What is Gut Health?

Gut health had never really crossed my mind when thinking of ways to improve my physical and mental well-being. For a long while I was uncertain I really understood it, until I came across this explanation.

Our gut, or gastrointestinal system, is most commonly known for breaking down the food we eat, absorbing the nutrients our body requires for fuel and shuttling the waste out of our system.

But what if I told you your gut was responsible for far more than food transportation and digestion?

What if I told you that in our gut we have trillions of little bacteria responsible for the homeostasis in our bodies. Our gut is responsible for keeping the balance within the small ecosystem that lives inside us — the balance between good and bad bacteria — which ultimately impacts our day-to-day well-being, physically and mentally.

Studies have proven that an unhealthy gut is commonly the cause of a lot of uncomfortable symptoms such as:

• Bloating
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Stomach pain

Other conditions such as autoimmune disease, a high sugar diet, skin irritation and, more relevant to menopause, unintentional weight changes and fatigue or sleep disturbances may all be signs that your gut is in need of a little rebalancing.

Four Ways to Improve Your Gut Health During Menopause

Reducing Stress

Stress, as we know it, causes more than a few impractical symptoms within menopause, such as hot flashes, anxiety, depression and magnified fatigue. However, stress is also responsible for impairing your gut’s ability to function properly.

Ways to combat that stress may include meditation, yoga, good sleep, massage (specifically Swedish massage, which includes stomach massage and may improve gastrointestinal flow), walking or even decreasing caffeine intake.

Improving Diet and Nutrition

Nutrition plays a fundamental role not just during menopause but throughout our entire life. Although it’s important to enjoy life and eat what you like, we cannot deny that diet directly affects our health.

Ways to improve nutrition during menopause to optimize overall wellbeing may include decreasing caffeine levels, reducing sugar intake, limiting high-fat foods, and increasing fibre and lean protein intake. Fibre has been proven to positively impact gut health tremendously.

Integrate Supplements and Probiotics Into Your Lifestyle

Supplements are a great way to support your nutritional intake when you feel you aren't able to consume enough of the foods your body needs.

During menopause it can be especially difficult to keep up with the nutrients your body requires solely through diet. This is because the body is transitioning and changing significantly.

Supplements such as organic moringa, diatomaceous earth, L-glutamine, curcumin, zinc and probiotics are some natural remedies that may help support gut health and rebalance your gut ecosystem. And let’s not forget the positive impact FeminaPause can have on overall wellbeing.

If suffering from underlying conditions or intolerances, please seek medical advice before using supplements to reduce the risk of potential side effects.

Water – Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to improve the balance between good and bad bacteria in your gut, as well as support the mucosal gut lining. Proper hydration can also help you feel more energised and less sluggish.

Listen to Your Gut

For a long time, our body’s health has been defined solely by the amount of physical activity we do and the nutrients we consume, without considering the tremendous role our gut plays in overall health — especially during menopause.

Listen to your gut, pay attention to the signs and take matters into your own hands. Gut health plays an incredibly vital role in physical and mental wellbeing, from easing anxiety and feelings of depression to revitalising skin, hair and other aspects of physical appearance and function.