This Valentine’s Day, we’re committed to helping you love yourself from the inside, out. Chocolate and flowers come and go, but here are some tips to see you through February 14th, and beyond!
Here are 5 ways to love yourself more:
- Eat a gut-healthy breakfast
Want to feel good about yourself? It’s time to give your good gut bacteria some love! Gut bacteria manufacture approximately 95% of the body’s supply of serotonin, which influences both mood and GI activity.1https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
Your good gut bugs need fibre to survive and thrive inside your system. They don’t need just one type of fibre – they need many different types! Healthy gut bugs will ferment a wide diversity of fibres and produce SCFAs, or short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which reduce inflammation inside the gut.2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070119/ Without these multiple critical food sources, your gut bugs cannot produce healthy levels of butyrate, and inflammation levels inside your system will soar.
Get gut-healthy and increase the number of different fibre types in your brekkie! You can combine flaked buckwheat, quinoa and millet to create a breakfast your gut bugs will love. Or, add Complete Prebiotic to your oats (recipe here). - Start a gratitude journal
Gratitude has been shown to be one of the three top character strengths that is most strongly correlated with positive wellbeing.3https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/which-character-strengths-are-most-predictive-of-well-being/ Appreciating what you have can bring greater positivity and life-satisfaction. Start your day by listing just three things you’re grateful for – a quick and easy mood boost! - Create a self-care routine
Make self-care a non-negotiable part of your day. Discover what ‘fills your cup’ and helps you recharge your batteries. It could be a luxurious bubble bath, meditation or a trashy magazine and cup of tea. Whatever it may be, and whether you have an hour or just 15 minutes to spare, you need to prioritise your ‘me time’. - Treat yourself to new skincare
Loving your body doesn’t just mean feeling attractive – it means taking care of the skin you’re in. Remove the chemical-heavy products from your personal care routine and replace them with probiotic skincare to give your skin the nourishing TLC it needs.
Your skin is home to millions of diverse bacterial microbes. Some of these microbes reinforce your skin’s natural barrier against bad bacteria, balance your skin’s pH levels and help prevent premature skin ageing.4https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2019/03/30/why-probiotic-skin-care-is-worth-the-hype-according-to-experts/?sh=4a4db5611aa1 So it’s important you maintain a healthy level of these ‘good’ microbes and keep the ‘bad’ to a minimum. Using probiotics topically creates an optimal environment for the good bugs, swinging the balance in your favour against the bad bugs.
Get the glow with Chuckling Goat probiotic soaps and lotions ✨ - Cook
Besides being a great way to unwind at the end of a busy day, making your own meals means you know exactly what’s going into them, or rather, what’s not! Cooking from scratch helps you avoid all the add-ins found in processed foods that can harm your gut health, and in turn, mental health. Loving yourself includes loving your tummy!
I’d recommend spaghetti bolognese for Valentine’s night, because what says ‘I love you’ more than pasta? Check out our gut-healthy version here.
Here’s to a February 14th that’s all about YOU! 💗
For more ways to boost your happy hormones and feel the love this season, check out our FREE music mix here.
Questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays for bespoke advice on gut wellness.
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
