If you have weight or digestive issues, aim to eat all your food within a strict 10-hour window each day. During the fasting period, consume only herbal tea or water to help the gut heal and repair itself.
For severe gut conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD), diverticulitis, or bad IBS, consider a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour eating window for the first month. This promotes microbiome diversity and gut healing, but consult a healthcare professional if on diabetes medication.
After an initial 4-6 weeks of a 16-hour fast, transition to a 14-hour fast (10-hour eating window) for long-term maintenance of gut health benefits. This allows for sustained gut rest and repair.
For general health improvement, aim to implement a 12-hour eating window on most days. This provides a consistent period of rest for your body and gut.
Consume a massive diversity of different fruits and vegetables long-term, focusing on various colors, textures, and plant chemicals. This promotes a rich diversity of gut bacteria, which correlates with good health, weight, immune function, and brain health.
Add fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut into your diet, as they are now widely accessible. These foods can significantly help populate the gut with beneficial probiotic bacteria.
Prepare a gut-friendly breakfast by blending kefir with a handful of berries and a spoonful of flax seeds. Flax seeds are prebiotic and help feed good gut bacteria, making it a very filling and beneficial start to your day.
Stop having the same breakfast daily and instead, fill your freezer with a variety of different frozen fruits (e.g., mangoes, coconuts, berries, mixed fruits). Frozen fruits retain their nutrients, are cheaper, and offer convenient diversity for gut health.
When eating out, consciously choose diverse foods and explore different side dishes or cuisines (e.g., aubergine, Jerusalem artichokes). This increases the variety of plant chemicals and fibers in your diet, promoting gut diversity.
Keep a diary of your alcohol intake to accurately track how much you are drinking, as many people underestimate it. This awareness is crucial for addressing IBS or weight issues, and seeking support for reduction is beneficial.
Realize that becoming alcohol-free is a journey, and the first step is to acknowledge any denial about your current alcohol consumption. This moves you from denial to contemplating change.
Reflect on your personal reasons for wanting to be healthier, such as improving appearance, feeling better, enhancing job performance, or being a more active parent. Tapping into this intrinsic motivation is key for long-term change.
Do not wolf down food at your desk while answering emails or being otherwise distracted. Eating mindfully is important for proper digestion and overall health.
If you are on medication for type 2 diabetes, always discuss with a healthcare professional before undertaking long periods without eating. Some medications can cause dangerous blood sugar drops.
If using a low FODMAP diet for IBS symptoms, ensure it is only a short-term intervention (around one month). Prolonged use can deplete your microbiome and create fear around reintroducing healthy foods.
When reintroducing previously avoided FODMAP foods, start with a very small amount (e.g., one tablespoon) and monitor your symptoms over three days. This helps identify specific triggers without overwhelming your system.
Instead of broadly avoiding many foods, work to identify only the specific handful of foods that truly trigger your gut problems. This allows for a more diverse diet while managing symptoms.
Actively implement stress management techniques, as stress is a significant trigger for gut problems like IBS. Reducing stress can help improve gut function and overall well-being.
If you have unresolved emotional issues or past trauma (e.g., from childhood), consider seeking talking therapy or counseling. These can contribute to chronic complaints like IBS and impact physical health, requiring deeper resolution.
Engage in regular physical activity and movement, as it improves gut bacteria, helps produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids, and keeps the gut lining repaired. This is especially crucial for IBS patients.
If you have a sedentary job, break up long periods of sitting by incorporating “movement snacking,” such as going up and down stairs once an hour. This helps counteract the negative effects of prolonged inactivity.
Access a free six-part video series at drchatterjee.com/energy to help you get more energy. This resource provides simple tips to transform how you feel.
If you struggle to get all your nutrition from food, consider taking Athletic Greens daily as a nutrient-dense whole food supplement. It contains vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes, acting as an insurance policy for your nutritional needs.
For persistent IBS, consider stool testing to identify root causes such as parasites, yeast infections, or insufficient enzyme production. This can help tailor effective treatment strategies.