- Eat protein. To avoid the blood sugar imbalances that feed bad gut bacteria, eat protein with every meal, even at breakfast. This will help you to avoid sudden increases in your blood sugar.
- Eat high-fiber foods and complex carbohydrates. Vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit all contain beneficial fiber. Also include variety of beans, lentils and green peas.
- Eat healthy fats. Increase omega-3 fatty acids by eating cold-water wild salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, and even seaweed. Use more free range animal products.
- Reduce hydrogenated/refined oils. Instead use healthy oils, such as cold pressed coconut oil, olive (especially extra virgin olive oil), cold pressed sesame, unrefined mustard oil, Ghee, Butter and other unrefined oils.
- Eat good amount of vegetables and fruits a day, which contain disease fighting vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory molecules.
- Reduce processed and packaged foods, baked foods, cookies, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, including sodas, juices, and diet drinks, which impact sugar and lipid metabolism.
- Try avoiding artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners like Stevia can be considered instead.
- Add in the good nutritional supplements. Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Glutamine, Omega-3 fats (fish oil) are among the nutrients that help repair the gut lining. However, other vitamins and miners have a role to play. A good multivitamin and Collagen peptides would be helpful.
- Some herbal supplements like Licorice DGL, Mint (Pudina) oil, Curcumin, Chamomile, Ginger extract, Garlic extract may help.
- Reduce stress. Meditation, deep breathing, and yoga are all great ways to reduce stress.
- Get good quality sleep. Sleep deprivation makes you fat and leads to depression, pain, heart disease, diabetes, and so many other problems.
- Exercise regularly. Even 30 minutes of vigorous walking can help, and if you want something more intense, try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or weight resistance.
- Repopulate your digestive tract with good bacteria. Take very high-potency probiotics (look for at least 25 billion live CFU’s from diversified strains of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii), twice a day for one to two months. Start slowly and observe how the probiotics affect your gut.
~Praveen Jada
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