We’ve known for years that gut bacteria play an important role in health. Lately, you may have heard rumblings about something called the gut microbiome. It’s a hot topic for good reason.
Fascinating, ongoing research shows that our gut microbiome may significantly influence overall health. Justin and Erica Sonnenburg — Stanford University scientists and authors of the book “The Good Gut” — are leading the conversation about how the gut microbiome impacts overall health, not just that of the digestive system.
The gut microbiome is a complex community of trillions of microorganisms that live in the colon. The microbes help digest the food we eat, metabolize vitamins and fend off disease-causing bacteria, among other things.
Why is this important? Most know that a healthy gut can help keep everything, shall I say, running smoothly. But did you know that a diverse and healthy community of gut bacteria may also regulate your immune system, influence your mood and even play a role in preventing obesity and the development of chronic conditions like metabolic syndrome?
This is a complex area of research we are learning more about every day. What we do know is we can give the gut microbiota a helping hand as it works to help us! Diet is a powerful factor in changing the microbiota for better or worse.
Of course, you still have to do all of the normal things you’d do to maintain a healthy body, such as eating a variety of nutritious foods, drinking adequate water, getting enough sleep and keeping stress at bay. But when it comes to diet, there are a few things you can do to feed your gut microbiota and encourage a healthy microbiome.
Focus on fermented foods. Fermented foods are prized for their probiotics, which help populate the gut with healthy bacteria. Yogurt and other cultured dairy foods like kefir are common picks, but also try kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh and raw vinegar.
Here are some easy recipes from registered dietitians to start experimenting with these foods:
— Kimchi Fried Rice from Dixya Bhattarai of the Food, Pleasure, and Health blog
— Orange-Peanut Tempeh Stir-Fry With Red Rice from Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian
— Vegan Kale and Mushroom Miso Soup from Kara Lydon of The Foodie Dietitian blog
— Yogurt can be sweet or savory, as in this Spicy Greek Yogurt Dip for Vegetables from Malena Perdomo or this Savory Yogurt Bowl from Min Kwon of MJ and Hungryman.
— If you like yogurt, you’ll probably like kefir too. My Wild Blueberry Pecan Breakfast Smoothie is packed with probiotic-rich kefir, oats, wild blueberries and pecans. It’s breakfast in a glass in under 5 minutes.
— This Probiotic-Packed Bircher Oatmeal from Regan Jones of Healthy Aperture is the perfect segue into the next category. It’s a delicious way to enjoy probiotics and a great source of fiber (from the oats), which will help you check off the next box: getting more fiber.
Eat fiber — a lot of it. The average American gets a scant 15 grams of fiber per day, roughly half the amount recommended. Fresh fruits and vegetables — including all kinds of beans, peas and lentils — and whole grains are essential to fill the fiber gap. Here are some delicious recipes to get started:
— Begin the day with Classic Multigrain Buttermilk Pancakes with blueberry sauce from Rachael Hartley of Avocado A Day Nutrition.
— You won’t miss the meat in these Vegetarian White Bean “Meatballs” from Abbey Sharp of Abbey’s Kitchen or Vegetarian Rice and Bean Casserole from Jenna Braddock of Make Healthy Easy.
— Make Taco Tuesday special with these Vegan Lentil Tacos from Alexandra Caspero of Delish Knowledge.
— Make an easy lunch or dinner with Stuffed Collard Rolls from Taylor Wolfram of Whole Green Wellness.
— Take dinner up a notch with exotic yet comforting flavors in these Chickpea Dumplings in Red Curry Coconut Spinach from Hartley.
— Elevate plain tomato soup with this Creamy Tomato Bean Soup from Jessica Penner of Smart Nutrition.
— Get the kids to enjoy their fiber, too, with this vegan and kid-friendly Lentil Alphabet Soup from the Meal Makeover Moms. Or try Lentil Sloppy Joes by the registered dietitians at My Menu Pal.
Add prebiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in foods like asparagus, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), chicory or inulin, bananas, onions, garlic and leeks. Prebiotics serve as food for healthy bacteria in the gut and naturally help the bacteria thrive. Try these recipes to get a daily dose of prebiotics:
— This Jerusalem Artichoke Soup from Deanna Seagrave-Daly at the blog Teaspoon of Spice will probably be new to your kitchen, but it’s worth cooking up for a serious dose of prebiotics.
— Endive may not be in your fridge right now, but consider getting some for this Winter Endive Salad over on the Delish Knowledge blog.
— Early spring is the perfect time to enjoy this Orange, Beet and Asparagus Salad With Chia from registered dietitian Katie Cavuto.
— The garlic is on overdrive in a delicious way in these Ginger Glazed Garlic String Beans from the registered dietitians at Food Heaven Made Easy.
— Start or end the day with these prebiotic-packed Oat-Banana Breakfast Cookies from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
These 21 recipes can help you get off to a good start. To achieve and maintain a healthy gut microbiome, mind your microbes daily. Start with one recipe a day!
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Eat Your Way to a Healthier Gut originally appeared on usnews.com