When it comes to wellbeing, these days it’s all about the gut. Not a week goes by without a new study confirming the critical role our gut bacteria plays in our overall health, from weight management to brain health, inflammation to immune function.
We all know we need to pay more attention to our gut health, but the problem comes when busy lifestyles lead to poor food choices – grabbing food on the hoof is not the best way to nurture our good bacteria. We might then be tempted to resort to expensive supplements; the market for probiotic products is worth around £750 million in the UK alone. But the efficacy of these products remains largely unproven.
By far the best way to improve your gut health is via what you eat, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Here are three simple, practical ways to boost your microbiome that can fit into even the busiest of schedules.
How to improve your gut health
Try kimchi cauli rice
Kimchi, kefir, kombucha – the holy trinity when it comes to gut health. The thing all these foods have in common is that they are fermented – in other words, they are teeming with good bacteria, which is ambrosia for your gut.
Kimchi is a Korean staple, eaten with most meals as a condiment. Its base is usually cabbage and chilli and it can pack quite a spicy punch. A different way to eat it is whizzed up in a food processor with lightly blanched cauliflower, which produces a spicy cauli ‘rice’ that’s a fabulous base for any kind of grilled fish or meat.
Kefir’s sour taste can take some getting used to. An easy way to get started, especially for children, is to splosh some into your morning smoothie. Try blending 1 small banana, 1 tbsp nut butter, 1 tbsp oats, 1 tsp cinnamon and 150ml kefir.
Kombucha is a fermented tea, often flavoured with fruit, that originated in China and is prized for its supposed healing properties. Following a meteoric rise to the top of the health food charts, you’ll now find it in every supermarket chiller cabinet. Some versions are mildly alcoholic, an excellent replacement for your evening glass of wine, which will cut your units and give your microbiome a boost at the same time.
And, if you really can’t acquire a taste for those Ks, then buy a big pot of probiotic-packed Greek yogurt, park it in the fridge and eat some every day; for breakfast with granola and fruit, swirled into soup for lunch or dolloped on a curry or tagine for dinner.
A delicious freezer hack
One thing on which all nutritionists agree is that eating an adequate amount of fibre (around 30g per day) is essential for gut health. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest which, as well as keeping our bowels functioning properly, plays a role in weight management.
It’s hard to picture what 30g of fibre looks like, but you don’t really need to as long as you are eating plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes. A simple snack idea is to fill pitted dates with a spoon of nut butter and keep them in the freezer – fabulously filling and fibre-packed. And don’t forget to stay hydrated, as drinking plenty of water enables the fibre to do its work efficiently.
And what about bread? We seem to be ever more confused about this simplest of foods. As long as you are gluten-tolerant, wholegrain bread is a great source of fibre. Sourdough bread is often touted as being more gut-friendly on account of the process of fermentation it undergoes, however the probiotics are burned off in the baking process. In addition, if it’s made using refined white flour then it’s really just a slightly better form of white bread. When choosing bread, freshly baked wholegrain is best for gut health, sourdough or otherwise.
Get your 30-plant-based foods per week
The undisputed queen of gut health, Dr Megan Rossi aka The Gut Health Doctor, advises that diversifying the variety of plants you eat can significantly improve your health. She recommends aiming for 30 different types of plant-based foods per week, across fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds, herbs and spices. Here are some easy ways to achieve this:
Make a simple bowl of overnight oats: combine grated apple, carrot and courgette with oats, raisins, some mixed seeds and a little cinnamon. Add enough milk to cover and mix well. Pop in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Keep a pot of mixed seeds on your countertop and sprinkle over eggs, soups, salads and stews.
Keep some roasted veg in the fridge and add to sandwiches and wraps. Peppers, aubergine, red onion, butternut squash and carrots all work well.
Add a tin of lentils or beans to your evening meal. As well as fibre they add taste and texture to everything from soups to curries and are a fabulous addition to a pasta sauce.
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
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