Eating to Maintain a Healthy Gut
One of the most important aspects of overall health is the health of the gastrointestinal tract, or the gut. Maintaining a healthy gut can help our bodies digest food better and keep the gut microbiome, or all the bacteria and microbes in your gut, in good working order. Keeping your gut healthy can have a positive impact on other parts of your body, including your brain, your heart, and your immune system. While we can’t see inside the gut, we now know that “feeding” the body means feeding the gut with optimal foods.
Eating a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the cornerstone for maintaining gut health. Eating according to the 2211 lifestyle plan meets these recommendations. Some specific foods may provide additional benefits for gut health.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
Prebiotic foods are high-fiber foods that support the beneficial bacteria in your gut, including bananas, oats, beans, and artichokes. Probiotics are foods that naturally contain beneficial bacteria, including yogurt and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and kombucha. Both prebiotics and probiotics help improve your digestion and keep your gut healthy. That’s important for many reasons and may play key roles in overall health and well-being.
22 Foods to Boost Your Gut Health
Other foods help with digestion by boosting fiber or adding important nutrients. Choose these foods more often to support your gut health every day. The 2211 EAT Plan helps you find the optimal foods to eat in four areas: produce, protein, grains, and healthy fats - and don't forget the LOVE foods! For more tips on eating, moving, and grooving for wellness, look for my new book Eat Move Groove: Unlock the Simple Steps to Lifelong Nutrition, Fitness & Wellness coming out this spring!
Produce
Artichokes, especially Jerusalem artichokes
Bananas
Beets
Berries, including blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and others
Kimchi
Leeks
Miso vegetable soup
Sauerkraut
Proteins
Beans and peas (legumes), including soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, and others
Fatty fish, including canned and fresh salmon, tuna, sardines, and lake trout
Kefir
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Nuts and seeds, including almonds, pine nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
Tempeh
Yogurt with live cultures
Grains
Brown rice
Oats, including whole oat groats, steel-cut oats, oat bran, old-fashioned oats, and quick oats
Sourdough bread, especially whole wheat sourdough
Healthy Fats
Avocados, guacamole, and avocado oil
Olives and olive oil
Love Foods
Ginger chews and ginger snaps made with real ginger
Kombucha
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