Gut health plays a vital role in the overall health of the body. You might think that only the foods we eat are essential and affect gut health, but other things like sleep, physical activity, and how we eat are just as important. In the following, we describe 12 tips recommended by experts for gut health.
1. Consuming at least 30 different herbs per week
According to Kirsten Jackson, a well-known IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome ) nutritionist, many dietary recommendations focus on limiting and reducing calories and fat. For gut health, she says, we need to add plants to our diet and eat at least 30 different plants a week. “plant” also means something like coffee, spices, grains, and legumes. So don’t eat only wheat bread, rice, and pasta all week; use barley and quinoa. If you use fragrant vegetables in your meals and eat nuts in your snacks, you can easily reach 30 plants per week. “Plants don’t just mean fruits and vegetables,” says Jackson.
2. Selection of potent polyphenols
Annie Coombes, nutritionist and clinical director of the Gut Health Clinic, says: “Phytochemicals are the scientific name for a class of plant chemicals we get from many plant foods that are thought to improve our health in some way. One of the groups of phytochemicals that have been studied a lot is polyphenols. Most of them (about 90%) pass through the small intestine and join the microbial community of the colon, where we think the miracle happens. Gut microbes then convert them into absorbed chemicals and have even been linked to reduced cancer risk and improved cardiovascular and mental health.”
Coombs recommends adding foods rich in polyphenols to our diet, such as coffee, green tea, berries, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, extra virgin olive oil, broccoli, red onions, aromatic vegetables, and spices such as cinnamon, ginger, Mint, and other foods such as dark chocolate. If you add 30 different plant foods to your diet per week, you’ll likely get enough polyphenols for gut health.
3. Get enough fiber
According to Jackson, ideally, you should get at least 30 grams of fiber daily. “Fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. “We have to pay attention to every meal and make sure it’s mostly plant-based.” It doesn’t have to be vegan, she says, “but try to have some kind of whole grain at every meal, something like whole-wheat bread, quinoa or whole-wheat pasta, and half the plate is vegetables.” Jackson suggests eating a few vegan meals a week “so we can get as much fiber as possible.”
4. Interest in consuming new plants
Be creative and adventurous when cooking. Coombs recommends using seasonings and spices. “Variety in cooking means you can taste different tastes because seasonings and spices create different tastes. Use methods such as boiling to preserve nutrients. “Not peeling food can also give your food a different texture and more fiber.” Using grilled vegetables on the weekend, “you can easily add them to your weekly meals.” Use plants as much as possible to prevent wasting food and money and add more flavor and fiber to your meals. Coombs says we should eat cauliflower leaves and broccoli stems besides the usual vegetables.
5. Avoiding foods harmful to the intestines
Nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik says ultra-processed foods hurt the gut microbiome. “Ultra-processed foods are foods with many chemicals such as additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and generally, substances that are not considered food. According to research, these foods affect the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome. This means we are witnessing an increase in not-so-useful microbes and a decrease in beneficial microbes.” In addition, these foods have little or no fiber.
He cautions against focusing on “one aspect,” saying it’s challenging to avoid ultra-processed foods altogether, “but if we can minimize our intake, it’s better for us and our gut microbiome.” Coombs adds that heavy alcohol consumption can cause inflammation of the gut and “lead to greater permeability or leakage of the lining.” This means the possibility of intestinal problems after eating or causing allergies and sensitivities increases. According to some evidence, chronic alcohol consumption can disrupt the balance of intestinal microbes and is associated with increased inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Fortunately, this problem is not permanent, and avoiding alcohol consumption and increasing food variety can restore the balance.
6. Getting probiotics from fermented foods
Fermented foods contain probiotics or beneficial bacteria. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and some cheeses are examples of fermented foods. Regular supermarket cheddar cheese has some probiotics, but unpasteurized cheese is better because it hasn’t been heat-processed (killing bacteria). You get a wider variety of bacteria. Fresh unfermented cheeses (such as mozzarella) do not contain probiotics, so you should look for firmer cheeses.
According to Kalinick, the author of the book “Happy Gut, Happy Mind,” the main point is the benefits that are created by regular consumption of these foods, and if we eat sauerkraut once after a long time, it does not have much effect. He says a small amount of things like sauerkraut or kimchi with the main meal and more servings of yogurt or cheese is enough, and regular consumption matters. We don’t know how much of this food stays in the gut. They have a short-lived effect. Therefore, it is essential to take them regularly. Regular consumption produces those benefits, as the beneficial bacteria in these foods pass through the gut.
