Lower Your Intake of Refined Sugar
Refined sugar comes in many forms, not just as a white powder. Sugar is hidden in many of our favourite foods; breakfast cereals, muesli bars, fruit juices, yoghurts and many ‘low fat’ labelled products.
Sugar can damage your gut flora, that is, the healthy bacteria living in your digestive tract and can even promote the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria. This can lead to digestive disturbances such as cramping, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating but even seemingly unrelated symptoms such as skin breakouts, inflammation, and depression.
Cut down your intake of refined carbohydrates by limiting sugary treats to one or two small treats per week, making your own treats at home such as bliss balls or muesli bars, have a piece of fruit instead of a chocolate bar when you feel like a sugar hit and eating protein with every meal and snack to help keep the cravings at bay.
Eat Prebiotic Foods
Prebiotics are basically food for the good bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are living organisms and need food in order to thrive. Prebiotic foods include:
- Bananas
- Potatoes/sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Almonds
- Leek
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Beetroot
- Garlic
Eating a diet rich in these foods will allow the healthy gut flora to thrive and keep you healthy. Eating a diet rich in fermented foods is also a great way to promote gut health. Sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir are three popular examples of fermented food and can be easily made at home.
Take a Probiotic Supplement
Taking a probiotic supplement with food on a daily basis will help you to restore the balance in your gut. But they are not a one-size fits all type supplement. What many people don’t realise is that many probiotic species and strains have unique qualities and effects on the body.
To recolonise and restore the healthy gut flora in your digestive system, choose species and strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCFM), Bifidobacterium lactis (Bi-07) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG). Always check the label of your probiotic supplement to ensure it states the strain (the numbers and letter in the brackets at the end of the species’ name), otherwise you really don’t know what you are taking.
Nutrient Dense Foods for Gut Health
We should all be eating a well-balanced diet, rich in fresh vegetables, fruit, lean protein, healthy fats and fresh water. For gut health certain nutrients are important for the function and maintenance of the digestive tract.
- Zinc – found in beef, capsicum, eggs, milk, lamb, oysters and in whole seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower. Zinc is a wound healer and helps to maintain the integrity of the gut lining.
- Glutamine – found in beans, dairy products, legumes, rolled oats and in many protein sources. Glutamine is also useful in the repair and maintenance of the gut lining.
- Fibre – found in fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains. Fibre helps to chelate nasty chemicals out of our body, lower our cholesterol and supports healthy digestive function. If you find you’re always constipated – eat more veggies!
Remove Intolerances
Not all people react to things like dairy, wheat or gluten, though many people do and they don’t even realise it. There is a major difference between intolerance and an allergy.
If you suffer with chronic cramps, fatigue, bloating, reflux, constipation or diarrhoea eliminate dairy and gluten from your diet for two weeks. After this two week period, reintroduce dairy first and see how your body reacts, if at all. After another two weeks, reintroduce gluten and again, notice what happens in your body.
Keep a journal of your symptoms for a week or two before you eliminate these foods – many people are so used to having these symptoms that when they are symptom free, they don’t seem to notice. Keeping a journal of your symptoms before, during and after the elimination and reintroduction of these foods will give you some insight into their effects on your body.