Exciting new research now shows that our gut is key to good health. Trillions of bacteria live in our intestines. This bacteria weighs a kilo and a half (three pounds or so!) and plays a big part controlling our weight, mood, skin, and immune system. It's important to keep this bacteria "the microbiome" flourishing and in healthy balance to feel full, in a good mood, have nice skin, a strong immune system and good digestion. Antibiotics, sugar, trans fats found in junk food, too much alcohol, and a monotonous narrow-range diet are detrimental to the microbiome. So how do you get yourself a healthy microbiome to reap all the health benefits? Here are my five key tips:
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Variety variety variety
Gut microbes love colour and fibre to munch on and multiply. The more plant chemicals (that's the colour in vegetables and fruit) you can feed them the better. They also love to dine out on fibre which is contained in vegetables, fresh herbs, and fruits (what I call plants) too. Try to get at least 30 different varieties of plants in your diet every week. Go round the supermarket and try to have the most colourful trolley in the queue. Make extra virgin olive oil your default oil for the plant chemical polyphenols in it to boost good bacteria. Try to have seven portions of plants in volume the size of your fist scrunched, and if you get two in at breakfast, zoomed up in a blender keeping in the fibre, with nuts/seeds for protein for a drinkable shake, just five more to go!
Cold potatoes and other prebiotic foods
Some plants have special fibres in them which are bacteria super-feeders. These include Jerusalem artichokes, fennel, apples, bananas, asparagus, leeks, onions, and pak choi. Cold potatoes are another great source of prebiotic fibres. They form 'resistant starch' a particular type of fibre when cooled down. Prebiotic fibres such as resistant starch cannot be digested in the top half of the digestive system (so make you feel full so are great for weight management), and stay in tact to the colon where the biggest amount of gut bacteria live. These fibres then provide food to help beneficial bacteria flourish.
Probiotic foods - go Eastern European or Asian
Another way to plant beneficial bacteria in the gut is to eat fermented foods. Spoon live sauerkraut pickled cabbage into your salads, and stir unpasteurised fermented miso into your soup before serving (but don't boil it so the bacteria aren't killed off).
Chew your food properly and try to relax when you eat
Try to chew each mouthful an average of 20 times. This helps avoid undigested particles of certain foods reaching your colon and feeding bad bacteria and swaying your microbiome out of balance, leading to bloating, constipation, loose stools and having a knock on impact on weight, mood, skin and immune system.
Have a 12-hour overnight fast each night
This is so easy it's ridiculous and unlike some other fasts means you shouldn't get in a bad mood and can be at top performance at work. Just look at your watch and check the last time you eat before bed, then wait 12 hours till you eat breakfast. This 12-hour break can be fitted in anywhere in the 24 hour cycle (eg if you work shifts you can decide where you put it). When the digestive system has a break of 12 hours+ the microbiome has time to regenerate and flourish. Think of it like a lawn you give a rest to by not walking on for a while and let it bloom away.
Jeannette Hyde is a BSc-trained Nutritional Therapist and Author of The Gut Makeover - 4 Weeks to Nourish your Gut, Revolutionise your Health and Lose Weight, published by Quercus Books, £14.99. Her new book The Gut Makeover Recipe Book is published by Quercus on 16 June. The plan is principally designed for ominvores and pescatarians so doesn't include many protein options for vegans to follow for a whole 4 weeks, though does contain many useful house keeping tips for the gut which can be enjoyed by all.www.jeannettehyde.com Instagram: jeannettehydenutrition Twitter: @jeannettehyde Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGutMakeover/