Gut health is a super trending topic in the health and wellness community these days, as when your gut health is in a bad state, you can feel super lousy all the time.
While some supplement companies or health gurus may try to convince you that you need to do super intense or complex things to maintain good gut health, there are very simple, healthy lifestyle habits that can make a big difference. Morning and nighttime routines are very important for keeping up a balanced and happy gut, as they set you up for the start of the day and help your body recover during sleep.
We spoke with two Registered Dietitians, Jennifer Pallian and Dr. Kezia Joy with Welzo, about four gut-friendly nighttime habits you should follow to keep your gut health in check and feel good the next morning. Read more about them below.
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Eat A Light Dinner And Avoid Late Night Meals
Not only is it a good idea to cut off your eating past a certain time at night, but it's also smart to make dinner your lighter meal of the day.
Dr. Joy said that "eating dinner a minimum of two to three hours before sleep ensures that your body has ample time to digest the food consumed and, thereby, reduces the likelihood of experiencing digestive issues as you sleep."
"Similarly, eating a lighter meal at night is kinder on your digestive system, helping you to avoid bloating, acid reflux, and processing food slowly while sleeping," she continued.
"High-fat, high-sugar, and high-refined carbohydrate consumption late at night can interrupt your body's internal clock, causing imbalances in your gut bacteria."
Reduce Your Artificial And Blue Light Exposure Before Bed
If your smartphone or television is the last thing you look at before you fall asleep last night, you're going to want to try to reverse that habit as soon as possible. We've heard a lot about how it can strain our eyes and affect our ability to fall and stay asleep, but it also can negatively impact our gut health.
"Exposure to blue light from LED devices in the evening suppresses melatonin production and causes circadian dysregulation," explained Pallian.
"Though gut microbes are not directly responsive to light, they rely on host diurnal signals. Artificial light at night disrupts these signals, altering gut microbial rhythmicity and contributing to a pro-inflammatory gut environment."
To start breaking your pre-bed phone habit, try to turn it off or place it on the other side of your bedroom 1-2 hours before bed and do a more calming activity like reading or drawing until you fall asleep.
Drink A Mug Of Warm, Decaffeinated Tea
This tip is a super nice and comforting one, as there's nothing quite like tucking into a mug of something warm and cozy before bed. If you've been meaning to drink more tea, get your kettle ready, as enjoying a mug of decaffeinated herbal tea before you fall asleep can significantly affect your gut.
"Finish off the evening with a cup of decaffeinated tea, perhaps chamomile, ginger, or peppermint, which can be soothing to the nervous and digestive systems," suggests Dr. Joy.
"These teas have strong anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions that will calm your stomach lining, relax the muscles of your intestines, and alleviate symptoms of indigestion or bloating. They also offer a hydrating, low-calorie substitute for sugary drinks, which can play havoc with the gut flora."
Stretch And Meditate
Many of us could use some more relaxation these days, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to incorporate some stretches and meditation into our routines. If you want to focus on improving your gut health, Dr. Joy and Pallian suggest doing it at night.
"Light stretching or gentle yoga in the evening can help to fire up digestion, encourage blood flow to the belly, and release the day's tension from the body," said Dr. Joy.
"Movements such as cat-cow stretch, twists, or diaphragmatic breathing massage the digestive organs and help move gas, leaving the belly feeling more comfortable for sleep."
Additionally, Pallian noted that mindfulness-based techniques "like meditation and yoga can reduce stress, which is a known disruptor of the gut-brain axis and intestinal barrier integrity."
"Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increases cortisol levels, which impair gut function, increase intestinal permeability, and contribute to dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome," she continued.
There you have it: four super simple yet impactful evening lifestyle habits that are good for your gut and overall health. Which one will you try to incorporate into your bedtime routine first?
