed your healthy bacteria. These foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt (dairy free), pickles, kefir, tempeh, miso and sugar-free kombucha. 

6. Consistent Exercise

Exercise can promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, and research shows that sedentary individuals have a less diverse microbiome. 

7. Improve Sleep Quality

Sleep duration and quality of sleep influences the bacteria in our gut because research has shown that people who get adequate sleep have a more diverse microbiome. Getting enough sleep is also beneficial for prioritizing healthy lifestyle habits. Sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of overconsuming food because your hunger hormones are thrown out of whack in addition to increasing the chance of making poor food choices such as high glycemic foods or sugar filled foods which are harmful to your gut. 

8. Reduce Stress 

Chronic stress will negatively affect your good bacteria, allowing for an increase in bad bacteria. Stress negatively affects good bacteria because it can decrease a probiotic bacterium called Lactobacillus.

In order to reduce stress, adopt consistent meditation and breathing practices. You can also reduce stress by spending more time in nature, hiking, spending quality time with friends and family, and decreasing caffeine – an unpopular but effective strategy. 

Dietary Recommendations to Restore Your Gut

1. Fiber (Psyllium husk)
2. Bone Broth
3. Glutamine
4. Colostrum 
5. Aloe Vera Juice

Fiber 

A diet high in fiber is a necessary component to a healthy microbiome because fibers promote good bacteria in the gut. Eating a diet rich in fiber will be beneficial to restore your gut, which can be easily achieved with daily ingestion of psyllium husk. Psyllium husk supplementation is associated with positive changes in the microbiome.

Psyllium husk is a water-soluble plant fiber that offers prebiotic effects to improve digestive function. Psyllium forms a viscous gel in the intestine which not only increases feelings of satiety, but also promotes healthy bowel movements. It is highly effective for individuals suffering from constipation, however it helps to treat other digestive issues including gut bacteria imbalance (caused by antibiotics), irritable bowel syndrome and parasites. 

You can use psyllium husk daily to increase dietary fiber which will make you feel fuller, promote weight loss, reduce bloating and constipation, in addition to promoting healthy gut bacteria. 

Psyllium husk comprises the fiber supplement Metamucil, although there are other brands that offer psyllium husk in capsule and powder form. When you take psyllium husk drink lots of water and don’t consume the capsules within a two-hour time frame of other supplements as it can affect the absorption of other supplements. 

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Bone Broth

Bone broth has been used for thousands of years as a traditional healing remedy to combat colds and the flu. It’s made from simmering the bones of animals and can be comprised of beef, pork, chicken and fish. Bone broth was traditionally used to prevent disease and promote wellness; however, it’s now recognized as a natural beauty elixir and a phenomenal healing remedy among high-performing athletes. Due to its simmering process of up to 24 hours, collagen is released from the bones which helps to promote youthful-looking skin. In addition, the amino acid profile from the collagen provides benefits to heal the gut, promote sleep, reduce joint pain, and improve athletic performance. The two main components of bone broth that benefit the gut is gelatin and glutamine.  

When heated, the structure of collagen converts into gelatin. Gelatin is recognized for its gut health and digestion benefits and in certain animal studies, gelatin can help to heal mucosal damage of the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The potential of healing the GI tract allows our gut to absorb nutrients better.

One of the amino acids found in gelatin is glutamine which additionally provides gut health benefits. Studies show glutamine to be quite healing for intestinal permeability, which improves leaky gut, bowel discomfort and disease in addition to other inflammatory diseases. 

Bone Broth is essential to heal your gut, you can drink 1-3 cups a day. Plus, you will get additional protein as one cup contains about 6-12 grams of protein. You can find bone broth at local health food stores and some major grocery stores.

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Glutamine

In addition to consuming bone broth, you can take a Glutamine supplement on its own to help repair any damage to the gut lining. 

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Colostrum

Colostrum has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic physicians. 

Colostrum is a fluid packed with nutrients that is excreted by female mammals immediately after giving birth aiding the newborn with developing immunity. It provides immense health benefits because it is full of essential nutrients and it has immune, growth and tissue repair factors. Colostrum is very beneficial for digestive health because newborns don’t have a fully developed digestive tract, and so upon consumption, it offers growth and repair factors that benefit our digestive tract. The immune and growth factors of bovine colostrum are exactly as those contained in human colostrum, just at significantly higher amounts. 

Bovine colostrum is used to treat and prevent infections of the gastrointestinal tract, including patients who suffer from inflammatory gut disease because it promotes mucosal healing. The growth factors in colostrum keep the intestinal mucosa sealed and impermeable to toxins.  

Colostrum has also been shown to promote weight loss, promote muscle gain, wound healing, reduce stress, combat leaky gut, viral illnesses, allergies, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and diabetes. 

Niraj Naik, known as the ‘Renegade Pharmacist’ used a combination of colostrum, breathwork and changing his mindset to restore his stress induced leaky gut syndrome which only took him a couple of months. This combination was effective because it created “the right environment for the gut microbiome.” He recommends ingesting a full fat colostrum powder, it is important to choose a brand that has not removed the fat because the fat contains the nutrition. For dosage, he recommends taking a lot at the beginning and letting it sit in your gums for prime absorption, “you want 2 or 3 massive tablespoons and you want to take it raw… put it in your gums, leave it and suck it for 5-10 minutes.”

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Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe also possesses many healing properties which help to heal wounds and improve digestion. Aloe is commonly used to treat constipation and is believed to have gastroprotective properties. It has the potential to improve symptoms of IBS and is recognized as a remedy for stomach ulcers. While aloe is commonly promoted to treat these gastrointestinal disorders, the research is inconsistent proving it’s efficacy. 

Due to these inconsistencies, I wouldn’t consider it the end all be all approach to healing your gut, yet because aloe has immense healing and health properties it will provide you with benefits regardless. You can drink 1-3 cups of aloe vera juice a day. You can even drink as little as a ¼ cup which you can easily add into smoothies. 

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Incorporating these strategies will help to heal your gut and promote a healthy microbiome. Discover what works for you since every microbiota is unique. Do not underestimate the power of reducing stress, getting high quality sleep and exercising regularly to aid in the repair of your gut. Some people even swear by breathing practices prior to eating to reduce stress and create a calm environment for your gut microbiome.

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