Gut health is a hot topic these days. Our gut plays a vital role in digestion and immunity. It also helps prevent the development of chronic diseases. All the evidence pointing to the health benefits of a healthy gut is compelling us to treat our friendly microbes as the heroes we are.
These are the top foods for gut health.
Fibre
It’s true; we have a tiny (but powerful) army of microbes deep inside our large intestine. These microbes are called our “gut microbiome” and “gut microbiota”. Food is what fuels us as humans. The microbes living in our gut also feed off the food we eat.
Fibre is here to help. Fibre is a plant-based food such as vegetables, fruits and grains. It can also be found in nuts, seeds and legumes. Fibre is essentially fuel for the microbes of our gut. It reaches our stomach in its unprocessed, intact form. Our gut microbes rely on fibre as their primary source of energy. They break it down into nutrients our bodies can use.
These are high-fibre foods that you can add to your diet.
- Beans of all kinds, such as lentils, chickpeas, and black beans.
- Whole grains including barley, quinoa and brown rice, bran, and oats
- Fresh fruits & vegetables – Unpeeled Fruits and Vegetables
- Nuts include almonds, cashews and walnuts, chia or flax, and hemp hearts.
It would be best to consume at least 4 to 5 portions of plant foods per day to get your fibre intake. This will help you to promote gut health.
Particularly, prebiotic fibre
Prebiotic fibre is better for our gut than any other fibre. This is because our intestinal microbes can ferment prebiotics. Prebiotics are then broken down into energy and other beneficial nutrients that our bodies can use. Prebiotics can be thought of as superfoods for the microbes in your gut because they have the best health benefits.
These prebiotic-rich foods are worth adding to your diet
- Whole grains Oats
- Fresh fruits & vegetables: Jerusalem artichokes.
- Nuts & Seeds: Almonds and pistachios, chia, flax and chia seeds
Probiotics
Probiotic food contains live microorganisms that promote good health. Probiotic foods increase the beneficial microbes found in our gut. The more, the better!
Probiotics can be found in fermented foods, as well as other foods. When buying probiotic foods, it is important to read labels and refrigerate them. These are the key factors that distinguish the best probiotics from those that don’t live up to their claims.
You might consider adding these probiotic foods to your diet.
- Fermented soy-based foods like Tempeh and Miso
- Probiotic yoghurt
- Kimchi (fermented vegetables).
- Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage).
- Fermented milk: Kefir
- Kombucha (fermented Tea)
Pro-tip:
Probiotics and prebiotics can be combined in one healthy meal to maximize your gut health. Combining probiotics with prebiotics can create a ” Synbiotic” effect linked to greater gut health benefits. These gut-healthy food combinations are a great inspiration:
- Yoghurt mixed with blueberries or bananas, either as a standalone or in a smoothie
- Kimchi Miso Soup
- Baked tempeh with garlic herb
To sweeten the deal, add high-fibre ingredients. We love to add Holy Crap Cereal to our meals to increase the fibre content. Two tablespoons of Holy Crap cereals are loaded with super seeds like hemp hearts, chia and buckwheat. They provide 8g fibre.