A healthy gut is important for overall health. A balanced microbiome reduces your risk for developing serious illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer (just to name a few). Our microbiome consists of good and not-so-good microbes (bacteria). Creating a healthy gut allows the friendly bacteria to thrive and this contributes to better overall health. How do you do that, you may be asking…here's a few tips to create a healthy gut for you and your family! Better poops are coming your way!
Plant-based sources of probiotics include: kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, tofu, and unfiltered and unpastuurized apple cidar vinegar. These foods are fermented and our good gut bacteria love them! Not only are probiotic foods good for our gut but foods considered prebiotic are excellent, as well. These include leeks, asparagus, onions, garlic, chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, bananas, apples, watermelon, grapefruit, oats, barley, almonds, pistachios, and flaxseeds! There's a whole lot of goodness in that list. These prebiotic foods are high in fiber and cannot fully digest in our gut so they ferment in our guts and feed our good bacteria. The bacteria then creates a short chain fatty acid called butyrate. This is important in keeping our gut bacteria in balance. Butyrate helps our bodies know which are the good and which are the bad bacteria so we can keep the good stuff (which promotes better immunity) and discard the bad stuff. Eating enough fiber is key for good gut health.
Bottom line….eat more plants. That's where the fiber is. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, mushrooms, nuts, seeds and beans and legumes are all high in fiber and feed our gut what it needs for good health. Check your food intake for today…getting enough fiber? If not, go grab an apple and make your gut happy.