better body
Whether you suffer with digestive or weight issues, or simply want to up your body feel-good factor, increasing your gut health is the way to go…
Words: Julia Smurthwaite. Pics: Food imagery by Haarala Hamilton for Pavilion Books, Shutterstock
Everyone’s talking about gut health. In fact, Google searches have risen by 400 per cent in recent years! Medical experts say it can have a massive impact on our physical and mental health, including weight management. So, we’re delighted to reveal the new book The Gut Stuff, written by identical twin sisters Alana and Lisa MacFarlane. They were part of groundbreaking gut health research at King’s College, London, (you may have seen them on TV!) and have assembled an
expert team of scientists, doctors, nutritionists and dietitians to give the information we all want and need. They told us, “We got fed up with gut health being associated with swanky, expensive health food products and ingredients. So, we wrote this book to prove you can get all the ingredients in the supermarket to make family gut-friendly meals. We pooled together top gut experts to bring you the science, then created simple ways to action them.”
Easy ways to give your gut TLC
Digestive issues are on the rise – 86 per cent of Brits have had gastrointestinal complaints, ranging from being bloated to extreme pain. The great news is helping your gut can also have a very happy side effect of weight balance (that’s because a gut health boosting diet can also help excess pounds come off. And a healthier gut can help give you a better metabolism too!). Here Alana and Lisa highlight some of the main reasons your gut might need care, and simple changes you can make.
1 Limit ultra-processed foods
They are bursting with additives and emulsifiers, which can have a negative effect on our microbes. Microbes are the gut bacteria and microorganisms that help keep our gut healthy and in turn help regulate our metabolism, increase our immune system, and inf luence sleep. Aim to eat a diet higher in natural foods, that don’t come with a long ingredient list, like wholegrains, lean meats, vegetables, and fruit.
2 Enjoy more fibre
A lack can negatively affect your microbes. Get more plant diversity into your life to up your fibre intake. Thirty different plant variants a week is a good target. Try mixed bags of salad, different colours of peppers (each colour counts as a variant), mixed frozen veg, lentils, pulses, and use a sprinkle of nut and seed mixes on soups or salads.
3 Reduce stress
It’s bad news for your beneficial microbes and one of the biggest hurdles in modern life. Take three deep breaths before eating, enough to switch to rest and digest mode. Planning your meals and taking your time to eat can help reduce overeating (and stress!). Try healthy gut recipes like sourdough
