10 things to do to heal your gut
A healthy gut means a healthy body and mind. Modern medicine is finally
listening to Hippocrates who said, “all disease begins in the gut.” An unhealthy
gut equates to a compromised immune system and leaves us open to a myriad of diseases. However, there is much we can do to heal ourselves.
1. No Sugar
Sugar is your microbiome’s killer. Bad bacteria love sugar and they multiply
profusely when it’s thrown into your gut, interfering with the growth of good
bacteria.
2. No Aspartame or Contrived Sugar Replacements
Believe it or not, aspartame turns into formaldehyde when digested and your liver can’t deal with it. This can lead to cancer and autoimmune problems. Most sugar alternatives have a detrimental effect on our health and are best avoided. The long-term effects of using some of the new products on the market obviously won’t be known for many years, so are best avoided.
3. Eat Clean Food
Avoid all processed and fast food. Go for organic fruit and veg, free range eggs,
meat and fish, and steer clear of trans fats.
4. Eat Probiotic Rich Foods
Naturally fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir provide the good bacteria necessary to maintain a healthy gut. Unpasteurised cheese, buttermilk, yoghourt, kombucha, miso, tempeh and apple cider vinegar are all foods which are rich in probiotics. If you feel you aren’t getting enough probiotics, then there are plenty of good probiotic supplements out there.
5. Prebiotics
The positive effect of probiotic foods can be increased by eating prebiotic foods.
These are non-digestible carbs that literally feed the probiotics, causing them to grow in the gut. Try including asparagus, garlic, onions, artichokes, bananas and
whole grains in your diet, as these are known to be some of the best prebiotic rich foods.
6. Beet Kavass
Beet Kavass is a traditional Ukrainian drink which has been fermented with
lactobacillus bacteria which assists in the formation of stomach acid, creating a
good environment for health giving bacteria to grow. It’s very simple to make and
can be drunk straight or added to foods and salad dressings.
7. Eat Gelatine
Eating gelatine repairs the lining of the gut.
8. Relax
Many studies have shown that stress is one of the biggest causes of a dominance of bad intestinal flora. It causes changes in gastric secretion and blood flow in the intestines. Relaxation influences the composition of our intestinal flora, encouraging the good bacteria to dominate.
9. Washing Veg and Anti-Bacterial Soap?
Many people believe that washing veg and using anti-bacterial soap on our hands and bodies is actually depriving us of valuable organisms. Studies in Europe have come up with the ‘farm effect’ which shows that children who live on organic farms are far less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma.
10. Exercise
Exercise influences gut flora in many positive ways. A study on the intestinal flora of 40 professional rugby players by the University of Cork showed that their
microbiomes were far more diverse than people who didn’t exercise or who only
exercised occasionally.
listening to Hippocrates who said, “all disease begins in the gut.” An unhealthy
gut equates to a compromised immune system and leaves us open to a myriad of diseases. However, there is much we can do to heal ourselves.
1. No Sugar
Sugar is your microbiome’s killer. Bad bacteria love sugar and they multiply
profusely when it’s thrown into your gut, interfering with the growth of good
bacteria.
2. No Aspartame or Contrived Sugar Replacements
Believe it or not, aspartame turns into formaldehyde when digested and your liver can’t deal with it. This can lead to cancer and autoimmune problems. Most sugar alternatives have a detrimental effect on our health and are best avoided. The long-term effects of using some of the new products on the market obviously won’t be known for many years, so are best avoided.
3. Eat Clean Food
Avoid all processed and fast food. Go for organic fruit and veg, free range eggs,
meat and fish, and steer clear of trans fats.
4. Eat Probiotic Rich Foods
Naturally fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir provide the good bacteria necessary to maintain a healthy gut. Unpasteurised cheese, buttermilk, yoghourt, kombucha, miso, tempeh and apple cider vinegar are all foods which are rich in probiotics. If you feel you aren’t getting enough probiotics, then there are plenty of good probiotic supplements out there.
5. Prebiotics
The positive effect of probiotic foods can be increased by eating prebiotic foods.
These are non-digestible carbs that literally feed the probiotics, causing them to grow in the gut. Try including asparagus, garlic, onions, artichokes, bananas and
whole grains in your diet, as these are known to be some of the best prebiotic rich foods.
6. Beet Kavass
Beet Kavass is a traditional Ukrainian drink which has been fermented with
lactobacillus bacteria which assists in the formation of stomach acid, creating a
good environment for health giving bacteria to grow. It’s very simple to make and
can be drunk straight or added to foods and salad dressings.
7. Eat Gelatine
Eating gelatine repairs the lining of the gut.
8. Relax
Many studies have shown that stress is one of the biggest causes of a dominance of bad intestinal flora. It causes changes in gastric secretion and blood flow in the intestines. Relaxation influences the composition of our intestinal flora, encouraging the good bacteria to dominate.
9. Washing Veg and Anti-Bacterial Soap?
Many people believe that washing veg and using anti-bacterial soap on our hands and bodies is actually depriving us of valuable organisms. Studies in Europe have come up with the ‘farm effect’ which shows that children who live on organic farms are far less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma.
10. Exercise
Exercise influences gut flora in many positive ways. A study on the intestinal flora of 40 professional rugby players by the University of Cork showed that their
microbiomes were far more diverse than people who didn’t exercise or who only
exercised occasionally.
