I recently finished my health coaching course through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (yay!), and am now starting a gut health course with the same school. Gut health has really become a major focus for me because the gut is where the very seat of health lies. Heal the gut, and you can heal your life. Scientists are finding that the gut microbiome is a lot more extensive and important than was initially thought. The balance of your gut microbes can affect your mood, emotions, weight, the way you see the world, the foods you crave, and a lot more. The gut contains the greatest number and diversity of microbes than any other system in the body, and each and every person’s gut microbiome is different and unique. What you eat, the environment you live in, medications that you take– these can all affect our individual gut microbiota. Our gut microbiota in turn can have effects on if we are happy or sad, slender or obese, bloated or not, able or unable to digest certain types of foods, or whether we have enough energy to complete certain activities.
Since we are just discovering how important taking care of our gut health is, a very hot topic in nutrition right now is how do we improve and maintain our gut health? Below I have listed a few simple, easy ways to take care of your gut. These have great potential to change our gut microbiome for the better so you can regain your energy levels, weight, and confidence.
1.) Sip bone broth– Bone broth is full of gut healing gelatin and amino acids. Gelatin can play a major role in healing the gut because it is capable of repairing intestinal walls and rebuilding the mucosal lining of the intestines. The amino acids found in bone broth can improve the look of our skin and nails, help repair our joints, and help stimulate stomach acid production.
2.) Eat fermented foods– Good quality fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut, have tons of gut friendly probiotics in order to balance the gut microbiome. Other opens include pickles, yogurt, and kombucha. When it comes to fermented foods, homemade is best, and is easy to make!
3.) Practice meditation– Stress is one of the main contributors in throwing your gut health out of balance. Meditation is one of the best ways to get in touch with your body in order to let go of any stress that you may be unconsciously holding onto. It’s best to practice twice a day– once before starting your day in order to set the day’s intention, and once before bed in order to release the body of stress before sleep. If you are unsure of where to start there are lots of guided meditations that you can find on Google or YouTube.
4.) Take a probiotic, but pay special attention to prebiotics!– Probiotics are very important in maintaining gut health, especially since the Standard American Diet is high in artificial ingredients and processed foods. These can damage gut health, so taking a daily probiotic can help repair some of the damage. Prebiotics are equally important. I once read that taking a probiotic supplement without paying attention to prebiotics is like throwing seeds on the ground without tilling the soil or watering them and hoping that it turns into a beautiful, thriving garden. Prebiotics are fiber from plants that is indigestible in the stomach. They make their way into the large intestine where they ferment, and help feed and stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon. Bananas, kiwi fruit, apple skins, asparagus, and jerusalem artichokes are all great sources of prebiotics.
5.) Stay away from packaged food with artificial ingredients!– The Standard American Diet is high in animal products, sugar, artificial ingredients, and many other harmful chemicals. The average American eats too much low quality fat, refined sugar and flours, while not getting enough plant based fibers, phytochemicals, and healthy fats. Artificial ingredients and chemicals throw the balance of the gut microbiota off and causes it to have less diversity, which can lead to all sorts of issues such as leaky gut, IBS, or generalized inflammation. They can also make your gut less able to digest foods fully. Which leads us to the next topic…
6.) …Eat whole foods!– Eating natural, organic, whole foods as they are found in nature is the absolute best thing that you can do for your body and to improve your gut health. This means drinking whole milk, eating the whole egg (not just the white!), eating yogurt made with whole milk, etc. When you eat foods that are whole without any nutrients taken out (yes, even the fat!), you will eat less because your body will recognize when it is full, and it will also lead to less cravings since your body is getting enough of what it needs. When you make an omelette with only the egg whites for example, your body will be more likely to start craving fatty foods later in the day, causing you to give in and reach for potato chips, french fries, or anything that you can quickly get. When you eat whole foods to begin with, your body will have more energy, you will have less cravings, you will be more alert, and you may also lose weight instead of gaining it! Whole foods also lead to increased diversity of the gut microbiota.
Incorporating these into your daily routine will improve the health and diversity of your gut microbiota so you can start to see real changes. As with any change in diet, especially if you have existing health concerns, check with your doctor!
