Proper gut health is hugely important and has a significant impact on your overall health.  It helps your immune system, heart health, brain health, mood, sleep, and digestion all function properly! A healthy gut may even help you avoid disease and some cancers. While one of the most common reasons for gut imbalance is a poor diet, there are many other reasons that you may not realize are affecting your gut. It’s important to understand what these signs are because an unhealthy gut can take a toll on your entire body. Let’s take a look at the signs you should be looking out for.

1. Upset Stomach

Stomach issues such as gas, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy intestine if you are experiencing them frequently. These symptoms can also be a sign of  irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common condition that affects the large intestines.”

2. Constant Fatigue

An unhealthy gut can contribute to poor or irregular sleep, which can ultimately lead to fatigue. This is because serotonin, which influences sleep, is mostly made in the gut.

3. Sugar Cravings

An unhealthy gut will often result in food cravings for high-fat, high-sugar, and processed junk foods. When too much sugar is consumed, this can eventually lead to the overproduction of “bad” bacteria in the gut, also known as dysbiosis, and lead to an unhealthy and inflamed environment for your gut.

4. Skin Irritation

Often skin conditions such as eczema can be related to an unhealthy gut. If your gut is irritated, proteins can “leak” from the gut into your skin, and can ultimately result in irritation and itching.

5. Weight Fluctuation

Unintentional weight changes without major changes to your diet or exercise routine can be a sign of an unhealthy gut. When your gut health is out of whack, it may affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat.

6. Migraines

One study suggested that those who experience headaches or migraines frequently may be predisposed to gastrointestinal problems. “Digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease, also may be linked to migraines.”

Ways to Improve Gut Health

Source: Meghan Livingstone/YouTube

Meghan shares 7 tips we can all implement to improve our gut health! She recommends swapping out refined foods with complex, fiber-rich, whole foods, drinking lots of water every day, taking daily probiotics and prebiotics, adding plenty of polyphenols (berries, green tea, cacao, etc. into your diet, taking a few breaths and relaxing before you eat,  chewing your food thoroughly, eating until you’re about 80% full, practice intuitive eating, getting plenty of exercise, and lastly, she recommends to stop eating closer to bedtime if you can. Watch her video to find out why each of these tips can help improve your digestion and overall gut health!

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, always consult your doctor to see if they’re caused by an unhealthy stomach or if it is something else. You might also want to consider seeing a naturopathic doctor who specializes in gut health.  A naturopath may recommend a particular diet or conduct testing to determine if you have food sensitivities or triggers that are producing an imbalance in your stomach.

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• The Connection Between Gut and Brain Health
• A Guide to Your Gut Type and What This Means for Your Diet
• 5 Steps to Build and Maintain a Healthy Gut