Let's Talk About Gut Health.
I learned about gut health during my 6+ years of nutrition education and internship, but I’ve noticed that over the past few years it has gotten more and more popular, and recently it’s popularity has exploded as people have started to learn just how powerful and impactful the health of the gut is. My latest newsletter contained some suggestions on how to create a healthy gut, so I wanted to highlight and expand on some of the awesome things our gut can do.
So, what do all does the gut impact? The easy answer is a whole lot. Simply put, the gut contains thousands of different types and strands of bacteria and organisms- some good and some bad. This balance and diversity in the gut is key. When the gut gets “out of whack” and “bad” microorganisms start to outweigh the good and healthy, we start to feel the effects- inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, and more. More recent research has started to find connections between gut health and the immune system and allergies, the endocrine system via hormone regulation and balance, as well as brain health. Yes, you read that right, microbes in our gut can communicate with our brain, in fact the gut produces majority of two key neurotransmitters- serotonin and dopamine. The research on this really is incredible, I encourage you all to check it out if you can!
Ok, so we have now established that gut health is important and maintaining balance and diversity is key, so how we do we do that? A few ways.
Prebiotics. These are the guys that feed the probiotics. Prebiotics can be found in foods that contain soluble fiber and starches including: whole grains (oats, rice, etc), potatoes, legumes and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Probiotics. These live in the gut and contribute to the diversity and balance I’ve referenced above. You can get probiotics from many different food sources including fermented vegetables, (sauerkraut, kimchi), yogurt, and kombucha. There are numerous options of probiotic supplements as well, but I believe in a food first mindset, so trying to incorporate some of these foods into your diet is a great starting point.
Fiber. It does more than just go in your mouth and out the other end. Gross visual, I know, but it’s important to realize that it does more than just that. We can actually digest certain fibers in our colon and produce short chain fatty acids, which go on to do all sorts of cool things in the body. Where do we get fiber from? Plants. All different kinds of foods from plants have different types of fiber, so eating more variety, the better. The book Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz does an incredible job diving deeper in to this idea (and more), so check it out if you want to learn more.
Now, you absolutely do not have to start adding every single thing discussed above into your daily fuel, but I do encourage you to try to add in one or two different things to start contributing to your gut health. Start adding an extra serving of fruit and vegetables, try kombucha (I never thought I would like it, but I love it), or load up the sauerkraut on top of your favorite pierogie.
The gut is important, so take care of it!
-Brooke