In the words of F M Alexander:
“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”
There is no single cure or quick fix to improve your gut health. Gut health is a journey – one that is unique to you. Small, consistent habits lead to big changes.
Taking care of your gut health is an act of self-love. When you start prioritising your gut health, you’re investing in a happier, healthier you. Doing so needn’t be time-consuming – or overcomplicated. From the Gut Health Experts, we’re bringing you 5 sage pieces of advice for achieving good gut health – and how to keep at it!
1. Routine and consistency
We’re not medical practitioners, and we do not prescribe a quick-fix pill to cure your gut health issues. What we offer are ways to improve your gut health naturally by adopting a holistic approach – and nature takes time (and routine and consistency).
Your gut microbiome is host to colonies of microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes living in their own environments. They are living creatures just like you and I, and they thrive on routine and consistency:
- regular punctuated meals
- daily probiotics and prebiotics (a synbiotic approach)
- a consistent sleeping pattern
- exercise and fresh air
2. Listen to your body
Your gut is as unique as your fingerprint – respect its individuality. When it comes to probiotics, we recommend 170ml of Kefir daily, and for our Complete Prebiotic, 10g per day. However, listen to your body and adjust accordingly.
We all get impatient for results but if you are in a state of dysbiosis (imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome), this dosage could be “too much of a good thing” for you at the start of your journey. Pay attention to how your body responds and tailor your dosage accordingly. Yes, reducing your dosage will mean results may take longer, but commitment, routine, and consistency are key – and you will get there!
3. Patience and perseverance
We recommend a minimum of 3 courses of probiotic Kefir (12 bottles) back-to-back to replenish your gut microbiome before expecting to see results. Some notice improvements within a few weeks – for others, it may take months and several courses. We ask that you trust us when we say trust the process, instil that routine, remain consistent and the results will follow.
4. Keep a journal
Both research and our 10+ years of working with our wonderful clients here at Chuckling Goat have taught us that keeping a journal of your symptoms can help you on your gut health journey.
Keep a journal of your symptoms or how you’re feeling – whatever this looks like to you. It may be a photo diary (an album on your phone) of your eczema. Maybe it’s a written diary describing your IBS symptoms. Record it all.
As you start to feel better, your inclination to record your symptoms and feelings may decline and you may forget or simply stop logging your progress. Similarly, you may feel like you’re not progressing at all because your eczema is still there – but flicking back to those first photos can be motivating when you notice improvements.
For this purpose, we’ve created our own free Chucking Goat symptom journal here. Want to step up your gut health game with a CG Microbiome Test? With your test, you receive lifetime membership access to our state-of-the-art gut health tracker platform, where you can log your daily gut health actions and track the improvements in your health over time.
5. Be realistic
The journey to good gut health needn’t be an “all or nothing” one. Moderation is key to success. We advocate the 80/20 rule at CG – and it works!
80% of the time, eat and live well for your gut (and wider) health. 20% of the time – have or do something you enjoy – a glass of wine, a piece of chocolate cake. A little bit of indulgence will not undo your good work. Remember, in the process of improving your gut health, you are building resilience. Reframe your thinking – discipline not deprivation.
With all this in mind, don’t just take our word for it, check out our Trustpilot page here for client testimonials! For more tips, check out 12 days of health and wellness.
Questions? Feel free to contact us on live chat (weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm) to speak to one of our nutritional therapists.
