Ingredients:
3 apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp crushed nuts or seeds
Directions:
What was the last thing that you ate?
Will what you ate help feed the “good” bacteria in your gut …
Or the bad bacteria that lives in there?
Last week I talked about why your gut is SO important to your health, because it impacts everything from your digestion to your brain to your heart and even your mood!
In the wake of the corona pandemic, it’s even more important than ever to focus on your everyday wellness routine – and that includes your diet and your gut health.
Today I want to dive in a little deeper and explain exactly why it’s so important to eat REAL, WHOLE foods.
So many times we just focus on how what we eat affects our weight.
But there’s SO MUCH MORE at work here! And it’s all interconnected.
The “good” bacteria that live inside your gut need to eat, just like you do.
They love to nibble on insoluble fibers (aka “prebiotics”) that are tough enough to survive the trip through your stomach.
Meanwhile, the “bad” bacteria inside your gut thrive in a low-fiber environment with sugars, processed foods and grains, additives, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and fillers.
Experts theorize that when there’s not enough food for your good bacteria, they physically starve.
This gives the bad bacteria a chance to get a foothold, which can cause some major problems!
It all hinges on the lining of your gut.
This lining is actually a super important part of your immune system, because it forms a barrier between the food you eat and the rest of your body.
When this lining becomes too permeable (when the bad bacteria begin to take over) …
Toxins, bacteria, and even partially digested foods can “leak out” of your digestive system and make their way into your bloodstream. (this is called Leaky Gut!)
This can lead to inflammation and even trigger an immune system response. And you definitely don’t want that!
Over time, this can cause a whole host of problems like chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, auto-immune diseases, skin conditions and more.
This is why we always talk about eating whole, “clean” foods. Because when your gut is happy, it makes the rest of your body happy.
Like I mentioned earlier, the key to a healthy gut microbiome is BALANCE (including exercise, sleep, diet, stress, and more).
Now more than ever, balance is SO IMPORTANT to keeping you (and the people you care for!) healthy and strong.
REFERENCES:
You’ve heard how important probiotics are when it comes to your health – not only can they help with digestion, but they also play a role in dozens of other body functions.
PRObiotics are the good-for-you microorganisms that live in your gut. And probiotics need to eat just like the rest of us 🙂 Here is a link to a great probiotic, which also features valuable prebiotics: UltraFlora Synergy Remember, although supplementation can be helpful, it is always best to get your pre/probiotics from whole foods.
Basically, PREbiotics are a non-digestible fiber (you can find them in artichoke, jicama, and onions to name a few) that become a great source of fuel or food for the PRObiotics inside of your gastrointestinal system.
PRE and PRObiotics work together to create a positive change and help maintain balance within your body.
Here’s a list of foods high in PREbiotics:
● Asparagus
● Garlic
● Onions
● Raw Chicory Root (avoid if you’re pregnant)
● Raw Jerusalem Artichoke
Looking for more info? Check out this article: www.draxe.com/prebiotics
Your challenge this week is to add more prebiotics to your diet. If you’re already frequently using some of them, maybe this week you can try adding a new one!