Why Your Gut Health is so Important | Strength and Sunshine

*This post is sponsored by Country Life Vitamins. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting Strength and Sunshine!*

What is gut health and why is it so important? Today you'll learn why focusing on your gut is essential to just about every aspect of your wellbeing. It's got a connection with more than you may realize and plays a vital role in keeping you feeling like the best version of yourself!

From feeling energized to being able to handle stress in a healthy way, the goings-on in your gut are playing key roles in those outcomes. They don't call the gut, your second brain for nothing!

What is gut health?

Gut health begins in the digestive tract and refers to the positive or negative balance of microorganisms living there. These microorganisms dictate just about every aspect of our wellbeing, from cognitive function, digestion, energy, immunity, mood balance, sleep, stress management, and weight. These microscopic organisms making up the gut microbiome/flora are "bacteria, yeasts, and viruses — of which there are around 100 trillion" (source)!

Why is it so important?

If the balance of our healthy gut flora becomes out-of-whack due to stress, the environment, taking certain medications, poor diet and lifestyle habits, we can start feeling the negative effects in various aspects of our day-to-day life. The balance can be tricky to constantly maintain, but with a few simple tweaks, we can help boost and nourish the GOOD flora and feel better connected to our overall health!

How I'm bringing balance back to my gut

2019 has been one of the most challenging years of my life. Needless to say, my gut health has been anything but balanced. I was excited to be introduced to Country Life Vitamins' new line of Gut Connection supplements to help out with just that! Gut Connection is a line of non-probiotic scientifically formulated supplements that boost the existing probiotics in your gut with whole food fermentation. It helps your healthy stomach lining to efficiently absorb the clinically studied ingredients in each Gut Connection supplement option, providing personalized solutions for your everyday issues.

We're always told to "take probiotics", but for many of us with sensitive tummies, it can be a challenge to find the right dose and supplement brand to take. With Gut Connections prebiotic complex approach you don't have to worry about that. You can also mix and match the 8 different supplements to fit your needs and take them during the "seasons of life" when you need them most!

This was perfect for me so I jumped at the chance to try out the Digestive Balance, Sleep Balance, and Stress Balance supplement. Digestion is always my key concern, but being able to get more relaxed and restful sleep, plus helping my body handle all the stress it's been thrown has been such a welcome experience! After using the supplements over the past few weeks, I can gladly say, they've made a positive impact in maintaining that tricky balance!

Way to boost your gut health

So what other ways can you bring some balance back to the gut and feel more like your healthiest, happiest self again?

Make sure to be eating a healthy well-balanced fiber-rich diet full of real whole foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds.
Drink your water! (Our bodies are made up of more than 70% water!) Water helps keep things moving and working as they should!
Focus on a quality sleep routine no matter what. When we have a lot on our plate, sleep can be thrown to the wayside. Sleep is the only way our bodies can truly recover and repair!
Stay active and get your body moving with something you love. From weight lifting to yoga, walking to cycling, it doesn't matter, just get your body active each and every day!
Talk it out. Whether that means speaking to a therapist, trusted friend or family member, or your personal journal, don't keep all your stress, worries, and thoughts bottled up!
Try out Country Life Vitamins' Gut Connection supplements! Whatever area of your life you're feeling an imbalance with, there's something for you: Digestive Balance, Mood Balance, Energy Balance, Sleep Balance, Immune Balance, Cognitive Balance, Stress Balance, and Weight Balance. (FYI to my celiac and food allergy friends, all these supplements are certified gluten-free, certified vegan, have no soy, salt, sugar, preservatives, anything artificial, they're non-gmo and kosher!)