What Are The Best Foods To Feed A Healthy Gut?
Gut health is a thing — and it’s one of the things our board-certified holistic nutritionists look at very closely here at Evolve Acupuncture and Wellness.
If things like stomach cramps, gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea are part of your everyday life, you constantly have low energy or feelings of fatigue, you’re plagued by skin issues such as eczema or psoriasis, and/or you suffer from frequent colds and infections, there is a very good chance that you have a gut infection.
The most common type of gut infection we see is known as “leaky gut,” which basically means that your intestinal gut lining has been compromised and harmful substances are leaked into the bloodstream. Leaky gut can be a precursor to a wide variety of some pretty serious long-term conditions, i.e., diabetes, lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
The GI tract is nicknamed the “barrier defense” because it decides what gets into your bloodstream and what doesn’t.
“All health or disease begins in the gut”
If you suspect that you may be experiencing problem with your GI tract, it’s a good idea to discuss your symptoms with one of our nutritionists and get your gut health back on track.
However, even if you aren’t experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it’s still very smart to stay ahead of the game and keep your gut health in check. There are ways that you can improve your gut health all on your own, and that’s by feeding your gut the right foods.
Foods that contain probiotics are very helpful in keeping your GI system working properly. This good-for-you bacteria can help reduce inflammation in the body, and there is even research that shows it can help burn body fat and reduce insulin resistance, which can help you stay slim.
Probiotic-rich foods include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchee, and kombucha (without sugar), and soluble fiber like artichokes, asparagus, and cold/cooked sweet potatoes.
It’s also very helpful to increase your consumption of foods that are high in digestive enzymes, which help to break food into smaller and smaller pieces so your body can absorb and use the nutrients. The top ten enzyme-rich foods you should make sure to include in your diet are papaya, pineapple, avocado, kiwi, bananas, raw honey, kefir, sauerkraut, mango and ginger.
It should be noted, however, that these foods should be eaten raw, as the enzymes present will deactivate once the food is cooked at 118 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Add these items to your grocery list this week, and every week moving forward. It’s time to take charge of your digestive system and eat for gut health.
Contact our holistic nutritionist regarding your diet, and schedule a consultation.