FOOD & NUTRITION HELPFUL ADVICE FOR A HEALTHIER GUT

By Connie Byers

There is an old adage, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This quote is accredited to Hippocrates, who is largely considered the father of modern medicine. Though thousands of years old, this quote acknowledges the impact food has on our health.

An estimated 40 trillion bacteria strains are found in the human body, most of which are located in the gut. Collectively, they are known as the gut microbiome, and they can influence your health in many ways, from keeping chronic issues, like heart disease and cancer, at bay to reducing inflammation and maintaining a healthy weight. Your gut microbiome can even affect brain health and mood disorders.

Food sensitivities have become increasingly common. Some studies show that our gut bacteria combined with an out-of-balance microbiome may play a role in developing food sensitivities — but a healthy lifestyle with lots of dietary fiber could help reduce the symptoms for some people.

Remember, food sensitivity or intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Food allergies cause an immune system response that can be life-threatening, while food sensitivities cause milder reactions. Dr. Nancy Utter of Durango Natural Medicine discussed some of the symptoms commonly associated with food sensitivity.

“While sensitivities can affect many of the body’s systems, the top symptoms include digestive issues, pain, stomach discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, joint pain, and even headaches, particularly migraines,” she said.

So, how can you improve your own gut microbiome? The good news is that simple diet changes like eliminating or reducing artificial sweeteners, red meat, processed foods and alcohol are a good start. Combine that with the addition of probiotics, prebiotics and fiber, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier gut.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be found in fermented foods. Eating foods that are naturally rich in probiotics can help balance gut bacteria, boost immunity and even keep your heart healthy. Probiotic-rich foods include:

• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

• SAUERKRAUT

• KIMCHI

• KEFIR

• KOMBUCHA

• MISO

• TEMPEH

• TOFU

• YOGURT to feed them with prebiotics so they can flourish and make more good bacteria. Prebiotic foods are usually high in certain types of fiber, known as fermentable soluble fiber. They include:

• ALMONDS

• APPLES

• APRICOTS

• ASPARAGUS

• BANANAS

• BLUEBERRIES

• BEANS AND LEGUMES

• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

• FLAXSEED

• GARLIC

• JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

• LEEKS

• OLIVES

• ONIONS

• PEARS

• PISTACHIOS

• PRUNES

• RASPBERRIES

• WATERMELON

When looking to improve overall digestion, Utter recommends cutting out foods that are notorious for causing digestive issues. This includes refined sugars, processed foods, fried foods, refined grains, gluten, chemical additives and dairy.

Prebiotics function as the food source for your gut’s microorganisms, and they can alter the composition of organisms in the gut microbiome. Once you’ve got good bacteria established in your gut with probiotics, you need

She also recommends adding bitters to the diet, which she says “encourage normal digestive function.” Those might include bitter vegetables like arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and radishes, as well as bitter herbs like burdock root, dandelion greens, licorice root and wormwood.