5 tips for a healthy gut  

Nutritional Therapist and author of The Gut Makeover and The Gut Makeover Recipe Book, Jeannette Hyde, offers up some pointers on how to start eating for a healthy gut.

1 – Diversity is essential

Make your meals colourful and have a variety of textures. Gut bacteria love texture and colour! Aim for 30 different vegetables, herbs and fruits each week. It can be as simple as rotating your porridge toppings daily, e.g. blueberry to banana to strawberry. Frozen fruits can make this convenient.

2 – Eat fermented foods

Fermented foods have been eaten for centuries and are good for you and your microbiome. Try foods like kefir, sauerkraut and unpasteurised artisanal cheeses like Roquefort – all are full of probiotics (good bacteria) that your gut will love. To learn how to make these gut-loving foods, book on to Ferments & Pickles.

3 – Move around

When you think about being active, you may think ‘gym’ and a formal routine, but that’s not necessary. Just get moving! Park the car a little farther away from the shops, or cycle to work. If you’re short on time, skip the lift and take the stairs. Your microbiome enjoys the exercise and will thrive, too.

4 – Rest your gut

We need a long stretch (or fast) without food overnight – at least a 12-14 hour break, so timing your meals is important. This break gives the microbiome time to replenish and our bacteria time to regenerate. The vagus nerve passes messages from gut to brain, so when we are timing our meals right, this keeps our brains well, too.

5 – Mindfully consume

Be conscious when eating – get away from your desk or television during meals. Chew your food well, at least twenty chews per mouthful if you can. This stops undigested particles from hitting the colon and can reduce bloating.

Learn more tips on eating deliciously for a healthy gut and join Jeannette and our chefs at Cookery School this Saturday, January 26th.

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