Top 5 Healthy Gut Eating Tips From a Nutrition Expert
If you've come across my site I'm sure you've gathered I am BIG on gut health. I think of it as the center of general wellness and such an important factor to our everyday wellbeing.
If it is out of balance, you know—rushing to the bathroom or no visits for days, bouts of bloating, or just a general feeling of sluggishness. It can also manifest itself in seemingly unrelated issues such as skin problems or irritability.
But if it's working well, it's something we often don't think about because no issues are nagging for our attention. Even still, it is good to give your gut and its microbiota some love to make sure it keeps running well.
Read on to learn my top 5 daily healthy gut eating tips to care for your gut microbiome, heal your gut naturally and keep your digestion running smoothly, your skin glowing and the rest of your body in harmony.
Healthy Gut Eating Tips to Give Your Gut Some Love
You may not have known number 4 has such an effect on your gut health…
1. Eat a diversity of plants
photo credit: Elina Sazanova
Plants contain food for our gut flora—think prebiotics, polyphenols and other phytonutrients. Eating more of them provide the energy source to keep the bacteria and other microbes in our gut in balance to ensure we're feeding all the different good players we have in there. Many plants contain prebiotic fibers, which are basically food for the good microbes in our gut. These microbes in turn produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are the literal fuel for our gut epithelial cells and are anti-inflammatory.
Related: the # 1 tip for gut health
2. Consume collagen-rich food
Collagen is highest in the amino acid glycine, which helps soothe and protect the intestinal lining. It also contains glutamine which our intestinal cells use to strengthen the intestinal barrier and reduce leaky gut and systemic inflammation. Bone broth or grass-fed gelatin is an excellent source of these amino acids. These are also easy to digest protein source that will help to rebuild the gut lining. Vitamin C also increases our own collagen production to help rebuild the intestinal lining. Foods like acerola and camu camu have some of the highest vitamin C levels, but even strawberries and bell pepper have a good amount!
3. Reduce inflammatory foods such as added sugar, industrial seed oils and any food triggers
All of these foods cause systemic inflammation in the body which can cause our intestinal barrier to become leaky, creating a vicious cycle of more inflammation. Excess sugar also fuels the not-so-beneficial bacteria and yeasts to shift our microbiome out of balance. As much as you can, try to limit sweets to whole food sources like fruit and cook with less inflammatory cooking oils like olive oil and grass-fed ghee.
Paying attention to whether certain foods cause you adverse effects and removing or limiting those foods is important in minimizing overall inflammation as well. It may not manifest as just digestive distress—skin issues and chronic congestion are also common symptoms of food sensitivities.
4. Stop grazing
Aim to eat 3 key meals and have snacks at set times. The exception to this is pregnancy, especially the early weeks when frequent eating may be necessary to combat nausea. A little thing called the migrating motor complex (MMC) is responsible for moving food through your digestive system, and every time you eat it shuts down and has to restart. Overtime this can cause issues like overgrowth of bacteria in places they shouldn't be and can contribute to digestive distress like constipation, gas and bloating.
I am all for intuitive eating—if your body is telling you to eat more frequently, listen to it. But also know that it likely means you need to focus a bit more on balancing your meals. Try to add in more protein and fat at key meal times and aim to eat no more than 4x per day with at least 3 hours between meals.
5. Breathe & de-stress
Photo Credit: Vlada Karpovich
The last tip has nothing to do with eating, but everything to do with gut health. Have you noticed that when you're stressed you may get butterflies in your stomach or upset stomach? Our guts and brains are so incredibly linked, so having constant stress has major impacts on gut health.
Chronic stress keeps us in fight or flight mode, which gets us out of the optimal parasympathetic, or rest and digest, state and literally sends messages to deprioritize digesting. The mental stress can also increase systemic inflammation and shift your microbiome balance to an undesirable state leading to dysbiosis over time.
So as many times a day as you can, stop and take 3 deep breaths. Even better, set aside 10 minutes each day to re-center (ideally right before eating!), whether it be though meditating, breathwork, walking or dancing. Your gut will thank you.
Final Thoughts
As we wrap up this deep dive into nurturing your gut health, remember that a thriving microbiome is at the heart of your overall wellness. By incorporating these five gut-friendly habits into your daily routine, you’re not just supporting a balanced digestive system—you’re investing in a healthier, more vibrant you.
Embrace the diversity of plants, enjoy collagen-rich foods, limit inflammatory triggers, regulate your eating patterns, and take time to breathe and de-stress. Each of these steps is a powerful way to enhance your gut health and, by extension, your quality of life.
Ready to take the next step toward a healthier gut? Let’s make it happen together. Book your complimentary 15-minute consult today to explore personalized strategies and gain the insights you need to elevate your gut health journey. Your gut—and your whole body—will thank you!
