Gut Health

A healthy gut is essential for health! It is a beautiful and complex system, that is made to fuel you and protect you from harmful bacteria. But sometimes our gut lining can get become weak and leaky, leading to more particles getting through to your bloodstream, causing endotoxemia and inflammation.

The great thing is that your gut lining can repair itself every few days! But only if it has what it needs. The five pillars of a healthy gut microbiome are: food, stress regulation, lifestyle, healthy exposures and targeted supplements. The following is a checklist by the Biome Learning Center:

Daily Actions

Food & Hydration:

• Drink 6-8 glasses of water or herbal tea

• Eat plants from eat least 3 color groups

• Include fiber at every meal

• Pair fiber with healthy fats

• Eat consistent meals - avoid long fasting or skipping meals while healing

Stress & Nervous System:

• Take five slow breaths before eating

• Practice 1 vagus-nerve activity (humming, singing or gentle breathwork)

• Step outside, stretch or take a short walk during the day

• Do one thing that brings calm - gratitude, music, sunlight or laughter

Lifestyle & Rhythm:

• Get morning sunlight within one hour of waking

• Move your body for at least 20-30 minutes (walk, yoga, strength)

• Avoid screens 30 minutes before bed; sleep 7-9 hours

• Connect with someone - shared meals, friends and community

Weekly Actions

• Try one new plant food this week

• Batch good a fiber-rich meal

• Spend at least 3 total hours outdoors

• Avoid unnecessary medications or harsh cleansers when possible

Consistency is key to healing!

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But what is fiber? Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, seeds, nuts and tubers. It's what feeds your microbiome and keeps things moving through your digestive system. Think of it as a snowplow! It takes all the bad things with it as it moves along. Each type of fiber, and color of food, fuels a different type of microbe. So eat the rainbow, with the ultimate goal of 30 different types of plant foods in your diet each week.

• Fruits - Raspberries, Blackberries, Pears, Apples, Avocado, Oranges, Bananas, Kiwi

• Vegetables - Artichokes, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Sweet potatoes, Carrots, Green peas, Spinach

• Beans & Legumes - Lentils, Split peas, Black beans, Kidney beans, Chickpeas, Pinto beans, Edamame

• Whole Grains - Oatmeal, Barley, Quinoa, Brown rice, Whole wheat bread, Bran cereal

• Nuts & Seeds - Chia seeds, Ground flaxseed, Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds

Polyphenols, which are especially important for feeding the good microbes, reducing inflammation, repairing and maintaining the gut lining, and even inhibit the growth of harmful microbes. Foods that are high in polyphenols are: Berries — blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, Cherries — especially tart cherries, Pomegranate, Black grapes, Plums, Apples — especially with the skin, Cocoa / dark chocolate, Extra-virgin olive oil, Green tea.

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Fermented foods are a great way to introduce healthy bacteria! If you're not used to fermented foods, start with a couple tablespoons twice a week and work up from there as your gut adjusts. Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Basic Sauerkraut from Whispering Willow Farm

• 3.5 lb cabbage, shredded

• 1-1.5 Tbsp unrefined sea salt

Start with clean hands, rinsed vegetables and a clean vessel. Reserve the outter leaves to use later. Shred or thinly slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Start with about half the salt and begin massaging salt into cabbage; use some muscle. The cabage will begin to look and feel wet and limp. Taste and add salt according to your taste preference. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Check to make sure there is 2-3 tablespoons of liquid pooling at the bottom. If not, taste and see if it can handle more salt and massage again. Add kraut to vessel about an inch at a time, tamping down mixture to get it nice and compressed, forcing out any air bubbles as you go. Brine should increase. Leave about 2-3 inches of headspace. Place cabbage leaves on top of the kraut to keep all the pieces submerged. weigh it down, cover and set in a dark corner of the kitchen. You can begin tasting after 10 days, but I personally let mine ferment for about 4 weeks. Ferment is done when you are satisfied with the level of sour/tang. Store in refrigerator.

Garlic Dill Pickles from Whispering Willow Farm

• 10-12 small cucumbers (the smaller, the better)

• 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed

• 1 tsp peppercorns

• 1 tsp pickling spice

• 1 Tbsp dried dill or several sprigs of fresh dill

• BRINE: 3 Tbsp salt in 1 qt of water

Mix the brine. Rinse cucumbers. Add spices to vessel. Either wedge the cucumbers whole into the vessel, or I prefer to slice mine into pickles. Pack them tight and cover with brine. Cover with weight. You may have to use a cabbage leaf to keep spices under the brine as well. Cover and set on counter for 3-7 days. Taste until it reaches preferred sourness. I fermented mine for 7 days. Store in refrigerator.

Gingered Carrots from Masontops

• 4 large carrots (about 1 lb)

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes

• Fresh ginger root, about 2-3 inches

• Brine: 1.5 Tbsp salt in 2 cups of water

Wash and peel carrots. Cut them into quarter-inch thick slices. Peel the ginger and cut into paper thin coins until you have 1/4 c. Peed and lice garlic and place it in the bottom of vessel along with the chili flakes. Layer the carrots and ginger in jar until you reach the bottom of the neck. Place weight on top and add enough brine to submerge carrots. Set in a dark place and ferment 2-4 weeks. I fermented mine 4 weeks. Store in refrigerator.

Kimchi is also a ferment that is popular Asian cultures. It contains cabbage, ginger, fish or soy sauce, Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), carrots, radish and green onions. I have not tried making myself yet.