If want to feel better and don’t know where to start, begin by healing your gut as the saying goes “When in doubt, begin in the gut”.Healing tips for an unhappy gut When your gut is out of balance and digestive system is weak, it is often the best to go back to basics by eating simple and restorative foods to accelerate healing. Below I provide some basic tips to consider when dealing with an unhappy gut:
Have (warm) cooked/steamed/baked foods, they are easier to digest than raw and cold foods
Eat frequently and in small amounts, it’s easier on your digestion than big portions at once
Have proteins as they are needed to heal, include bone broths, vegetable broths, mushroom broths, soups and stews, well-cooked pastured meats, bone marrow, organic eggs, optionally high quality dairy (sheep, goat, coconut) and protein powder (green pea, hemp, whey)
Have healthy fats to nourish and soothe your immune system, consider coconut oil, butter, ghee, olive oil, hemp seed, avocados, flax seed, coconut milk and coconut water. If you tolerate nuts and seeds you may eat them in small amounts, preferably soaked at first
Have various (cooked) vegetables – at least half of what’s on your plate ought to be vegetables. Cabbage-family foods are high in glutamine, a healing nutrient that helps repair the gut
Have preferably non-gluten containing grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet and rice. Soaked in water for few hours before cooking, it makes them easier to digest
Have gentle fruits, such as ripe or cooked fruits
Have enough liquids such as water, water with lemon, water with raw apple cider vinegar, mint tea, fennel tea, ginger tea, green tea, rooibos tea, broths (bone broths are rich in glutamine), or some fresh vegetable juice (carrot, ginger, beet, kale, parsley, cabbage or sauerkraut)
Have herbs and spices such as salt, peper, basil, oregano, dill, fennel, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg. Try to avoid hot spices such as cayenne and chili
Supplementation with licorice (in a form of deglycyrrhizinated licorice DGL), glutamine, or quercetin can quench inflammation and help gut healing
Get unstressed – stress is a very common contributor to digestive complains
If you feel like you overreact to almost all foods, go low on lectins. Check the shopping list of Dr. Gundry for foods low/high in lectins. Lectins can aggravate inflammation
If above strategies do not help or you think you need a more targeted approach, seek some professional help. Common causes of digestive issues:
Chronic stress
Poor diet and low dietary fiber intake
Infections
Low stomach hydrochloric acid
Medications, prescribed and over the counter
Alcohol, drugs and cigarette smoking
Genetics
Lack of exercise
Environmental toxins, irritants, heavy metals
“P-foods” for good gut health Your gut likes real foods but here I want to focus specifically on three gut healthful P’s: prebiotics, probiotics and polyphenols. 3 x P rich foods for heathy gut and for healthy you: #1 Prebiotic rich foods = serve as food (dietary fiber) for beneficial microbes. Prebiotics are non-living, non-digestible by human ingredients (carbohydrates) that feed trillions of microbial mouths in your gut and helping them to bloom. They are microbiome superfoods that naturally occur in plant foods (vegetables, fruits, grains) such as chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, onion, leek, garlic, raw oats, banana, broccoli, carrots, or fruit skin. Dietary fiber aids digestion, bowel movement and assists the removal of toxins from the body. #2 Probiotic rich foods = contain beneficial microbes such as bacteria or yeast. They are present in certain foods containing live cultures such as yoghurt, kefir, aged cheese, kombucha, kimichi, sauerkraut, and miso. Probiotic rich foods may support digestion and immunity. #3 Polyphenol rich foods = polyphenols are plants’ powerful nutrients that to become active undergo diverse intestinal transformations thanks to the action of human digestive enzymes and microbial metabolism. They include flavonoids, tannins, chlorogenic acids, anthocyanidins. They have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic properties. Vegetables, fruits, herbs are rich in polyphenols: onion, apples, grapefruit, plums, broccoli, citrus fruits, tomatoes, green thee, cocoa, banana, berries, chickpeas, beans, soy, parsley, thyme, celery, walnuts, grapes, flaxseed, apricots, coffee seeds, and peaches. If you want to know more how to create a healthy plate for you, for your gut and your gut microbes, check my blog on “How to create your healthy plate”. Keep in mind that everyone is different and some foods that are great for one person will not necessarily be healthful for the other person.
Category: Microbiome and gut health October 5 2018
Tags:
Share this post
Author: Dr Joanna Krzeslak-Hoogland
Being inspired by the effect of nutrition, lifestyle and mind on our health, I am dedicated to help people on their journey to wellbeing.
We use cookies on our website in accordance with our Cookies Policy to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.