Because inflammation is at the root of so many issues, resolving that inflammation through natural means will improve gut health in many ways, explains Bard.^†

“Chronic inflammation just makes everything harder,” she says. “The organs have to work harder when everything’s out of balance. The body wants to achieve homeostasis (balance). With inflammation, it can’t do it. Cleaning up the gut can help reduce some of the chronic inflammation in the body.^†”

As a nutritionist, Bard emphasizes that “what we eat and drink directly affects our gut microbiome.” She believes that a diverse, whole-foods diet that feeds the good bacteria in the gut is the best way to minimize inflammation and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. That means “foods that come from the earth or animals that have sacrificed their lives for us to eat.^†”

Here’s how to improve gut health through exercise, stress management, and a healthy diet centered on protein, healthy fat, and healthy carbohydrates.

The human body is highly efficient when it comes to removing waste and toxins; however, modern diets are often filled with hard-to-digest foods that humans haven't evolved to process.

In addition, high stress lifestyles can damage gut health, making this highly efficient process... not so highly efficient.

The above manifests itself in something we have all experienced - constipation.

Being backed up is hardly harmless. The fermentation of waste building up in your colon and intestinal tract can lead to a slew of issues.^†

As a first step in the journey towards better gut health, we recommend cleansing the colon of this waste with a natural, safe and effective colon cleanse - like zuPOO: Colon Cleanse & Gut Support.^†

Probiotic foods have live bacteria in them, so eating probiotic foods stocks your gut with these supportive microorganisms.^† Probiotic-rich foods include:

• Yogurt and kefir with live and active cultures—choose low- or no-sugar varieties (sugar impairs healthy bacteria)
• Fermented pickles
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Apple cider vinegar

Supplements can help, but to support your gut, a probiotic needs to bypass the acid in your stomach and reach the colon, where beneficial bacteria live.

“Many of the probiotic supplements on the market don’t get through the stomach acid,” Bard says. “Food works best [to deliver probiotics to your body] because of how it’s digested and absorbed.”

At UMZU, we designed our Floracil50 Probiotic with this in mind, ensuring that our living cultures make it through the stomach acid.^†

While the American diet often doesn’t include a lot of fermented foods, these foods offer powerful support for your body.^†

“If you’re not a fan of fermented foods, I advise that you find a food you are willing to have—such as Greek yogurt with no sugar. Then mix in some tasty additions, like frozen berries and ground flax seeds, which are a prebiotic,” Bard says. “As you eat it, focus on the good you are doing your body. And maybe take a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic to fill in the gaps.^†”

Prebiotics are foods that fuel the healthy microbes in your gut. These foods are usually high in prebiotic fiber that microbes are going to munch up. Prebiotic foods include:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Chicory Root
• Bananas 
• Apples
• Cocoa 
• Jicama Root
• Seaweed

Here lies the problem - foods high in prebiotics can be difficult to digest, which is counterproductive to our overall goal of improving gut health.

Try supplementing with prebiotics. For this, we recommend zuACV+Prebiotics - a unique blend of Apple Cider Vinegar and prebiotics that will help nourish your gut bacteria, without the side effects.^†

Stress can influence the microbiome, too. Constantly having high stress-levels contributes to a poorly functioning gut.^†

The body’s longest nerve, the vagus nerve, goes straight from the gut microbiome to the brain. Research has found that, similar to having lots of toxins in your environment, having very high-stress blocks the vagus nerve’s function². Ultimately, ongoing stress prevents your gut from working the way it should.^†

Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and getting adequate rest can help.^†

Exercise and physical activity can help your gut, too, and not only by supporting a healthy weight.³ “We’ve seen research that the more active someone is, the more positively it affects the microbiome,” Bard says.

As with everything, moderation is key. Gentle activities, such as walking, cycling, yoga, or swimming, can keep you moving and improve your overall well-being.^†

At UMZU, we offer online courses and workout programs in a low cost service called UMZUfit. If you're interested in getting active and staying healthy, you'll learn everything you need to know on UMZUfit. You will also be able to interact with expert UMZU coaches who can help guide you through your journey. Click here to learn more about UMZUfit.