Learning to trust your gut can be difficult, especially if you have intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or digestive and autoimmune diseases such as celiac or Crohn’s disease. Even if you don’t, you’re likely to have occasional gastrointestinal issues like indigestion, gas, or constipation. What’s the point?
Understanding the signs of a healthy gut, as well as ways to support your G.I. system, is an important part of optimizing your overall health. After all, a well-balanced microbiome is linked to longevity, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and a lower risk of developing chronic diseases.
Exercise, stress reduction, and eating foods that support your microbiome on a regular basis can all help improve your gut health (looking at you, fiber-filled leafy greens, avocados, and foods rich in both prebiotics and probiotics). Of course, knowing how to spot signs of poor gut health will help you track your progress. The ability to recognize signs of a healthy gut, on the other hand, may be equally beneficial.
The following are three green flags, according to a gastroenterologist, that things are going in the right direction.3 signs of a healthy gut that you might be missing1. A regular BM is part of your morning routine.Everyone’s morning routine is unique; perhaps you begin your day with meditation or a warm glass of lemon (or lime) water to rehydrate. One thing they should all have in common, according to gastroenterologist Mark Pimentel, MD, associate professor of medicine and gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is a bowel movement. “People often don’t know what ‘normal’ is when it comes to bowel movements,” he says, “but in an ideal world, you should wake up in the morning and have one.”
“It’s crucial.” It’s referred to as a diurnal pattern because it occurs during the day. The physiology of the gut is designed in such a way that when you wake up in the morning, the colon wakes up, contracts, and gathers all of the material from the day before in a position from which it can be removed.”Are you not currently a part of this cycle?
Consider following some of the golden rules of consistently healthy poop, as recommended by doctors. (By the way, if you’re pooping on a regular basis but at a different time of day, that’s also great.)
You experience gurgles.According to Dr. Pimentel, it’s a common misconception that the sounds of your stomach growling always indicate that you’re hungry. Instead, he claims that it’s often a sign of a healthy gut going into “dishwasher mode.”
“That gurgling sound is known as the migrating motor complex,” explains Dr. Pimentel. “When you don’t eat for 90 minutes, that cleaning wave comes through.” Don’t be embarrassed if you hear that. It’s a lovely thing.”3. You are energised and focused.It turns out that not needing an afternoon nap (or a coffee pick-me-up) is a sign that your G.I. tract is in good shape. According to Dr. Pimentel, the science behind this is simple: whether we realise it or not, digestion requires a significant amount of energy.
