Practicing self-care means taking steps to support your health and well-being. Self-care may involve looking after your mental, social or physical well-being, which can include your gut health.
Your gut plays an important role in many different aspects of health.
There’s the gut-brain connection, for instance. This means that gut symptoms may either cause or result from emotional responses, like anxiety and stress. In general, things that are good for your mental health tend to be good for your gut health.
Overall, acts of self-care that seem to support one specific area of health can also have a positive effect on your gut.
You may have heard, for example, that spending time outdoors can be great for your mental and emotional health. But did you know that it could also benefit your gut microbes?
In this article, we look at 10 classic self-care tips to see how they benefit your gut health, as well as other areas of well-being.
1. Eat a healthy diet
When you want to look after yourself, eating well is a great place to start. Following a healthy diet and eating plenty of fibre are each associated with better mental health and sleep.
Eating enough fibre is also associated with lower risks of health conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
When it comes to fibre, most of us aren’t getting enough. We need at least 30 grams a day, and our guts love it. Fibre feeds the microbes living there and helps waste to move on through.
Top tip: One way to eat more fibre is to add seeds and pulses to your regular meals. They work well in soups and sauces, or as toppings for salads or yoghurt.
2. Relax and reduce stress
Long-term stress can have consequences for both your physical and mental health. So, taking steps to reduce stress when you can is a common self-care recommendation.
We mentioned earlier that stress can cause gut symptoms, and these include constipation and diarrhoea.
There’s also evidence that stress can change the makeup of your gut microbiome – the community of microbes living in your digestive tract.
Top tip: When you’re dealing with stress, having more time to yourself can make a difference. So when things are less hectic, try saving yourself time in the future by either preparing ingredients or cooking meals in advance.
3. Learn and be creative
Trying new activities can bring a sense of accomplishment and boost your mood. And there’s evidence that various forms of creativity can support your mental health.
Using the kitchen as an outlet for learning and creativity could also pay dividends for your gut health.
Specifically, there are benefits to adding new meals and ingredients to your diet. This makes it easier to reach that gut-friendly goal of eating 30 different plants a week, which can help you host a wide range of beneficial bacteria in your gut.
You might start by taking cooking classes or watching YouTube videos. Or, you might get inspired by cookbooks, magazines or different recipes that can transform common ingredients or leftovers into new, exciting meals.
Top tip: If you’re wondering which plants to add, start with something that’s a different colour from the foods you eat most often. And don’t be afraid to experiment – give new things a try and don’t worry about making mistakes.
Aiming for a variety of colours – also known as ‘eating the rainbow’ – means that you’re getting a wider range of helpful plant chemicals called polyphenols, which can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Spend time in nature
Being in the great outdoors can have a positive impact on your mental health and well-being. Exercising in nature or gardening at home can both help, showing that different levels of activity can have the same benefits.
Studies have found that gardeners report better mood and quality of life, compared with non-gardeners.
We’ve described ways that supporting your mental health in turn supports your gut health. And there may be extra benefits to encountering new microbes in nature. Research suggests that being in close contact with green spaces may support a healthy gut microbiome.
Top tip: If you don’t have a garden, you may still benefit from bringing nature indoors by growing herbs or even lettuce in a window box. And when you can include these plants in your meals, it’s a great way to boost your weekly plant count.
5. Eat mindfully
Mindful eating involves becoming more aware of your eating experience. It can mean eating more slowly and focusing on how your body feels in the present moment.
Although the research is still limited, some studies have linked mindfulness training with living more healthily.
Eating slowly and mindfully can also benefit your gut. It helps you listen to your body’s hunger cues and encourages the production of the acid and enzymes you need for digestion.
So, you might start by putting down your knife and fork between mouthfuls. Aim for 10–20 chews per mouthful and minimise distractions, such as from your phone or the TV.
Top tip: Sip water or other drinks between mouthfuls. This can help keep you hydrated (another important self-care tip) and slow down the progress of your meal.
6. Make time for physical activity
Movement is vital for physical health, and it can support your mental health, too. It keeps your mind and muscles strong, but did you know that physical activity can also boost your gut bacteria?
Research suggests that exercise can positively affect the diversity of bacteria in your gut. Scientists generally believe that a diverse range of ‘good’ bacteria is a sign of a healthy gut microbiome.
Daily exercise can also help relieve constipation, too.
Top tip: If you’re finding it tricky to fit workouts into your routine, try squeezing in ‘exercise snacks.’ These are short bursts of intense movement, such as stair-climbing or star jumps.
Try this whenever you get a spare moment, like when you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.
You might also follow along with an exercise-based YouTube video from the comfort of your living room.
7. Try to improve your sleep
A good night’s sleep can lift your mood and reduce stress. Sleep can provide a strong foundation for good physical and mental health, so improving your sleep quality and quantity is an important self-care strategy.
There’s also evidence that sleeping well and getting enough sleep is associated with a more diverse gut microbiome.
Top tip: Leave a gap between your last meal and your bedtime. If your body is still digesting overnight, it can reduce your sleep quality, and your gut bacteria won’t get as much rest, either.
You’ll find more sleep tips here.
8. Cut back on ultra-processed foods
There’s room for any kind of food in a healthy diet, within moderation.
But it’s worth mentioning that eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – like crisps, biscuits, cakes, pastries and takeaways – is associated with a number of mental and physical health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
Meanwhile, the various additives in many UPFs could hinder the ‘good’ bacteria living in your gut and encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.
Top tip: Choosing different snacks can help limit your intake of UPFs. So, if you’re hungry between meals, you might opt for apple slices dipped in nut butter or dates stuffed with nut butter and chocolate.
You could also try popcorn with a topping like honey, freeze-dried fruit or cinnamon. For something cool, you might enjoy yogurt with dried fruit.
If you have time, you might even make your own oat bars, fruit ice cream or lollies, or frozen yogurt bites covered in chocolate.
If you fancy trail mix, start by mixing oats with bran flakes, puffed rice, nuts and seeds. If you like it sweet, you could add dried fruit and chocolate chips. If you like it savoury, dried beans and your favourite herbs and spices make a nice combination.
9. Keep hydrated
Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is important for good health. It can prevent issues like urinary tract infections and headaches, and it supports the health of your skin, too.
Staying hydrated also benefits your gut, helping it function properly and reducing the risk of constipation.
Top tip: If you find it difficult to drink enough water, try setting timers throughout the day. Adding mint leaves or slices of fruit can make plain water more palatable.
There are plenty of hydrating alternatives, too, like fruit and herbal teas. If you fancy black tea, try to stick to 5–6 cups per day. And try to limit coffee to 4 cups a day.
Other good options are milk, fizzy water and fruit juice, but it’s best to stick to 1 glass of fruit juice per day.
Foods with high water contents – like soups, watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, tomatoes and yogurt – also help you stay hydrated.
10. Quit smoking
The benefits of not smoking are well-known, ranging from the physical to the mental and financial. But again, this common self-care tip can also improve your gut health.
Not only does smoking increase your risk of acid reflux and stomach cancer, it can disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome, encouraging the growth of harmful microbes.
Top tip: Quitting smoking can be very difficult. Thankfully, there are lots of resources to help you on this journey. The NHS lists a number of options on its smoking support page.
Summary
Your gut is closely related to your physical and mental health. So, it’s no wonder that acts of self-care designed to support other areas of health are also good for your gut.
Likewise, taking steps to support your gut will likely benefit your well-being in other ways. When you’re looking after your gut (and the bacteria living in it), you’re looking after yourself.
To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.
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