4 ways to heal your gut and reduce inflammation

By MiNDFOOD

4 ways to heal your gut and reduce inflammation
How to harvest better gut health, reduce inflammation and heal from the inside-out.

Knowing how to reduce inflammation is a top concern for many.

Inflammation is a natural, and essential part of healing. When inflammation is left unchecked, unbalanced and untreated, its effects can be felt throughout the body.

Dangerous inflammation in the gut, organs or outside of a localised area can wreak havoc on our immune system, manifesting itself in illness, chronic pain, digestive issues and more.

By cultivating optimal gut health we are reducing dangerous inflammation in our body and working towards bettering our overall health for the future.

How to reduce inflammation

We all know by now how important gut health is in determining how well our body can fight illness, disease and promote wellbeing and keeping your gut happy has never been easier, so follow these easy steps to cultivating better gut health for a happy, healthy life.

Get the basics right

There’s no point attempting to heal your gut if you are just reversing the process by constantly feeding it with toxins.

Inflammatory foods such as refined carbohydrates – white rice, pasta and bread, as well as sugar, soft drinks, sugary juices and processed foods, all contribute to inflammation and feed unhealthy gut bacteria.

Similarly, avoid trans-fats from shortening, hydrogenated oils, margarines and any genetically modified foods and meats that have been fed with grains, antibiotics and hormones.

Removing these foods from your diet can reverse gut inflammation, assist in weight loss, and promote overall wellbeing.

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean vegetable side dish that is salty, sweet and sour. It is a tasty companion to salads and hot dishes.

Heal the gut with probiotics

Colonising good gut bacteria with probiotics is essential for reversing signs of inflammation and helping your gut operate to the fullest.

Introducing (if you haven’t already) probiotics into your diet can vastly improve the immune system with their health-boosting micro-organisms.

Consuming foods like kimchee, sauerkraut, full-fat natural yogurt, pickles and gut-loving drinks like kombucha and kefir is the fastest way to boost your immune system, support digestion and contribute to better mental health.

Probiotics also support the production of B12 and K vitamins and prevent harmful bacteria from reeking havoc throughout your body.

Feed the good bacteria with prebiotics

Prebiotics act as the fuel for probiotics to do their job.

Probiotics require sustenance in order to be able to perform in the gut, therefore, feeding them prebiotics – non-digestible food fibres – allows them to thrive in the gut and stick to the bowel wall.

Foods such as bananas, dandelion greens, garlic, onion and chicory root are abundant sources of prebiotics.

Support your gut health with proper nutrients

Outside of pre and probiotics, increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory and fibrous foods like figs, herbs and spices, especially tumeric, rosemary and ginger, as well as eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and good fats is essential for supporting a healthy gut and improving overall health and vitality.

More from MiNDFOOD on maintaining good gut health:

Why am I so bloated all the time? Top tips to avoid the dreaded bloat
The top 8 foods for gut health
The best vitamins to maintaining a healthy tum
Check out the MiNDFOOD guide to fermentation
5 things that are ruining your gut health

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