Your gut is more important to your health than you think. Known as the second brain, it could be the root cause of disease, and the place where healing can begin as well.

Also known as the microbiome, it contains beneficial bacteria that has a very important link between health and disease. Your diet and your lifestyle plays an important role in keeping it healthy. Below listed are a few habits that are impacting the health of your microbiome.

Poor Diet
What you eat, affects the health of your microbiome. When you eat a diet that is very rich in nutrition and digests easily, you will feel energetic and very alive as your microbiome will thrive.

If your diet is high in processed foods and sugar and also contains bad fats, you will feel tired quickly, and feel sick.

Eat a diet that does not contain processed foods, choose to follow an alkaline diet that is rich in greens, eat sprouts as they have beneficial bacteria and live enzymes.

Try and limit sugar as it increases bad bacteria, increase your intake of fiber from whole foods such as vegetables and beans. Do ensure that you chew your food well for better digestion.

Antibiotics and Medications
Avoid taking medication for the smallest of ailments that your body may encounter. Over the counter medications and antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. The good bacteria need to be replenished with a healthy dose of foods that are rich in probiotics.

The Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP)
The OCP can have a terrible effect on your gut over a period of time. It depletes B12, zinc levels, folate and also kills beneficial bacteria in the system. You need to take a break from the pill and practice a diet that is gut healthy.

Alcohol
Alcohol has a terrible effect on gut health. It not only kills good bacteria, but increases acidity and also changes the ecosystem of digestion.

Stress
Stress too can play a important role in deteriorating gut health. So, try and stay away from stressful situations or learn how to control its levels to stay healthy.

If you do wish to keep your gut healthy, follow a diet that facilitates a healthy life. Speak with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist or get in touch with a Homeopath so that you can live healthy with a healthy gut to show for it.