Top 12 Tips to improve your gut health

The topic of diet frequently comes up when discussing gut health. Eve Kalinik, a nutritional therapist, says, “Food is just one part of it, and I think people either engage in food-blaming or think they need to eat all these expensive things.” However, other factors, including rest, physical activity, and diet, are equally crucial. The good news is that they are simple, cheap, and easy to begin immediately. The following are 12 recommendations from experts to improve and maintain digestive health as published in theguardian.com.

Eat at least 30 different plants a week

Kirsten Jackson, also known as the IBS Dietitian, says that the majority of dietary recommendations revolve around cutting back, in terms of both calories and fat. She recommends considering adding more plants to your diet for better gut health. At least 30 different types of vegetables should be consumed each week. When we talk about plants, we can include coffee and spices. Grains, so don’t rely solely on (wheat-based) bread and pasta; instead, try barley, rice, and quinoa this week. You can easily reach that goal by including herbs in your cooking and snacking on nuts. Jackson insists that the term “fruits and vegetables” does not cover the full scope of the term.

Choose powerful polyphenols

Dietitian and clinical director of The Gut Health Clinic Annie Coombes describes phytochemicals as “essentially a type of plant chemical that we get in a lot of our plant-based foods that are thought to boost our health that bit further.” Polyphenols have been studied more than any other group of phytochemicals. About 90% of them bypass your small intestine entirely and instead become part of our community of gut microbes in the large intestine, where the magic probably occurs. Then, with the help of our microbes, they’re transformed into chemicals that the body can absorb, some of which have been linked to cancer prevention, improved heart health, and enhanced mental well-being. Coffee, green tea, berries, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, extra virgin olive oil, broccoli, red onion, and herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and mint are just some of the polyphenol-rich foods that Dr. Coombes recommends adding to your diet. You can probably get enough polyphenols without even trying if you aim for 30 different plant sources per week.

Get enough fibre

According to Jackson, a daily intake of 30 grammes of fibre is optimal. It has been scientifically proven that doing so lowers the danger of developing inflammatory diseases, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. The key is to examine each meal and ensure that it is predominantly vegetarian. It doesn’t have to be vegan, but she recommends including vegetables and whole grains at every meal. Whole grains include things like wholemeal bread, quinoa, and brown pasta. Two vegan meals per week, “just to get as much fibre as possible,” is what Jackson recommends.

Learn to love new plants

Try something new and exciting. Coombes suggests using different sauces and seasonings, and notes that “being versatile with your cooking methods means you can experience a variety of flavours because they all create different ones.” Try poaching or boiling to keep as many nutrients as possible, and consider leaving the skin on for a change in texture and some extra fibre.” “you can easily add them into your weekly meals” if you make a batch of roasted vegetables on the weekend. Make full use of the plant to reduce waste, save money, and maximise flavour and dietary fibre content. Apples with their cores and stems are considered healthy by some, but not by Coombes. She much rather eats cauliflower leaves and broccoli stems.

Avoid gut-harming foods

According to Kalinik, the gut microbiome suffers as a result of eating highly processed foods. The term “ultra-processed” is used to describe foods that have undergone extensive chemical processing, including those that contain numerous additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial sweeteners. New research shows that these foods alter the gut microbiome’s diversity and composition, leading to an uptick in “bad” bacteria and a decrease in “good” bacteria. These foods also lack in the fibre department. While it may be impossible to completely avoid UPFs, she advises doing so “where we can minimise [consumption] the better for us and [our] gut microbiome.” Coombes elaborates that excessive alcohol consumption can “lead to [our] gut becoming more permeable, or leaky” due to inflammation. Consequently, we are more prone to developing food intolerances and experiencing gastrointestinal distress after consuming certain foods. There is some evidence that heavy drinking can disrupt the balance of gut microbes, leading to increased gastrointestinal inflammation. The good news is that this is temporary, and that the equilibrium can be restored through measures such as cutting back on alcohol consumption and diversifying one’s diet. It’s all about moderation, she says, and red wine in particular “has been associated with greater microbial diversity” and thus may be beneficial to the gut microbiota in small doses.

Get probiotics from fermented foods

Probiotics, also known as “good bacteria,” are found in fermented foods. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, live yoghurt, and certain cheeses are good examples. A small amount of probiotics can be found in even the most basic supermarket cheddar, but the benefits are greater in unpasteurized cheese (which has not been subjected to the heat process that kills bacteria). You won’t find any probiotics in fresh cheeses like mozzarella that haven’t been fermented, so stick to the harder cheeses. “Not just having sauerkraut once in a blue moon,” says Kalinik, author of Happy Gut, Happy Mind. She recommends eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi on a regular basis, along with larger portions of yoghurt and cheese. We don’t know how much of these substances remains in the digestive tract. Because of their transitory nature, consistent consumption is crucial. As those good bacteria travel through the digestive tract, it has a positive effect.

