Good for your Gut
We all know the Christmas season is known for too much food, too much alcohol and generally being a little too merry! Here are some foods that will assist you to balance that overindulgence and get yourself back into a healthy routine by helping you counter the increased consumption.
Healthy eating is fast becoming a higher priority, especially in that period of time straight after the Christmas and New Year get-togethers!
Consumers are exposed to more information about diet and consumption than ever before. Consumers, as a collective, know more about the foods they consume and the effects (positive and negative) a range of different foods have on our health.
Let’s face it, the huge amount of information available can be confusing and can sometimes seem overwhelming.
Food is a critical element in helping your body heal itself after periods of overeating and excessive drinking. Below we discuss gut health and healthy eating to help restore balance.
Eat Fruit and Vegetables
We’ve heard it all before, but it’s true, one of the first and most important things we can do to help our digestive system is to eat lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruit.
As one of the best sources of nutrients for a healthy digestive microbiome, fruit and vegetables are clear winners in this area. They are high in natural fibre, which your body can’t digest, but instead, it is left to the unique bacteria in your gut that can digest this fibre and, intern, this stimulates their growth. Returning your gut Microbiome to good health assists with your immunity to infection and disease plus keeps producing Serotonin, the hormone that stabilises your mood and promotes feelings of happiness and helps control your digestive movements and function.
Help is at hand! There is a great range of foods that can help support your digestive systems return to health. Here are some of the most popular foods that are high in fibre and great to help support gut bacteria.
Fruits
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Apples
Vegetables
- Artichokes
- Green Peas
- Broccoli
- Chickpeas, lentils and beans
- Garlic
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Beetroot
- Leeks
- Spinach
- Watercress
- Kale
Of course, a lot of these fresh morsels of goodness can also be produced into some of the most popular healthy-gut foods such as Kombucha, Sauerkraut and Kimchi
Healthline.com discusses that “One study found that following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevented the growth of some disease-causing bacteria.
Bifidobacteria are considered highly beneficial bacteria, as they can help prevent intestinal inflammation and enhance gut health. These beneficial bacteria can break down fibre. Therefore, foods rich in fibre, such as apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds and pistachios, can all help your Bifidobacteria thrive1”
Eating a diverse range of foods
The hundreds of bacteria in our intestines all have different nutrient needs to grow and thrive. Each of these bacteria conducts a specific role and all need our support. Consuming a diverse range of foods helps maintain the right balance and encourages the bacteria to thrive.
Healthline.com mentions, “Generally speaking, a diverse microbiome is considered a healthy one. This is because the more species of bacteria you have, the more health benefits they may be able to contribute to. A diet consisting of different food types can lead to a more diverse microbiome Unfortunately, the traditional Western diet is not very diverse and is rich in fat and sugar. In fact, an estimated 75% of the world’s food is produced from only 12 plant and 5 animal species. However, diets in certain rural regions are often more diverse and richer in different plant sources. For this reason, a few studies have shown that gut microbiome diversity is much greater in people from rural regions of Africa and South America than in people from urban areas in Europe or the United States.”
Alongside these diet changes, moderation in alcohol and food consumption, exercise and simply taking some time out all contribute to realigning your body and re-establishing your healthy routine.
Sourcing new and hard to find ingredients can be a challenge. Rest assured, At Natural Ingredients, we have a huge range of fruits and vegetables available through our network and we work with you to plan and forecast your supply needs for the up and coming year.
If you would like to know more about our range of fruits and vegetables, fruit purees and fruit juices please contact us on 02 4573 2555 or by email at [email protected].