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BITESIZE | 4 Simple Tips to Improve Your Gut Health | Jeannette Hyde #284

Jun 16, 2022 11m 47s 14 insights
Our gut health impacts so much more than simply our digestive system. The gut is now being implicated in a host of different conditions, including joint pain, brain fog, insomnia and depression. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 40 of the podcast with nutritional therapist and author, Jeannette Hyde. In this clip, Jeannette explains why the health of our gut microbiome is so important for good physical and mental health. She shares some great strategies she’s used with her own clients that will help us improve our relationship with our gut bugs. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/40 Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Practice Time-Restricted Eating

Implement time-restricted eating to allow your gut microbiome to flourish and diversify, as periods without food charging through the system enable healing and repair, potentially improving weight, blood sugar, immunity, and inflammation.

2. Diversify Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to introduce diverse fibers, textures, colors, and plant chemicals, which promote a greater diversity of gut bacteria, correlating with better overall health.

3. Move for Gut Health

Engage in regular physical activity, especially if you have IBS, as movement improves gut bacteria and promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids essential for repairing and maintaining a healthy gut lining.

4. Track Alcohol Consumption

Maintain a diary of your alcohol consumption to gain awareness of your actual intake, as many people underestimate it, which can be a significant factor in IBS or weight issues.

5. Strict 10-Hour Eating Window

If you have weight or digestive issues, strictly limit your eating to a 10-hour window each day to support gut health and weight management.

6. 16-Hour Fast for Severe IBS

For significant digestive issues like inflammatory bowel disorder, diverticulitis, or severe IBS, practice a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour eating window during the day for the first month to promote gut healing and repair.

7. Achieve 12-Hour Eating Window

Aim for a 12-hour eating window daily, as this is a practical and achievable starting point for most people to improve their gut health and overall well-being.

8. Eat Fermented Foods

Add fermented foods like kefir to your diet, perhaps by blending it with berries and flax seeds for a gut-friendly breakfast, to introduce beneficial bacteria.

9. Eat Dinner Earlier

Eat your dinner earlier, for example, with your children around 6 PM, rather than waiting for late-arriving family members, to support weight loss and reduce issues like acid reflux.

10. Reduce Prolonged Sitting

Be mindful of how long you are seated each day, as prolonged sitting (e.g., 12 hours daily) can negatively impact overall health, including gut health.

11. Avoid Desk Eating While Working

Refrain from eating quickly at your desk while simultaneously working or answering emails, as this habit can contribute to digestive problems like IBS.

12. Utilize Breakfast Aversion for TRE

If you naturally dislike breakfast, leverage this preference to easily adopt time-restricted eating by starting your eating window later in the day, such as at noon.

13. Get Support to Drink Less

If you aim to reduce your alcohol intake, seek support from a partner or community, as mutual encouragement makes it significantly easier to achieve this goal.

14. Incorporate Daily Gut Health Drink

Consider incorporating a daily health drink like AG1, which supports digestion and contains beneficial gut bacteria, to improve overall well-being.