It's just over a week into a New Year, and for many, this means just over a week into a "cleanse or detox"!

We all know how radiant and clear our skin can be post-cleanse, but have you ever considered why?

Often we do not consider how impactful the gut and liver are on the health and radiance of our skin! Not only do they both dictate clearance of hormones and toxins, they are also key regulators of blood sugar and inflammation, all of which when are out of kilter can impact our skin (and vitality) in a very significant way!

5 Quick and Easy Gut Health Tips

Removing dietary triggers

The first step I recommend when it comes to improving our gut health is removing any of the dietary triggers that may be exacerbating bloating, indigestion, constipation or an irritable bowel. This is often sugar, yeast, gluten and dairy, however everyone’s gut is different so taking a food diary can be helpful in determining what is triggering your gut imbalance.

Alongside eliminating these foods I have a few go-to herbs which can be really helpful in eliminating any potential yeast overgrowth – these herbs include golden seal, garlic and oregano.

Focus on variety

Our gut microbiome is a complex eco-system comprising over 30 trillion cells and five different types of organisms including bacteria, yeasts, viruses, parasites and archaea. All these microbes have a unique role in our health so fostering this diversity is key. When we nurture a diverse ecosystem of gut bacteria our gut becomes incredibly resilient and strong, as does our overall health and immune system which is so intricately linked. 

The key to nurturing a diverse ecosystem of gut microbes is feeding them a diverse range of plant based foods. This is important as not every microbe eats the same thing and every dietary choice you make will either allow our group of microbes to thrive and the others to die off. The life cycle of our gut bacteria is so quick that the food choices you make in twenty-four hours will impact the evolution of over 50 generations of gut microbes.

My recommendation based on this is to ensure you are eating a variety of plant-based foods every day! Eating healthy foods such as broccoli, kale and seeds repetitively is great but is not nurturing all of our gut microbiome.

Think about changing up your greens and veggies every day and adding nuts, seeds, seaweed and healthy whole grains into your diet to ensure you are fuelling your gut bacteria with the best possible food to nourish and nurture them.  

Gut healing nutrients

When it comes to supporting a healthy gut and reducing inflammation I recommend focusing on specific herbs and nutrients which are known for their gut healing benefits. Glutamine is one of my go to nutrients as has a wonderful ability to restore and repair your gut lining. You will find this in our Inner Essentials Skin+Gut Renew Powder.

Adding digestive enzymes to your supplement regime is a great way to enhance digestion and improve the transit time of food through your large intestine. Bromelain and Papain are natural enzymes that are naturally found in foods like pineapple and papaya and can be consumed in supplement or natural form to reduce inflammation and support digestion.

Shop Inner Essentials Skin + Gut Renew Powder here.

Improving stress response

Reducing stress or improving our ability to copy with daily stressors along with improving our sleep can definitely be helpful in improving our gut health. High levels of stress can deplete our body of key nutrients which support a healthy gut including zinc and vitamin C.

A lack of sleep can also mean that our body’s healing and repair mechanisms are compromised and our hormones are out of balance which can place an extra load on our gut and liver.  

Calming foods

Foods which can be incorporated into your diet to calm your gut and reduce inflammation include chamomile along with aloe vera and slippery elm powder. What I love about these natural herbs/foods is that they are very powerful when it comes to their ability to alleviate bloating whilst supporting healthy digestion – you will also find these in our Inner Essentials - Skin + Gut Renew Powder.