Digestive complaints like gas, bloating, and cramps are all obvious signs your gut is in distress. But because gut health impacts every part of our overall well-being, there are several not-so-obvious signs of an imbalanced gut. Read on to see 9 unexpected signs your gut could use a little love.
9 Weird Signs Your Gut Needs Support
Unintentional Weight Changes
If you’ve noticed that you’re either gaining or losing weight without making any changes to your diet or exercise routine, it might be poor gut health. An imbalance in your gut’s microbiome can affect the way your body absorbs nutrients, regulates blood sugar, and stores fat.
Difficulty Sleeping & Constant Fatigue
Most of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. This means that an imbalance in your gut could start having a negative impact on your quality of sleep, leading to increased fatigue during the day.
Skin Irritations
Skin health and gut health tend to go hand-in-hand. The gut-skin axis helps maintain homeostasis and a healthy inflammatory response needed to keep skin clear and healthy. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can often show up as an imbalance in your skin.
Frequent Illness/Autoimmune Disorders
The gut is a key player in the body’s immunity with nearly 70% of your immune system residing in your gut. A healthy microbiome helps to bolster the immune system and maintain immune homeostasis. Imbalances in gut flora can cause immune dysregulation and even contribute to autoimmune disorders.
Mood Changes
There’s no question that the connection between the gut and the brain is strong. And there’s evidence that the hormones made in the gut control the signaling between the gut and the brain. When these hormones are thrown off by poor gut health, it can contribute to anxiety and other mood disorders.
Difficulty Concentrating
The same neurotransmitters in your gut that impact your mood also affect concentration. This means gut dysbiosis can cause brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and have a negative impact on learning and memory.
Sugar Cravings
If you’ve ever felt like your sugar cravings are beyond your control, a gut imbalance might be to blame. The bacteria in your gut can actually cause food cravings. And because unhelpful bacteria love sugar, they secrete the proteins that make you crave more sugar in order to help them thrive and proliferate.
Sore Joints
Imbalances in the gut microbiome can cause an inflammatory response throughout the body. This can lead to accelerated deterioration and pain in the joints, even those that aren’t weight-bearing.
Recent Antibiotic Use
Antibiotics can be life-saving. But because they don’t discriminate between “bad” bacteria and “good” bacteria, they can also throw your gut health out of whack. Even if you aren’t feeling any other symptoms, if you’ve recently taken antibiotics, chances are your gut health could use some support.
Best Ways To Improve Gut Health
If you’ve noticed any of the above signs, it might be a good time to focus on improving your gut health. Below are a few of the best (and simplest) ways to start giving your gut microbiome the support it needs.
- Eat a diet rich in whole, unprocessed plants that are high in both soluble and insoluble fibers. Aim for at least 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. (A good evening ritual can help!)
- Practice stress management, whether it’s meditation, yoga, or just spending time relaxing and doing something you enjoy.
- Move your body every day. It doesn’t have to be strenuous. But aerobic exercise, specifically, can help improve the overall bacterial diversity in your gut.
- Avoid refined, processed carbs and added sweeteners (even the calorie-free kind).
- Supplement with a Probiotic to introduce good bacteria directly into your gut. *
Earth Echo Probiotics include 12 active super-strains in every little capsule. These strains have been carefully selected to improve digestion, boost immune health, tame cravings, and improve metabolism. When used to supplement healthy diet and lifestyle changes, Probiotics are a great way to give your gut health the additional support it needs. *
Click here to give Probiotics a try for yourself!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.