Did you know that your gut microbiome can affect almost every organ in your body? What might seem like a simple digestion centre is really a foundation for your overall health. With more than half of the Australian population suffering from the effects of poor gut health, spreading community awareness and promoting gut wellness is more important than ever.
At Colonics Australia, we understand what it’s like to live with daily discomfort in our bellies. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to colon health, teaching everyday Australians how to cleanse their guts and lead positive lives grounded in wellness and vitality.
Why is a Healthy Gut Important?
Eating is essential for human survival. It’s something we should do every day to keep fit and healthy. When we eat, food travels to our gut, with our stomachs absorbing much-needed nutrients and excreting unwanted waste.
The gastrointestinal tract houses trillions of bacteria, both helpful and harmful to the human body. When bad bacteria take over, though, they can create an array of tummy and other health-related problems. Things like constipation, lethargy, and persistent sickness can all be attributed to bad gut health, which is why ensuring it remains healthy is crucial to your overall well-being.
What Affects Your Gut Health?
The gut is a sensitive little thing, which is why it’s so important to keep it healthy. Here are some common things that can cause an imbalance in your belly’s microbiome.
Diet
One of the biggest contributors to poor gut health is your diet. In a world of fast food and convenient meal delivery, having access to diverse cuisines has never been easier. What this means, though, is that more and more people are ingesting foods that irritate their bellies. Here are a few that might surprise you:
- Alcohol
- Refined sugars
- Pastries
- Processed Foods
- Grains
- Deep fried foods
- Corn and corn syrup
- Soy
- Farmed fish
- Gluten
- Caffeine
Medication
Certain medications can also upset the balance of bacteria in your stomach. Things like:
- Antibiotics
- Sleeping pills
- Antipsychotics
- Antidepressants
- Laxatives
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen
Lifestyle
On top of food and medication, there is a range of lifestyle factors that can disturb your gut health. Some of those factors are:
- Smoking and vaping
- Insufficient water intake
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of fibre in the diet
- Environmental toxins and pollutants
The Effects of an Unhealthy Gut on Your Mind and Body
While poor gut health might not seem like that serious of a condition, it can have some fairly severe long-term effects on your mind and body. On top of things like bloating, gas, and psychological disturbances, an unhealthy tummy can trigger systemic inflammation, hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies.
In some cases, failure to take good care of your digestive system can result in a condition called leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut occurs when substances like undigested food particles, toxic waste products, and bad bacteria escape the intestines and make their way into your bloodstream. Individuals with leaky gut syndrome often experience further health conditions as a result, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease.
Furthermore, some studies show links between leaky gut and other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, fibromyalgia, and type 1 diabetes. However, it’s important to note that research in this area is still in its infancy.
The Symptoms of Poor Gut Health
So many people suffer from poor gut health, but without recognising the symptoms, it often goes unnoticed. Below are some signs that might indicate your digestive system is in distress.
- Irregular or painful bowel movements
- Bloating and gas
- Chronic fatigue or sleep disturbances
- Brittle hair and nails
- Hair loss
- Weakened immune system (persistent colds and infections)
- Rapid weight loss or gain
- Skin irritation
- Mood changes
How to Detox Your Gut — Supporting a Healthy Tummy
If the above information is a little much to digest (see what we did there), don’t stress. Here are some tips for detoxing your gut for the better.
Home Remedies
There are a few different options for cleansing your gut at home. Some common (and easy) oes include:
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Drinking plenty of water
This type of gut cleanse works wonders for the body. That's because hydration helps with blood flow and circulation and works to balance your body temperature. When it comes to your gut, though, water is magic. It helps moisten waste, resulting in easier, more comfortable bowel movements and a healthier colon.
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Introducing more fibre into your diet
Fibre is a natural colon-cleansing solution. It helps facilitate food movement through the digestive system and boosts the growth of beneficial bacteria. This bacteria then breaks down the very fibre that helped it grow to create nourishing compounds for the colon walls. Additionally, fibre helps alleviate the symptoms caused by constipation and painful bowel movements.
- Enema Kits Enema Kits can alleviate gas, bloating & constipation instantly. Using at home enema kits can be a game changer in your GUT HEALTH, all while in the comfort of your own home.
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Herbal teas
Not only are they delicious, but herbal teas are an incredibly powerful tool for restoring your gut to optimal health. They’re chock-full of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and soothing compounds that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. Try these when looking to detox your gut:
- Peppermint tea
- Lemon and ginger tea
- Licorice tea
- Fennel tea
- Dandelion root tea
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Juice gut cleanses
Juices are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which makes them an amazing gut cleanse solution. Their ingredients can help soothe the digestive tract and reduce inflammation, all while supporting the healthy growth and maintenance of gut flora. When it comes to specific concoctions that might boost gut health, here are a few recommended juice blends:
- Carrot, ginger, and apple juice
- Cabbage juice (don’t knock it until you try it)
- Beetroot and apple juice
- Aloe vera, honeydew, and lime juice
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Fish oil supplements
Taking fish oil is a remarkable way to improve your gut health. Rife with omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can help dampen inflammation in your gut lining. What’s more, fish oil helps strengthen your gut’s protective barrier, shielding your bloodstream from harmful pathogens and toxins. Take it regularly to help fortify your gut’s structural integrity. Discuss fish oil intake with your GP first, though, of course.
