Cheat Sheet for Gut Health

Gut health is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to feeling your best. Whether you have existing gut health issues, or want to proactively care for your inner self, we are here to help.

Let’s start with the number one tactic, feed your friends!  By friends, we mean your beneficial gut bacteria, and they love fibre.

Eat the Plants

Now, this one can be tricky. If you’re already suffering gut issues, lots of fibre may not feel great, however a healthy gut thrives on plenty of plant foods. In her book ‘Love Your Gut’, Dr. Megan Rossi PhD (the ‘Gut Health Doctor’) suggests eating 30 different whole plant foods every week. This sounds daunting but it’s only four different types a day: oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, a falafel wrap for lunch, a snack of nuts then standard ‘meat and veg’ for dinner and you’re golden. The variety ensures you provide your gut bacteria with a diversity of fibres and phytochemicals. For extra points, sprinkle cinnamon on that oatmeal. Spices are superpowered with gut-loving phytochemicals.

Meal Timing and Speed

Your gut thrives on regular meals during the day with an overnight fast. Starving and then binge eating, or snacking all day long can both lead to less-than-optimal gut health. Ideally, meals should leave you lightly full, not stuffed to the brim, nor still hungry.

Speed eating is another gut stressor. We have teeth for a reason! Chewing properly starts the digestion process and prepares your gut for food. Just focusing on chewing your food well can make a huge difference to how you feel after meals.

Fermented Foods

Our gut bacteria loves a bit of sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi or kombucha. You don’t need to go crazy here, more isn’t always better.  A spoon of sauerkraut with lunch and a glass of booch with dinner is enough.

Hydration

Like all your body processes, your gut needs water to function optimally. A 2022 study showed that lack of water can even make your gut susceptible to pathogen infection. Between meals, make water and herbal teas your drink of choice.

Stress and Sleep

Rest, relaxation and a manageable lifestyle are all important to keep your gut happy. Chronic stress causes reduced blood flow to the gut and ultimately impaired digestion. Easier said than done, but getting your eight hours and taking work breaks is high priority in your gut health plan.

Alcohol

While alcohol is *technically* a plant product, unfortunately it’s not good for your gut. In fact, the happy juice does a good job of decreasing levels of beneficial gut bacteria. It’s unfair, but if you’re struggling to get control of your gut health, try abstaining for a month. It may be the health hack you’ve been looking for.

Food Intolerances

Food intolerances are a huge contributor to gut discomfort, bloating, pain, diarrhoea and constipation. While diagnosing food issues is outside the scope of a single blog post, it’s something worth looking into if self-help isn’t the answer to your digestion question. A Registered Nutritionist or Dietitian experienced in gut health and FODMAP diets can guide you with this complex topic.

Take a Gut Health Supplement

Lastly, but not definitely not leastly (is that a word?), consider an expertly formulated gut health supplement that contains probiotics and prebiotics (what is a prebiotic? Click here). As not all supplements are created equal, be sure to choose one that has a high dose of stable probiotics and that has been tested for potency. We recommend our product Probiotic+.  Probiotic+ is regularly assayed to make sure those beneficial bacteria are alive, and it contains the potent prebiotic Livaux. For more about Probiotic+ and Livaux, check the links below.