Top Tips for Better Gut Health

Good health in our digestive system – the gut – goes well beyond tummy troubles.

Dawn A. Flickema, MD, with Avera Medical Group Integrative Medicine offers these insights that can help you achieve better belly health.

Everything Counts

“Whatever you eat or drink will either feed the good bacteria or the bad bacteria in your gut,” Flickema said. The bad bacteria love sugar and processed foods so limit your intake of candy, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, sugary breakfast foods, chips and other unhealthy snack foods and fast food. Instead, focus on whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. It’s also important to note that artificial sweeteners can disrupt the gut microbiome and cause an overabundance of harmful bacteria so avoid "diet" and "sugar-free" products, too.

Fermented Foods and Fiber

Good gut health gets help from fermented foods, such as yogurt and sauerkraut. High-fiber vegetables also aid the good bacteria and nullify the bad. Yogurt may be helpful for some people, but if it’s high in sugar, it is counterproductive. "Some fermented foods don’t help every person – each digestive system is unique,” Flickema said.

Knowing the Signs

You can tell if your gut microbiome is not doing well – you’ll feel bloated, have irregular bathroom habits, increased gas and plenty of heartburn or acid reflux, too.

Gastrointestinal symptoms such as heartburn, gas, bloating, constipation and loose stools are not something that you just have to accept. "These are signs that your gut microbiome is unbalanced, and making diet and lifestyle changes can significantly improve the balance you need,” Flickema said.

Mindful Moderation

Once you “flip the switch” and begin a better gut-focused diet, you’ll see improvement quickly, but it’s fragile. “When people return to bad habits, such as having sugary drinks, they will see the signs of poor gut health come back. That’s why steady change, using science-based approaches, is best,” Flickema said. “There’s never really an ‘overnight’ change. Remember, it likely took time for your microbiome and symptoms to become what they are, so it’ll take time for improvement.”

The cleaner the diet, the better – but being human means realizing 100% clean diets will not happen. “Don’t abandon it – stay mindful and work on it,” she said.

Stress Stops Success

You can have the perfect diet, but if your stress levels are really high, they can disrupt everything.

“Unfortunately, stress affects our bodies in a number of ways, and it’s especially harmful for gut health. While we can’t eliminate all the stressors in our lives, we can learn to respond to them differently,” Flickema said. “Consider deep breathing from your belly throughout the day, doing 10-minute meditation or mindfulness sessions, keeping a gratitude journal, practicing mind-body movement, or going for a walk.”

Doing it Right

Working with a professional can help, especially if you’re considering a probiotic supplement or if you’ve recently used antibiotics. Start with your primary care provider. “There are a lot of supplements and approaches like fermented foods that can backfire for some people,” Flickema said. “Having an evaluation with a health care or nutrition professional can help you avoid false starts on your journey to better gut health.”