Eat This to Fertilize Your Gut

Did you know that your body contains around 40 trillion bacteria? It’s true- and most of them are located in your gut. These bacteria, which are collectively known as gut microbiota or intestinal flora, help promote your overall well-being. For example, many studies point out that keeping your digestive system healthy can:

• Maintain a strong immune system
• Improve weight management
• Boost your energy and mood

Your daily diet has an effect on your gut health. Unfortunately, our Western diet (processed food, sugar) and lifestyle are actually attacking our microbes and have a detrimental effect on our overall health. This is why it’s necessary to eat a balanced diet that includes gut-friendly foods.

Let’s take a look at the various food types that can fertilize your gut and make a huge difference in the way you look and feel.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are natural soluble fibers used as fuel by our gut’s good bacteria. In fact, the only purpose of prebiotics is to feed our intestinal bacteria and maintain high amounts of friendly flora like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. When you fertilize your gut by eating prebiotic food, it does a better job of absorbing nutrients and supporting health-sustaining products like vitamins and supplements.

Researchers have also shown that prebiotic intake is linked to positive effects on the heart and brain, as well as blood sugar, stress levels, hormones, and cholesterol levels. Examples of prebiotic-rich foods include bananas, pumpkin seeds, and oats, so add them to your diet whenever possible.

Probiotics

Several different classes and types of probiotics exist, but some of the most common include Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Saccharomyces boulardii, which is a yeast. You can consume them through fermented foods or supplements to enjoy health benefits such as:

• A healthy balance of gut bacteria
• Better immune function
• Weight loss

A lot of prebiotic foods are the result of fermentation, a natural process that converts milk into yogurt and cheese and cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchi. Bacteria or yeast is added to beverages or foods to help kick-start the fermentation process.

Certain dairy products, such as aged cheeses, kefir, uncultured buttermilk, and yogurt, are excellent sources of probiotics.

Other foods include:

• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Tempeh
• Olives that have been cured in water or brine

Related: How To Make Your Own Probiotics

If you don’t eat fermented foods on a regular basis, here are some tips for incorporating them into your diet:

• Drink a smoothie made with kefir or probiotic yogurt for a healthy start to the day.
• Try adding fresh sauerkraut or kimchi to your meals.
• Enjoy a slice of aged Cheddar cheese for dessert.

Even though these foods are beneficial, moderation is important since many of them are also high in sodium. Enjoy- but not too much!

Related: What Happens if You Take the Wrong Probiotics (Video)

Probiotic Supplements

If you don’t consume fermented foods regularly, you can take a probiotic supplement to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria in your gut.

Taking a supplement that protects the microbes is a good way to ensure you deliver a consistent supply of live good bacteria to your digestive tract, especially since stomach acids make it difficult for organisms to survive.

Fiber-Rich Foods

Only around 3% of people consume the recommended amount of fiber every day, yet it’s essential for a healthy gut.  While both soluble and insoluble fiber are essential for your health, insoluble fiber may provide the most benefit for your gut. It assists in moving things through your digestive system and has a cleansing effect on your intestinal tract. Other benefits include:

• Reducing inflammation in the body
• Boosting your immune system
• Fighting obesity

You can add more fiber to your diet by substituting avocado for mayo in your sandwiches, snacking on air-popped popcorn, and enjoying more bean-based foods like chili, hummus, and bean salad.

Green Vegetables

Vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are loaded with vital nutrients your body needs. Additionally, they contain fibers that lead to the formation of butyrate, which can improve your gut immunity, reduce inflammation, and help prevent colon cancer.

Butyrate is the main fuel source for the cells lining your intestinal tract. It is common to see butyrate deficiency in patients with the compromised intestinal mucosa. Inflammatory bowel diseases are also associated with a deficiency in the metabolism of butyrate. To reduce the likelihood of developing a deficiency, make sure your diet includes plenty of kale, microgreens, collard greens, and spinach.

Fruit

Not only is fruit an important source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but certain varieties do a great job of fertilizing your gut. They include but are not limited to:

• All types of apples
• Bananas
• Berries
• Citrus fruits
• Mangos

The avocado is also considered a fruit and is a source of fiber, healthy fats, and many other vitamins and minerals, so add it to salads, make guacamole, or use it as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise.

Although no fruit is technically off-limits if you’re prone to bloating, limit your consumption of fruit that is higher in fructose, such as apples, grapes, and mangos.

Garlic

Garlic is naturally high in inulin, a type of non-digestible carbohydrate that helps keep your digestive tract healthy. In essence, it acts as fuel for these bacteria, which makes your gut function more effectively, and actually promotes the growth of bifidobacteria specifically.

It is important to note that when you cook garlic, its prebiotic benefits will begin to diminish, so instead of cooking it all the time, try rubbing it on toast or adding it to salad dressing and guacamole.

Herbal Support for Leaky Gut

Herbal remedies are also important for healing a leaky gut. The following botanicals are outstanding for this purpose:

• Reishi: Used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years, Reishi is known as the “mushroom of immortality”. It exerts anti-inflammatory action that’s helpful for calming intestinal inflammation.
• Plantain: An all-around tonic for the digestive system, Plantain is anti-inflammatory and soothes mucous membranes—an ideal combination for relieving the symptoms of a leaky gut.
• Slippery Elm: Forming a protective layer in the digestive tract, Slippery Elm assists in helping the gut to heal.
• Lion’s Mane Mushroom: A known antioxidant, Lion’s Mane helps to cool the inflammatory response.4
• Turkey Tail Mushroom: Containing important prebiotics that balance the microbiome and control Candida overgrowth, Turkey Tail is another remarkable remedy for healing the gut.
• Marshmallow: A soothing herbal remedy for the digestive system, Marshmallow is an excellent herb for a leaky gut because it creates a protective layer over intestinal perforations.

All are found in our Balanced Gut Tincture. This formulation is an easy way to help assist in the repair of the intestinal tract in order to restore the healthy function of the gut.

Conclusion

Modern society is filled with constant stress, lack of sleep, different types of contaminants, and a high prevalence of junk food, so it’s important to eat gut-healthy, fresh food and herbs. Your gut condition affects practically every aspect of your mind and body, from digestion and blood sugar levels to your immune system, mental health, and how much energy you use on a daily basis. For optimum strength and vitality, fertilizing your gut with fermented, healthy, and unprocessed foods is a must.

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