“Gut activity” that has been getting more and more opportunities to hear more than before.
You may have heard the name of intestinal activity, but many people may not know in detail what kind of activities they actually do.
What do you actually do with intestinal activity this time? And what kind of effect can you expect by doing intestinal activity? I would like to talk about the whole picture of intestinal activity while briefly introducing the function of the intestines.
What is intestinal activity
Intestinal activity is an activity to cut off the vicious cycle of the intestines that has become dull and switch to the original virtuous cycle.
The intestines are an organ that is said to be the second brain, and the intestines and the brain are connected by nerve cells called vagus nerves, so they have a great impact on the human body. More and more people are becoming aware.
What is the function of the intestine
I will tell you a little about the work of the intestines before talking about intestinal activity, but the intestines mainly have three functions.
- digestion and absorption
- to defecate
- growth of bacteria
■Intestinal function ① “Digestion and absorption”
Among the intestines, the small intestine breaks down food with digestive enzymes and pancreatic juice and absorbs nutrients.
Also, after taking in nutrients from food, dietary fiber and leftover waste will be carried to the large intestine.
Intestinal function ② “Defecation”
In addition to the leftover waste that I mentioned earlier, old cells that have fallen off due to metabolism and dead intestinal bacteria that have died after finishing their work are also excreted as feces. It is the function of the large intestine.
■Intestinal Function ③ “Growing Bacteria”
Digestion, absorption, and defecation are often recognized as functions of the intestine, but in fact, it also has the function of retaining and growing intestinal bacteria.
This is done in both the small intestine and the large intestine, where bacteria that prefer hypoxia grow in the small intestine, while bacteria that prefer anoxia grow in the large intestine.
It is an important part of intestinal activity to support these three intestinal functions in a well-balanced manner, such as “digestion and absorption”, “defecation”, and “growth of bacteria”.
What are the 5 effects you can expect from bowel activity?
Now, I would like to talk about what kind of effect you can expect by doing intestinal activity.
When you hear the word “intestinal activity”, you may imagine that “Is it an improvement for constipation?”
- Constipation improved
- diet
- beautiful skin
- boost immunity
- stabilize the mind
I will tell you one by one.
Effect of intestinal activity ① “Improve constipation”
By performing intestinal activity, when the intestinal environment is in place and the intestines can exert their original power, the stool that has accumulated in the intestines will be discharged. You can expect the effect of relieving constipation.
■Effects of intestinal activity ② “Diet”
By practicing intestinal activity, the balance of intestinal bacteria will improve, and you can expect a constitution that is less likely to accumulate fat and easier to lose weight.
Recently, we have heard the word “thin bacteria/fat bacteria” in relation to intestinal activity, but let’s imagine that by performing intestinal activity, the activity of fat bacteria is suppressed and the activity of lean bacteria is activated.
■ Effect of intestinal activity ③ “Beautiful skin”
It is said that the cause of rough skin is related to the intestines.
When stool (fecal impaction) accumulates in the intestines, it ferments abnormally and releases toxins.These toxins are absorbed by the intestines and carried throughout the body through the bloodstream, resulting in rough skin.
By improving constipation with intestinal activity, the intestines can absorb solid nutrients and deliver them to the whole body, so you can expect the effect of improving rough skin.
Effect of intestinal activity ④ “Increase immunity”
In fact, about 70% of immune cells are present in the intestines, but recent research has revealed that it not only has the function of enhancing immunity. I’m here.
By adjusting the intestinal environment through intestinal activity, you can improve your immunity and make your body less susceptible to illness.
■Effects of intestinal activity ⑤ “Mental stability” Commands are issued from the intestines and controlled by the brain, but the neurotransmitter serotonin (happiness hormone) is involved in mental stability.
The intestines and brain are connected by superstitious nerves.
By doing intestinal activity and preparing the intestinal environment, you can expect the effect of stabilizing the secretion of this serotonin and stabilizing the mind.
The three important points for intestinal activity are “diet, sleep, and exercise”
So, what should I do to actually do intestinal activity? The most important things in intestinal activity are “meal”, “sleep” and “exercise”.
It is important to balance all three of these points rather than doing just one.
■Points of intestinal activity ① “Meal”
The point of eating that you want to be aware of in intestinal activity is to eat fermented foods while eating well-balanced meals.
