Blame Giulia Enders’ seminal ‘Gut’ book or the thousands of probiotic products littering the shelves of health food shops around the world.
But gut health is big news in 2018 and having a happy tummy can transform your entire well-being.
Speaking to FEMAIL as her new book, Supercharge Your Gut, launches, Sydney-based food author and holistic chef, Lee Holmes, shared her simple tips for giving your gut a makeover – and in turn transforming your health.
Speaking to FEMAIL as her new book, Supercharge Your Gut, is released, Sydney-based food author, Lee Holmes (pictured), shared her simple tips for giving your gut a makeover
Firstly, Lee (pictured) recommends tweaking your shopping list so that it contains plenty of vegetables, turmeric and spices and aloe vera
TWEAK YOUR SHOPPING LIST
First things first for the holistic chef, you need to realise just how important your gut really is.
As the ‘epicentre’ to your health and dubbed the ‘second brain’, the gut is connected to your brain, your immune system and your mental health.
When you’re not in tune with your gut, lots of other areas of your health can go awry.
‘Looking after the gut is the gateway to the health of your overall body,’ Lee told FEMAIL.
‘If you’re keen to improve your health and maintain energy levels, one way to do it is through nutrition and by eating high-quality, wholesome foods. This way, you can help to supercharge your body rather than bring it down.’
Speaking about what you should include in a gut-friendly shopping list, Lee said it’s all about foods which are gentle on the gut, such as turmeric, slow-cooked vegetables and meat, aloe vera and gelatine:
‘To have a healthy gut, you need to give it a rest,’ Lee said.
‘By consuming slow-cooked and cooked foods like bone broths, soups, curries, and adding healing spices such as turmeric and ginger your body will allow itself the time it needs to rest and digest whilst still healing and sealing the lining of the gut so you can absorb more nutrients from your food.’
‘Using bone broth or veggie broths as a base to meals means you can enjoy key minerals and ingredients such as gelatine which are just as nourishing for your insides as they are for your outsides.’
‘Using bone broth as a base to meals means you can enjoy key minerals and ingredients such as gelatine which are nourishing for your insides and your outsides,’ Lee (pictured) said
Lee said that sometime raw salads (stock image) can be hard for people with sensitive digestive systems; instead recommending cooked salads and vegetables
SWAP OUT YOUR LUNCHTIME SALAD
While you might think your lunchtime salad packed with raw spinach, leafy greens and carrot is healthy, you might in fact be doing your gut no favours.
‘While I’m not going to be the person to tell you to stop eating raw salads as they can be enzymatically fruitful, some people with sensitive digestive systems can struggle with eating and digesting raw vegetables,’ the holistic chef said.
‘It’s important to listen to your body and be mindful of what it’s saying.’
Lee added that you might be just as well eating either a cooked salad or a big bowl of cooked veggies.
‘Root vegetables, like parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free, rich in prebiotic fibre and provide a whole load of nutrients,’ Lee explained.
‘Plus, they have a low glycaemic index which means they won’t induce inflammation or digestive issues. I love roasting root veggies in the oven and using them to make thicker and heartier soups. The prebiotic fibres in these vegetables help to maintain a healthy community of bacteria in the gut and can ease digestion.’
‘Root vegetables, like parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free, rich in prebiotic fibre and provide a whole load of nutrients,’ Lee explained (stock image)
DITCH SUGAR-FREE SNACKS
Plenty of dieters reach for sugar-free snacks when they’re hungry thinking they’re beneficial for their waistlines, but what you might not be considering is the harm sugar-free foods can do to our insides.
‘Just because something has diet written all over it, it doesn’t make it healthy,’ Lee said.
‘Sugar-free sweeteners and soft drinks are not always gut friendly. Sugar-free snacking is often the culprit of many gut issues as they can aggravate the gut due to the artificial additives they contain.
‘These additives and chemicals get swept up into the digestive system and end up in the colon, which is the opposite thing you want to happen when you’re supercharging your gut.’
Instead, opt for fresh wholefood ingredients when you can – and drink plenty of water and herbal teas to flush out bad bacteria within the gut.
ADD SPICE
Lee Holmes’s new book, Supercharge Your Gut, is out now (pictured)
Lastly, Lee said that an instant gut pick me up comes in the form of spices, which can be added to countless foods to instantly make you feel better:
‘Chilli can reduce inflammation and help with problems within the gut by reducing negative gut bacteria,’ she said.
‘Turmeric is another fiery spice that is rich in anti-inflammatory properties due to its high levels of curcumin. Meanwhile, curcumin can help alleviate digestive issues, ease digestion and turn our gut health from silver to gold.
‘Including more ginger, in your diet is a powerful ally for supercharging your gut and contains additional anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial compounds which block inflammation-producing genes, keeping your tummy happy, healthy and inflammation-free.’
Lee Holmes’s new book, Supercharge Your Gut, is out now and costs $35. For more information, please click here.