This Is the Gut-Friendly Gift I’m Giving My Digestion This Year
For me, that one thing that follows me ball drop after ball drop is my gut. From situational stress to different environments I'm in to the random foods I eat, my gut—and the subsequent stomach issues I deal with—is something I can no longer ignore (especially after the year we just went through).
So in 2021, I'm taking control of my gut health to honestly (yes, you heard it!) try to improve my digestion, because 2020 did have one overarching lesson: My health is worth it. I don't want to give away all my tricks on how I'm pulling off the most gut-friendly year in recorded history, but I will tell you one thing: I'm finally giving into the probiotic powers of kombucha.
Keep reading for the 3 gut-friendly changes I'm making this year for the sake of my digestion.
Trading pops for probiotics
When I'm not drinking from my 30-ounce water bottle to reach my daily hydration goals, I would typically opt for a swig of Diet Coke or sparkling water to satisfy my love for carbonation. Soda happens to be another habit I want to kick eventually, so I figured I'd use this as a way to help improve digestion *and* get ahead of next year's goals. With that, I stocked an entire row of my fridge with GT's SYNERGY Raw Kombucha.
Fermented for 30 days in small batches, each glass bottle contains organic acids, active enzymes, billions of naturally occurring probiotics, and is 100 percent raw and vegan to give my gut (and immunity!) some all-over support—which, after this very stressful holiday season, is exactly what I need.
I'm totally sold on the gut-friendly perks, but if I'm being honest, it's the taste of kombucha that normally holds me back. Luckily for my taste buds (and, you know, health), GT's SYNERGY Kombucha has so many flavors it's basically impossible not to meet your match. My personal fave is Trilogy which hits you with a tart blast of raspberry and a burst of lemon that just never gets old. The two runner-ups are Gingerade (a bold ginger flavor that's also the brand's most popular), and Gingerberry (which weaves in sweet blueberry alongside a pop of ginger). Okay, I'm thirsty again.
SHOP MY FRIDGE
Feasting on fermented foods + colorful veggies
Now that I've got my fermented bev of choice on lock (thanks, SYNERGY!), it's time to further the fermentation to other parts of my diet. Rather than cooking another go-to egg scramble in the morning, I've been assembling a yogurt parfait bowl with tons berries and bananas. (Pro tip: GT's raw, vegan yogurt COCOYO is delish.) First off, yum. Second, I already have a new morning bathroom routine in the works... if you catch my drift.
For lunch and dinner, I've invested in a large container of kimchi, and let me tell you—the crunchy, probiotic-packed all star has delivered to the tune of countless salads and rice-chicken-veggie bowls (I'm trying tacos next). Plus, it's inspired me to add all sorts of colorful veggies into my daily diet, which is part of my gut-friendly new year plan as well. I've added zucchini, squash, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes to my dinnertime vegetable rotation—and so far, pretty great.
Taking dance party breaks
In a former life, I'd regularly bust out a 30-minute HIIT workout to get my heart pumping. Lately? The couch has been more appealing than ever, which hasn't been so soothing on my stomach. That means the second gut-friendly change I'm making this year in order to improve digestion is to move more—and this time, I'm accomplishing that by dancing. (If you want proof, check my TikTok.)
I use random 15-minute breaks in my day to request a bop from Alexa, and break into random dance (thanks, TikTok!) until I feel some sweat and a whole lot of endorphins coming my way. Not only has pop-lock-and-dropping-it been the most anti-stress workout ever, but I've also been able to get some other things, well, moving very easily lately. I know it's only been a few weeks, but 2021 is already the most gut-friendly year of my life, and this time I've got plenty of backup (read: a fridge full of GT's SYNERGY, fermented foods and colorful veggies, and new dance skills) to see me through.
Art: Well+Good Creative; Photo: GT’s Living Foods
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