Gut Healthy Foods To Incorporate Into Your Daily Meals
We always seem to hear about gut health and its importance, but hardly the reasoning behind it. Why is it so important to take care of your gut and maintain its health? What makes it stand out among the rest of your systems? It turns out that the human gut is a lot more complex than once thought. As a matter of fact, it has a massive impact on the rest of the body and the way it functions on a day-to-day basis. From a strong immune system to effective digestion, maintaining a healthy gut will improve your life overall. There have been studies that suggested good gut health may even help prevent certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. In short, gut health is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This brings us to the question: how? How can one keep their gut healthy? The answer to that, among other things, is eating the right foods. What foods are good for the gut? That’s what we’ll be discussing here.
Yogurt
As we know, the gut is fuelled by the good bacteria that it contains. When one doesn’t have enough, things can take a bad turn. That’s where live yogurt comes in. It is an excellent source of friendly bacteria – also known as probiotics. Keep an eye out for sugar-free, full-fat versions to add to your breakfast. Yogurt is great since it can be combined with a lot of different foods to make a meal. Even adding fruit will do.
Miso
Miso is made from fermented soya beans along with either barley or rice. It has a whole range of good things like helpful bacteria and enzymes. The savory paste is typically used in dips, dressings, and, of course, soup. Additionally, it can be used as a marinade for salmon or tofu. If you’re avoiding dairy, it’s a great cooking staple to have in the house.
Kimchi
The Korean specialty of fermented vegetables has the benefits of probiotic bacteria as well as vitamins and fiber. It can be used as a side dish for meat, salad, or even eggs. In fact, it’s so popular in Korea that natives use the word “kimchi” the same way Americans use “cheese” when they have their photos taken.
Almonds
Almonds are full of great probiotic properties. Meaning that they’re great for gut bacteria. Additionally, it’s high in fiber and full of fatty acids and polyphenols. Just a handful of almonds is a great snack to have when you’re feeling peckish.
Olive Oil
Gut bacteria thrive on a diet of fatty acids and polyphenols. These things can be found in olive oil. Studies show that it helps reduce gut inflammation. As you probably already know, olive oil is excellent to drizzle on salads or over cooked vegetables. In fact, more studies have found that olive oil is beneficial in easing indigestion problems and can benefit the pancreas by lowering its requirement to produce digestive enzymes.
Garlic
Who doesn’t love garlic? Well, it turns out it’s a great thing to love as it has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It helps keep the “bad” gut bacteria under control and helps balance the yeast in the gut. Naturally, there are endless ways to use garlic in a wide range of dishes. On top of all that, garlic’s beneficial properties act as a fuel source that allows the bacteria to do their job better, overall improving gut function.