- Many health professionals agree that gut health is the key to good health
- FEMAIL consulted the Sydney nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen, for her gut health tips
- According to Ms Cohen, you need to embrace Mediterranean and Japanese food
- You should also take probiotics and forget about the hot water and lemon idea
- She said counter-intuitively you need to make sure you don't exercise too hard
Ask any health professional what the key
to good health is these days and they will all agree on one thing: your
gut is most important.
But while many might think that making over your gut health is a long and complex process, it doesn't need to be.
In fact, you can improve your tummy status in just 24 hours with a few simple tweaks.
FEMAIL spoke to the Sydney-based nutritionist and founder of the Keep It Real health programme, Lyndi Cohen, to find out how you can change your attitude to your tummy overnight - and get healthier as a result.
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Sydney-based
nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen (pictured), shared her tips for gut health
with FEMAIL - countless health professionals now argue the most
important part of good health is gut health
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But many people still think that
improving the status of their tummy health (stock image) is a long and
complex process - you can in fact make a few improving tweaks in 24
hours
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The first thing Ms Cohen
(pictured) recommends is that you follow a Mediterranean or Japanese
diet - this is because both of these contain things which are good for
your gut
TAKE A PROBIOTIC AND DITCH THE HOT WATER AND LEMON
Ms Cohen explained that when it comes to a happy tummy, you can't go wrong with starting the day with a probiotic:
'Taking probiotics, along with prebiotics, is one of the simplest ways to boost your gut health,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'Try something like Yakult and try to have it each day to keep up the good habits.
'Your
body is highly sophisticated, and there isn't really any evidence to
support the idea that your gut needs to be "prepped" with hot water and
lemon before breakfast,' Ms Cohen continued.
'Most stomachs can regulate acid just perfectly without a squirt of lemon juice having to wake them up,' she added.
EAT MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE AND DITCH JUNK FOODS
Next,
Ms Cohen said that there are certain foods which will do good things to
your stomach - and certain foods which will have a negative impact.
'Mediterranean cuisine is ideal as it's filled with fibre and plant foods, which contain prebiotics,' she explained.
'Prebiotics
are essential to creating a healthier gut, and they can be found in
fibrous foods like beans, bananas, leafy greens, garlic, onions and
tomatoes.
'Japanese and Korean foods
are also a good option, as they include fermented foods like kimchi and
pickled vegetables which can help with digestion.'
The
Sydney-based nutritionist said that on the other hand, you should stay
away from highly processed junk food which 'can throw off the balance of
your gut microbiota and impact your body's immunity'.
If
you're hooked on a daily soft drink or packet of crisps, Ms Cohen
recommends you try switching it for some kombucha or fruit at 3pm.
'Bacteria
doesn't thrive in foods that are high in sodium, so aim to eat foods
with lower salt content to boost the number of good bacteria which make
it to your gut,' she said.
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'Prebiotics are essential to
creating a healthier gut, and they can be found in fibrous foods like
beans, bananas, leafy greens, garlic, onions and tomatoes,' Ms Cohen
(pictured) said
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Meanwhile, Ms Cohen (pictured) recommends you lessen your intake of sodium as bacteria doesn't thrive in these foods
CLEAN YOUR TEETH THOROUGHLY AND TRY TO MANAGE STRESS
It might sound unusual, but brushing your teeth thoroughly really can give you a healthier stomach:
'Gut
microbiota need to travel through your mouth first, so having a clean
mouth and brushing well can help to boost your immunity and prevent
pathogens from making it to the gut,' Ms Cohen explained.
Keep a lid on your stress levels where possible too, as high stress at home or work can also impact on your internal health.
Ms Cohen recommends meditation or exercise in this instance.
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Brushing your teeth thoroughly (stock image) can help to boost your immunity and prevent pathogens from making it to the gut
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As well as this, Ms Cohen said
you shouldn't go too hard in the gym - instead you should do regular
exercise which doesn't cause stress to your body (stock image)
DON'T EXERCISE TOO INTENSELY
Last but not least, though it may feel counter-intuitive, Ms Cohen said you shouldn't go excessively hard in the gym.
'Exercising excessively or intensely can reduce your immunity, which will make you get sick more frequently,' she said.
'The best type of exercise for a strong immune system is enjoyable regular exercise which doesn't cause stress to your body.'
Yet another reason to take up yoga.
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