Recovering from an Illness? 11 Gut Health Habits to Get Your Digestive System Back on Track

You know the feeling. You’ve just come through a terrible stomach bug or the flu. You’ve finished your antibiotic and are ready to get back to life. But your stomach is feeling like a mess. Slow digestion, gut pain, bloating, and even brain fog can be the result of your digestive system being impacted by an illness, even after it’s over. So instead of just powering through, here are 11 simple ways to get your gut health back on track and recover quickly.

1. add saccharomyces boulardii to your toolkit: There are so many probiotics for gut health but saccharomyces boulardii is a hero for recovering from the digestive system distress that antibiotics can cause. You can buy it at your local grocery store or online and should start taking it at the first signs of an illness- it’ll make a huge difference!

2. FERMENTED FOODS ARE YOUR FRIEND: Fermented foods reestablish good bacteria in your gut, replenishing the gut microbiome and supporting improved gut health. Did you know that just a spoonful of sauerkraut has more beneficial gut bacteria than an entire bottle of probiotics? A much cheaper way to get your probiotics in and reduce gut pain! Kombucha, miso, kimchi, pickles, yogurt and any other fermented food should be added daily to meals to support digestive system recovery.

3. HYDRATE CORRECTLY: Hydration can play a huge role, especially if constipated, in improving digestive system recovery - but not all water is created equal. Adding a splash of citrus and celtic salt or some electrolytes like LMNT will ensure you’re appropriately hydrated, drinking less water but just as efficiently.

4. USE LIQUIDS TO GIVE YOUR SYSTEM A BREAK: Swapping in a liquid meal like a protein smoothie or a nourishing soup can give your digestive system a break from breaking down complex carbohydrates and other nutrients. Just ensure you’re not consuming empty calories by ensuring you’re filling a smoothie, oatmeal or soup with a good blend of fat, fiber and protein.

5. Include protein and fiber where you can: Protein and fiber can be really tough to digest if your system is recovering from an illness (and often doesn’t seem very appetizing during recovery) but it’s really important for improving the gut microbiome and reducing gut pain. Look to include vegetarian protein sources in what you’re already eating - for example, instead of plain pasta do red lentil or chickpea pasta or add protein powder to pancakes while you’re recovering. For fiber, cooked fiber is a lot easier to digest so blend up and cook some spinach into a rice and tofu dish or add some steamed broccoli to have with a lentil stew to get it in without overloading your system with a salad or vegetable heavy dish.

6. Add in Magnesium to Your Routine: Magnesium calms the nervous system which can support better digest health, help support sleep which is essential for recovery and it’s often depleted after an illness. Look for magnesium glycinate for nervous system calming or magnesium oxide to combat constipation.

7. Tap Into Ayurveda: Ayruveda can be a great resource for understanding what types of foods you need to improve digestive health. Notice how your symptoms are presenting themselves. If you have a lot of heartburn, gas or constipation, your Pitta (fire) dosha might be imbalanced. In simple terms this means to look for cooling foods like mint, aloe, fennel and cucumber. If you have more diarrhea, stomach pain or discomfort after eating or drinking cold things, (likely a Vata imbalance) look for warming foods like ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin. It makes a huge difference in digestive system recovery.

8. SWEAT IT OUT: Epsom salt baths and infrared saunas are extremely supportive for body detoxification after illness which improves digestion immensely. Epsom salt baths can help with constipation and also are very calming to the nervous system. Infrared sauna use promotes better circulation and reduces stress which supports the digestive tract in relaxing and releasing.

9. GET CREATIVE WITH COLLAGEN: Collagen supports the gut lining which can often become permeable after an illness. This causes a host of issues throughout the body, especially brain fog and stomach pain after eating. Consider adding collagen powder to your coffee or tea, having a mug of bone broth a day (chicken if recovering from a stomach illness, beef if recovering from a lung illness) or making your own gummies using Great Lakes Gelatin which can rebuild the gut lining and support improved digestive system functioning.

10. Regulate your nervous system: Even if you don’t mentally feel it, the stress of an illness can disrupt your nervous system flow and live within your body well after the illness has resolved. Start to incorporate 5 minutes of meditation in the morning and evening (you can check out my meditations on Spotify, Apple, YouTube and Insight Timer!) to keep your nervous system calm and consider searching for ‘somatic movement exercises’ to mitigate any potential nervous system impact within your body.

11. EMBRACE GENTLE MOVEMENT: You may not be up for a full intense workout but gentle movement like walking and easy yoga can help move your digestive system, decrease gut bloat and really get things going. Start small - every little bit counts!

    Hopefully with these tips you’ll be feeling better quickly! If you’re still struggling, partnering with a functional medicine doctor like those at Parsley Health or similar organizations can support you in looking into any remaining issues like SIBO or gut dysbiosis. Be sure to reach out if your symptoms don’t resolve after a few weeks and feel better soon!