You can’t enjoy spending time outside this summer if your insides are feeling quite right. Looking after our gut health is fundamental when caring for our whole bodies. A healthy, functional digestive system helps manage conditions such as bloating, heartburn, and bowel movements but is also linked to a healthy immune system, good sleep, and our mental health. But eating for our gut does not have to look like expensive green juices or pill promoted by influencers; instead, we can look after our bodies by eating seasonal fruits and vegetables that have not travelled across half the world to reach our plates. In this article, you will learn about seasonal fruits and vegetables that can help you boost the health of your digestive system.
Peas
The humble garden pea comes into season right around now and are full of enzymes that are essential to the digestive system, helping us break down our food and extract more nutrients from it. They also contain a lot of fibre – the golden goose of a healthy gut. Whilst frozen peas are convenient all year round, maybe now is the time to try fresh peas which can be more nutrient dense than their frozen friends.
Asparagus
Packed with fibre and naturally anti-inflammatory, asparagus is a great option when looking out for your gut this summer. Fibre slows down digestion and helps to keep your blood sugar stable making it an essential part of a healthy diet. It also helps the gut absorb more nutrients, getting the most out of the food you’re eating.
Radishes
An easy vegetable to forget about but radishes have some remarkable benefits to your gut health and are definitely worth including in your diet this summer. They are full of both soluble and soluble fibre – your gut needs both types They can alleviate constipation and some studies have suggested they might prevent the formation of stomach ulcers.
Cabbage
Cabbage is not only great for controlling your blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol but is packed with nutrients that look after the lining of your stomach and intestines. Full of fibre, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, K, and C, cabbage is a great food to include in your diet this season. Instead of eating it fresh you could ferment it and make sauerkraut or kimchi. Probiotics are formed in fermented cabbage that help the bacteria in your gut fight diseases, absorb nutrients and aid digestion.
Bell peppers
Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C which helps maintain a stable environment for gut bacteria. Additionally, they are full of fibre and antioxidants, promoting healthy digestion. Not only are they good for you but they are also a really flexible food. Eat them raw or cooked, as a meal or a snack – however you like them!
Remember, variety is not only the spice of life but essential to your gut health. Mix up your diet this summer by including any of these foods your might not normally go for to your cart this season.
Note on Our Microbiome
The body contains approximately 40 trillion bacteria cells most of which are found in the gut and small intestines. They are known collectively as the gut microbiome, and they are extremely crucial for overall health. There are some habits that can be done every day to boost your gut health. This includes adding fermented food into your daily diet such as natural yogurt, kombucha, kefir or kimchi. Fermented food will boost the microbiome by improving its function and decreasing the number of harmful microbes in the gut. It can be useful to add prebiotics and probiotics as well. Probiotics are a friendly bacterium that help to restore balance to the gut. Prebiotics are a type of fibre that feed the healthy bacteria in the digestive system. The best source of nutriment for the microbiome remains fresh fruit and vegetables.
