Feeding Your Gut: The Bad And The Good
When you hear the word bacteria, you think of the bacteria that cause illness and disease. However, your gut is actually made of billions of bacteria known as microbiome. According to the American Psychological Association, our microbiome can affect not just our gut health, but our mental health as well, this is because our gut creates 95% of our serotonin.
What damages our microbiome?
- artificial sweeteners
- Foods listed as "sugar-free"
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Alcohol
Signs of an unhealthy gut:
- frequent discomfort, bloating, gas, heartburn
- Constantly feeling tired
- Always craving processed sugars
- Skin problems
- Brain fogginess and forgetfulness
What helps our microbiome?
- Eat a diverse range of fresh produce and organic products
- Eat more fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh and pickles
- Eat prebiotic foods or take prebiotic and probiotic supplements
- Eat whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn
- Add more plant-based meals to your diet
Having an unhealthy gut can be hard to detect when you've lived with it for too long, but making changes to your diet by buying organic produce and organic proteins like farm-fresh eggs can have long-term benefits.
The best way to ensure you're buying the best products is to find a local store that carries locally sourced produce and 100% organic products. Farmers on Duty, for example, is a family-owned store that supports local farmers and only offers the cleanest products. They also offer delivery to Squamish, Whistler and vancouver, making it easier for you to shop for your gut.