Eat Your Way to a Healthier Gut

How to Support your Microbiome with Food

As we discussed in my previous post, your microbiome is the community of microbes living in and on your body- these include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, yeast and fungi. The majority of these organisms live in your gut and your colon is home to 10 trillion microbes consisting of 500-1000 different species. In fact, your gut microbiome collectively weighs as much as your brain and it is estimated that we have upwards of 20 million different microbial genes, but only 20,000 human genes! It’s no wonder our microbes impact our entire body and mental and physical well-being. The good news is there are lots of ways we can positively influence our microbiome, I have split these recommendations into two posts – diet & lifestyle. Here are some of the ways you can support a healthy gut with food:

Variety

It is important to get a variety of plant based foods in your diet to ensure you are getting a range of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. This includes fruit, veg, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. As I mentioned above, we have 500-1000 different species of microbes in our body and each of those species has different roles in the body, and requires different nutrients. Aim to eat fruits & veg in a variety of different colours every day, a mix of raw and cooked and purchase local or organic as often as possible- check out the dirty dozen list to help you shop smarter. Local and organic foods will contain more nutrients and less (or none) of the dangerous pesticides that can alter your microbiome among other things.

High Fiber Diet

It is important to eat foods high in both soluble and insoluble fiber daily. Insoluble fiber is not digested but retains high amounts of water to soften, bulk and move stool through the colon. Soluble fiber on the other hand dissolves in water creating a gel-like substance which lubricates the colon. Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber that feed the good microbes in your gut (not to be confused with probiotics which ARE microbes). Fiber helps keep you full longer, balances blood sugar and aids in the elimination of toxins, excess cholesterol and hormones. Eating a high fiber diet feeds your microbes and aids in elimination both of which are key for a healthy gut.

Eat Your Vegetables

This goes hand-in-hand with my first two points, aim to have vegetables with every meal and snack and fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables for at least one meal per day. Vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients.

Eat Fermented Foods

Fermentation is a method of preservation that involves the breakdown of sugars by bacteria and yeast. Fermented foods contain probiotics – or “friendly bacteria” that can boost the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Aim to eat fermented foods at least once per day, examples include:

· Coconut milk or dairy kefir

· Water kefir

· Kombucha (watch out for added sugars)

· Raw unpasteurized fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchi or pickles

· Fermented soy products: tempeh, natto & miso

· Coconut, sheep, goat or cow’s milk yogurt (look for natural versions without added sugars, falvours or colours)

· Raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

Clean up your diet

You may have noticed a theme here, if you want to support a healthy gut, you need to eat a variety of real whole foods and lots of veg. You’ll want to limit the following foods (I know, I’m sorry! this section warrants its own post):

· Artificial sweeteners

· Artificial flavours, colours & additives

· Processed & fast foods

· Sugar

· Fried foods

· Cow’s milk and cheese (you can try sheep or goat’s milk products if you are not lactose intolerant, some people can handle those better)

· Wheat (if you’re not sensitive to gluten it you can opt for spelt, kamut or other ancient grains)

· Alcohol

· Coffee

· Food sensitivities or allergens

That’s all for now, stay tuned for my lifestyle recommendations because our gut health (and whole body microbiome) is impacted by more than just food!