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Healing the Gut: The Key to Overall Health
This is the decade of the microbiome-Hippocrates was right when he said, "All disease begins in the gut." Our diet is low in prebiotic fibers and polyphenols while we take too many gut-damaging antibiotics and medications. The bad bugs drive inflammation, causing leaky gut where food proteins and toxins enter our bloodstream, triggering immune responses.
To cultivate a healthy inner garden, follow three steps: 1) Weed (remove gut-busting foods and drugs), 2) Seed (add good bugs through fermented foods), and 3) Feed (support healthy bacteria with prebiotic and fiber-rich foods).
First, remove gut-busting foods and drugs. Bad bugs thrive on sugar, starch, and processed foods. Eliminate highly processed foods, refined grains (especially wheat), gluten, dairy, sugars, artificial sweeteners, refined oils, antibiotics (except when necessary), steroids, anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, acid blockers, chronic stressors, and environmental toxins, particularly glyphosate-sprayed products.
Second, add in the good bugs. Include fermented or cultured foods in your diet such as naturally fermented sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, kimchi, kefir (unsweetened), miso, gluten-free tamari, tempeh, fermented tofu, naturally fermented soy sauce, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, and unsweetened coconut yogurt.
Third, support the growth of healthy bacteria. Include both prebiotic foods (apples, artichokes, asparagus, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama root, onions, garlic, leeks, plantains, underripe bananas, polyphenol-rich foods, and seaweed) and fiber-rich foods (avocados, beans, berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, figs, kale, lentils, nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, pumpkin, spinach, and strawberries).
For those with gut issues, consider working with a functional medicine practitioner for bacterial or yeast overgrowth or parasites. Eat probiotic-rich foods like tempeh, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi, or take a daily probiotic. Consume prebiotic and fiber-rich foods such as garlic, onions, avocado, and leafy greens. For bacterial overgrowth, introduce these slowly and lightly cook vegetables to make them easier to digest.
By healing your gut, you're addressing the foundation of health that impacts everything from immunity to brain function to hormonal balance. This three-step approach can transform not just digestive symptoms but overall wellbeing.
