Your digestive system is one of the most delicate functions in the human body, so it is important that you look after it properly. Here are three foods that are really easy to incorporate into your diet that can help to contribute to a healthy gut!
Yoghurt
Yoghurt naturally contains plenty of probiotic cultures which help to strengthen the digestive system as good bacteria is promoted. This is found in most normal yoghurts although you can buy specialist yoghurts that have more probiotics in them.
The great thing is that yoghurt is so easy to incorporate into your diet. A fantastic breakfast would be greek yoghurt for your probiotics, calcium and protein, some oats for carbohydrates and then topped with your fruit of choice for some great vitamins. For an extra boost, take a magnesium supplement as this helps to contribute to the movement of food down your gut. You could also top with chia seeds, although we will move onto that next!
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are known to be a superfood for their many great uses, one of which is their benefits for the digestive system. This is mostly because they are very high in fibre, which helps to encourage friendly bacteria and slow down the digestive process to a healthy rate.
As mentioned above, you can add chia seeds to your breakfast, smoothies or salads. You can also make a chia pudding by combining 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with 100ml of any milk, a teaspoon of vanilla extract for sweetness and a topping of your choice (I like flaked almonds and raspberries). You can make this in advance at the start of the week and you will have an extremely nutritious breakfast for each morning.
Oily Fish
Oily fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel contain plenty of omega-3 fatty acids which encourage the healthy growth of a wide variety of bacteria in the stomach. These fatty acids are also fantastic for cardiovascular health.
Luckily, these fish are accessible all over the world so you should find it quite easy to fit it into your diet. If you don’t like fish, or you choose not to eat it as a vegetarian or vegan, then it would be best to take some form of supplement. Also, oily fish is a fantastic vitamin D source which is also important for gut health, so might be worth taking a multivitamin containing it or a specific vitamin D tablet.
Summary
So, there you have it! Three easily accessible foods that are fantastic for your gut health. As your gut is so delicate, it is important that you make the effort to fuel it with the right things. At the start of the week, stock up your fridge with the ingredients that are great for your gut and prep your meals in advance, especially if you don’t work from home. This will help you to stay organised and know that you are consuming the best things for your digestive system. Be conscious of what you are eating and drinking and your body with thank you for it!