by: Dominica Morris

Gas, bloating, and constipation have always been an issue for me and it took me a lot of time and research to find the proper foods to keep my gut healthy. Taking daily probiotics and consuming foods high in probiotics has become a part of my daily routine.

But gut health isn’t only important to make you feel and look better, new research is showing that having healthy stomach bacteria can help with a variety of health issues including mental and skin health so I want to share with you today which probiotics I’ve been taking and what foods I’ve been eating, and and some easy ways to include them in your regular diet.

1.) Drink Plenty of Water

If you’re anything like me, who has suffered from not drinking enough water getting enough fluids is key in getting your gut health right. It goes without saying but drinking a ton of water has been very helpful. To do this I keep a big Nalgene water bottle with me wherever I go and I try to drink at least 64oz of water each day. This has definitely helped me with constipation. We all know that drinking water can be boring, so I like to mix it up by drinking flavored sparkling water. There are so many different ones to choose from but I really like the Polaris brands since they’re not overly sweet. If you need help staying consistent on your water intake check out my blog post on 3 Simple Ways I’ve Increased My Water Intake.

2.) Eat Probiotic and Greek Yoghurt

Probiotic yoghurts are my favorite. What are probiotics you ask? Probiotics are live organisms that help restore the good bacteria in your gut, and certain yoghurts such as greek yoghurt are choc full of them. I always get a big tub of either probiotic or greek yoghurt and add it to my smoothies, or eat it with fruit in the mornings. It’s also been a great healthy dessert. My preferred way to eat is with strawberries, blueberries, bananas and mangoes. I also eat it with granola and fruit for breakfast.

3.) Drink Kefir

Like yoghurt I love adding kefir into my smoothies, and much like yoghurt Kefir is choc full of healthy probiotics. Kefir is a fermented Milk drink. The fermentation process of the milk is caused by adding a culture of yeast. This creates a strain of bacteria that is great for improving gut flora. When I don’t add Kefir to my smoothies I like to drink it on its own. An 8oz glass of this fermented drink is all you need to make your stomach happy.

4.) Take Probiotic Supplements

While eating foods high in probiotics is great, many times that’s not always possible so taking a supplement is the best way to go. I love taking probiotic supplements and you can easily find them in any vitamin aisle at the grocery store or pharmacy. You can choose between refrigerated and non-refrigerated probiotics. I prefer the refrigerated kind because they tend to have higher amount of probiotics.

5.) Drinking Natural Calm

I’ve been drinking Natural Calm powder with warm water every night before I go to bed. Natural Calm is a flavored magnesium powder supplement that helps with stress relief. My midwife suggested I should drink it to get better sleep at night, but warned me that magnesium does give you more bowel movements. For me it was not a problem, and it’s actually been very helpful. Not only am I getting amazing sleep every night, and I get to up my magnesium intake, but it’s also been helping with my stomach issues. So it’s a win-win for me.

6.) Eating Foods Dense in Water

You don’t always have to drink your water to help with staying hydrated. I have some favorite fruits and veggies that I like to eat to keep my water intake high. In the summer I love eating watermelon. But a great healthy go to snack for me are cut up cucumbers. Another snack that I like to eat are grape tomatoes. Here is a list of other fruits and vegetables that are high in water.

Fruits: blueberries, pineapples, apricots, watermelons, plums, peaches, cantaloupes, and raspberries

Vegetables: celery, cucumbers, lettuce, and zucchini

7.) Eating Foods High in Fiber

It’s no secret that foods high in fiber are perfect for gut health, especially in treating symptoms of constipation. Fiber rich foods tend to digest slowly, which in turn feeds healthy bacteria. This in turn helps them break down food in your stomach.

Fruits: strawberries, avocados, raspberries, bananas,

Vegetables: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beans, brussel sprouts, broccoli

Other foods: almonds, oats