Gut health is the conversation of the moment!
As we see people on social media opening up about their gut health and ways they have learnt to combat it. Not only this, gut specialists are now using social media to share their research with the masses.
We’ve taken a look at advice from specialists across the web to bring you some gut health basics. The things you should be looking to add to your diet for a happy tummy!
Broadly, it’s extremely important to have a diet rich in plants, so fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Variety of products is known to promote healthy gut bacteria, with specialists recommending getting around 20-30 different vegetables in per week. Every item contains different nutrients that help keep your gut ticking over.
In addition to that, try adding in some of the below.
1. Fermented foods
Fermented foods have been around for centuries and for good reason.
They give your gut healthy, living microorganisms that crowd out the unhealthy bacteria. Fermented foods also improve gut absorption.
Heard of something called sauerkraut? It’s a staple in Germany and is essentially fermented cabbage. It's high in Vitamin B and contains more live bacteria than live yoghurt.
You may have also heard of kimchi. It's a tangy delight from Korea that has over 300 variants and is another form of fermented vegetables, known for aiding digestion.
Also look out for other fermented foods like:
- Miso
- Kombacha
- Kefir
- Tempeh
which all forms of probiotics.
2. Fibre rich foods
Prebiotics feed the probiotics in your tum (that’s your gut bacteria) and therefore are also essential in your diet.
So make sure you are consuming whole grains, legumes and lentils, as well as a healthy dosing of fruits and vegetables.
Fibre keeps you bowels moving and keeps you regular, which is an integral part of good gut health!
3. Greens
We are all told constantly to eat our greens, for all the health benefits they bring, and this also includes our guts!
Broccoli was found in a recent study to promote intestinal health. This may also be applied to other cruciferous vegetables, including kale and cabbage.
Asparagus also aids digestion and is rich in folate, an easy one to add to your plate in salads or as a yummy side.
4. Fruits
Bananas are particularly great as they are packed with potassium and magnesium, which can aid inflammation.
Apples are also an easy win, as they are packed with fibre, important as we just discussed.
5. Garlic, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes
All of these are rich in prebiotics, which feed the probiotics in our guts that helps promote gut health.
Jerusalem artichokes and chicory are high in inulin, which is a type of dietary fibre and helps restore the gut flora.
Garlic helps feed those probiotics, but might be worth.
