Love Your Gut Week 2021 continues with a look at the lessons still to learn when it comes to looking after our gut, our second brain. Happy Love Your Gut Week 2021!
Lessons still to learn when it comes to looking after our gut, our second brain
- New research suggests that although 8 in 10 people recognise the importance of having a healthy gut, millions are unaware of the simple lifestyle changes that can be made to improve digestive health.
- 1 in 5 people are not aware of the benefits that a healthy balanced diet can have on the gut,
- Nearly 50% don’t understand the value to the gut of exercise or a good night’s sleep
- 3 in 4 people don’t know that yoga and meditation can have a positive effect on digestive health and nearly 1 in 5 are not aware stress can have an adverse impact.
- Our gut has the power to influence not only our physical wellbeing, but also our brain and mood, via to the gut-brain axis – but only 29% of people have even heard of the gut brain axis.
- Jo Travers, dietitian for Love Your Gut Week is sharing advice on the simple ways people can look after their gut health and the positive effect this can have on overall physical, as well as mental health.
Making small lifestyle changes
New research suggests that although having a healthy gut is important to 8 in 10 people in the UK, millions don’t recognise the simple and often small lifestyle changes they can make, that can help support digestive health. What’s more, most people have no idea that gut health and mental health are linked and that a healthier gut can improve mood and general mental wellbeing.
Healthy Balanced diet
The research, conducted by Yakult for Love Your Gut Week 2021, shows that 1 in 5 people don’t understand the benefits that a healthy balanced diet can have on gut health and nearly 1 in 2 (47%) don’t know that exercise can help.
Sleep & Stress
A similar number (47%) don’t realise that having a good night’s sleep can have a positive impact on the gut and nearly 3 in 4 people (74%) don’t know that yoga and meditation can be beneficial for digestive health. Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) are also unaware that stress can negatively influence gut health. In spite of all this this, 81% of respondents recognise that what they eat influences the way they feel, and a similar number (86%) say their mental health influences their overall health.
It is extremely important to look after the health of our gut, as it has the power to impact not only our physical wellbeing, but also our brain and mood. This is due to the scientifically proven link between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis, which the survey showed just 29% of people have heard of.
Advice from Jo
Jo Travers, dietitian for Love Your Gut, comments;
“This research shows that people are really starting to recognise that their mental health affects how they feel physically too. But we can also see the gap in general understanding about the role of gut health in mental health and the existence of the gut-brain axis.
Looking at the gut-brain axis can help us take our health and wellbeing to the next level. A diet including all of the things we traditionally think of as healthy – like fruit, vegetables and wholegrains – not only helps to reduce the risk of developing certain diseases but also affects our cognition, which can start a positive upward trend in physical and mental health.
With so many people failing not just to recognise the impact that diet and lifestyle can have on the functioning of the gut, but also not being aware of the gut’s relationship with the brain, there is real potential for lots of people to feel a lot better”.
Get empowered
With the help of experts such as dietitian Jo Travers and Dr Joan Ransley, Love Your Gut Week will be empowering everyone to look after their gut health by sharing simple tips, recipes and free-to-download resources including the newly updated Food, Mood & Symptoms Diary.
For the latest on Love Your Gut Week 2021 see Facebook – @LoveYourGutOnline, Twitter – @loveyourgut and www.loveyourgut.com