Chicago Home and Lifestyles – 4 tips to boost your gut microbiome

Deep within your gastrointestinal tract lives a community of microorganisms. This is known as your gut microbiome, and it heavily influences our wellbeing! A poor one likely plays a role in every dysfunction in your body, from skin issues and weight gain to chronic fatigue and depression. The good news? There are easy ways to boost your microbiome and improve your overall health.

Monitor your diet. Your microbiome is largely determined by your diet. Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut and miso contain beneficial live microbes that go directly to your gut, supporting the balance. These are referred to as probiotics. You should eat a variety of fermented foods as we don’t really know exactly how much bacteria they contain or what the effects are.

Include prebiotic foods. Prebiotics are the nutrients that probiotics feed on in the digestive tract. Most are specific types of fiber found in foods like oats, almonds, beans, peas, onions, cabbage, asparagus, and eggplant. Soy products like tofu, miso, tempeh and soy milk are also

rich in prebiotics, as well as sweeteners like honey and agave. Eating more fiber in general can boost your gut health while also easing digestion and alleviating constipation. 

Include dairy (if you can). If it doesn’t disagree with you, dairy is also a good class of foods to support your gut health. Milk containing lactose feeds healthy bacteria. Undigested lactose passes on to the large intestine and feeds beneficial bugs there. Consuming yogurt, milk and kefir can increase lactobacillus and bifidobacterium bacteria, both beneficial. Yogurt and kefir are also fermented foods!

Take a probiotic supplement. Supplements contain different strains proven to confer a health benefit, and have to adhere to strict standards. They can be more accessible and effective than fermented foods, so it might be beneficial to consume both!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago