When you hear the word BACTERIA, you always imagine it’s bad news right? Think again! Certain bacteria and other microbes (including fungi and viruses) are indeed sources of disease, but many more play an essential role in keeping us fit, healthy and even happy!
There are trillions of microbes living in our gut, most of which help us. They play a critical role in digestion, immune function weight regulation and even mental health.
But did you know, the food you eat can quickly change your microbes?
Eating right for your microbes
What you eat everyday isn’t just to feed your needs, it also feeds the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. Now everyone is different, but if you want to improve your digestion, lose weight or look after your general health, there are some basic principles that apply to all of these.
Easy tips for gut health
- Eat the widest possible range of fruit (but be careful to choose those lowest in sugar) and above-ground veg. A healthy gut has a diverse community of microbes, each of which prefers different foods.
- Eat more fibre. Most people eat way less than they should. Fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains feed healthy bacteria.
- Avoid highly processed foods. They contain ingredients that either stop ‘kill’ good bacteria or increase ‘bad’ bacteria in your gut.
- Probiotic foods, such as live yoghurt, kefir, kimchee sauerkraut etc encourage a more healthy and diverse colony of microbes to grow.
- Choose extra-virgin olive oil over other fats when appropriate. It contains the highest number of microbe-friendly polyphenols.
- Drink plenty of water to continuously maintain hydration
If you would like to find out more about how every person is different, watch one of our latest podcasts with Susan Flory where Graham talks more our microbes and how everyone is different, even identical twins! Listen here.