If you were looking for a GUT Health. Than you’re search ends here. There is a lot of talk out there around gut health. Some of it’s true some of it not so much so we took a closer look at the science around foods to eat and limit for a healthy gut so you know.
What you should add to your diet?
When it comes to gut health there are some food that help. Some foods that help some foods that aren’t so great and some general tips to keep in mind. Why is gut health so important our gut is home to trillions of bacteria otherwise known as our microbiome you want to keep your gut microbiome I’m happy. Because the balance of gut bacteria can have a pretty big influence on our overall health. Everyone’s microbiome is different and what makes your good bugs happy might be different than what keeps mine happy. We’re still learning about the best ways to take care of gut health but we do have some science – backed guiding principles.
They’re important because a healthy gut can help reduce your risk of chronic conditions. Like heart disease and cancer keep inflammation at Bay help you maintain a healthy weight keep your brain healthy and impact out mood even though your gut microbiome starts developing literally in the womb we can make changes now to improve our gut health. It’s never too late to start eat a variety of fiber rich foods this is something I talk about all the time as it’s important for an overall healthy diet and important for your gut health. I’m talking about apples leaks nuts artichokes blueberries oats green leafy vegetables you get the idea.
When you eat different foods you get different types of Prebiotic fibers which keep your gut bacteria happy. Prebiotics are fibers found in plant foods, vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits that feed our gut bacteria.
Most Americans don’t eat enough fiber
Fibeer keeps gut bacteria healthy and thriving but it helps our digestion helps us feel full and satisfied keeps our heart healthy and has benefits for weight management. We actually have a whole article on the importance of getting enough fiber and we’ll link it here. You also want to add probiotic rich foods to your diet Probiotics are good bugs that are found in certain foods and supplements. You’ll find them in fermented foods like.
- KIMCHI
- SAUERKARAUT
- YOGURT
- KEFIR
- KOMBUCHA
- TEMPEH
- MISO
Probiotics help keep a healthy balance in your gut microbiome and may help your immune system as well. There’s a merging science around the benefits of specific strains of probiotics but we still need more research to fully understand which strain and amounts will benefit. Which people if you want to learn more about probiotic talk to your Healthcare practitioner who can help you decide if they might be right for you. We can also link a Healthline article that talks more about probiotic supplements but for gut health eating more fermented foods is a great place to start getting more probiotics into your diet.
Mediterranean diet
A Mediterranean diet was found to be beneficial for gut health likely because it’s high in fiber and includes olive oil and other polyunsaturated fats including Omega-3s that helps some strains of good gut bacteria flourish and suppress bad gut bacteria. Those changes are linked with decreased inflam infation and overall improvements to metabolic Health. Now compare that to a typical Western diet that’s high in fat added sugar and low in fiber which is not great for our overall health or out gut health. Eating a plant-based diet thats high in Whole foods fruits and vegetables has also been shown to help improve gut health.
Foods to limit for gut health
Now which foods do you want to limit for gut health artificial sweeteners. The relationship is unclear but research has shown that sweeteners such as aspartame and Sucralose can negatively change are gut microflora ultr processed foods. Typically these Foods lack fiber and contain a fair amount of added sugar without a lot of nutrients so they’re not doing your health or your gut health any favors.