Intestinal health is essential for the general well-being of our body. Let’s find out everything you need to know for a healthy intestine and the balance of our microbiota
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No, you don’t have to poop once a day. It may seem strange but it is so, because the health of our intestines is connected to many other factors.
In fact, it’s a widespread misconception that we need to open our bowels every day, first thing in the morning.
The first thing to keep in mind is the frequency: it is normal for people to open their bowels only three times a week, but it is also normal to do it up to three times a day.
What’s really important is for people to know what’s normal, so that if anything changes they can talk to their doctor.
The first thing concerns the color and consistency of the feces: these can vary slightly from day to day, depending on what we eat.
If they are yellow or greenish this may be due to a poor absorption of nutrients. If the symptoms of diarrhea and constipation persist for more than three weeks, or if there is blood in the stool, contact your doctor.
To feel good and healthy, even at the intestinal level, you need to eat fruit and vegetables of five different colors every day; a multicolored and, mainly, integral diet feeds the good bacteria in a natural way.
Prebiotic foods, such as oats and bananas, will help your colon grow healthy bacteria naturally.
Some may turn to probiotic supplements, which contain the actual bacteria.
In this regard, however, it must be said that some of these bacteria do not survive if we do not feed them with a healthy diet and, in addition, not all of them contain enough live bacteria to function or are not always necessary if you follow a healthy diet. balanced.
Another way to increase the good bacteria is with exercise, which is important for your overall health, but there are many specific benefits for the gut as well.
Improves muscle and bowel motility, ensuring regular bowel movements. It also improves the bacterial balance in the intestines, thanks to an adequate blood supply.
Exercise also boosts intestinal integrity by increasing antioxidant defense and reducing inflammation which, in turn, improves the immune barrier function of the gut.
It reduces stress hormones and enzymes, and increases mood-enhancing hormones, which is good for your gut. Finally, it also reduces the risk of many intestinal and digestive diseases such as liver disease and bowel cancer.
Another tip for gut health is to take care of your mood, because gut-brain interaction is essential for microbiota health and balance. Symptoms such as persistent heartburn, constipation or pain may be related to mood disorders.
Stress is really toxic to your gut: It increases its permeability, letting bacteria into your blood, and the more stressed you are, the worse the effect. Over time, the stressed gut becomes more sensitive to pain and vulnerable to changes in motility.
In addition to all this, it is important to take breaks during the day, relax and, above all, get enough sleep at night.
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