4 Ways To Improve Gut Health

When I teach my students, or clients, about the digestive system I stress how important taking care of the gut is to overall health. If our digestive system is not functioning properly the rest of the body suffers. Imagine this.... you ate something that didn't agree with you. You're now bloated and can't seem to pass whatever it was that's causing you grief. As a result you have low energy and may be a little more cranky that usual. It happens! And this is no way to live. To prevent these uncomfortable situations here are four simple ways you can improve your gut health: 1) Eat a large variety of foods. We have hundreds of species of healthy bacteria that live in the gut that require nutrients from a variety of different sources. If you eat the same things every day you may be killing off bacteria that support gut health.

2) Eat an abundance of veggies, fruit, legumes and beans. These foods are high in fibre, which healthy bacteria love to digest! Studies have also shown that eating a diet rich in these foods may prevent the growth of unhealthy bacteria.

3) Eat fermented foods. These foods are usually rich in lactobacilli a healthy bacteria. Good fermented food choices include: kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh and nut-based yogurt.

4) Refrain from eating artificial sweeteners or too much sugar. Studies show that too much sugar and artificial sweeteners have negative effects on blood sugar and may promote the growth of unhealthy bacteria shown to cause disease when present in large numbers.