The diet is a fantastic tool for altering the state of your health. Many different diets exist with varying purposes. Not all diets are about weight loss! Some examples include the low FODMAP diet for management of IBS symptoms or the ketogenic diet for improvement of type 2 diabetes. Some of these diets offer a huge benefit when used in the short term to alleviate symptoms or to correct existing issues. However, many specific diets may not be sustainable or appropriate in the long term.
For everyday living, the best naturopathic doctor in Melbourne, recommend a wholesome, varied diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables as well as animal and non-animal sources of protein and fat. It’s not just our own body cells that require nourishment from food. The microbial community in our large intestine feeds off our food remnants that resist digestion in the small intestine. In order to keep a healthy balance of bacteria, it’s important that species of ‘good bugs’ are adequately feed the right foods and that particular food that feeds nasty or “opportunistic bugs” in the gut are avoided. Here are Melbourne naturopathy gut health expert’s top tips for keeping your gut bugs happy and balanced.
- Eat foods rich in fiber
Most people know of fiber as the stringy, tough bits in fruits and vegetables, which are the insoluble fibers. These fibers have a protective role in the gut. But it’s typically the fiber that you can’t feel, the soluble fibers that healthy species of bugs love to feed on. They are found in rich quantities in plant matter, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and grains. Naturopath Melbourne also recommends some dietary supplements such as slippery elm powder, guar gum, and psyllium husk, as they are great sources of soluble fiber to keep your good bugs going.
- Eat a varied diet
When we take a look at traditional cultures across the globe, they all have very different gut microbiomes. However, those populations that have a lower incidence of disease have something in common – they all have a huge diversity in the gut. One of the best ways to ensure diversity is to also have diversity in the foods you eat. This is because different bugs have a preference for different types of fibers. So next time you’re doing your shopping, pick up that weird vegetable and give it a whirl. Do it for your bugs!
- Avoid sugar and alcohol
Sugar is known to feed bacteria, yeasts, and parasites that are commonly considered detrimental to human health when they overgrow. The same applies to alcohol. If you have a healthy microbiome, a small amount of occasional sugar and alcohol will not be enough to tip the balance. However, it does become a problem if sugar and alcohol are frequently consumed as disruptive bugs are given an advantage over healthy bugs.
If you suspect your gut microbiome may be out of balance, a gut health doctor Melbourne can help balance your diet in a fun and creative way, to create a wonderful gut ecosystem that’s sustainable in the long term.