Did you know that gut health forms the foundation for your overall health and wellness?
Given the central role that the gut plays in healthy digestion, nutrient absorption and immunity, what should you eat to heal your gut and achieve optimal health?
Change your diet to heal your gut
What you eat determines which bacteria thrive in your gut. With the right approach – like these 4 food F’s for optimal gut health – you can change decrease the bad bacteria and boost the beneficial kind in as little as 24 hours. It’s never too late to start eating to heal your gut! Here’s where you should start:
1: Fermented foods
Including more fermented foods in your diet gives you a natural source of probiotics to repopulate your healthy gut bacteria. Try sauerkraut, Kefir and pickles.
Other fabulous fermented foods for probiotics include:
- Tempeh
- Miso
- Plain, natural yoghurt
- Kimchi
2: Fibre
This natural prebiotic acts as food for good gut bacteria to consume. Beans and flaxseed are great options.
Additional fibre-rich foods that deliver beneficial prebiotics include:
- Polenta
- Jicama
- Jerusalem Artichokes
3: Fruit
Various fruits are full of fibre and are always a healthy snack choice. Try apples, blueberries and bananas for a beneficial dose.
4: Foundation foods
These nutrient-dense foods are super healthy for your gut. Adding food like broccoli, garlic, Shirataki noodles, chickpeas and oatmeal will cover your foundation food requirements.
Add more nutrient-dense foundation foods to your diet with:
- Dandelion Greens
- Asparagus
- Seaweed
- Onions
- Scallions
- Gum Arabic
- Barley
- Cacao
- Wheat Bran
- Chicory Root
- Chickpeas
Written by Kirsten Reis, Marketing Manager at Nutritional Performance Labs
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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