Improve Your Gut Health: Here’s How…

We often talk about healthy eating here on the My Appliances blog – and with good reason. Food is hugely important to our team here (after all, selling appliances is what we do) but it’s important to us that we share information that helps our customers get the best out of their kitchen – and ultimately their lives, as a result.

Gut health is essential to overall health – and while we do share lots of comfort food recipes here on the site, we always try to offer healthier alternatives, where possible.

If you’re someone who has issues with your gut, it’s always best to seek help from your doctor in the first instance. Take a look at your diet, too – is it well balanced? Or can you assess what you are eating to ensure your diet provides the right kind of fuel for you – and your body? With that in mind, here are some foods which can be beneficial to the health of your gut…

Eat 30 Different Plant Foods Per Week

Are you getting enough ‘green’ foods into your diet – and by that we mean fruit and veg. The British Heart Foundation site suggests eating 30 different plant foods every week.

‘Diversity matters, because there are nearly 100 types of fibre and thousands of plant phytochemicals, which are thought to feed different bacteria. Thirty might sound intimidating, but it includes fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils or kidney beans), nuts and seeds.’ says the site.

Add mixed seeds to whatever you are eating in the morning – that’s a great way to try getting more plant-based foods into your diet, says the British Heat Foundation.

Eat More Fibre

We all know that eating fibre is good for our gut, so why don’t we add a little extra to our diet?! Of course, many plant-based foods are high in fibre, as are wholegrains.

Avoid Highly Processed Foods

You may love your weekend microwave meal, but it may not love you (or your gut) quite as much! Avoid highly processed foods, then, as they often contain ingredients that either suppress ‘good’ bacteria or increase ‘bad’ bacteria – find out more about foods to include in your diet for a healthier gut, via the BBC site.

Include Probiotics in Your Diet

Live yoghurt – a great probiotic food- might encourage more microbes to grow. Eat them if you enjoy them, says the BBC. Perhaps try live yoghurt in the morning, instead of toast or cereal. What are microbes, though? They’re the bacteria which grow in your gut – and there are trillions of them. It’s important to feed them the right stuff, so you can reap the rewards of doing so.

While everyone is different, probiotics may improve your health hugely.

Try Extra Virgin Olive Oil as Your Oil of Choice

Steer clear of other fats when you can and choose extra virgin olive oil instead. The reason being it contains the highest number of microbe-friendly polyphenols.

Will you be trying any of these tips for yourself? Let us know how you get on by commenting on this blog post below.

Until next time…