How to look after your gut bacteria this festive season
By Kimberly Gillan|
With December just days away, dietitians are calling for Aussies to give their gut a Christmas gift, in the form of happy and healthy bacteria.
If you haven't got the memo, good gut bacteria is a boon for good health. A good gut microbiome (the collective name for your community of bacteria and other microbes) will have you feeling energetic and comfortable in the belly.
Too much of the baddies and you'll be crippled by cramps, bloating and wind – not exactly what you want around the Christmas dinner table.
What you eat has a significant impact over your gut microbiome. Charlene Grosse, accredited practicing dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, suggests we start looking after our gut bacteria from now to put us in good stead for Christmas, and the holidays to come. Here's how.
1. Add more good bacteria
Probiotics are good bacteria, so consuming foods that contain them will add to the diversity of bacteria in your gut.
Your best sources are things like yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut and sourdough bread.
"If you are new to probiotics, slowly increase them because they can cause more wind and bloating," Grosse tells Coach.
RELATED: Why probiotics and prebiotics are the best friends you'll make
2. Feed the good bacteria that's already there
If you want to prop up the good bacteria that's already in your gut, then you want to eat food that contains prebiotics.
"Prebiotics are carbohydrates that feed the bacteria and encourage beneficial bacteria in the gut," Grosse explains.
"Examples are things like asparagus, onion, chickpeas, lentils, bananas and nuts."
3. Make fibre your friend
Fibre is the indigestible parts of plant foods that travels through your gut and bulks out your stools.
"Our Western-style diets are typically low fibre but fibre has been shown to have very positive benefits on gut health," Grosse says.
"A low fibre diet will lead to a loss of diversity in your gut microbiota."
To make sure you're getting plenty, add some oats, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with skin to your December diet.
RELATED: High-fibre food suggestions to add to every meal
4. Have resistant starch
As the name would suggest, resistant starch is a sugar that resists digestion. It travels unchanged through the small intestine and into the large one, where it becomes food for bacteria.
"A good example would be a just-ripe banana, legumes or cold cooked rice and potatoes," Grosse says.
"A nice rice or potato salad will give you a good dose of resistant starch."
5. Keep hydrated
Dehydration can put you on a fast track to constipation, so Grosse says it's essential to stay hydrated, particularly in the warm weather.
"Water is important for healthy digestive system," she explains.
"Add some frozen berries or a squeeze of lemon to add some flavour."
RELATED: Health myths about water (no, you don't need eight glasses a day)
