Heal your Gut
Last Updated: 12th January 2023 · Written by Kate Young
Here at Lifelab Testing, we’re dedicated to helping teach our readers how they can best improve their health. The gut has a major impact on one’s health, since it determines what nutrients your body absorbs, and which toxins, allergens, and microbes are kept out. It heavily impacts the health of your entire body. Many factors affect gut health, such as diet, food intolerances, lifestyle, hormones, sleep, and medications. These all affect how your gut digests and manages what you consume. We’ve put together a few tips to help you heal your gut.
Probiotics
Consuming probiotics is an excellent way to reintroduce healthy bacteria into your digestive tract. Remember that probiotics are the good bacteria that are essential to proper gut health.
You can consume probiotics by taking a probiotic supplement or adding fermented foods to your diet. We’d recommend starting with the latter, rather than running to the supplement aisle right away (unless your doctor recommends you do so).
Probiotic-containing foods include;
- Fermented vegetables
- Yoghurt
- Kimchi
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Tempeh
- Kombucha
- Miso
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are how you can nourish those healthy bacteria, so they stick around and keep helping your gut. Think of it as feeding the good guys.
Probiotics eat prebiotics, which are natural soluble fibres, and then produce short-chain fatty acids, inhibiting the growth of pathogens and prevent disease. Ultimately, this helps maintain your intestinal and overall health.
Here’s a list of prebiotic foods you can add to your diet;
- Bananas
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Chicory
- Whole Grains
- Garlic
Ginger
Ginger has various health benefits, from blood-thinning (great for preventing blood clots) to relaxing muscles. One gut-helping example is the smooth muscle of the intestines. This is a godsend for those who suffer from gas or cramping. As if that wasn’t enough, ginger can also stimulate saliva, bile and gastric enzymes, making it an all-around supporter in your digestion.
Limit FODMAPs
FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols) are short-chain carbohydrates found in certain types of food, such as wheat and beans. Studies show a strong link between FODMAPs and digestive symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, gas, diarrhoea and constipation. Low-FODMAP diets are shown to provide exceptional benefits for many people with common digestive issues.
Here are of a few high FODMAP foods to avoid;
- Beer
- Fortified wines
- Soymilk
- Milk (from cows, goats and sheep) and other dairy products
- Fruits
- Beans and Lentils
- Barley
- Rye
- Fructose
- Wheat
It might feel overwhelming to start with, but we can help you on your path to a healthier gut. Purchase an intolerance test today, to quickly find out which foods that are currently a problem and shorten your initial elimination phase.
