You undoubtedly already know how vital it is for our health to have a healthy stomach
You undoubtedly already know how vital it is for our health to have a healthy stomach if you’re reading this. We all know the expression “go with your gut,” and that old proverb is perhaps more true than we ever thought. You might want to be kind to your gut if you have stomach and digestive problems. In this piece, I’ll answer some common queries about the best foods to consume to make your gut feel better. Why it’s crucial to maintain your gut healthy and what foods you should stay away from.
Why it’s important to keep your gut healthy
The stomach governs digestion, keeps our immune systems working well, and makes sure our bodies and minds work properly.
When we eat, we give the bacteria in our bellies food. It can be either healthy or bad bacteria, depending on what you eat.Trillions of bacteria live in our guts and work every day to break down the food we eat, get rid of the bad stuff, and get the nutrients we need. This is why it’s so vital to take care of our guts and why the things we eat affect how healthy or ill they are.
How Our Diets Affect Our Guts
You can change your eating habits even if you’ve been eating unhealthy foods for a long time.
Our bodies are wonderful because we can change the things we eat and develop a new microbiota in just 24 hours.When you eat colorful, nutrient-rich, plant-based foods, the healthy gut bacteria grows.
How to Fix Your Gut
The primary parts of them are probiotics and prebiotics.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are helpful for us. They help our digestive processes and maintain our guts healthy at the same time.
Prebiotics are the nutrients that help healthy bacteria develop and do their jobs. Eating a healthy diet and the correct foods can provide you both probiotics and prebiotics.
Fermented foods are the most prevalent sources of probiotics, which I will discuss about in more depth below. You can find prebiotics in whole grains, some fruits, and some vegetables. When you eat for gut health, you should think about four key kinds of food. Those are foods that are high in fiber, fruits, fermented foods, and base foods.
The Good Things About Fiber
Fiber is a prebiotic that helps our bowels stay healthy by feeding the friendly bacteria that live there. Fiber helps lower inflammation in our bellies, which can be quite helpful for people who have trouble going to the bathroom.
Foods high in fiber:
- Flaxseed is a fantastic source of fuel for the healthy bacteria in your stomach. It can help you go to the bathroom more regularly and digest food better. Flaxseed works best when you eat it ground up. You may add it to your diet by placing it on salads or mixing it into fruit smoothies.
- Beans are high in protein, fiber, and vitamin B. They also help keep our stomachs healthy.
- Polenta is really simple to make and great with just about any dish. It has a lot of fiber, which is another reason it’s good for your gut health.
Fermented Foods:
Fermented foods are good for humans because they add healthy microbes to our digestive tracts that get rid of the bad bacteria.
I used to despise pickles, but now that I know some of the fantastic things they can do for you, I eat them more often. I like them so much now that I’ll eat a few pickle slices as a snack.
When foods are fermented, they make lactic acid, which helps keep the food fresh. A lot of probiotics are made during fermentation, and as you may remember from above, our bodies require these.
Besides pickles, here are some other fermented foods you can eat.
- Tempeh is a great salad topping for vegetarians and vegans. In the last few years, more and more restaurants have included Tempeh to their menus. You may also buy it at supermarkets like Whole Foods to prepare at home. If you choose to cook it at home, make sure to cook it all the way through before eating it.
- Kombucha: Kombucha is full of probiotics, and when you drink it raw, it has been linked to a healthy gut, a better digestive system, fewer yeast infections in women, and decreased rates of anxiety and sadness.
- Miso: I’m sure most of us have had a lovely bowl of miso soup, but did you know that miso is excellent for you? Miso is a great source of probiotics and can be utilized in a lot of various ways. I like to add it to soups and salad dressings to make them taste sour.
Fruits that are good for your gut:
You can find apples almost anyplace, and they don’t cost a lot of money. Not only do green apples taste great, but they also help good gut flora grow. I like to juice apples and add some carrots and ginger to the mix.
When I was a kid, my grandma would always give me a banana when my stomach hurt. I never knew why, but now I know that bananas help keep the microorganisms in our gut in balance. They are also a good source of potassium and help our bodies fight inflammation.
Foundation foods that are high in nutrients:
Broccoli, asparagus, seaweed, barley, chickpeas, and oats are all good for your gut since they are packed of nutrients. Add these foods to your diet to help keep your gut healthy.
This fast snapshot will show you the ideal things to eat for a healthy gut.
Fiber dense foods:
- Beans
- entire grains
- whole fruits
- veggies
Fermented foods:
- pickles
- miso paste
- kombucha
- tempeh
- kimchi
Fruit:
- apples
- bananas
- blueberries
Foods that are high in nutrients:
- Broccoli
- asparagus
- barley
- oatmeal
- chickpeas
- garlic
- onions
What foods to avoid for a healthy gut?
I have talked about what kinds of foods to eat for a healthy gut, but you are undoubtedly wonder what foods to avoid. Some of the key culprits are described below with samples of foods that fall into each category.
- Refined sugar: The sugar found in cakes, pastries, and pre packaged treats
- Processed foods: Package meats, jerkies, packaged mac and cheese
- Dairy: Milk, cheese, butter
- Red Meat: Beef, pork, steak
Remember that everything is about balance. The above list is not by any means meant to indicate that you cannot ever eat the products on it, but you will want to be sure that you are doing so in moderation. Also, try to combine many of the products from the good list to make sure you offer your stomach and your body the nutrients it needs.