Health — Healthy Gut

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Introduction to the Healthy Gut 0

My name is Lauren, and I work with Mother Earth Products. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), multiple food sensitivities, food intolerances (gluten and lactose), and arthritis in my knees. I’ve had trouble over the years with inflammation, constipation, and weight retention.

Recently, I started working with a functional nutritionist to help heal my gut, bloating, food reactions, and to get some traction on feeling better, as well as balancing out my hormones. First, she put me on a Gut Friendly Diet, which removes the most common inflammatory foods from my lifestyle, so the body has a better opportunity to fully heal. I am still doing this diet, and it’s become rare that I am constipated and bloated. But, since it is quite a long list, I’ll give you my personal top 5.

Over the course of the next few months, I’d like to share one new thing each month that I cut out of my diet for gut, brain, and energy health.

Wheat (or more appropriately, gluten):

What is gluten? Celiac.org defines gluten as a protein found in wheat (wheatberries, drum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, einkhorn, etc.), barley, and rye. Traces of gluten have also been found in oats. Many people cannot digest foods with gluten, and they all seem to have similar and alarming symptoms: bloating (gas or abdominal pain), diarrhea or constipation, nausea, headaches or migraines, brain fog (this is a big one for a lot of people diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance), joint pain, numbness in the limbs, and fatigue.

Personally, every day, before I went to work or class (this was a over 11 years ago), I’d eat Cheerios. Immediately, after eating them, I’d get a headache that I couldn’t shake. I remember posting about my headaches on Myspace. Our local paper ran an article about being Celiac, and the symptoms were listed. I had all of them, except diarrhea. To this day, if I ingest gluten, I get brain fog and joint pain.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should consult your PCP to give you a reference to a gastroenterologist, and stop eating any gluten you’d normally eat throughout the day. If you don’t feel better in a week, give yourself some time. Studies have shown that it can take up to 3 months for gluten to withdraw from your system completely. For a fascinating article on this, read: “The Boy With a Thorn In His Joints” by Susannah Meadows.

There are many alternative flours to use in baking, bread-making, and other pastries – almond, cassava, coconut, arrowroot, quinoa, chickpea, brown rice, etc. I even saw an apple powder for baking at our local Walmart It’s easy to pull some bread recipes off the Internet to meet your needs. I’m not a professional cook, but since I’ve been on the Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle, I’ve had to learn to cook more at home. I enjoy it now.

There are easy recipes for nearly everything you want. Zucchini Bread (we carry the zucchini at our shop). Paleo Donuts (we have the sliced strawberries to use as garnish). French Toast Casserole (we have delicious raspberries to add into your batter) or Blueberry Pancakes (we have the blueberries at our shop). Plain Sandwich Bread (it’s all there!). Just because you’re not eating the food with flour, wheat, or gluten in it doesn’t mean you can’t have it in an alternative way.

Want some ideas? I can recommend some social media influencers who dedicate their career to creating and sharing easy, healthy, and gluten free recipes. I can also point you to a lot of Mother Earth Products food that will enable you to cook easily without having to worry about spoilage or quality, and even add in some snacks to take the craving away for those baked goods.

Don’t let this one intimidate you! Many people across the world, internet, and even in journalism espouse the benefits of giving up any type of gluten. The brain fog goes away, the joint pain fades, and your digestion will start to work correctly again.

I’m already looking forward to next month’s article about sharing the second food group I gave up and why. Remember, it’s possible! Take it day by day. Try something new to cook, and think positive.

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different”? – C.S. Lewis

“Let thy food be thy medicine.” - Hippocrates

References:

https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/magazine/the-boy-with-a-thorn-in-his-joints.html

Build a healthier gut with these 6 foods

We get it: Gut bacteria(1), a.k.a. the trillions of microorganisms living in your intestinal tract, may not be the sexiest topic to talk about. But, knowing how your gut works can go a long way in more ways than one. Over the past few years, research(2) has concluded that gut microbiome (that's science talk for gut bacteria) can positively affect several aspects of your health, from the quality of your immune system(3) to your heart health(4) to how you store fat(5).
Unfortunately, letting these microbiota flourish and do their thing is not as easy as it seems. But, we're here to tell you that there is an easy way to boost your gut health, and that's controlling what you eat. But, before you go ahead and stock your fridge with Greek yogurt and sauerkraut, let us remind you another critical piece of the gut health puzzle: cutting back on inflammation inducing foods.
So, if you want to make your digestion smoother and your immune system stronger, these are the six foods you need to add to your weekly menu. And since no one likes sabotaging themselves, we also added the ones you should avoid as much as possible.

