The new year motivation has come…and is perhaps getting a bit lost in the rush of a busy January. But the desire to feel amazing every day hasn’t changed. In this season after the holidays, and before the spring weather and seasonal foods hit us, it’s an important time to support and nourish our bodies, starting with the gut.
There are SO many foods and tools I could bring into this. I’m focusing in on my top 5 foods/drinks and nutritional tools to support your gut health in the new year. There’s alot of research coming out about the mind/gut connection (see also the articles referenced in my probiotics blog post–here)…and it’s true that supporting and healing our guts can promote positive changes in our mood, our mental habits and so much more.
Try some of these out, and let me know what you think!
- Kombucha
This very popular health fad is a great one–fermented tea has active cultures (similar to yogurt, but more effective, since grown from a mother)…it’s tasty, and is widely available. I recommend a ginger flavored kombucha if you can find it. The idea is you’re re-populating your gut with all the good bacteria that are depleted through sugar consumption, stress, lack of sleep, hard to digest carbs–you name it–the vicious cycle of what we affectionately know as “modern life”.
Read more about it in the sources links below.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
So right along in keeping with kombucha populating the good bacteria in your gut, Apple Cider vinegar has long been known to be a health elixir, a drink that helps kill off the bad bacteria in your gut. It also is known to balance blood sugar, reduce risk of diabetes, and it does so by targeting the pH balance in the body, and eliminating/killing off any overgrowth of bad bacteria.
Not everone likes drinking it straight; I usually have it with water–1-2 tbsp to an 8oz glass of water, and I like to have it early in the day, when possible. But I started out having it with maple syrup to add some sweet to balance the bitter…depending on the type of ACV you get, the flavor may be more manageable and may not need the sweeter counterpart. This may be the toughest one to get into the habit of doing, but my grandma who is going strong in her mid 90s swears by ACV every day, so I’ll take her word for it contributing to a long and healthy life.
3. Chia Seeds
This superfood is known for being a powerful fiber. The fiber in chia seeds promote healthy stool, and the seeds actually absorb alot of water when in your stomach, promoting fullness and therefore weightloss when used regularly. They are high in protein, in addition to fiber, and they release a protective gelatinous covering, which you can see when you dissolve them in a liquid before digestion. This makes them actually function like a pre-biotic, lining the gut with gelatin and promoting the proper absorption of good nutrients and bacteria.
I like to dissolve chia seeds in my daily pomegranate energizing tea. It’s a great, tasty combination, and packs a powerful nutrient punch in the middle of the day…the texture reminds me of bubble tea from my days of living in NYC, and I love it.
You can also make chia pudding with coconut milk, which is a delicious and healthy treat, as well as baking with it.
4. Bone Broth
I saved this one for close to last…If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this won’t be for you. However, this has become one of the biggest health fads turned true healing protocol adopted by many who have auto-immune issues and more. Basically, the theory behind leaky gut is that our gut walls are penetrated and impaired by things that attack it–like sugars, too much white carbs, too much stress over a long time, and more. Basically, our standard diet is very hard on our gut, and we need to work on healing that gut lining so that our gut can function properly. People talk about brain fog and all these other real, difficult symptoms that come with our gut being out of whack.
Strong medications/antibiotics, many things can set it off course. But to heal it, bone broth is going to be one of the very best measures. A few months ago, on my own journey to improve my digestion, energy levels and overall mood and well being (working on supporting my adrenals) I began drinking chicken broth daily–or at least 4-5 times per week, out of a mug. I start with an organic rotisserie chicken, and use the bones for the broth, so it’s very fresh. I immediately began to notice a difference in my moods, and in my balanced feelings and digestion throughout the day. I love this, for anyone to try, and to see the difference it can make for you. It’s an ancient form of deep daily nourishment, brought back into vogue at just the moment we need this habit the most.
5. Greens and juicing
So leafy greens provide a nice amount of both fiber, as well as key soluble nutrients to support your gut; and when they are consumed blended with shakes, or as juices, it makes it easier for your body to break them down and absorb the goodness without too much extra work. I like kale for it’s extra fibrous crunch–the flavor is pretty easy to enhance/mask. Spinach is another good one.
My favorite green shake is like the one above–or variations on kale, vanilla protein, pineapple and almond milk…tropical with a greens twist…get creative, and remember, the greener the better.
BONUS: Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes
*If you’re only going to choose a few tools–besides amazing, nourishing foods–to support your overall health this year (secretly, I hope you’ll take this quiz and try out all the recommendations for your health goals! ) then these would be the two that I would start with. The enzymes help break down foods for our stomach that might otherwise be a little harder for our bodies to break down, and can help ease digestive troubles related to foods like dairy and grains. They are become more widely known and recommended in nutritional circles, and you can read another article about them here.
I wrote a whole post about the power of probiotics, and the kinds to use, but I’ll just say that kombucha and ACV are natural forms of these, but you’re going to want to get some concentrated, specifically tested strains into your digestive system to support and heal your gut, and improve your energy, focus, immune system, daily detoxing and so much more.
If you have other, more serious or concerning/lingering issues–such as constipation, bloating, loose stools, IBS symptoms and more–be sure to speak with your health care provider, and consider doing a more intensive candida cleanse, or looking into a healing leaky gut protocol.
Meanwhile, speaking of gut health, our 7 day cleanse has been getting people amazing results–if you feel like you missed the band wagon on the pilot but you’re curious about the cleanse–just comment or email me (madeleine.pidel@gmail.com) and I’ll get you some more info–we can put you on the waitlist to be the first to know when more kits are available!
SO yes, not the most popular of topics, but in light of all the recently super successful cleansers in our community’s pilot program, and because it’s a question I get asked alot as a health coach, these are some things you can do right now, today, to improve your gut health, and therefore your overall healthy lifestyle and mindset!
Resources/Extra Reading for any other nutrition nerds out there:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar
https://draxe.com/chia-seeds-benefits-side-effects/
https://wellnessmama.com/23777/bone-broth-benefits/