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Gut Health: Everything You Need to Know #175

Apr 20, 2021 57m 58s 26 insights
Gut health is a hot topic these days, with more and more research showing that 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. Over the past few years on the podcast, I have had the pleasure of speaking about the importance of gut health with some incredible experts, including neuroscientists, immunologists, nutritionists, and clinical researchers and in this week’s special episode, I have pulled together some of the very best clips from these conversations to give you a detailed overview on the science of gut health as well as practical steps you can take to improve it. On this week's show, I speak to my guests about a variety of different gut-related topics. We discuss how the health of our guts is closely related to our physical health, our mental health, our immune systems and can impact how we respond to stress. We delve into what we should eat to improve our gut health and how restricting when we eat can also play a significant role as well. We talk about the role probiotics may play in improving our response to stressful events as well as their potential role in improving a variety of different health conditions. You will also hear advice for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and we discuss the low FODMAP diet and so much more. This episode really is full of actionable tips that you can put into practice straight away. I've seen time and time again with my patients that taking simple steps to improve their gut health can have a profound impact on their overall health. I hope this episode helps you improve yours. Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/175 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Daily Stress Reduction

Recognize stress as the number one cause of gut problems and actively implement simple daily practices to reduce it, as this can significantly improve gut health.

2. Practice Time-Restricted Eating

Align your eating window with your body’s circadian rhythm, avoiding food at night, to allow your gut lining to repair and optimize digestion, leading to significant health benefits like protection from obesity and diabetes.

3. Implement 16:8 Eating Window

For improved gut diversity and healing, especially with conditions like IBD or severe IBS, restrict your eating to an 8-hour window during the daytime, fasting for 16 hours, which can be easily achieved by skipping breakfast.

4. Increase Diverse Plant Fiber

Consume a wide variety of plant-based foods, aiming for 30 different types per week (including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, pulses, and whole grains), as diverse fibers are crucial for feeding gut bugs and boosting immune system resilience.

5. Adopt Plant-Predominant Diet

Prioritize a diet rich in diverse whole plant foods while avoiding ultra-processed items, as this approach is consistently linked to longevity and a healthy gut microbiome.

6. Adopt Mood-Boosting Diet

Gradually change your diet by swapping refined carbs for whole grains, increasing vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil, while reducing junk and processed foods, as this can significantly improve depression symptoms.

7. Consume Fermented Foods Daily

Regularly consume fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, or kombucha to increase gut bacterial diversity and improve well-being, as probiotics in these foods facilitate a healthier gut environment.

8. Utilize Probiotics for Health

Incorporate probiotics into your routine to potentially improve mood, IBS symptoms, neurological conditions, skin health, cholesterol, blood pressure, and decrease gut inflammation.

9. Engage Regular, Enjoyable Exercise

Find a form of regular exercise you enjoy, such as walking or resistance training, and consistently move your body, as it has widespread benefits, including improved sleep and overall well-being.

10. Chew Food Thoroughly

Chew your food at least 20 times per mouthful to slow down eating, allowing your digestive tract to relax and prepare for food, which aids digestion.

11. Avoid Snacking for Gut Rest

Refrain from constant snacking to give your gut adequate rest, which is crucial for its health and function.

12. Prioritize Gut Check for Symptoms

After addressing diet and lifestyle, check your gut health first if you’re experiencing symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, or insomnia, as gut issues can manifest non-digestively.

13. Consult GP for Severe Issues

If experiencing debilitating gut symptoms, consult your GP to rule out serious conditions like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease before self-treating.

14. Seek Individualized Health Advice

Obtain personalized health advice, especially for gut issues, as different therapies are beneficial for different symptoms and a tailored approach is more effective.

15. Use Low FODMAP Temporarily

If sensitive to gut symptoms, use a low FODMAP diet short-term under professional guidance to identify food triggers and allow gut healing, then gradually reintroduce foods to achieve the broadest possible diet.

16. Consult for Food Flare-ups

If new dietary changes cause gut flare-ups like bloating or cramps, seek guidance from a trained healthcare professional to navigate food reintroductions safely.

17. Consume High-Polyphenol Foods

Incorporate foods rich in polyphenols, such as diverse berries, into your diet, as gut microbes convert these into beneficial chemicals that support immune systems, heart health, and brain signaling.

18. Eat Inulin-Rich Fibers

Include foods high in inulin fiber, such as Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, garlic, and bananas, as it serves as a significant energy source for beneficial gut microbes.

19. Embrace Real Whole Grains

Consume true whole grains like oats, barley, frika, spelt, buckwheat, and brown rice, as they are valuable sources of anti-inflammatory fiber for gut fermentation and overall health.

20. Track Alcohol Consumption

Keep a diary of your alcohol intake to gain awareness of your actual consumption, especially if you have IBS or weight issues, as this can be a significant factor affecting your health.

21. Practice Stillness, Thankfulness

Regularly dedicate time for stillness and reflection, and practice thankfulness, to slow down, avoid constant stimulation, and gain perspective on your life and well-being.

22. Cultivate Diverse Life Experiences

Seek out diverse life experiences beyond diet to keep your brain engaged, reduce stress and anxiety, and foster greater happiness and flexibility in adapting to life’s challenges.

23. Embrace Overall Diversity

Actively choose diverse foods and experiences, as overall diversity benefits your gut microbes and contributes to a more flexible and happier life.

24. Skip Breakfast if Body Allows

Listen to your body’s hunger cues; if you naturally don’t feel like eating breakfast, skipping it can be an easy way to implement time-restricted eating and benefit gut health.

25. Protect Microbial Populations

Be mindful of modern living practices that may decimate beneficial microbial populations, and strive to support them, recognizing their co-evolved role in human health.

26. Supplement with AG1 Daily

Consider taking AG1 daily, as it contains five strains of gut bacteria shown to enrich the microbiome and plant-based compounds that feed beneficial bacteria, supporting digestion and overall gut health.