Trinny and Shabir discuss the importance of gut health...the cornerstone of our wellbeing.

Your gut health refers to your digestive wellness and involves the stomach, intestines, and colon. Your gut digests food to extract nutrients and excrete waste.

Your gut microbiome is the foundation for health. Good gut health occurs when you have a balance between good bacteria, potentially harmful bacteria and fungi. This is your microbiome, and its balance is delicate and easily disturbed. It is important to have good gut health because a large chunk of your immune system and the majority of your serotonin exist in the gut. This means that if your gut is not healthy, then your immune system and hormones may not function properly. Your gut is also where toxins and metabolic waste are disposed of. If your gut struggles, then this can cause chronic fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea, gas, and even brain fog as your gut and brain communicate with each other through the gut-brain axis. 

Enzymes play an important role in digestion. They help to maximize nutrient extraction and turn consumed food into energy. Enzyme deficiencies can lead to a variety of digestive discomforts, including occasional wind, bloating, indigestion and irregularity. These deficiencies may be the result of a combination of age, diet and lifestyle. A gentle enzyme product may be all that is required to ease these irritating digestive complaints. Digest Complete is a digestive enzyme supplement designed as an introductory digestive enzyme product for the family. Since it is a gentle formula, it may also be an excellent choice for individuals who have experienced sensitivities to high potency digestive enzyme blends. Digest Complete capsules are small, making them easy to swallow.

What's the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?

Prebiotics are plant-based fibres that are used to feed the good bacteria in your gut to get stronger and healthier over time. Not all high-fibre foods are rich in prebiotic fibres. Foods containing prebiotic fibres include bananas, legumes, leeks, onions, and oats.

Inulin is a prebiotic derived from chicory root that not only helps ensure that probiotic bacteria flourish in the gut, but it has been the subject of several studies indicating its ability to reduce body weight and visceral fat. It appears that even 4 grammes a day can help regulate appetite and food intake. People consuming higher levels record decreased appetites for sweet, salty, and fatty foods.

Probiotics comes from the Latin words PRO, which means FOR, and BIOTIC, which means LIFE. Probiotics are live bacteria that keep bad bacteria in check. Virtually every process in the body may have friendly bacteria associated with it:

• Digest food
• Support the immune system
• Detoxify
• Manufacture B vitamins
• Support your overall wellbeing
• Manufacture short-chain fats to ensure the healthy movement of food

Your gut bacteria are influenced by what you eat. o improve your gut biome you should:

• Eat a high-fibre diet
• Eat a spectrum of fruits and vegetables
• Limit processed foods
• Drink water
• Eat slowly; chewing thoroughly prevents gas and bloating
• Eat fermented foods

Victoria Health Mega Probiotic ND is a natural probiotic supplement containing eight probiotic strains to support healthy gut function.  Mega Probiotic ND is an all-natural non-dairy, acid-resistant probiotic supplement to support digestive tract health. Probiotics also support healthy colon cell growth, immune function, and optimize intestinal motility. An imbalance of beneficial bacteria can result in fungal infections in the body as well as urinary tract infections.

How do I tell if my gut is suffering?

The gut microbiome is affected by:

• Stress and inflammatory hormones which destroy some of the friendly bacteria.
• Too little sleep
• Too much sugar
• Inflammatory diet
• Eating too many processed foods
• Smoking and antibiotics

There is no single measure of gut health and gut health cannot be measured like Cholesterol levels. But signs of poor gut health include: gas, bloating, constipation, acid reflux, diarrhoea, heartburn, low mood or anxiety, skin eruptions. Skin eruptions often occur because of constant inflammation in the gut, which leads to a damaged lining called leaky gut syndrome. This damaged lining means that undigested food can sometimes pass through into the bloodstream, causing skin eruptions. Viridian Clear Skin Complex is a specifically formulated blend of skin targeted botanicals, key minerals and antioxidant carotenoids in a base of digestion-boosting probiotics for a clear, fresh, blemish-free skin. 

How to improve gut health?

• Eat a Mediterranean diet
• Ensure 30 grammes of fibre from varied sources in your diet; this improves regularity and therefore prevents the buildup of toxins and the damage that these can cause
• Eat wholefoods
• Consume less sugar, exercise regularly, and drink plenty of water.

Repairing the gut is crucial to heal the damaged lining of the gut walls. The amino acid l-glutamine constitutes more than 20 percent of amino acid levels in the body signifying its importance. The gastrointestinal tract is by far the greatest user of glutamine in the body and the cells lining the gut use glutamine as their principal source of energy. Using glutamine as a source of energy, the gut cells can promote cellular regeneration and therefore repair within the gut. Studies also indicate that glutamine improves the gut barrier function and hence minimises the chances of a leaky gut. Glutamine is available in powder and capsule forms; aim for a dose of 1000mg daily preferably on an empty stomach and carry on with the consumption of unprocessed foods.

Omega-3 fatty acids are so important they play a key role in the structure of every single cell in your body. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat with anti-inflammatory benefits. Since your body can’t make omega 3’s on its own, you’ll have to get them in your diet through either whole foods or supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids are widely known for their anti-inflammatory benefits, helping with digestion (which comes in handy for dealing with stomach conditions).

Curcumin will help to calm down the inflammation in the gut, ensure that food is broken down efficiently so that it prevents constipation as well as the build up of toxins that are responsible for the cycle of bouts associated with IBS. Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex is a supplement that has been shown to provide curcumin and all the active compounds found in turmeric in meaningful amounts to curb inflammation.

FLORASSIST® Daily Bowel Regularity is a one-a-day probiotic for constipation. Daily Bowel Regularity is to be taken as an aid to occasional constipation and to improve digestive health. Daily Bowel Regularity contains the clinically studied Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 strain shown to encourage and maintain bowel regularity.

Happy Stomach, Happy Mind. FLORASSIST® Mood Improve combines innovative probiotics with a standardised saffron extract to support emotional well-being and help maintain a balanced mood. Victoria Health Magnolia Rhodiola Complex is a herbal food supplement for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress, anxiety and low mood such as fatigue, exhaustion, and mild anxiety.  Magnolia Rhodiola capsules incorporate traditional herbal stress-lowering herbs to support calming factors, helping you to feel relaxed without drowsiness, elevate mood and improve emotional well-being.  

For daily gut health and wellbeing, JERMS Daily Gut is an advanced 4-in-1 gut health powder that delivers probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, organic superfoods, and vitamins for optimal digestive and overall health.

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