Nutritious Foods for Gut Health
If there is one thing you can do for your longterm health, it would be to look after your gut. The gut is a huge factor in our overall health and wellbeing, and when it’s out of balance, we can suffer from many different negative effects, from IBS to depression. It’s one of your gateways to health, so it’s important to look after it. And one of the best ways to do that is through food. Here are a few nutritious foods for gut health to get you started!
Why is gut health important?
Essential nutrients for gut health
Basic food tips to support your gut health
[Slideshow] Nutritious foods for gut health
Why is gut health important?
The state of your gut is not only important for healthy digestion. Your gut health impacts your immune system, moods, weight management, and so much more.
Within the gut are billions of microorganisms, mostly bacteria, with a wide range of functions. This community of microorganisms is referred to as the Gut Microbiome. To maintain gut health, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms, with more ‘good’ bacteria’ running the show. When the ‘bad’ bacteria take over, they kill the good guys and start wreaking havoc on the gut, leading to inflammation and disease.
Essential nutrients for gut health
So, as mentioned above, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance in your gut. Your ‘good’ bacteria need to be in charge.
If you’re suffering from digestive issues, or if you just want to support your gut health, some of the essential nutrients you want to eat include Probiotics, Prebiotics, Dietary Fibre, Antioxidants, and Healthy Fats.
Probiotics are basically ‘good’ bacteria. By ingesting foods that contain probiotics, you help populate your gut with the ‘good’ bacteria who can get to work in your gut in many different ways. Good sources of probiotics include fermented and cultured foods like Kefir and Sauerkraut. Note: You can also take Probiotic supplements, but this blog post only talks about where to get them in natural foods.
Prebiotics are basically a type of starch/fibre that is food for the ‘good’ bacteria. This fibre is indigestible by humans but broken down easily by ‘good’ bacteria, allowing new beneficial compounds to be formed in the process. Good natural sources of prebiotics are complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Some specific prebiotic-rich foods include bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, apples, carrots, radishes, and flaxseeds.
Dietary Fibre is very important for gut health. As mentioned above, prebiotics are essentially a type of fibre. There are different types of fibre in food, soluble and insoluble, and they each play their own role in the digestion process. Great sources of dietary fibre include whole fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, legumes like lentils, nuts and seeds.
Antioxidants are so important in fighting inflammation in the body, which is a root cause of almost all diseases. When looking to add more antioxidants to your diet, focus on eating a rainbow of whole fruits and veggies. To keep it simple, it’s a variety of antioxidants that give fruits and veggies their bright colour, so aim to eat a variety of colours and you’ll get a variety of antioxidants. However, antioxidants aren’t only in colourful fruit and veggies, other great sources include dark chocolate and pecans.
Extra healthy fats can also help soothe inflammation, which can help restore health in the gut. Good sources include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, avocado oil, nuts and seeds, olives, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines.
Basic food tips to support your gut health
Choose natural foods over processed foods. Most processed foods have added sugars and other chemical ingredients that mess up the healthy balance of your gut. Go as natural as possible, and when choosing packaged and processed foods, try and opt for products with 5 or less ingredients in them. Better yet, only choose products that have ingredients that you can pronounce and avoid all the weird nasty additives all together!
Eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to keep it simple and get a ton of nutrients to support your gut. Whole fruits and vegetables contain the goodness your gut needs, like prebiotics, as well as lots of vitamins and minerals.
Eat fermented and cultured foods. These foods, like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir, contain the ‘good’ bacteria and by eating them you’re re-populating your gut with more of the good guys.
Add some whole grains to your diet. Many women are ‘scared’ of grains, and avoid things like bread and pasta like the plague. However, it’s important to remember that it’s more important to consider what type of grain you’re eating. While refined grains, like white bread and pasta, don’t support gut health and can cause sugar spikes that lead to weight gain, whole grains have positive health benefits. Whole grains, like brown rice and whole rye bread, serve as food for the good bacteria, help regulate digestion and metabolism, and can even help with healthy weight management. Try adding some whole grains to your diet and see how your body reacts. When I added them back into my diet, I didn’t pick up any weight at all, and they made me feel so nourished and satiated, it’s been amazing!
Avoid added sugars. Refined added sugars can wreak havoc in the gut. By cutting out things like soft drinks, sweets and processed foods with added sugars, you’ll be one step closer to better gut health. If you have a sweet tooth, start by just cutting down your sugar intake, and looking for healthier alternatives like dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. You can also start eating more sweet vegetables like squash and pumpkin, which will help crowd out those cravings.
As I always say, don’t get overwhelmed and just keep it simple. At the end of the day, as long as you try and eat a variety of whole foods like the ones mentioned above and in the slideshow below, you’ll be supporting your body in a good way.
Remember though, always listen to your body, because what works for one person may not work for someone else. Try different foods and see how you feel. Over time, you’ll know what works for you and what foods make you feel your best!
[Slideshow] Nutritious foods for gut health
Below is a list, in alphabetical order, of some nutritious foods you can start eating more of that are great for the gut:
Ready to start eating for the gut?
I hope this post has inspired you to support your gut health by eating more of the foods that nourish its wellbeing. Try adding one of them to your diet and see how you feel. I have a lot of fun trying new and different foods regularly, which makes eating more interesting, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. Remember, food is medicine, and you can transform the way you feel just through what you choose to eat. Happy eating!
Also, if you have some extra foods to add, please do so in the comments! 🙂
