Work with a dietician or trusted practitioner to eliminate known inflammatory foods (think gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs as well as foods that contain sugar, caffeine, and alcohol). As you slowly introduce them back, one by one, you see how your body responds. The goal is to determine what foods may trigger you specifically so you can limit them for the sake of better and smoother digestion.
Replace Missing Digestive Factors
It’s not just about what you eat—it’s also about how your comprehensive digestive system breaks down and absorbs the nutrients from what you eat. Our bodies naturally produce digestive enzymes, typically in the salivary glands, pancreas, and small intestines, to help break down food efficiently to allow for maximum nutrient absorption. If your body is struggling to make enough digestive enzymes, it can cause uncomfortable side effects around meal time like cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and more. “Digestive support like digestive bitters or enzymes are generally supportive and well tolerated by most people,” says Gerber, who notes that those with active gallstones or kidney stones should avoid bitters. Electrolytes with foundational minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium can be beneficial as a baseline, too. “We need minerals to help make digestive juices like stomach acid and digestive enzymes,” adds Gerber. “Digestive bitters and enzymes naturally help upregulate your own digestive juice secretions,” says Gerber. “It gives a natural nudge to your stomach acid digestive enzymes and bile to help you digest your food better.”
How you eat your food is crucial too. “Start with chewing well,” says Gerber who suggests 10-12 chews per bite—ideally until liquefied before you swallow. “And slow down, take deep breaths, and sit down for all meals.”
Reinoculate With Beneficial Bacteria
You’ve probably heard about “good” bacteria versus “bad” bacteria. Bad bacteria can cause illness, inflammation, and digestive issues when they overgrow, invade, and crowd out the beneficial bacteria. Certain medications, like antibiotics, stress as well as diets high in ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and more are associated with bad gut microbes. “There’s as many bacteria as there are cells in our body and 100 times as much bacterial DNA as regulating everything about our health,” says Hyman. When you’re in gut repair mode, it’s crucial to bring back the good bacteria. “Your good gut bugs love diversity when it comes to allowing them to flourish and survive,” says Gerber.
Probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, unsweetened yogurt or kefir, miso, and more introduce live, good bacteria directly into your gut. Prebiotic fiber, the soluble fibers found in Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, leeks, dandelion greens, jicama, chicory root, asparagus, and more, are essential too. They act as fuel for the probiotics, providing energy to help nourish and grow beneficial bacteria. “Eat an abundance of polyphenol-rich vegetables daily,” says Hyman. Polyphenols act as prebiotics and can help inhibit harmful bacteria, too. Some great examples are spinach, broccoli, carrots, artichokes, red onion, and asparagus. If your diet is lacking these essential nutrients, a high-quality comprehensive probiotic supplement can help restore microbiome balance, as can a multivitamin and prebiotic fiber to support intestinal health and gut barrier function. However, while probiotics can be wonderful tools for supporting gut health for many people, there is some nuance, and your symptoms, history, and tolerance should be taken into consideration. “Not all probiotics are created equally,” says Fazio. “Different strains and profiles can deliver different targeted results so it’s best to find the specific one that will work for you with a trusted practitioner.
Repair the Gut Lining
Your gut flora will thrive when it’s consistently fueled with a wide variety of plant fibers from vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. However, there’s only a thin cell layer between your intestines and body—and that determines what should be absorbed into your body. Think of it as a coffee filter: the filter prevents the grounds from getting into your coffee, leaving you with only the clear, rich liquid. But if there’s a hole in your filter, the grounds can leak into your coffee. The same is true for your intestines—if you have increased intestinal permeability (a.k.a., leaky gut) what could leak into your body is fungus, not-so-good bacteria, or undigested food.
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