Best Foods To Improve Your Gut Health [Healthy Gut = Healthy Skin!]

The gut and the skin both act as a barrier between us and the outside world. The skin acts as a physical barrier and the gut is more of a filter that only allows the good stuff into our body via the bloodstream and keeps the bad stuff out.

The problem occurs when we have toxins in our gut or we get a leaky gut, which is very common.

The gut lining is a single cell layer that normally has tight junctions between the cells, and there are a bunch of things such as medications, the wrong diet toxins, and bad bacteria that can cause gaps and tears in that cell lining. When that happens, all the bad stuff that your body was trying to keep out now has access to your body via the bloodstream, and as 70 to 80 percent of the immune system is just on the inside of your gut, that starts to create an immune response and the immune response creates inflammation and in turn, that inflammation often shows up as a skin condition, since the skin is the largest organ in the body.

That’s why our topic today is about the best food categories to have in your diet every single day in order to prevent or end gut issues like having leaky gut, gas, bloating, acid reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, or any type of digestive problem in order to get that healthy glowing skin you deserve!

Now that we understand the relation between the skin and the gut, let’s get right into it.

1. Bone broth

Getting collagen-rich foods is essential because your entire gut lining is made up of collagen, so you need to be getting collagen and other superfoods like bone broth that support collagen production. Bone broth, chicken broth, beef broth, fish broth, or any type of broth, is going to help repair the gut lining. And it's also very easy to digest because it's in an amino acid form. Bone broth is high in proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline, as well as glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid. Those are the things that help heal and reseal your gut lining, and you'll notice a big difference in your digestive health once you start consuming this superfood.

2. Probiotic-rich foods 

Especially foods like fermented vegetables and fermented coconut products like coconut yogurt and coconut milk. Eating fermented foods and getting more probiotics is key to helping heal your gut. Most people have an overgrowth of bad bacteria in their gut, causing things like candida and yeast. What probiotics do is they help push out the bad bacteria, and protect and create enzymes that help you better digest your food. Also, foods like sauerkraut can be very beneficial. If you have major digestive issues, you can start off with small steps, like a tablespoon of sauerkraut juice, and then work your way up. One serving a day is enough, you don't need to go over that as long as you’re getting those probiotics. 

3. Coconut products 

Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties which can help get rid of some of the candida and bad bacteria as well. Coconut is also very easy to digest in the body. So using coconut milk as a milk replacement, or using coconut oil when you're cooking is the ideal type of fat. It’s full of medium-chain triglycerides (or medium-chain fatty acids), which are also very easy for your body to burn as fuel. 

4. Herbs and Spices

True health allies, herbs, and spices have been used in many dishes for thousands of years. Mainly used for their gastronomic qualities, herbs and spices also have a real nutritional interest even if the quantities used remain small. It is in fact their daily use that makes all the difference!

Here are some of the best herbs and spices to start using today:

Ginger: 

Ginger has been used for thousands of years to relieve pains such as headaches or nausea. It is very rich in antioxidants. It can be used raw, grated, dried, or ground. It's slightly warming and anti-inflammatory, and it remains the ultimate healing herb for your gut.

Peppermint:

You can do peppermint as an essential oil or just add peppermint to your meals like a smoothie for example. Peppermint can help cool and soothe the digestive lining. 

Cardamom:

Not a lot of people are familiar with cardamom, but cardamom can be a great additive to your food like blending it in pumpkin pie. You can also add a little bit to your coffee or a smoothie. One study has found that cardamom can drastically reduce the size of gastric ulcers. Cardamom is very good for the digestive system, as are other herbs, spices, and vegetables like licorice root and fennel. 

5. Organic Meat Products 

Like wild-caught salmon for example, which is rich in omega-3 fats and protein. Well-cooked meat, whether it be chicken or grass-fed beef is the easiest to digest. Those are really good superfoods for supporting your overall digestive health. 

6. Consuming The Right Type of Fruit

You want to be cautious with fruits and not go over two servings a day. But probably two of the easiest types of fruit to digest are pears and blueberries. Blueberries are high in fiber, but they're also easy to digest. In fact, they're full of antioxidants called anthocyanins, flavonoids, and resveratrol. You may have heard of resveratrol, it's the sort of antioxidant that's found in red wine, or the skin of grapes, but it's also found in blueberries. Good fiber can drastically help your bowels.

7. Cooked Vegetables

You don't want to consume raw vegetables when you have gut and digestive issues. Yes, they're nutrient-dense, but they're very hard to digest. So steaming, baking, sauteing, or cooking in a crockpot makes vegetables very easy for the body to consume. Some of the most powerful are pumpkin, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.

NOTE: PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR DIET OR TAKING SUPPLEMENTS OR HERBS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR HAVE A HEALTH CONDITION. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBS MAY HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS

Sources:

Gastroprotective effect of cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum Maton. fruits in rats

• A. Jamal, Kalim Javed, M. Aslam, M.A. Jafri, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 16 January 2006, Volume 103, Issue 2, Pages 149-153
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2005.07.016