How to eat for a healthy gut
WRITTEN BY: COACH SARA P | EDITED BY: KRISTEEN WARD
Your gut health, meaning the bacteria and other organisms that are or aren’t present in your digestive tract, could be affecting your weight. And one of the most important factors in building a healthy gut is the food we eat.
Healthy food nourishes our bodies, but it can be difficult to understand what foods specifically assist in maintaining a healthy gut. You may find yourself asking, is this going to hurt my gut or help it? Making conscious food choices to help your gut foster an environment that promotes good microbes could do wonders for your weight care journey. Here’s how.
Should you fill up on probiotic-rich foods?
Probiotics aren’t new: Since ancient times, good bacteria helped produce fermented and cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, fermented pickles, and sourdough. While it might seem these are the foods to load up on if you want a healthy gut, there are actually very few studies that show these foods can improve your gut microbiome.
Yogurt has soared in popularity in the U.S. in part because of its probiotic content—but look at the labels of some sweetened, fruit-flavored varieties and you’ll see why they might not deserve their health halo. (Some yogurt flavors have more sugar than a half cup of ice cream. Yikes.)
Bottom line: Eat foods that naturally have probiotics if you love ‘em. Many still offer other health benefits. But, for now, there’s no solid evidence that they can improve your gut health.
Go for whole foods for their prebiotics
Your body needs a way to cultivate an environment in your gut that helps grow good bacteria. Prebiotics are what feed or fuel the good bacteria in your gut. They’re mainly indigestible carbs and plant fibers. (Yes, this means you should eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.) Eating foods high in fiber allows good bacteria to grow.
Emerging research has also found that prebiotics strengthen gut health by decreasing the risk of constipation and diarrhea. The flip side of that coin is that there are certain foods to eat less frequently because they can cause more gut disruptions:
- Red meat
- Processed (packaged) foods
- Alcohol
- Refined sugar
- Artificial sweeteners
Prebiotic-rich foods include vegetables, oats, seeds, nuts, gluten-free grains, lentils, legumes, celery juice, ginger, artichokes, leeks, onions, raspberries, beans and legumes, flaxseed, asparagus, celery, garlic, unripe or green bananas (as they ripen, the fiber converts to sugar so they no longer provide the same prebiotic and probiotic benefits), apples, pears, berries, dark chocolate, bone broth, and wild-caught salmon.
Try these recipes to switch it up and make sure you’re getting enough prebiotics!
Breakfast
Coconut yogurt parfait with berries via HelloGlow
PB Protein Overnight Oats via EatingWell
Black Bean Breakfast Bowl via AllRecipes
Avocado Sourdough Toast via BBC GoodFood
Lunch and Dinner Ideas
Basic Broiled Salmon via Girl in Healing
6-Ingredient Chopped Salad via Well and Good
Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup via EatingWell
Coconut Curry Veggie Soupvia Nourish with Kristine
Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup via A Couple Cooks
Easy Prebiotic Snacks:
- Veggies with Hummus
- Apple or Banana with Nut Butter
- Mixed nuts/seeds
- Cooked oats/quinoa with sliced fruit or berries on top
- Celery with Nut Butter
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Avocado Toast (on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread)
- Unsweetened Coconut strips/chips
Take some time to log your meals, movement, and other dailies in the app to track your progress. It gives you time to reflect, and science shows it supports your success.
About Coach Sara P
A native of the Midwest, I have over 6 years of experience as a health coach and fitness specialist. I joined Found to pursue my passion of behavior change and improving the way people treat themselves and their bodies. I earned a degree in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University, and I also have additional certifications as a NASM Behavior Change Specialist and NASM Personal Trainer. When I’m not working, you’ll find me playing sports, whipping up a new recipe with loads of veggies, volunteering at church, or trying to win a board game!
SOURCES
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Probiotics in food
Health and nutritional properties and guidelines for evaluation. World Health Organization Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome 2006.
Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):886. doi: 10.3390/nu13030886. PMID: 33803407; PMCID: PMC8001875.
Cohen, Sandy. (2021, March 19). If you want to boost immunity, look to the gut. UCLA Health. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
Duan, M., Wang, Y., Zhang, Q., Zou, R., Guo, M., & Zheng, H. (2021). Characteristics of gut microbiota in people with obesity. PLOS ONE, 16(8), e0255446.
Liu, B. N., Liu, X. T., Liang, Z. H., & Wang, J. H. (2021). Gut microbiota in obesity. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 27(25), 3837–3850.
Monda, V., Villano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., Viggiano, A., Cibelli, G., Chieffi, S., Monda, M., & Messina, G. (2017). Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2017, 3831972.
Pandey, K. R., Naik, S. R., & Vakil, B. V. (2015). Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics- a review. Journal of food science and technology, 52(12), 7577–7587.