healthy people

Why Gut Health Matters – And How to Support It

An artistic and symbolic representation of gut health, featuring a human silhouette with a glowing digestive system. Inside the digestive area, include colorful fruits (like berries, apples, bananas), vegetables (like broccoli, carrots, spinach), whole grains (like oats, quinoa, and brown rice), and a variety of meats (like grilled chicken, salmon, and lean beef). The background should be bright and clean, with natural elements like leaves and water droplets to suggest freshness and vitality. The overall tone should be healthy, balanced, and holistic, emphasizing the importance of a diverse diet for gut health

Your gut is more than just a digestive system – it is a bustling ecosystem of trillions of microbes that play a vital role in your overall health, they are called the gut microbiome. This community, of microbes, includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that live primarily in your colon. Although they are tiny, their impact is anything but.

The Gut-Body Connection

A healthy gut microbiome supports your body in several important ways:

  • Digestion and Nutrition Absorption: Gut bacteria help break down complex carbohydrates and fibers, producing short-chain fatty acids that nourish your colon and support metabolic function.
  • Immune Function: About 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. A balanced microbiome helps regulate immune responses and protect against harmful pathogens.
  • Mental Health: The gut and brain are closely linked through the gut-brain axis, and often your gut is referred to as your second brain. Some gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which influence mood and cognitive function.
  • Chronic Disease Prevention: An imbalance gut microbiome has been linked to conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even certain cancers.

What Disrupts Gut Health?

Modern lifestyles can throw your gut out of balance. Diets high in processed foods and low in fiber, chronic stress, lack of sleep, and overuse of antibiotics can all reduce microbial diversity and allow harmful bacteria opportunity to thrive.

How to Support a Healthy Gut

Fortunately, small lifestyle changes can make a big difference:

  • Eat More Fiber: Whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables feed beneficial bacteria and promote diversity.
  • Include Fermented Foods: Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi contain live cultures that can enhance your microbiome.
  • Exercise Regularly: Physical activity may help increase microbial diversity and reduce inflammation.
  • Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics: Use them only when prescribed, as they can wipe out both harmful and helpful bacteria.

Your gut health is foundational to your overall well-being. By making mindful choices in your diet and lifestyle, you can cultivate a thriving microbiome that supports everything from digestion to mental clarity. Think of your gut as a garden – how you care for it, and what you feed it determines how well it grows.

Written By: Sofia Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Champaign County

Reviewed By: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Fairfield County

Bouncing Back to Life: Reclaiming Health, Energy, and Childlike Joy

Have you ever wished for the carefree joy of childhood again? Or wished you could enjoy the simple pleasures that used to bring you happiness? The good news is you can still feel that happiness! And you can do it while achieving your goals. Rebounding, while not a brand new workout trend, is often overlooked, even considering its incredible benefits. It’s time to bounce back to a healthier and happier you!  

Rebounding is the act of jumping on a rebounder, or a mini trampoline. Rebounding is a fun and effective workout that offers a variety of health benefits.  Sometimes, starting a new workout routine can be stressful and overwhelming. If you are new to physical activity or working out, rebounding might be an easy and fun way to start. Although jumping on a full-sized trampoline is fun, a rebounder, or a mini trampoline, has specific benefits. Rebounders are low to the ground, which can give us more stability and lessen the chance of injury. It is also a great cardiovascular workout and a fantastic alternative to running, jogging, and treadmill use, as you are less likely to injure yourself.  

Rebounding workouts benefit our entire body by promoting blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the body’s cells. In addition, rebounding enhances lower limb strength, balance, blood glucose levels, and joint movement. This is a great way to get into a short, effective full-body workout. According to the Cleveland Clinic, rebounding also:  

  • Builds strength 
  • Improves bone density 
  • Better your balance 
  • Strengthens cardiovascular health 
  • Relieves stress 

 

How do you get started with this new routine? Rebounding can be done in the comfort of your home, and having a gym membership is not required. It is suitable for all ages and all body types. For beginners, you can start with small and short exercises to gain confidence and become comfortable with the rebounder. Once you are ready to take things a step further, you can try jogging, jumping jacks, knee ups, and squats. For an extra challenge, try adding light weights or a medicine ball while you jump. You might also consider circling your arms or making swimming motions to try something more challenging.  

Rebounding is not only great for your health, but it’s also a lot of fun! Some of my favorite memories are jumping on a rebounder trampoline with my brother at my grandparents’ house. While they didn’t buy it for their own benefit, I think it was an easy way for my brother and I to burn off energy and make their lives a bit easier when they were babysitting us.  

Staying consistent with workouts can be challenging, but there’s always a way to make exercise more enjoyable. For me, rebounding has been that outlet. I hope you will jumpstart this journey with me!  