… and prebiotics

In contrast to probiotics, which actually contain live bacteria, prebiotics “are the food that feeds our gut microbes – think fertilizer,” as Coombes puts it. More than 35,000 different kinds of plants contain the main prebiotics inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS). The immune system, bones, and skin all benefit from them, as do blood sugar levels and appetite. Coombes claims that vitamins and minerals are unnecessary. Most of us can use the prebiotics found in food to nourish the microbes in our gastrointestinal tract. Snacking on almonds or cashews is a good way to get some. “Switch rice or pasta for freekeh, quinoa, buckwheat, or spelt, or incorporate legumes into sauces,” they advise. “Add some prunes, dates, or dried apricots to natural live yoghurt.” Artichokes, asparagus, beetroot, chicory, fennel, garlic, leeks, and legumes are all excellent plant-based protein sources. You can sneak chickpeas into muffins and other baked goods, as well as add them to sauces and curries.

Take time to eat

According to Jackson, very few of us are like this. We rarely take the time to properly chew our food because of our hectic lifestyles. While our thoughts are on the food that will soon be entering our digestive tracts, saliva production actually begins even before we take a bite out of the food. When you chew your food, you increase its surface area, making it easier for digestive enzymes to digest. They have more to do because the pieces are now larger. It’s possible that undigested food is making its way to other parts of the digestive tract, where it can attract fluid and cause gas to build up. If you chew too long, does it taste funny?Possible consideration of uniformity. If it’s thicker than a paste, it’s ready to be swallowed. Coombes suggests taking your time while eating lunch. “Studies have shown that afternoon productivity increases if workers are allowed to take a short break at lunch.” If at all possible, eat with other people. (and want to). “Eating is about more than just fuel; it’s also about family, friends, and shared memories, all of which have been shown to have positive effects on health.”

Practise mindfulness

When it comes to digestive issues, “we know that stress can be one of the major triggers,” says Kalinik. Supporting the gut-brain axis, “include a daily mindful practice, which could be breathing exercises or meditation. This is a two-way street. The vagus nerve is like a superhighway for communication between the digestive system and the nervous system. As a result, the deep breathing that underpins many disciplines, including yoga and tai chi, has the effect of calming the vagus nerve. According to her, this shift is ideal for maintaining digestive health because it causes the body to transition from its natural sympathetic (fight or flight) state to its parasympathetic (rest and digest) state. Constant exposure to the fight-or-flight response can alter gastrointestinal motility, leading to altered bowel habits like increased frequency or constipation. Cortisol and other stress hormones can alter the gut microbiome in ways that exacerbate existing digestive problems. It’s more beneficial to meditate for five minutes every day than for an hour once a week.It doesn’t have to be arduous; it’s the long-term gains that matter.

Get moving

Try to keep as active as possible all day long. Constant sitting at a desk after an hour of strenuous exercise isn’t good for digestion. Jackson says, “Even small changes like taking a 20-minute walk during your lunch break can make a big difference.” Because you’re interacting with more microbes, “we know” that being active outside is good for the microbiome. Being active can reduce the sensation of fullness. “We don’t know for sure why, but it’s likely because when we move we actually release small amounts of gas,” as bloating is commonly caused by gas, which may even be produced in normal digestion but then sits in the gut and causes discomfort. There are also positive effects on one’s mental health. “There’s probably a factor where the brain is being impacted favorably, and that has another impact on the intestines.”

Fast overnight

That’s enough for the time being. According to Kalinik, “we need adequate fasting periods between meals because we have microbes that help us digest and absorb our food, and then we have another set of microbes that essentially do a kind of clean-up operation and manage inflammation.” In general, you shouldn’t eat between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., so try to skip dinner and breakfast. According to Kalinik, good sleep habits are also crucial to digestive wellness. We now know that even one night of broken sleep can alter the make-up of the microbiome and have far-reaching effects throughout the body.

Keep at it

Good gut health, says Kalinik, is “about consistency and patterns over time,” but “a lot of us go from one extreme to the other.” Don’t let a week of bingeing or eating processed foods throw you off track. She claims that the change won’t be noticeable. Just go back to what you know to be true in your gut and do what you can to make that your new normal.