Gut Renewal: Reviving Your Digestive System After Stomach Flu

How Does Stomach Flu Affect the Gut?

Once you catch hold of stomach flu, your gut microbiome balance gets disrupted. The good microbes in your gut lose their ability to survive under the attack of the stomach flu microbes. 

If you are new to gut health, know that gut microbes are a mixture of bacteria, fungi and viruses in your gut. Do not worry, they are good microbes which you need to keep yourself healthy.

Get a scoop on gut health and gut types in this blog - Understanding the 3 Gut Types and How They Impact Digestion

So, when these healthy microbes’ balance gets disrupted (gut dysbiosis) the body starts to lose it! How?

The whole building of the immune system, digestion and metabolism comes down. Dysbiosis also leads to an inflammatory response in the gut lining making the protective wall weaker. Now, due to this, whatever harmful substances were there inside the gut, they leak into the bloodstream. 

With lesser power of the immune system, the whole body becomes weak. This makes it challenging for your body to fight off future infections. The condition can also lead to the formation of some autoimmune health conditions too. 

The stomach is now not even able to produce enough digestive enzymes to metabolise the food you eat which leads to malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies. 

That is the reason why you must find the right way to bring your gut back into normalcy.

Reboot your digestive health after stomach flu! How?
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Gut Disruptors : Habits that Can Harm Your Gut Health

When your gut is weak, it is unwise to consume food items and follow habits that can further deplete the healthy gut microbes.

Try to avoid;

• Poor diet with unhealthy fats, processed and ultra processed foods, excessive sugar.
• Smoking and alcohol which damage the intestinal lining.
• Irrelevant antibiotic usage that kills even the beneficial bacteria when used in  excess.
• Stress which can flare-up the gut inflammation.

The Gut Reboot:Natural Remedies for Post-Stomach Flu Healing

“Maintaining agni is the most essential part of being healthy, " says Dr Naveen Chandran, CMO at Nirva.

What is agni? Agni means fire. When in ayurveda, the term agni comes into the context, its the power of digestion. It refers to the health of your gut. 

A healthy and powerful agni breaks down undigested food, promotes appropriate nutrient breakdown and absorption. 

A balanced agni - just like how in modern medical science you say ‘ a well balanced gut microbe’ - is the key to longevity.

So, here are some ayurvedic remedies for restoring your gut health naturally.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Restoring Gut Health

Anti-inflammatory foods 

• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Garlic

These three are the first and best anti-inflammatory spices you can add into your meals. FInd out more super easy anti-inflammatory diet in this article -  Guide to the Anti-inflammatory Diet

Carminative Spices

Add spices like;

• Clove
• Cinnamon
• Cumin
• Coriander 

These help increase your agni without putting much stress on the weakened digestive system.

Agni-Herbal Tea

Start your day with a warm cup of herbal tea, which will add up to your digestive health.

Brew a cup of tea made with;

• Cumin
• Coriander
• Mint leaves
• Basil leaves
• turmeric

This way you can ignite your agni, soothe the inflamed gut and balance your microbes, all together!

Nourishing Buttermilk

Buttermilk is filled with healthy bacteria. Consume buttermilk mixed with;

• Curry leaf powder
• Cumin
• A pinch of pink salt

Ghee

Once you start feeling a little bit of hunger, start consuming organic ghee (clarified butter) the first thing in the morning. Follow with sips of warm water. A teaspoon of ghee helps further ignite your digestive fire.

Triphala

Take a teaspoon of triphala powder into a glass of warm water. Consume this before bed time. You may feel like passing loose stools in the morning, but nothing to worry about. This is just a way of cleansing your gut.

Above are some simple steps you can take to improve your gut health bit by bit. To know more, connect with our ayurvedic experts. 

Foods to Avoid for Maintaining Gut Health

Keep this list of food in mind to stay away from. Your gut does not need more stress trying to digest these when it doesn't have enough enzymes to do so. 

• Heavy meals like oily or creamy foods.
• Spicy foods that can irritate your gut lining.
• Read meat which is filled with saturated fats.
• Raw salads and fruits which are hard to digest.
• Processed and ultra processed food that disrupt gut microbes.
• Refined oils and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin in market bought fruit juices
• Sauces and beverages seen in salad dressing which contain artificial ingredients.

Nutritious Foods to Include in Your Diet

The next time you go grocery shopping, add these items into your grocery list.

Vegetables

• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Arugula
• Carrots
• Kale
• Beetroot
• Swiss chard
• Spinach
• Ginger
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini

Root Vegetables

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Carrot
• Squash
• Turnips

They are nourishing for your gut, filled with essential nutrients and fibres.

Fruits

• Coconut
• Grapes
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Kiwi
• Pineapple
• Oranges
• Mandarin
• Lemon
• Sweet lime
• Passion fruit
• Papaya

These are quick sources of rich vitamins and minerals for improving your gut health. Moreover, they are rich in natural digestive enzymes.

Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables are the best probiotics.

• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Tempeh
• Miso

Sprouted seeds

A variety of seeds are essential for your overall health. Choose;

• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Sunflower seeds

They are rich in nutrients and easy to digest.

Healthy fats

Not all fats are your enemy. Fats are essential for your body function. CHoose healthy fats such as;

• Avocado
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil

Beverages

Choose the right beverage that can hydrate your body. Go for;

• Bone broth
• Coconut milk
• Nut milk
• Water
• Kombucha

Don't Let Your Gut Health Get You Down

Gut health may seem like a pretty small thing to look after. Following the right diet is quite tiresome, but ultimately you must know what you are keeping at bay. 

Some of the potential health conditions that can attack your gut with an unhealthy digestion and metabolism are;

• IBS (irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease like crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis)
• Autoimmune and allergic conditions
• Hormonal imbalances
• Mood disorders
• Skin illness
• Chronic fatigue
• Weak immune system

It takes time to realise that the root cause of all these health issues is the gut.

When to Seek Medical Attention?

Whenever you are suffering from stomach flu, there are chances that you may face some symptoms that pose a risk to your health. Keep an eye for such symptoms.

1. Dehydration

When you do not keep yourself on a good amount of fluids, you may experience excessive thirst, dry mouth, dark urine or dizziness. This calls for immediate emergency care.

2. Severe abdominal pain

Experiencing severe abdominal pain may be from severe inflammation in your gut.

3. Blood in stools

Blood in stools shows that your gut is bleeding somewhere inside. It can be high up in the stomach, or as low as the large intestines. You must go for a medical examination to find out the root cause.

4. High Fever

If you experience high fever (more than above 101.5°F or 38.6°C ), it  may be a sign of severe bacterial infection.

5. Weakness

If you feel that your body is going weak and you are unable to perform even the slightest of daily chores, then its a sign of severe nutrient loss. Seek medical attention immediately.

Wrapping Up

Recovering from stomach flu takes time. The process is not just about fighting the symptoms of infection. It is much more than that. Taking care of the gut health, in ayurvedic terms Agni stands as the centre point of any infection. It takes a clear understanding of your hunger cues and metabolic health to know how to further improve your overall health.

To make informed choices according to your body constitution and gut type, talk to our holistic health experts.