Ever wondered why they say your gut is your 'second brain'? Hidden in the depths of the digestive system, the “brain in your gut” is revolutionizing medicine’s understanding of the intricate links between mood, digestion, health, and cognition, such as your memory. Perhaps you've heard the expression ‘trust your gut’; well, science is revealing that there's more to it than just a saying.
As our last blog post on gut health noted, more than 95% of the serotonin is located in your gut. This means what we eat not only affects our physical health but greatly impacts our mood and mental health too. Your gut does a lot for you, perhaps more than science even knows yet. So we think it deserves to be celebrated. Here are our top tips for feeding the good bacteria in your gut.
Fruit and Vegetables for Gut Health:
Including more fruit and veg in your diet is a great way to give back to your gut. The gut bacteria thrive on fiber, helping them grow and prosper, which in turn keeps you healthy. Some good sources of fiber include raspberries, broccoli, and green beans. The traditional Western diet sadly is not diverse enough, meaning that we can miss out on giving back to these gut microbiomes that work hard to keep us physically & mentally healthy. Challenge yourself to jazz up your meal prep with various fruits, vegetables, dried nuts, fish, and meats to maintain a healthy balanced diet.
Prebiotics & Probiotics for Gut Health:
The Harvard School of Medicine recommends incorporating prebiotics and probiotics into your diet to enhance gut health. While probiotics, found in fermented foods like yogurt, cheese, kefir, and sauerkraut, are helpful, they lack effectiveness when taken alone and irregularly. Prebiotics, fiber-heavy foods such as nuts and seeds, avocados, and leafy greens, contribute to maintaining a healthy intestinal environment. They need to be taken alongside probiotics to help the desirable gut bacteria grow inside your digestive tract. Therefore, consider adding them to one or more daily meals to see significant results. For instance, enjoy yogurt and (Keto Hana) granola for breakfast, and a nutritious green soup for lunch.
Polyphenols and Gut Health:
Moving on from fruit and vegetables, you’ll be pleased to hear that chocolate and wine are also excellent choices for the gut (in moderation of course).
Cocoa/dark chocolate and red wine are high in polyphenols, feeding the gut bacteria directly instead of making their way straight to the colon. Alongside chocolate and red wine, other healthier options include grapes, green tea, almonds, broccoli, blueberries, and onions.
Top Keto Ingredients for Gut Health:
- Probiotics: kefir, cheese, sauerkraut, plain yogurt (with live bacteria- avoid the sugary, flavored type)
- Prebiotics: leafy greens, vegetables, beans
- Vegetables: broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, avocado, garlic, onions
- Fruit: grapes, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- Nuts & Seeds: almonds, flax, Brazil nuts, macadamia & pecan nuts (or a bag of Keto Hana granola!)
- Guilty Pleasures: dark chocolate & red wine (even doctors say a little is fine ;)
We hope these tips help you make informed decisions for your gut.