A well-balanced diet means eating vegetables, grains, meat and fish, and oil. 50g/day, 40g/day for women)”.
<Vegetables>
By choosing seasonal vegetables, you can eat delicious and nutritious ingredients.
<Grain>
Brown rice and multi-grain rice are recommended rather than white rice as they are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber.
<Meat and fish>
Meat and fish are mainly eaten for protein intake, but protein can also be taken from soybeans and dairy products.
Also, fish, which contains more omega-3 fatty acids than meat, is more suitable for intestinal activity.
<Oil>
Do I need to take oil? However, it is a necessary nutrient for the body, and you can get oil from meat and fish, but as I mentioned earlier, we recommend oil that contains omega-3 fatty acids from fish.
For cooking with heat, olive oil is recommended because it is difficult to oxidize, and for cooking without heating, perilla oil and linseed oil are recommended.
<Fermented food>
In addition, fermented food is highly recommended for intestinal activity, but pickled rice bran is especially recommended among them.
Rice bran pickles are rich in bacteria that intestinal bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria, butyric acid bacteria, and yeast bacteria are pleased with.
Rice bran pickles and kimchi are said to be the top-class fermented foods in the world when it comes to the variety of beneficial bacteria.
Key point for intestinal activity ② “Sleep”
Sleep is also related to various functions of the body, but as I mentioned earlier, the brain and intestines are connected by the vagus nerve, so if the brain is affected by lack of sleep, the intestines will also be adversely affected. There is fear.
I think there are many people who haven’t thought about sleep that much, but compared to the rest of the world, the average sleep time of Japanese people is quite short, so try to get enough sleep.
So how much sleep is enough? I would like to say at least 6 hours or more, but there are individual differences, so I would like to try to get enough sleep so that I don’t feel sleepy during the day.
Also, it would be nice to be conscious of not only the time of sleep but also the quality.
Here I would like to introduce some of the ways to improve or lower the quality of sleep.
■In raising the quality of sleep
, I will first introduce how to raise the quality of sleep.
<Bathing>
We feel drowsy when our body temperature rises after taking a bath and then it gradually drops, so sleeping at this timing will improve the quality of sleep.
<Light exercise>
About 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime, if you do some stretching that does not increase your heart rate, it will promote blood circulation and relax, which will improve the quality of your sleep.
■ Lowering the quality of sleep
introduces how to continue to lower the quality of sleep.
<Meal time>
As a factor that lowers the quality of sleep, there is a sudden rise in blood sugar level, so it is recommended to finish eating by 3 hours before going to bed.
<nightcap>
A nightcap makes it easier to fall asleep, but the quality of sleep itself is reduced.
<Smartphone at bedtime>
Smartphones and computers emit a strong light called blue light, which stimulates the brain and interferes with falling asleep.
<Brightness of lighting>
Since the brain judges that it is time to go to bed in a dark place, it is difficult to fall asleep in a bright place.
Key point for intestinal activity ③ “Exercise”
When it comes to exercise, some people may feel that the threshold is high, such as running or going to the pool, but exercise for intestinal activity is a lower level.
The first thing to be aware of is posture and breathing.
Poor posture can put pressure on your internal organs and put an extra burden on various parts of your body, so try to maintain correct posture by being conscious of not bending your back too much.
In addition, breathing is related to the autonomic nerves, and breathing deeply and slowly stimulates the parasympathetic nerves and supports the work of the intestines.
When you hear the word breathing, you tend to focus on taking a deep breath in, but try to focus on exhaling as well.
Also, breathing should be nose breathing, not mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is easy to dry the mucous membrane of the mouth, and it is easy to catch a cold, so be careful.
As for other exercises, we recommend stretching the whole body, but if I had to tell you about it in part, it would be the calves. The calves act as blood flow pumps, and blood is pumped out by contracting the calf muscles.
For that reason, calf training improves blood circulation throughout the body, so it is recommended to exercise that puts some load on the calves.
Summary of intestinal activity
Intestinal activity is an activity to switch the intestines to the original virtuous cycle, and it will be improved mainly by diet, sleep, and exercise.
Many modern people do not eat, sleep, and exercise in their original form, and there are many cases where they have lifestyle habits that damage the intestines. It’s getting more and more.
