How To Promote Your Intestinal Health Naturally
It may seem a little awkward or cross-border to talk about intestinal health, but the composition of bacteria in your gut is crucial to, for example, your immune system, your risk of developing many different diseases, your weight and your mental health. Therefore, there are many good reasons to take a closer look at what you can do to promote the growth of the good gut bacteria and at the same time ensure a good variety of the different strains of bacteria. A basic rule is that the more bacteria you have in your gut and the greater the variety of strains, the higher the probability that you are in good health both physically and mentally.
Your gut hosts lots of bacteria
Bacteria may sound dangerous, but the vast majority of your bacteria perform vital functions for you, one of the most important of which is maintaining a strong immune system. (1). How many bacteria you contain is affected by many factors. Everything from where you grew up and how many times you have been given antibiotics, to what you eat and how stressed you are in your everyday life, matters. Some things you can not influence such as your upbringing while factors such as food, exercise and sleep can change - and even small adjustments can have a big effect!
How to increase the number and diversity of intestinal bacteria with food
The food you eat not only provides nutrition in the form of fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Food also contains nutrients in the form of fiber that acts as fuel for all the many millions of bacteria found on your body and especially in your intestinal system.
As with humans, the bacteria do not eat the same thing - they can also be picky and therefore variation in the choice of cereals, fruits and vegetables is a good idea.
Foods rich in fiber can be found in the plant kingdom. Therefore, basic foods like rye bread, oatmeal, whole grain rice, vegetables and fruits are a good start if you want to pamper your taste buds as well as the bacteria in your gut. As with humans, the bacteria do not eat the same thing - they can also be picky and therefore variation in the choice of cereals, fruits and vegetables is a good idea. Some bacteria love oat bran, chickpeas, Jerusalem artichokes and green tea leaves, while others mash themselves in blueberries, sea buckthorn and ginger. In fact, many herbs and flavorings in food are rich in active compounds that are good nutrition for the bacteria. Therefore, you can pamper your gut bacteria with everything from garlic to sage or turmeric.
In addition to feeding on your existing intestinal bacteria, you can also add more bacteria by consuming fermented dairy products or fermented foods. Fermented dairy products can be anything from the classic A-38 with a sprinkle of rye bread to natural yoghurt as a dressing for your cucumber salad with lots of herbs and garlic. If you are not into table food or yoghurt, you can find lactic acid bacteria in beverages. Kefir, which is fermented cow or goat milk, is a good and refreshing drink. It may sound a bit exotic to Danish taste buds, but the taste is a bit like buttermilk and it can be drunk as it is, or used in a smoothie with a little banana and fresh berries to add sweetness. Another good milk drink is the Indian lassi, which is a yogurt-based drink consisting of natural yogurt that is blended with fresh mango, a little honey, cardamom and ice cubes.
Fermented foods can be found in many forms but the best known are probably sauerkraut or kimchi. Sauerkraut may be notorious as a slightly fart-smelling accompaniment to a classic German sausage or heavy stew, but both it and kimchi are really good as a sour topping in a potato or coconut soup, as an accompaniment in a sandwich, as an accompaniment or flavoring on a rice or noodle dish or in a rice paper roll. In general, it is a really good alternative to the Danish vinegar-pickled beets or cucumbers, as the fermented foods have a good content of healthy lactic acid bacteria, which you will not find in a vinegar mixture that is too acidic for the bacteria to survive. If you are not into the sour vegetables, you can try kombucha, which is a fermented tea. You can buy kombucha with added fruit and a little cane sugar, which gives it a taste like a bubbling lemonade.
If you give your body a basic varied basic diet, then it should probably also stick to enjoying a glass of alcohol, salted peanuts or eating a good dessert.
What were the dietary guidelines?
Based on the above recommendation, it may sound as if the diet must be 100% plant-based, but a good guideline for a varied diet is still the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's official dietary advice (2). The best thing you can do for your health is to start with the overall dietary advice on eating varied. That means eating about 600g of fruits and vegetables daily. If it is supplemented with whole grain products such as bread, groats, rice and pasta, fermented dairy products, lean meat, poultry, eggs, seafood or fish as well as water, then there should probably also be room for food such as a good piece of cake or a good glass of wine. A healthy diet is also about enjoying the food and not making unrealistic demands on oneself about a strict diet or minimal portions. If you give your body a basic varied basic diet, then it should probably also stick to enjoying a glass of alcohol, salted peanuts or eating a good dessert.
The dietitian's top ten
As written, variation is important, but there are always some particularly good basic foods that can be included in many different variations. Oatmeal, for example, can be eaten just with milk or plant drinks, but they can also be mixed with chia seeds for a delicious and creamy oatmeal or used in baked goods and banana pancakes. The selected foods are all selected on the basis that they are reasonable in price, easy to obtain and of course guf for your bacteria. The order is alphabetical and remember that no food can stand alone! The greatest effect is achieved when you combine many foods and not because of A "super-food". On the list you will find only plant-based diets, as it has the highest content of nutrients for the bacteria, but your diet must of course also be supplemented with vital protein sources such as poultry, eggs or the plant-based tofu and tempeh and healthy fats such as oils and fatty fish.
- Asparagus
- Banana
- Blueberry
- Oatmeal
- Garlic
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Chickpeas
- Lenses
- Onion
- Natural yogurt
The greatest effect is achieved when combining many foods and not because of A "super-food".
It is neither expensive nor cumbersome to increase intestinal health!
At the moment, you should like the feeling that a healthy intestinal flora does not require expensive raw materials or cumbersome diets. Your intestinal bacteria will thrive on oatmeal for breakfast, rye bread with eggs and avocado and gnawing greens for lunch, yogurt with fruit as a snack and a lentil soup with wholemeal bread for the evening or a good piece of meat, fish or poultry with baked root vegetables. You are guaranteed to have many of the foods already in the kitchen cupboards at home, so throw yourself into the high-fiber, green and well-seasoned diet, which your intestinal bacteria and you will hopefully love yourself too!
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