6 Foods to Eat For A Healthy Gut

1. Bananas

It turns out that bananas can do a lot more than just load your body with potassium. This popular fruit is rich in prebiotic fiber(6) which is a non-digestible nutrient that stimulates the growth of the gut flora. With that in mind, research(7) concludes that eating bananas on a daily basis reduces bloating and improves gut health without inducing any adverse effects.
Friendly tip: If you are always on the go and carrying a banana with you feels like too much, you can always opt for these portable freeze dried banana bites. They contain the same nutrients as the real deal and are also super delicious. Adding them to smoothies is also a great option!

2. Garlic

Another everyday food that's loaded with gut-friendly prebiotics is garlic(8). This versatile bulb helps kill all the harmful bacteria in your gut while promoting the growth of those who do matter. And if you are not a fan of garlic breath, don't sweat it. This dehydrated garlic granules will add a subtle taste to your meals without skimping on all the benefits.

3. Lentils

Truth be told, lentils(9) are one of the most underrated gut-friendly foods to date. However, these small-sized legumes are an excellent source of fiber, polyphenols(10) and good-for-you starches, all of which contribute to your gut's microbiota growth. So, if you are ready to say goodbye to bloating and an irregular bowel movement, stock up on these dehydrated lentils and reach out whenever you gut health needs a reboot.

4. Kefir

Also known as yogurt's tart, slightly more liquid cousin, kefir(11) is considered one of the most efficient gut foods today. Containing more than 50 species of probiotic bacteria as well as yeast, this fermented milk drink (if we can call it that) has the ability to modulate the host gut microbiota, all while improving digestion and reducing bloating.

5. Kombucha

Kombucha - a genius combo of tea, sugar, and... bacteria (yep, you read that right!) - is also a great way to sneak some much needed probiotics into your system. This potent drink is made from the fermentation of sugar, which is induced by adding yeast bacteria into your tea (or a SCOBY). But, besides the unique ingredient list, kombucha is also known for acting as a symbiotic(12). That means that it contains both probiotics and prebiotics which feed one another and help you get the most out of your gut-friendly menu.

6. Mango

For some, adding mango to their meals is an easy way of bringing the tropics to their kitchen. But, for those who are educated on the matter, like yourself, mango is a surefire way to keep your gut as healthy as ever. According to research(13), freeze dried mango prevents the loss of beneficial gut microbiota often induced by a high-fat diet. So, if you want to indulge in the occasional cheese galore without sabotaging your gut health, make sure to keep these freeze dried mango bites around. #healthhacks

4 Foods to Avoid For A Healthy Gut

1. Processed Meat

By now, we all know that consuming processed meat comes with a generous dose of antibiotics(14). While that may be a good thing for getting harmful microbes out of the way, these substances don't always discriminate between the good and the bad bacteria, meaning they may significantly weaken your gut's microbiome in a matter of days. To prevent that, make sure you steer clear of store-bought meats as much as possible.

2. Fried Foods

Fried foods are packed with unhealthy fats – nothing new here. But, besides increasing your waistline, a high-fat diet(15) also tends to reduce your intestinal flora diversity. That means that constipation and bloating set in. While this may sound bad, note that these changes are 100% reversible with the introduction of gut-friendly foods.

3. Sugar-Laden Snacks

Despite their sweet taste, sugary snacks can wreak havoc on your gut health. Why's that? Bad-for-you bacteria tend to feed off refined sugar(16), resulting in an off-balance microbiome. However, don't think that artificial sweeteners are any better. Experts(17) claim that sucralose, a.k.a. our good old Splenda, can also have the same effect on your gut health.

4. Genetically Modified Soy

When to comes to gut health, soybeans are not always the health food you may think it is. Research(18) proves that these legumes contain distinct amounts of protease inhibitors, a group of compounds that suppress the expression of key digestion enzymes. The most popular of these inhibitors is trypsin, which is usually found in genetically modified soybeans.

Final Thoughts

From improving digestion to busting a bad mood, gut health is everything to a healthy body. However, reaching microbiome heaven is more complicated than spooning up store-bought yogurt once in a blue moon. These six nutrient-dense foods will help you refine your gut-friendly menu by adding a variety of flavors and textures to mix and (why not?) finally reach the daily recommended prebiotic and probiotic intake with ease. Bon appetit!

References:

6 Everyday Foods to Munch On For A Healthier Gut (Plus 4 You’d Better Avoid) 1

Gut bacteria (the trillions of microorganisms living in your intestinal tract) may not be the sexiest topic to talk about, but, knowing how your gut works can go a long way in more ways than one.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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