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Regular stretching and exercise
Engaging in consistent stretching and exercise routines plays an influential role in enhancing and rejuvenating gut health. The intertwined relationship between physical activity and intestinal well-being stems from the fact that exercise stimulates the gut's flora to promote a diverse and robust bacterial environment.
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Eating yoghurt
Yoghurt is extremely rich in probiotics. These probiotics work in harmony with your tummy’s healthy bacteria, helping to delicately maintain the microbiome. When yoghurt joins forces with your gut’s ecosystem, they become a powerful pair, enhancing digestive efficiency and promoting regular bowel movements.
Professional Intervention
Sometimes, you might find that home remedies aren’t always effective or that you don’t have the time to maintain the habit. Here are some ways professionals like us at Colonics Australia can help with your gut health detox:
Colon Hydrotherapy
Individuals who seek professional help for their tummy troubles might opt for colon hydrotherapy. Also known as colonic irrigation, this gentle procedure involves infusing warm filtered water into the rectum. Colonic experts use specialised equipment to safely and effectively evacuate accumulated waste and toxins from your bowels, helping to cleanse your gut and reduce constipation symptoms.
Enema Kits
If the idea of visiting a professional for a colon cleanse makes you a little uneasy, you can always opt for an at-home enema detox kit. At Colonic Australia, we’re proud to stock a curated selection of coffee enema kits designed with the everyday Australian in mind. These kits contain organic ingredients that help support gut health and can be safely and easily administered in the comfort of your own home. Just remember to stay close to the loo, though, as they work quickly!
Probiotics & Gut Health Supplements
Probiotics are incredibly effective in balancing your gut. Their live bacteria help to reinforce beneficial microbes by strengthening the intestinal walls and competing with pathogens to eventually crowd them out.
Gut health supplements work to balance microbiome and support the uptake of micronutrients. They’re extremely effective on your gut, supplying a much-needed mineral boost to support your overall well-being.
Behavioural Changes
The gut is often referred to as the body’s ‘second brain’. When you realise just how much it works with your actual brain, this comparison makes a lot of sense. Think about the saying ‘butterflies in my stomach’ or the feeling you get in your belly when you receive bad news. It’s all connected. What happens, though, is your stomach retains all that tension, causing a snowball effect on your digestive system and overall gut health.
If you’re experiencing tummy issues, there are certain behavioural changes you can make to help restore balance to your gut. Try these:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can significantly contribute to bringing equilibrium to your gut by promoting a more harmonious gut-brain axis. This two-way communication system can often be thrown into disarray by stress, leading to digestive discomfort and imbalances in gut bacteria. Being present and mindful allows you to tune into your body's signals more effectively, helping to mitigate stress-related digestive issues.
Through mindfulness practices, such as meditation or deep-breathing exercises, the body can enter a state of rest and digest, which is essential for optimal gut function. When our minds are calm, our parasympathetic nervous system can work more efficiently, facilitating better digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Stress Reduction
Piggybacking off our last point, minimising stress can significantly improve your gut health. Chronic stress can negatively impact the natural balance of your gut's microbiota and hamper digestion in more ways than you might realise.
However, when you alleviate stress in your life, you soothe the over-stimulated sympathetic nervous system, which is often responsible for the 'fight or flight' response that can disrupt your digestive processes. Declutter your room, do your best to leave work at the office, and make time to have fun where you can.
Healthy Eating Habits
We talked about poor eating habits above, but by simply introducing nutritious and high-fibre foods into your diet, you can help detox your gut and work towards a healthier you. This is because as your gut flora improves, so does your overall tummy health, resulting in better digestion and a stronger immune system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Great question! As we discussed above, the gut and the brain work in tandem with each other, meaning an unsettled digestive system equals an unsettled mind. Additionally, an imbalanced microbiome can disrupt the production of mood-influencing chemicals such as serotonin.
Further, poor gut health may lead to feelings of anxiety. This is because when your gut is unsettled, it sends stress signals to your brain. These anxious thoughts and emotions can also hinder your ability to get a good night’s sleep, leading to further mood disturbances and fatigue.
A good gut cleanse, therefore, can work to decrease symptoms of anxiety, helping you lead a more fulfilling life void of unnecessary stress.
There sure is. Before attending your colon hydrotherapy appointment, be sure to hydrate, as this equips your body to efficiently handle the cleansing process. Additionally, try modifying your diet a few days before you come and see us. This will help facilitate a smoother, easier gut cleanse.
When performing an at-home gut cleanse using an enema kit, it’s important to remember to be gentle with yourself. Stay hydrated and eat nutritious and fibrous foods for a couple of days beforehand. Be sure to always read the packet instructions and perform the cleanse accordingly. Be mindful that every tummy is different, so if you have any underlying digestion issues, be sure to speak with your doctor first.
Additionally, if you have any questions about our coffee enemas and other detox kits, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a chat. There, we’ll address any of your concerns and guide you in using the products safely and efficiently.
The frequency at which you cleanse your gut varies from person to person. However, to ensure you maintain a healthy digestive system, we recommend performing a gut cleanse at least 3-4 times a year. This may include 2-4 sessions back to back to gain access to the entire Colon for maximum results.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. From changing up your diet to practicing mindfulness and booking a colon hydrotherapy appointment, you’ve just learned a bunch of healthy colon tips to keep your gut in optimal condition. For more information or to speak with one a gut health professional, submit an enquiry via our contact page. Alternatively, browse our Australian-made gut health products, and start your journey to a happier, healthier tummy today!