Gut Feeling: Nurturing Digestive Health

The Hungry Pixel - Food & Beverage Blog

Lately, going on social media without reading the phrase 'heal your gut' is nearly impossible. The trend has overcome every video on tiktok, instagram, and most of our lives. Of course, none of us want to miss these life-changing trends. So, let's find out what exactly it means to "heal" your gut, and how to achieve it. 

Your gut starts from the stomach down, where all the digestion happens. So everything that you eat and drink affects your gut. Basically, when you wake up on Monday morning after last weekend’s beers and burgers, and find your stomach a bit bloated, it means your gut isn’t as healthy as it could be. But since life is all about balance, here are a few things that will help you maintain a healthy and optimal gut.

The things you should add in your grocery list are:

Probiotics like yogurt, kimchi and tempeh. These help digest food properly, by making its nutrients easier to absorb. 

Prebiotic foods like bananas, berries, onions, leeks, asparagus and garlic. 

Foods filled with fiber, which can be found in apples, quinoa or brown rice. Fiber promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut. 

Rye and sourdough bread, both of which contain the famous beneficial bacteria.

Vegetables, due to their high fiber content, vitamins, and minerals. (But you knew this already).

Looking at all these ingredients may seem overwhelming when thinking about how to eat all of it in your day to day. But since most of them are things you already have in your kitchen, the trick is integrating them into your regular diet. 

Start your day by making a breakfast bowl with greek yogurt, banana, berries and apple. For lunch, you could do a tempeh and veggie stir-fry, and when you’re getting your afternoon snack, have it with a kefir and berry smoothie. For dinner, after an exhausting day at the office, treat yourself with a hearty meal: a vegetable lentil soup that will do the trick. It’s got tons of fiber, and seasoned with gut-friendly spices like turmeric and cinnamon. At the end of the day, you’ll have had delicious meals, took care of gut health and, without even noticing, participated in the latest trend.