Six Healthy and Simple Habits for Gut Health

Let us share some useful tips to help maintain gut health.

Replace juices with fruit

At first glance, juices seem to be a good choice. We often see in movies, TV series and advertisements that you need to drink a glass of orange juice for a good start to the day. Freshly squeezed juice contains vitamins and minerals, but it does not contain soluble and insoluble fibre, which is essential for feeding the microbiota and maintaining gut health. In addition, a glass of juice contains the same amount of sugar as 2-3 fruit. However, due to the lack of fibre in juices, blood sugar levels rise sharply, which puts additional stress on the body. Instead of juice, it is better to consume whole fruit, this way the body will receive not only sugar, but also fibre, which makes it easier to digest sugars.

Add a Side Dish to Your Diet

Grains, brown or wild rice, and legumes are an easy way to increase the amount of fibre in your diet and try something new. Cereals and rice are easy to cook, and legumes are also available ready-made. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the ingredients, as certain canned legumes may contain added sugar. Adding a side dish to any meal will significantly increase the fibre content, helping you reach the recommended dietary intake of 30 grams per day. Moreover, it’s an easy way to add variety to your diet. For example, you can purchase a mix of different types of quinoa and rice. We also offer you a list of foods rich in fibre that are great as a side dish.

Give Preference to Whole Grain Products

When a product has a whole grain analogue, it is worth giving preference to it. Whole grain products contain more fibre, therefore they help digestion and gut bacteria function. Opt for whole grain bread and pasta instead of regular bread. A few slices of whole-grain bread contain approximately seven grams of fibre, which is nearly one-third of your daily intake. If you prefer eating cereal in the morning, opt for whole grain, low-sugar options. And instead of chips, give preference to popcorn. Popcorn is also high in fibre, but watch out for its sugar and fat content. You can also find bran and fibre-rich foods in the healthy food sections.

Allow the Starch to Cool

Starch, which is found in potatoes, corn and rice, is easily broken down in the body and does not reach the intestinal tract. However, when cooked potatoes or rice are allowed to cool, the starch becomes resistant and reaches the intestinal tract unchanged, feeding the bacteria of the microbiota. Therefore, if you want to get more gut-resistant starch, let your cooked products cool. The structure of the starch molecule is reinforced when it cools, making it more difficult for enzymes to break it down.

Try New Foods

The more varied plant foods you eat, the more likely you are to get enough of various vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre. Foods you haven’t tried yet may contain types of fibre that are needed to feed certain bacteria that don’t normally get enough nutrition. When you try a new fruit or vegetable, you get a new combination of vitamins, minerals, fibre types, and other beneficial compounds. For example, persimmon contains tannins, which promote the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and grapes contain polyphenols, which bifidobacteria also feed on.

Include Probiotic Foods in your Diet

Probiotics, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, are microorganisms that are beneficial for the human body. They are representatives of healthy intestinal microflora, and the more of them there are in the microbiota, the better protected the body is from diseases. Even if these types of bacteria are not present in your gut, regular consumption of probiotic foods and their passage through your gastrointestinal tract can provide certain benefits. Probiotic microorganisms are found in natural yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and pickled food. For a product to be considered probiotic, it must contain at least 107 of live microorganisms per gram or millilitre by the expiration date.