5 Surprising facts about gut health
“Ugly” food, which I write about in A Silent Fire, is good for both your gut and the environment.
Each year, around a quarter of produce in the U.S. is thrown away for cosmetic reasons, including strange shapes and curves and minor blemishes, contributing to global food waste and climate change. But these so-called imperfect foods may be even more nutritious and adept at fighting inflammation than their attractive counterparts.
Plants grown with fewer pesticides, for example, produce higher amounts of beneficial nutrients while battling pests and lower amounts of sugars. These plants, although physically scarred by their struggles, may be especially healthful for our gut.
Fiber: how much and which kinds should you get?
August 7, 2017
Soluble fiber is a “prebiotic,” or food for the intestinal bacteria. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber are bananas, asparagus, garlic, onion, leeks, dandelion greens and Jerusalem artichokes.
(more...)How the food you eat affects your gut | TED-Ed
Diet is emerging as one of the leading influences on the health of our microbiome. We can manipulate the balance of our microbes by paying attention to what we eat (from TED-Ed).
Red wine and chocolate for your gut bacteria? | Huffington Post
May 10, 2016
By Shilpa Ravella
For the trillions of bacteria that live inside your gut, what you eat is important, because it is what they eat. We are only beginning to understand that the make-up of gut bacteria can play an important role in preventing or treating disease and is influenced by many factors including food, medications and lifestyle. In two studies published last month in Science, researchers from the Netherlands and Belgium presented the largest microbiome research conducted to date. They evaluated 1,135 Dutch adults and 1,106 Belgians respectively and looked at how hundreds of factors affect the microbiome, with results that overlapped considerably.
(more...)The nutrient deficiency you probably have | PBS Next Avenue
April 25, 2016
By Shilpa Ravella
If you could make only one change to your diet, what would it be? The options are endless. You can cut out specific foods like meat, grains or gluten. You can play with ratios of fat, carbohydrates and protein. You can eat only fruit or go on a juice cleanse. There is one change, however, that provides the biggest health return for the investment.
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