10 Effective Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Latina woman sitting at dinner table

Gut health has been on everyone’s lips in recent years because more and more people are waking up to how it affects overall health and well-being. For many out there, the key to feeling amazing every day is the gut. If your gut is doing great, you’ll do great. Want to put that to the test? Well, there are a few simple things you can do to give your gut health a boost. Make sure to discuss this with your doctor first, but here are 10 effective ways to improve your gut health:


Introduce more variety into your diet

vegetable standPhoto by Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash

It’s not uncommon for people to fixate on specific foods for a long time, whether it’s due to convenience or just a matter of preference. The thing is, your gut is like a party; the more diverse the guest list, the better it will be. So it will serve you to step out of your comfort zone regularly when it comes to food. Eating a wide range of foods, especially fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, will help you introduce different types of bacteria to your gut, creating a more balanced and happier microbiome.

Load up on fiber

green broccoli in close up photographyPhoto by Waldemar on Unsplash

Fiber is like the gut's favorite snack. It helps keep things moving smoothly and feeds the good bacteria in your intestines. Foods rich in fiber include beans, lentils, broccoli, berries, apples, and whole grains. So don't skimp on the greens and grains!

Try adding more fermented foods to your diet

Clear glass jars with fermented vegetablesPhoto by little plant on Unsplash

Fermented foods are like the VIPs of the gut party. They bring their own healthy bacteria, called probiotics, which can help improve your gut health. Think yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kombucha. These fermented goodies are tasty and they will make your meals more interesting while also supporting your gut health.

For the love of God, drink enough water!

Glass waters on tablePhoto by Janosch Lino on Unsplash

People struggle with maintaining a healthy water intake every day, but the importance of keeping yourself hydrated can’t be stressed enough. Water is essential for every part of your body, so of course it can help your gut health. Staying well-hydrated helps with digestion and keeps your intestinal lining healthy. Instead of trying to chug a huge amount of water once a day, aim for at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day, and try herbal teas for a little variety.

Cut down on sugar and artificial sweeteners

a spoon filled with sugar on top of a tablePhoto by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

While enjoying a sugary snack is fine every once in a while, too much sugar can throw your gut bacteria out of balance, leading to quite a few issues. Artificial sweeteners can also disrupt your gut flora. Try to reduce your intake of sugary snacks and drinks, and opt for natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup when you need a little sweetness in your life.

Learn to manage your stress

woman doing yoga meditation on brown parquet flooringPhoto by Jared Rice on Unsplash

Believe it or not, stress can wreak havoc on your gut. For one, stress hormones can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut and affect digestion. Having an arsenal of stress management techniques will help you every day of your life and support your overall well-being. It will also help your gut health! Find what works for you and turn to techniques like deep breathing, 5-minute meditation, dancing, or just taking a short walk when you feel the stress building up.

Exercise regularly

person wearing orange and gray Nike shoes walking on gray concrete stairsPhoto by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

Regular exercise is fantastic for your gut and your overall physical and mental well-being. It will help increase the diversity of your gut bacteria and improve your digestion. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, most days of the week. If you don’t like exercising, chances are that you just haven’t found the right exercise for you. Try everything at least once, it doesn’t have to be just weight lifting; even practicing a sport you love or just dancing can work.

Strive to get enough hours of sleep every day

woman sleeping on bedPhoto by Tracey Hocking on Unsplash

Sleep and gut health are closely connected, so poor sleep is another thing that can affect your gut bacteria. This can lead to issues like inflammation and weight gain. Overall, you should be striving to get enough hours of sleep every day because that’s the only way to have enough energy to function. 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep is the goal, so do whatever you need to try to achieve it.

Avoid unnecessary antibiotics

a pile of pills sitting next to each other on top of a tablePhoto by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash

Antibiotics are great for fighting infections, but they can also kill off good bacteria in your gut. Avoid taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, and if you do need them, consider taking a probiotic supplement to help restore your gut flora.

Consider taking a probiotic supplement

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Speaking of probiotic supplements, you should consider taking one every day, not just when you’re on antibiotics. Probiotic supplements can be a great way to boost the good bacteria in your gut, just make sure you discuss it with your doctor first. If you get a green light, make sure your probiotic supplement is high-quality and designed to meet your needs, as explained to you by your doctor.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).