Bloated belly, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, cramps and nausea, do you recognize any of these symptoms? These could be signs that your gut is out of balance. But how does this happen?

What do our intestines look like?

First, it is important to know how the intestines are constructed and their function. Our food comes from the stomach into the small intestine, which can be divided into the upper part and the duodenum. Then it goes on to the fasting intestine and the ileum. After this, the small intestine passes into the large intestine and finally you get to the rectum. 

Our intestine is made up inside of folded mucous membrane, these folds consist of small protrusions, these are called the intestinal villi. In our intestines there are intestinal bacteria also called our intestinal flora. We have "good" and "bad" gut bacteria that must live together in harmony. Our gut flora protects us from harmful substances so that these bad invaders do not enter our bodies. It is important that our gut flora is not disturbed. This way our "bad" bacteria get the upper hand and this can lead to all kinds of complaints such as: flatulence, bloated belly, diarrhea, constipation, cramps and so on. The intestinal flora can be disturbed by wrong/unhealthy diet, stress, antibiotic use, infection or illness and alcohol consumption, among other things. 

Tips to optimize your gut flora

1. Avoid refined sugars: "bad" fungi and bacteria love sugars, making it easy for them to multiply themselves. So reduce your sugar intake in your diet.  
2. Fiber, fiber and more fiber: found mainly in fruits and vegetables. For a healthy intestinal flora it is important to eat at least 500 grams of vegetables/fruit on a day. Fiber is also very important for good intestinal digestion. Eating enough fiber can reduce constipation or diarrhea, for example.
3. Eat variety: For a healthy gut flora, variety is very important. Try not to put the same vegetables/fruit on the table every week. Eat the colors of the rainbow and vary as much as possible.
4. Eat more fermented vegetables: Fermented vegetables are a source of probiotic gut bacteria. Here you can think of sauerkraut, kefir, natto, kombucha, kimchi or ferment your own vegetables and fruits for example pickled red onion. How about this healthy nasi with kimchi.
5. Optimize your stress: stress plays an important role in intestinal problems. For example, eating too hastily because you don't have or free up time for this. It is then better to wait to eat until you have a quiet moment. 

This is because our digestion can become active when we are calm, here our parasympathetic nervous system (rest system) becomes active. When we are stressed our sympathetic nervous system is active (fight/flight), where we cannot digest properly because all our energy goes to "survival. Just think of the old days when there was a bear on the road we had to flee, sympathetic nervous system is then on. Then we came back to rest, which allowed our parasympathetic nervous system to turn on. Only nowadays we are much more in our sympathetic nervous system. 

Tip: before you eat, start by breathing deeply in and out quietly 3 times. This allows you to switch to your parasympathetic nervous system. It is also important not to eat with distractions, think of a TV, phone or just quickly eating your lunch walking or talking on the phone.  

6. Support your body with supplements:

• Pre/probiotics: probiotics are live microorganisms such as bacteria or yeasts which can be a fine support for your gut.
• Digestive Support:A properly functioning digestive system is important: it allows you to absorb nutrients from your food, which is then sent to the right places in your body. Enzymes are important here; you can think of them as little scissors. Enzymes "cut" our nutrients so that they can be properly absorbed. 

There are several types of supplements you can use for your gut health. But this is different for each person. Are you curious which supplements you can use? Request our online or telephone advice on supplements . A therapist will help you determine which supplements are appropriate. 

Furthermore, it is important that you start looking at the cause of your intestinal problems. This can be done through a colon consultation with microbiome test. On our site you can findmore information about this. If you have been struggling with these symptoms for a long time or have already tried everything then we recommend this consultation!