7. Consumption of prebiotics
Probiotics contain beneficial bacteria for the gut, but prebiotics is foods that feed gut microbes. The main prebiotics is inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS), found in more than 35,000 plant species. “They are associated with strengthening the immune system, bone and skin health, and improving blood sugar and appetite regulation.”
Supplements aren’t necessary, Coombs says. Most people can use natural prebiotics found in food to feed their gut microbes. Good sources of prebiotics include almonds and cashews. Add some prunes, dates, or dried apricots to natural live yogurt, and try to consume more grains and legumes during the day. Use freekeh, quinoa, and buckwheat, spelled instead of rice or pasta, or add legumes to the sauces. Plant sources rich in prebiotics include artichokes, asparagus, beets, chicory, fennel, garlic, and leeks. And also legumes. For example, you can add a handful of chickpeas to sauces and foods or use chickpeas in any of your favorite recipes; You can even put them in muffins!”
8. eat slowly
Most of us don’t eat slowly, says Jackson. We are always busy, so we don’t chew the food thoroughly. We focus on the food that enters the gut, but digestion begins before we put it in the mouth; saliva production starts in the mouth when we look at the food. Chewing then increases the surface area of the food and breaks it down much more quickly when it meets the digestive enzymes. Larger pieces of food are more difficult to break down, meaning the food that goes into parts of the intestine is undigested, which can cause excess fluid and gas production.
Now how do we know that we have chewed the food enough? You should probably pay attention to its texture. If it is more like a paste, it is ready to swallow. Coombs says you should have enough lunchtime and chew your food slowly. According to research, spending enough time for lunch allows you to do more in the afternoon in less time. So if you can, eat with others.
9. Mindfulness practice
“Stress can be a major trigger for gut-related problems,” Kalinick says. Include a mental exercise such as breathing exercises or meditation in your daily routine. Doing this exercise helps the connection between the gut and the brain. This communication is two-way; The gut talks to the brain, and the brain talks to the heart. This is done through a large highway called the vagus nerve. “When you do deep breathing, which is the basis of many exercises like yoga and tai chi, you relax this vagus nerve.”
He says this helps shift the body from a sympathetic (fight or flight) state to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, which is optimal for gut health. Constantly being in fight-or-flight mode affects things like motility, so bowel movements are altered, which can affect bowel movements or cause diarrhea or constipation.
The production of stress hormones such as cortisol can directly affect gut microbes’ composition and exacerbate discomfort. Five minutes of meditation a day is better than meditating for an hour every once in a while. There is no need for our meditation to be complex and lengthy; What matters is the benefits that accumulate over a long period.
10. physical activity
Be active as much as you can during the day. One hour of vigorous exercise and sitting at a desk for the rest of the day are unsuitable for digestion. “Simple things like going outside at lunch and going for a 20-minute walk can be beneficial,” says Jackson. Exercising outdoors is especially beneficial for your gut microbiome because you come into contact with more microbes. Movement makes you feel less bloated. We don’t know why, but it’s probably because small amounts of gas are released when we move. Usually, flatulence is caused by the accumulation of gas that may have been created during the normal digestion of food. Still, because it remained in the intestine, it caused discomfort. Physical activity for mental health also has benefits. A factor probably positively affects the brain, and the identical factor also affects the gut.
11. Not eating during the night
“We need adequate fasting periods between meals because part of the microbes help us digest food and absorb nutrients,” Kalinick says. Another group of microbes also performs a cleaning operation and inhibits inflammation; this work is done while fasting. Fast for 12 hours at night; For example, do not eat anything from 8 pm to 8 am. Consider periods between meals as well. According to the clinic, sleep also plays a vital role in intestinal health. Therefore, you should prioritize good sleeping habits. Even one night of sleep disturbance affects almost all body systems, including the gut, and can even change the microbiome’s composition.
12. Stability and adherence to patterns
“Many of us bounce from one extreme habit to another, whereas gut health requires consistency and adherence to patterns over time,” Kalinick says. Don’t let a week of eating too much or too much-processed food throw you off track. All you have to do is return to good gut health habits and try to make them a part of your life.
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Fortunately, following these tips is easy and inexpensive. We can start today and see the impact they have on our health. If you’ve followed one or more of these recommendations in the past, we’d love for you to share with your friends and us the impact they’ve had and the changes they’ve made in your health.
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
