Struggling with gas, bloating, or constipation? Feeling tired, or anxious? Suffering from inflammatory skin conditions like eczema? All these could be signs of an unhealthy gut.
According to Bianca Jonischkeit, Futurelife dietitian, if the bacterium in your gut is unbalanced, you could experience several symptoms that can disrupt your everyday life. She says, “What we consume in a day not only directly impacts our gut bacterium but affects our overall health too; unbalanced gut bacterium can lead to all kinds of health issues. That’s why supporting your gut by focusing on what you eat needs to be a top priority.”
Bianca also shares valuable insights into how simply making some smart nutrition choices can pave the way for a healthier gut and improved overall health and wellness. She recommends focusing on three key elements:
- Nourishing with Fibre: Fibre-rich diets may help reduce cholesterol, manage weight, alleviate constipation, and lower blood pressure. They also promote a diverse gut microbiota, which is essential for a healthy digestive system. It’s not always easy to meet your daily fibre goals so here are some tips for increasing your daily fibre intake:
- Include beans, peas, and lentils in your meals.
- Aim to eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, keeping the skin on.
- Choose wholegrain options like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, pasta, and crackers.
- Enjoy nuts, seeds, and dried fruit with no added sugar as snacks or salad toppings.
- Try high-fibre breakfast options like the Futurelife Bran Flakes- providing you with 39% of your daily fibre requirements.
- Remember to consume enough water throughout the day (fibre and water work hand in hand).
- Fuelling with Prebiotics: Prebiotics are the food for the good bacteria that are already in our gut. They help create a healthy gut environment and support our overall health and well-being. Many of the Futurelife products, including the new Futurelife Granola Crunch Zero, contain prebiotics such as inulin.
- Balancing with Probiotics: Completing the trio is the well-known probiotic. Probiotics are beneficial in restoring and maintaining the balance of “good” bacteria in our gut. They can be consumed via probiotic supplements or foods, such as those that are fermented, that naturally contain probiotics. Futurelife Granola Crunch Vitality has added probiotics making it a good breakfast option or anytime snack. The benefits of probiotics extend into various domains of health. They assist in improving gut health, our immunity as well as our mental health. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of the ‘feel-good’ hormone, serotonin, is produced in the digestive tract.
“A good balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract can help your body to effectively absorb nutrients from the food you eat and provide other health benefits. By simply making small changes to your diet and subtly incorporating fibre-rich foods with prebiotics and probiotics into your routine, you can take a big step towards better health,” Bianca concludes.
For more information on Futurelife products and how they support digestive wellness, visit their website.
