4 Tips for Supporting a Healthy Gut

Hi! Ally Cantando, RD here to give you a few tips on how to support your gut health:

• Deep breathing before meals – This tip from Dr. Michal has been a game changer for myself and for many of our clients! We want to be in a ‘rest and digest’ state when we eat, and simply doing 2 minutes of paced breathing before a meal can help to relax your digestive system and prep for optimal digestion/absorption!
• Chew your food! In today’s day and age, we are very often on the go, eating in front of a screen, etc. Not chewing our food thoroughly can lead to adverse side effects like gas, bloating, indigestion, etc. When we chew properly (ie., chewing down to a mush), we are helping our body excrete digestive enzymes, and we are making it easier to absorb nutrients. Try to slow down and be mindful of how much (or how little!) you are chewing.
• Fiber – The recommended daily intake of fiber is roughly 25g for women and 38g for men. The average American consumes just 10-15g per day! Read more about fiber in Anna’s Instagram post here! If you are struggling with constipation and/or diarrhea, or if you simply feel like you’re not meeting your fiber needs, start with incorporating more of these foods: raspberries, pears, figs, beans, avocado, artichokes, chia seeds, oats, popcorn, + more!
• Get moving – Research is promising for exercise and the gut! Not only does movement help to get things moving…but studies have also shown that simply going for a long walk a few times each week can improve the health and diversity of our gut microbiome! So cool right?

I could go on and on about gut health, but these tips are a good place to start! If you are looking for a deeper dive or a more individualized look into your gut health, feel free to schedule a discovery call with anyone on our Sanare Functional Medicine team!

In health, Ally Cantando, RD