 

Written by: Emma Horstman, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension, Paulding County  

Reviewed by: Katie Schlagheck, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Ottawa & Sandusky Counties  

Don’t let daylight savings get you down

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 2 a.m., when clocks advance by one hour to maximize evening daylight. This shift can disrupt our internal clocks, leading to sleep disturbances and potential health impacts. To ease the transition, consider the following strategies:

  1. Gradually Adjust Your Sleep Schedule

In the days leading up to the time change, aim to go to bed and wake up 15–20 minutes earlier each day. This gradual shift helps your body adapt to the new schedule with minimal disruption.

sleepfoundation.org

  1. Seek Morning Sunlight Exposure

Morning light exposure aids in resetting your internal clock. On the day after the time change, spend time outdoors in natural sunlight shortly after waking. If outdoor access is limited, consider using a light therapy box.

almanac.com

  1. Maintain Consistent Bedtime Routines

Engage in relaxing activities before bedtime to signal your body that it’s time to wind down. This could include reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing meditation. Consistency in your pre-sleep routine reinforces healthy sleep patterns.

colorado.edu

  1. Limit Exposure to Evening Light

Reducing exposure to bright and blue light in the evening can help signal to your body that it’s time to wind down. Consider dimming lights and avoiding screens at least an hour before bedtime.

sleepfoundation.org

  1. Be Mindful of Napping

If you feel sleepy after the time change, a short nap (no more than 20 minutes) can be beneficial. However, avoid napping too close to bedtime, as it may interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night.

webmd.com

  1. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Maintain a comfortable sleep environment by keeping your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark. Avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime and engage in regular physical activity during the day to promote better sleep quality.

sleepfoundation.org

Implementing these tips can help mitigate the effects of the time change, promoting a smoother transition into Daylight Saving Time and supporting your overall health and well-being.

How to Prepare for the Start and end of Daylight Saving Time https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/how-to-prepare-for-daylight-saving-time

5 tips to help your body adjust to the time change

https://www.almanac.com/5-tips-help-your-body-adjust-time-change

 6 tips to help you fall back into standard time  https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/daylight-saving-tips

Daylight Savings: Health Effects and Tips

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/spring-forward-with-sleep-tips

 Daylight Saving Time: Sleep Health & Tips https://extension.usu.edu/mentalhealth/articles/daylight-saving-time-sleep-health-and-tips.pdf

Making The Most of Your Mornings

As the beginning of the school year quickly approaches, I’m reminded of my family’s rushed mornings out the door where I lack patience and feel frazzled. As those days progressed, I found it difficult to keep myself motivated and to stay focused on tasks on my ever-growing to-do list. At the end of many days, I felt exhausted with very little completed from my list.

morning journaling
Journaling

In preparation to not repeat the rushed and frazzled mornings this coming school year, I’ve started doing some research about how to make the most of my mornings. Research shows that a productive morning routine can have a positive impact on a person’s day. There are lots of different ideas when it comes to creating an energizing morning routine including getting up early, exercising, drinking water, eating a healthy breakfast, and journaling to name a few. I quickly found all the options overwhelming and wanted to find something that made creating a morning routine a little easier.

That’s when I came across a book called The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Hal’s approach to a morning routine made it easier for me to implement. He suggests waking up earlier than you normally would and spending your time doing six personal development habits to transform your morning and your life. The six habits are an acronym SAVERS:

  1. Silence– As you sit in silence, you’re totally present in the now, in the moment. You calm your mind, relax your body, and allow all of your stress to melt away. You develop a deeper sense of peace, purpose, and direction.
  2. Affirmations– Reading over the reminders of how capable you really are, gives you a feeling of confidence. Looking over what you’re committed to, what your purpose is, and what your goals are re-energizes you to take the actions necessary to live the life you truly want, deserve, and now know is possible for you.
  3. Vision– Visualize the change you want to make in your life. Either by creating a vision board or closing your eyes and working through your visualization.
  4. Exercise– Stand up and spend some time getting your heart rate up. Getting energized, waking yourself up and increasing your ability to be alert and to focus.
  5. Reading– Grab a self-help book and read a couple of pages. Learn a new idea, something that you can implement into your day, or discover something new that you can use to be better.
  6. Scribing– Grab a piece of paper and take a minute to write down what you’re grateful for, what you’re proud, or the results you’re committed to creating for today. In doing so, you put yourself in an empowered, an inspired, and a confident state of mind
blocks
Quality Wins

The book gives you a base to apply the habits to make them work with your life and I love that I can customize these to fit with my goals. How would you feel if this is how you started your day? How would the quality of your day—your life—improve? I encourage you to wake up each day with more ENERGY, MOTIVATION, and FOCUS to take your day and your life to the next level. 

Author: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County, bohlen.19@osu.edu

Reviewer: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

Sources:

Elrod, H. (2012). The Miracle Morning . Hal Elrod International, Inc.

Harvard Professional Development. (2016, September 21). 3 Ways to Boost Productivity with a Morning Ritual. Retrieved from https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/3-ways-to-boost-productivity-with-a-morning-ritual/