Go With Your Gut - Quiz And Advice
From TikTok to Pinterest to primetime news segments, more people than ever are talking about their guts – and it’s being reflected in the search results, too.
With 60% more searches for ‘gut health’ happening year-on-year, the appetite for learning about the gut and improving gut health is very much top of the nation’s health agenda.
But how much do we really know about our own gut health?
Understanding your gut: a speedy summary
The gut is a pretty special part of the digestive system. Comprised of trillions of microorganisms, the gut’s ‘microbiome’ (the collection of all the microbes) is often labelled a ‘supporting organ’ as it is vital for promoting many systems in the human body, from the brain to the sleep chemicals we produce.
Each person has a different microbiome which is unique to their body. It is linked to DNA, along with external factors such as how you were delivered in birth, the microbes you were exposed to in childhood, antibiotics or medicine taken in the past, and simply what you eat on a daily basis.
It is this last one – what you eat – that has a large impact on how your microbiome changes throughout your life. The changes can either be for the better, such as sustained energy levels, regular bowel movements, better quality sleep, and resistance to infection and disease, or for the worse, with some outcomes being low energy, brain fog, constipation, insomnia, and a weakened immune system. (Fun fact: Did you know 80% of your immune system lies in the gut?)
Now you know the benefits of choosing a gut-friendly diet, it’s time to put your own gut to the test. Try our quiz to see how your diet could be contributing to your overall gut health!
Finding gut-healthy foods
Gut-healthy foods are those which balance the good and bad bacteria in the gut. These are labelled either ‘prebiotic’ (those that stimulate growth of other bacteria in the gut) or ‘probiotic’ (that which boost microbe numbers in the colon) foods.
Some of the top prebiotics to consider including in your diet are:
- Leeks
- Onions
- Garlic
- Asparagus
- Bananas
- Legumes
- Honey
- Oats
- Sourdough
- Lentils
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Peas
- Brussels sprouts
- Ginger
Some of the best probiotics to choose in your next supermarket shop are:
- Yogurt (natural, unsweetened)
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Miso
- Kefir
- Kombucha
- Almonds
Consume enough of these gut-healthy foods and your gut will be grinning with delight, boosting all the vital operations your body needs to function.
To find out more about how you can maintain a healthy gut, head over to our handy Gut Health Hub where you can find everything you need to know from understanding stomach problems, to how to maintain regular bowel movements.
Medically reviewed by Llinos Connolly in February 2024.
