regularly ingest eliminates pathogens but also healthy
microbes. They are sometimes necessary, but it’s important
to help re-colonise your gut,” she says. Fibre-rich foods are
a great place to start.
The key is to eat mindfully, allowing yourself time where
you do nothing but enjoy your meal. Unwind from
simultaneously answering your emails and save your
Instagram scrolling for later, while you watch TV.
You also need to handle your exhaustion. “Stress and
fatigue is the plague of busy people, often resulting in run-
down, poor health,” says Dr Sepp Fegerl of the Vivamayr
Altaussee Clinic, a medical detox centre in Austria. While
an on-the-go lifestyle is hardly new, there is now an
additional reason that fatigue is growing exponentially:
social media. “Women have a greater sense for social
interaction and networking, and social media is enabling
them to do so without limits,” says Dr Fegerl. Unsurprisingly,
this kind of perpetual connectivity has consequences: “It is
keeping the mind constantly alert and dramatically
reducing the mental time for recovery.”
So how does this relate to your belly? Well, if you
consider the common belief that your gut is your “second
brain”, then the answer is obvious. Stress, and the cortisol
boost it brings, affects your gut and the composition of its
bacteria. “The gut is the centre of your immune system,
controlling almost all aspects of your body,” explains
Oates. Digestion, circulation and hormones are all partly
dictated by your gastrointestinal tract. “It is where you
make neurotransmitters, metabolise hormones, neutralise
pathogens, eliminate toxins and manufacture
nutrients,” says Oates. “So the state of your
microbiome has a profound impact on your
mood, weight, skin, immunity and overall
wellbeing,” Basically, when your microbiome
is off-kilter, so are you.
Serotonin, often known as the “happy
hormone”, boosts your mood – a lack of it can
lead to bouts of anxiety and depression. But
(and try not to let this add to your stress levels), it
is estimated that 90 per cent of serotonin is
made in the gut. And a lack of this gut serotonin
can lead to digestive issues, from constipation
to, yes, bloating. So how do you keep your gut happy? Consider
all the above. Compromising your microbiome can alter your
levels of gut serotonin, so certain bacteria are needed to make it
a happier place.“Stress and
fatigue is
the PLAGUE
OF BUSY
PEOPLE,
resulting in
poor health”172
WELLENESS
Words: Sophie Beresiner. Photography: Harri PeccinottiWHAT CAN YOU DO TO BOOST
YOURMICROBIOME?
Throw away your phone? Take up some extreme
meditative yoga? Well, if you’re that way inclined and
can fit it into your schedule, then go for it. But a simpler solution
might be easier for you to digest, as it were.
Here’s what we’d suggest...THE SUPPLEMENT SOLUTION
Incorporating supplements into your everyday routine is a simple
way to help ease your digestive problems. Our favourites?
The Beauty Chef’s Cleanse Inner Beauty Powder ($59.95,
thebeautychef.com) is a blend of lacto-fermented superfoods
designed to deep-clean, nourish and rebuild your gut. The latest
Super Boosters from WelleCo contain a prebiotic and probiotic
gut blend designed to support the microbiome- we rate the Gut Health with Inulin Prebiotic
($60 for seven vials, welleco.com.au).
SMART FOOD
Bring in the big guns. “If you really want results, introduce
lacto-fermented, probiotic-rich foods,” says Oates.
Lacto-fermentation is a process where ingredients are fermented
with lactic acid-producing bacteria. Essentially, it increases the
digestibility of foods and increases their nutritional value.
Kefir, kimchi and kombucha are all great examples.MINDFUL EATING
Consider how, what and where you eat. Dr Fegerl
recommends chewing up to 30 times before swallowing so your
body produces enzymes to help ease digestion and your gut
doesn’t have to work as hard. Try to focus on your food when it
is in front of you, no matter where or how busy you are.E