A healthy gut supports your immune system and helps prevent disease.
Here are foods that feed and maintain your gut microbiome to improve your health from the inside out.
The key is to balance the ratio of good to bad bacteria within the gut microbiome.
Abbey Littlejohn
A healthy microbiome can even help with depression.
It’s never too late tochange your diet to support better gut bacteria.
So how do you improve your own microbiome?
Abbey Littlejohn
Eat more:probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, polyphenols and fermented foods.
Eat less:artificial sweeteners, red meat, processed foods and alcohol.
Here, we will explain probiotics and prebiotics and provide examples of which foods are the best for each.
Abbey Littlejohn
Eating foods that are naturally rich in probiotics adds good bacteria to your gut.
The most common types of good bacteria areLactobacillusandBifidobacterium, with each having its own specific strains.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkrautis made from cabbage and salt.
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During the fermentation process, microorganisms eat the sugar present in cabbage and produce carbon dioxide and acids.
The probiotics created during fermentation assist with digestion and add good bacteria to your gut.
Try tomake your own sauerkraut.
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Most store-bought sauerkraut is pasteurized, which kills bad bacteria as well as the beneficial bacteria created through fermentation.
Try ourSauerkraut & Sausage Casserolefor a warm, comforting meal any night of the week.
Kimchi
Kimchi, also fermented cabbage, is the spicy Korean cousin of sauerkraut.
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The flavor can be enhanced by adding scallions, radishes and shrimp.
Kimchi is delicious added to a fried rice bowl with veggies and an egg.
Kefir
Kefir is like drinkable yogurt.
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Pasteurization before fermentation ensures kefir contains live and active probiotics when you consume it.
Buy plain kefir (instead of flavored) to skip added sugars,or make your own kefir.
Or try substituting kefir for milk in one of ourovernight oats recipesfor a healthy combo of probiotics and fiber.
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It’s then fermented for a week or more.
During fermentation, alcohol and gases are produced, giving the kombucha natural carbonation.
Pasteurization is used to limit alcohol content, which means commercial kombucha contains few, if any, probiotics.
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Somehomemade kombuchas, however, have been found to have closer to 2% to 3% ABV.
You could also try using a different jot down of tea.
When fermenting tea, lactic acid bacteria are produced, which are known to function as a probiotic.
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When consuming kombucha made from green tea, you’ll also get the antioxidantproperties associated with tea.
Keep in mind that some kombuchas, like those made from black tea, contain caffeine.
Kombucha is also not recommended for children.
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Miso
Miso is a fermented pastemade from soybeans, barley or rice.
Similar to other fermented foods, beneficial bacteria are produced in the fermentation process.
You’ll also get some protein if you eat miso made from soybeans.
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A little bit goes a long way, which is good since miso is also high insodium.
Miso is great when added to sauces, dressings and soup bases.
Try it on thisMiso-Maple Salmon.
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Tempeh is made when soybeans are fermented and then pressed into a cake.
It can then be grilled, sauteed or baked.
Tempeh is high in protein, making it a good option for vegetarians and vegans.
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It’s also packed with B vitamins, calcium, manganese, zinc and copper.
Try marinating then grilling tempeh and adding it to a salad.
Or makeGochujang-Glazed Tempeh & Brown Rice Bowls.
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Yogurt
Yogurtis probably the most popular probiotic and for a good reason.
A quick look at the ingredients list will also show you if there are bacteria in the yogurt.
Do you have trouble digesting lactose?
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If you don’t eat dairy, many companies now make dairy-free and vegan yogurts that contain probiotics.
Or you could make your ownInstant Pot Cashew Yogurt.
“Ingredients to look for include galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, chicory fiber and inulin.”
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Fructans and cellulose are two other prebiotic fibers.
But don’t get bogged down in the scientific names.
Focus on a variety of whole foods.
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Also known assunchoke, sunroot or wild sunflower, they look similar to gingerroot.
Leeks
Leeks are high in good-for-the-gut fructans.
According to the USDA, 1 cup of leeks has 1.6 g of fiber and just 54 calories.
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Leeks can enhance nearly any dishconsider adding them to an omelet or sauteing them to mix with roasted potatoes.
Alternatively, rub whole leeks with oil and grill briefly; then toss with your favorite vinaigrette.
Try ourSesame-Braised Leeksthat require only 10 minutes of prep.
Onions
Onionsare chock-full of inulin, fructans and fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
Polyphenols act as prebiotics by enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of pathogens.
Raspberries are delicious when eaten fresh but are just as nutritious purchased frozen and thrown into a smoothie.
Or add them to yogurt, oatmeal or high-fiber cereal.
It’s there that gut bacteria feed on them.
This process is called fermentation.
And the byproduct may be some gas.
Canned beans are a favoritepick three types, rinse and mix for a simple bean salad.
Or throw black beans on top of tacos.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a powerful prebioticfor the gut due to its level of fructans (inulin and FOS).
Or shave raw asparagus over a green salad.Asparagus is also deliciouswhen added to pasta or an omelet.
Garlic
As part of a healthy diet, garlic is anti-inflammatory in the body.
Inulin and fructooligosaccharides are the two main fibers in garlica dynamic prebiotic duo.
That’s a whole lot of benefits in those little cloves!
you might put the whole clove in there without having to peel it (yes, like!).
Garlic can be used to season almost any dish.
Saute it with onions and mix it into a stir-fry or pasta.
Eat bananas with peanut or almond butter for protein, healthy fat and an extra dose of fiber.
One medium pear is just 100 calories but has 5.5 g of fiber, according to the USDA.
Watermelon
Watermelonis naturally high in fructans.
Watermelon is a summer staple that is tasty eaten plain.
Worst Foods for Gut Health
1.
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose, have zero calories and no sugar.
Try kombucha in place of soda for a bubbly beverage with good-for-the-gut probiotics.
Alcohol
Research studies have found that alcoholism negatively impacts the intestinal microbiome.But it’s not just excessive alcohol intake.
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