Got A Gut Feeling? How To Eat Your Way To Perfect Gut Health
It’s no surprise that your digestive health is a direct product of the foods that you eat and the lifestyle that you live. As your digestive system is a central function of the body itself, it also has a huge impact on other areas, including your mental health and cognitive function, and your immune system.
Simply put, if you are not correctly taking in the nutrients that you are supplying your body with, it can be a platform where issues can arise.
Here are 7 ways to eat your way to perfect gut health.
1. Eat fibre-rich foods (and lots of them)
A fibre-rich diet has been widely proven to help your digestive system stay in tip-top condition. Simply put, fibre contributes to keeping your food moving through the digestive tract, which contributes to preventing infrequent bowel movements. The UK’s RDA (recommended daily allowance) of fibre is 30g per day, and you can get this from foods including beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. One of the best sources of fibre is Ground Flaxseed, which can be added to smoothies, smoothie bowls, porridge (and lots more), and will provide your body with 22g of your RDA of fibre in just 100g. For more information on Nutriseed Ground Flaxseed, please click here.
2. Pair high-fat foods with fibre-rich foods
High-fat foods, even if full of healthy fats (such as on the Keto Diet) have been known to slow down the digestive process. Pairing these with fibre-rich foods can help them pass through easier, making the process more efficient.
3. Take Probiotics
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that are naturally present in your digestive tract. These occur naturally in the body to combat the effects of poor diet, antibiotics and even stress, by enhancing nutrient absorption, breaking down lactose and strengthening the immune system. Probiotics can be taken in supplements but are naturally found in yoghurt, some cheeses and kombucha tea.
4. Consume Both Soluble and Insoluble Fibre
There are two types of fibre, and both are essential for optimum gut health. Soluble fibre draws in water, preventing stools that are too watery, and insoluble fibre, also known as roughage, cannot be digested and so help by adding bulk to stools. Soluble fibre can be found in oat bran, nuts, seeds (such as Ground Flaxseed), and legumes, and insoluble fibre in wheat bran, vegetables, whole grains and Whole Flaxseed.
5. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is a key to near enough every healthy process in the body, and the digestive system is no different. Good ol’ H2O can help to dissolve fats and soluble fibre, helping them pass through the digestive tract, and it is recommended to drink 2L of it each and every day.
6.Exercise regularly
Similarly to drinking lots of water, regular exercise is vital for overall optimum health. For the digestive system, regular exercise can help to keep foods moving through the digestive system, helping to prevent infrequent bowel movements.
7. Do A Cold-Pressed Juice Cleanse
A Cold-Pressed Diet is a juice fast that helps you achieve optimum gut health by giving your digestive system a break from solid foods and providing it with only natural, raw cold-pressed goodness. For a period of time (usually 3, 5 or 7 days), consuming only cold-pressed juices provides a recharge for your digestive tract, and is known to benefit you in lots more ways too. For more information about the Nutriseed Cold-Pressed Juice Diet, please click here.
