Common habits that are affecting your gut health

Modern lifestyle has brought many luxurious vagaries and made our life very easy. But lifestyle changes have affected our health to a great extent. Lack of sleep, hectic schedule, frequent travel, dining-out, regular medication and increase in stress levels has directly impacted our health. Young & old people have been suffering from obesity, high blood- pressure, chronic diseases, depression, hypertension, and gastroenteritis. But our gut being the most affected from these sedentary deviations. The way our body is our home, it is also home to good bacteria that is found in our gut.

As our gut wellbeing is the epitome of overall health, a vigorous lifestyle will ensure we have a healthy gut. It is responsible for various nutrients that are absorbed by the body for functioning right from producing energy, hormone balance and mental health. Certain common habits that are affecting gut health are:

1- High content of sugar –

High or low sugar levels cause a major imbalance in our body. High sugar levels in our food like processed food, canned food, fructose, artificial sweeteners and aerated drinks leads to increased proportion of sugar in our body causing diabetes, which in turn harms our gut.

2- Irregular sleep patterns –

If you don’t remember when you slept well last that too for a minimum of 8 hours at a stretch; means you are lacking good sleep. Less sleep leads to fatigue, irritability, acidity, vertigo, etc. and directly increases stress on our gut.

3- No workout –

In this fast paced world it’s necessary to give our body daily exercise to keep it flexible and active. Due to our hectic work schedules we hardly have any time for exercise. Sitting continuously on the work desk has made us lethargic & obese. Physical movement of our body is relevant for our gut. It also keeps the body fit, strong, helps in reducing weight, improves blood circulation and keeps our heart healthy.

4- Having less water-

How much water do you drink in a day? Do you know that about 70%of the human body is made up of water? It needs at least 2-3 liters of water intake that comes to 8-10glasses in a day. Many times we skip having enough fluids which makes our body dehydrated. Drinking adequate water is beneficial for our gut. It keeps our body hydrated, improves skin condition and bowel movements.

5- Less fiber in our diet-

If we intake less fiber, our gut will get irritated and cause bowel troubles like diarrhea & constipation. Our body needs a good amount of fiber for digestion. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are good sources of prebiotics which itself is a fiber. The nutrients provided by these foods help the good bacteria in the gut grow.

6- Drinking too much liquor

Anything consumed in large quantities directly affects our health. Having alcohol on a regular basis will lead to chronic problems and reduce the good bacteria in the gut.