“All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates.
It may have been more than 2,000 years ago, but it looks like Hippocrates knew what he was talking about.
In the past decade, scientists have completely revived interest in this not-so-attractive piece of anatomy. Probiotics are storming the market, the U.S. Government launched a five-year research project into microbiome and experts are even calling the gut “the second brain”.
With Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in full swing, we’re going back to the basics of looking after your gut for long-term health and happiness.
1. Eat your gut healthy.
If you think about it, the food you eat spends a lot of time with your gut. So it makes sense that it has a huge impact on your, er, intestinal fortitude.
“A healthy gut depends on a combination of factors all working together to maintain the integrity of the cells that line the gut,” says dietician and 8-Week Program gut health expert, Kerith Duncanson.
These factors include eating lots of fibre-rich vegetables and whole grains, fermentable carbohydrates like legumes and cooled root veggies, as well as probiotics (fermented foods).
Unsurprisingly, refined sugars and junk foods don’t make the cut. “Sugary drinks are known to contribute to bowel cancer risk,” says Kerith.
2. Exercise regularly.
Exercise isn’t just for rock-hard abs, there’s a bowel under that six-pack that needs taking care of, too!
“The role of physical activity in gut health comes via its effect on both the brain (stress relief, endorphins) and in stimulating the smooth muscles of the gut to maintain regular bowel habits,” explains Kerith.
Physical activity is also one of the only known preventions of bowel cancer – a meta-analysis found that regular exercise could reduce your risk of colon cancer by up to 25 per cent.
3. Prioritise self-care.
Emerging science shows that the gut and the brain are intrinsically linked – which might explain why we get those “gut feelings”. So, it’s important to look after our mental health if we want our gut to perform at its best.
“The gut has its own very complex nervous system, which is why some call it the second brain,” says Kerith. “This nervous system is hot wired to our brain. Stress that impacts the brain can influence the gut and vice versa.”
Similarly, when you look after your gut, you could impact your mental health. Recent research found a surprising link between gut bacteria imbalance and mood disorders like anxiety and depression. While we’re waiting for further investigation on this relationship, our guts tell us it’s another good reason to prioritise gut health for life.
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