Maintaining a healthy digestive system helps your body break down the foods that you are eating to a simple form that can enter the bloodstream and deliver the nutrients throughout your body. A healthy gut refers to the balance of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Your digestive tract is home to trillions of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi etc.) that help your body in digestion. We also have a host of bad bacteria in our body as well. When the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, it can lead to problems with your health.

Research demonstrating the connection between your gut bacteria and your overall health includes obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease and overall immune health. The good bacteria in your gut even seem to play a role in basic functions like managing your cholesterol levels and blood sugar as well as digesting the lactose in dairy products. Gut health and nutrition can also positively or negatively impact your mood as well. 

By making appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes, you can alter your gut bacteria as well as diversify the amount of microbes in your gut for the better. Positive changes such as taking a probiotic, eating more plant-based foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are just some changes that can affect your gut health.

To learn more about gut health and lifestyle changes, join Dietitian and Health Coach Jessica Hernandez for the four-week group health coaching series “Improving your Gut Health” beginning June 7 at 12:30 p.m. To register, sign up here.

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