‘I upped my gut health game for two weeks – this is what I learned’

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Research has shown that a healthy gut microbiota – the community of microorganisms that live in your digestive tract – has wide-reaching consequences for your overall wellbeing.

It’s vital not just for digesting food and producing nutrients, but also for supporting your immune system, metabolism and mood. So if you’re feeling in need of a New Year reset, it might be a good time to show your gut some extra love.

It was that exact familiar January feeling that inspired me when I came across Activia’s Gut Health Challenge. The premise is simple: buy any of their products and enjoy them every day for two weeks. As well as having the chance to win feel-good prizes (think spa breaks and Secret Escapes vouchers), you can also sign up to receive extra tips and advice via email to help you focus on building new habits and support you on your gut health journey.

I’ve just finished my fortnight and spoiler: it is worth the effort. So here are the changes I made along the way that might help you too.

Making time to meal prep

It’s no secret that diet has a big impact on your gut health. A 2023 review found that plant-rich diets can increase the diversity and relative abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, so nourishing your microbiome with plant foods seems like a good place to start. My first intervention? Spending two weeks cooking at home every night and meal-prepping my lunches with dishes rich in plant points.

I didn’t go completely vegetarian – I was eating dairy, eggs and oily fish to make sure I was getting a balanced intake of nutrients each day – but I made a conscious effort to boost my plant points at every meal, whether that was sprinkling nuts into my veggie curry, swapping a side of rice for lentils or mixing extra seeds into my morning oats.

Choosing more fermented foods

I quickly discovered that my gut health score – which you can calculate using the Gut Health Tracker on the Activia website – left something to be desired, especially in the diet section. My snacking game was weak from a gut health perspective, with not enough focus on fibre, and I needed to up my intake of fermented foods – an area where a decent yogurt or kefir could help. Fermented dairy is often a good source of calcium, which contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes, and live cultures in yogurt improve lactose digestion of the product in people who have difficulty digesting lactose.

I loaded up on Activia yogurts and kefir drinks to plug those holes in my diet. I’ve always been a big fan of their creamy, live culture-laden rhubarb yogurts, meaning eating them wasn’t exactly ‘challenging’. But their kefir was new to me. I’d always found kefir slightly bitter in the past, so the sweet, strawberry-flavoured drink was a pleasant surprise. I started downing one in the morning on the way to the gym, swapping my usual processed protein shake for this natural source of protein. Three days in and I was actually looking forward to my new morning routine. Any boosts to my gut health as a result? Merely another perk.

Resting and recovering

Most of us know now that sleep is a fundamental pillar for our health, but understanding the impact it can have on our gut health? Not so much. Research shows that sleep disruption – whether that’s insufficient duration, irregular sleep timing or circadian misalignment (read: jet lag or shift work) can not only negatively alter your gut microbiome, but can also weaken your gut barrier, making it easier for toxins and undigested foods to leak out of your gut and trigger inflammation.

Even a few nights of poor sleep can have an impact, so going back to bedtime basics to keep things consistent was a no brainer. I recently got an Oura ring, so I’ve been using that to help track my sleep and it’s not always pretty. Having two small children means that uninterrupted nights are often beyond my control, so instead I focussed on setting a regular bedtime, which allowed time for a wind down routine, since taking off my makeup and actually getting into bed always seems to take a lot longer than expected.

Moving more mindfully

As someone who is fast approaching perimenopause, I’ve been banging the drum for fitness routines that combine walking with weight-lifting as a way to exercise without raising your cortisol levels like HIIT training can do. But it’s nice to have the science say this approach also supports my gut health. Research from 2022 shows that regular moderate exercise can improve gut microbiota composition, increasing the diversity of beneficial bacteria.

I’m usually in the gym two or three times a week anyway, so I decided to enhance this routine by supplementing it with some yoga and Pilates too – moderate exercise that gently supports wellbeing and that Activia’s Gut Health Tracker recommended I could benefit from incorporating. Not only did I feel the benefit of that extra mind-body movement, these gentler practises are great for aiding digestion, giving my gut yet another helping hand.

Gut health challenge: the verdict

Focusing on my gut health for just two weeks has made such a difference to how I feel. Not only am I less bloated and more energised, but my skin also seems brighter – a side effect I was not expecting, and I’ve enjoyed making small changes that fit easily into my routine. While everyone’s experience will be different, these habits have helped me to feel good, and I know I’ll be carrying them into the year ahead.

Inspired to support your own gut health? To assess your current gut health score and find out how to support your gut health, visit the Activia Gut Health Tracker, and join Activia’s 2-week Gut Health Challenge for the chance to win a range of feel-good prizes. (T&Cs apply). For information and to sign up visit activia.com.

*Activia contains calcium which contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes. Enjoy as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Activia is the best-selling gut health yogurt brand in the UK Chilled Yogurts and Desserts Gut Health Category – to verify visit danoneactivia.co.uk