Lifestyle and the Microbiome: How Sleep, Stress, and Exercise All Have an Impact
Have you jumped onto the gut health bandwagon yet? It’s a topic that is taking the stage like never before. More and more connections are being made between your gut, skin, immune system, and overall health.
Your body is a complex system that needs to operate synergistically to function at its best. That means if you’re struggling in one area of your health, it can affect the rest of you.
If you’re struggling with unhealthy digestion, your microbiome is likely out of whack. Working with a functional medicine practitioner can help you uncover triggering foods and chronic illnesses that contribute to an unbalanced microbiome.
In addition to a healthy diet, other lifestyle aspects play a role in microbiome health. Let’s explore how sleep, stress, and exercise also impact the microbiome.
What is the Microbiome?
To give you a recap, your microbiome is a system of good and bad bacteria that live inside you. These living microorganisms play a role in maintaining gut lining strength, regulating digestion and metabolism, protecting your against pathogens, and helping maintain a healthy immune system.
Several lifestyle factors influence the balance of this system. The first one we’re going to talk about is sleep.
Sleep and the Microbiome
One-third of our entire existence is spent sleeping. Some think sleep is a waste of time, but this is the furthest thing from the truth.
Getting enough sleep plays a crucial role in enjoying good health. Not only does it help regulate hormones and flush toxins, but sleeping helps repair and rebuild tissues in the gut. It also facilitates the creation of good gut bacteria that aid the digestive process.
Today’s lifestyle is hectic, and getting enough sleep can be challenging. Here are some helpful habits to promote better sleep:
- Shut off screens an hour before bed
- Turn on soothing music, like acoustic or instrumental
- Consider reading a book
- Drink herbal tea like chamomile or lavender
How much sleep do you need to reap the full benefits? A good rule of thumb is to aim for between 7-9 hours of sleep. It’s one of the best things you can do to support a healthy microbiome.
Another lifestyle factor to take into consideration is stress. How does it affect your microbiome?
Stress and the Microbiome
Life is stressful, there’s no doubt about that. Acute stress can be helpful in life-threatening situations, but chronic stress can disrupt the body’s normal processes. This sets off a chain reaction that can be detrimental to your health.
Not only can stress affect your mood but did you know it also has a direct impact on your microbiome?
Here’s how it works: chronic stress can reshape gut bacteria composition through stress hormones, inflammation, and nervous system damage. This can also be true if you suffer from depression or anxiety.
When your body perceives threats on a constant basis, your brain sends distress signals to your gut. As a result, your gut bacteria release toxins, metabolites, and neurohormones that can change your mood and eating behavior.
Because stress has a multi-dimensional effect, healthy management requires a holistic approach. Eliminating gut-harming foods is a powerful step. Along with that, recognizing stress triggers can help you find better ways to manage daily stress.
Some of our best tips for stress management:
- Spend time in nature
- Enjoy a warm bath with Epsom salts
- Diffuse calming essential oils like lavender, geranium, bergamot, vetiver, and ylang ylang
- Prayer, meditation, sound therapy
- Calming Chinese herbs and adaptogens like ashwagandha, St. John’s wort, Dong Quai, Schisandra, Ho Shou Wu, Astragalus, and Ginseng
- Acupuncture or cupping sessions
So far we’ve discussed the importance of good sleep and stress management for a healthy microbiome. The last lifestyle factor we’ll cover is exercise.
Exercise and the Microbiome
Movement is key to good health, but did you know it also has a direct impact on the health of your microbiome?
Getting regular physical activity stimulates blood flow to your muscles, including those in the digestive system. Healthy circulation helps massage your food along the digestive tract. This is a process known as peristalsis.
Research also suggests exercise alters the composition of bacteria in the gut and decreases intestinal permeability. Moving your body every day is one way you can improve digestion and bring better balance to your microbiome.
Need some inspiration to get your groove on? Try these ideas:
- Take a zumba or group dance class
- Walk a nature trail
- Stretch before bed
It may take time to experiment with different techniques. Find one that works for you and make it a part of your life!
To Bring it All Together
Having a healthy microbiome is just as important as having a healthy heart or brain. The more we learn about how our gut health affects overall health, the more we want to empower you to think about your health holistically.
Functional medicine is a powerful tool that’s helped thousands of people reclaim their health. Schedule an appointment with us to start your healing journey today!
