Gut Health: A Business Owner's Wellness Guide

In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, it is easy to get caught up in the drive for success, often at the expense of personal well-being. In between juggling finances, team management, and numerous other responsibilities, one’s health can easily be overlooked – especially gut health.

Understanding the gut microbiota

The gut influences everything from immunity to mental health. It runs from the oesophagus to the anus and is about 9 metres in length. The gut is home to a vast community of tiny microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. Collectively, this community is known as the gut microbiota. This community aids in digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and protecting against harmful bacteria. It also influences the immune system, helping to ward off illnesses and maintain overall health. Additionally, it has its own nervous system (called the enteric nervous system), dubbed the body’s “second brain”, produces important chemicals, such as neurotransmitters, that affect our mood and mental well-being, linking the gut directly to brain function and mental health.

Given the importance of the gut, below are six ways to help support your gut health as a small business owner:

Gut health tips for small business owners

1. Eat a balanced diet rich in fibre

Government guidelines recommend eating 30g of fibre daily to support overall well-being. Fibre serves as food for beneficial gut bacteria, helping them to flourish. By enhancing the growth of these good bacteria, fibre helps prevent digestive discomfort and can help you feel your best throughout the day. To meet your daily fibre goal, include a variety of fibre-rich foods in your diet. Think ‘inclusion not exclusion’ - what can you add to your meals to boost your fibre intake?

For example, one serving of oats contains approximately 4g of fibre. By adding one apple (4g fibre) or one banana (3-4g fibre) to your breakfast, you can easily almost double your fibre intake.

Beans, legumes and other pulses are also great sources of fibre. For example, One-third of a can of chickpeas can provides 5g of fibre to your salad or stew, and half a tin of baked beans contains 8g of fibre. Nuts and seeds are also high in fibre and healthy fats, so keep a small pot of mixed nuts on your desk to snack on throughout the day.

Not only is fibre good for your gut, but it can also keep you fuller for longer, reducing those distracting trips to the kitchen.

2. Stay hydrated

When you’re constantly on the go, it's easy to forget to drink enough water, but staying well hydrated is an easy, yet often overlooked, aspect of maintaining gut health. Water is essential for every function in the human body - one of which is digestion. Water helps the digestive system break down food and flush out waste. Keep water within reach at all times and aim to drink approximately 2L per day. Herbal teas or water-rich fruits like watermelon and cucumbers can also help meet your daily fluid intake.

Staying well hydrated can also enhance your mood because a healthy gut microbiome supports optimal brain function, via the gut-brain axis, the communication link between your gut and brain. Research suggests that a diverse gut microbiome is associated with improved cognition which is crucial for small business owners to make informed decisions. So, by supporting your gut microbiome through hydration and diet diversity, you could enhance your cognitive flexibility - enabling you to stay on top of your business goals.

3. Incorporate fermented foods into your diet

Another way to support gut health is by including fermented foods in your diet. These include kimchi, miso, sauerkraut and fermented milk drinks such as Yakult. These often contain live bacteria, which can support the diversity of your gut microbiota, enhance digestion and support immune function.

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4. Exercise regularly

As a small business owner, finding time for exercise might feel impossible, but even small amounts of physical activity will positively impact your gut health and overall well-being. Exercise is also a powerful stress reliever, reducing anxiety and improving mood. When you work out, your body releases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals that boost mood and energy levels. You don’t need a full gym session— even simple, regular exercise can make a difference.

If you're pressed for time, try integrating short bursts of movement into your routine. For example, chair exercises such as seated leg lifts or chair squats are great if you're spending long hours at your desk. Physical activity also helps to regulate bowel movements and balance gut bacteria.

Also consider taking short breaks from your screen throughout the day, or head out for a brisk walk after work or lunch.

5. Manage stress

As a business owner, stress is inevitable, but it’s important to manage it effectively. Whether it’s physical or psychological, stress will trigger a chain reaction in the body, including the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol can disrupt the communication pathways between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. Such disruptions may alter blood flow and secretions in the gut, which can lead to favourable conditions for harmful bacteria and inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria. Cortisol release can also lead to unfavourable digestive symptoms such as bloating and constipation. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact your gut health and begin to impact your mood and energy levels.

Manage stress by incorporating short meditation or mindfulness sessions into your evenings. Don’t forget to schedule ‘me time’ for activities you enjoy such as reading, painting, cooking, journalling or gardening.

For those working from home, set clear boundaries between work and personal space to prevent work-related stress from spilling over into your personal time. Also, as a business owner, you likely spend a lot of your day in front of a screen, so give your eyes a break every couple of hours and at the end of the day do things that do not involve a screen.

6. Prioritise quality sleep

Sleep is essential for managing stress levels. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support your body’s recovery and maintain balanced stress hormones. A broken night’s sleep can leave you feeling tired, stressed and irritable, as well as affect gut function. When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, it can impact the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Additionally, keeping sleep under control could benefit food choices, as poor sleep quality and length are associated with an increased energy intake, mainly from snacking, especially on foods high in fat and salt, which is known to disadvantage gut health.

Creating a relaxing bedtime routine can enhance sleep quality and better equip your body to handle the stress of the day. Limit your caffeine intake at least 6 hours before bed, put all screens away at least 1 hour before bed, and engage in relaxing activities to help you wind down. This might be reading your favourite book, taking a bath or listening to music. Regardless of how you wind down, prioritise this time to create a clear distinction between your peaceful hours and the working day.

When it comes to small business ownership, prioritising gut health offers surprising benefits that extend far beyond digestion. A thriving gut is not just a reflection of good health—it’s a cornerstone of a thriving business. By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can unlock your full potential and ensure both personal and professional success.

About the author

Dr Emily Prpa is a Nutritionist at Yakult UK & Ireland, with a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from King’s College London. In the 1930s, scientist Dr Shirota spent many years investigating the benefits of intestinal bacteria. He cultivated a unique strain to make the iconic milk drink called Yakult.

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Article Topics

• Business Growth
• Business Management