microbiome

20 Prebiotic Foods and Why They’re Important

It’s news to no one that gut health is huge. After all, a thriving gut microbiome has been linked to countless positive health outcomes, from improved digestion and mood to decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. While diet isn’t the only factor that influences our gut microbiome (genetics, medications and environment matter, too), eating certain foods can help you get your gut in good shape. Best of all, those ingredients aren’t hard to come by. Read on for a nutritionist’s guide to the gut microbiome, plus 20 prebiotic foods that fuel it. What is the Gut Microbiome? The gut microbiome describes the ecosystem that resides in our small and large intestines (AKA the colon or the gut). That ecosystem consists of trillions (yes, trillions) of microbes that carry out key functions. For example, bacteria in the gut help us digest and extract energy from the foods we eat. Since some 70% of immune cells live in the gut, the microbiome also plays a critical role in helping us fight off disease. But in order to do that, the gut microbiome has to be healthy. That’s where prebiotics come in. Why are Prebiotics Important? Here’s a quick refresher on prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics are active strains of bacteria that occur within certain foods and drinks, such as yogurt or kombucha. Prebiotics are not bacteria, but rather nondigestible compounds which serve as food sources for the healthy bacteria in your gut delivering benefits to your microbiome. During digestion, prebiotic foods are fermented in the gut to produce compounds like short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that provide critical energy to the cells of the intestines. SCFAs are also associated with inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells and supporting healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. 20 Prebiotic Foods One more reason to eat your fruits and veggies? All prebiotic foods are fiber-containing plants. Here are some of our favorite sources of prebiotics. 1. Apples Pro tip: don’t peel your apples! Consuming the fruit with the skin on delivers a healthy dose of fiber from the peel. Spice things up by making one of these antioxidant-rich recipes that let you enjoy apples at every meal of the day. 2. Asparagus Asparagus are natural bloat busters, thanks to the compound asparagine that acts as a diuretic. The spears are also rich in prebiotic fibers that help our good gut bugs thrive. Treat your belly right with our Truffled Roasted Asparagus with Shallots. 3. Bananas Slightly unripe bananas are a great source of prebiotic resistant starch. As the fruit ripens, the resistant starch content goes down and the sugar content goes up, so eat bananas early for the utmost belly benefits. 4. Barley Oats may be the go-to whole grain at breakfast, but barley is just as nutritious and delicious. Try our Breakfast Barley Breakfast Salad to start your day strong with prebiotics. 5. Chia Seeds Another small but mighty nutritional powerhouse? Chia seeds. According to UMass’s Chan Medical School, fiber-rich chia seeds contain prebiotics along with alpha lipoic acid (ALA), a heart- healthy omega-3 fatty acid. 6. Chickpeas As if we needed another reason to love hummus. Just one cup of chickpeas delivers nearly 13 grams of fiber. Try our Roasted Curry Chickpeas for a crunchy plant-based snack. 7. Chicory Root Ever seen the word ‘inulin’ on a nutrition label? The prebiotic ingredient is derived from chicory root, a plant in the dandelion family that supports digestion and promotes bowel movements. Just beware of inulin-packed products like protein bars if you suffer from IBS; the ingredient can exacerbate symptoms like bloating and gas in sensitive individuals. 8. Dandelion Greens Dandelion greens are one of the best sources of prebiotic fiber. They also help bust bloat and support detoxification pathways in the body. Yes, please! 9. Flax Seeds Packed with plant-based omega-3s and fiber, flax seeds are a welcome addition to almost any breakfast. We recommend buying them ground, since the whole seeds are tougher for the body to digest. 10. Garlic The ultimate flavor booster, garlic is also a prebiotic that has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Add it to any and all recipes for a dose of gut-friendly goodness. 11. Jerusalem Artichokes Also called sunchokes, these earthy tubers are rich in inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber that supports digestion and blood sugar regulation. Just beware: some people find these guys particularly gas-inducing. Start slow with small servings. 12. Jicama Move over baby carrots, jicama sticks are our new favorite veg. Dunk them in your go-to dip or whip up a quick jicama slaw for a gut-friendly side dish. 13. Kidney Beans Just like their pulse peers, kidney beans offer up fiber that can help keep things moving right along through our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. 14. Leeks Is it just us or is there something seriously cozy about leeks? We love the flavor punch these prebiotic alliums bring to hearty soups and stews. 15. Lentils ICYMI: we love lentils. The versatile legumes deliver fiber, plus an impressive amount of plant-based protein. Just one-quarter cup (dry) serving of black lentils can provide 5 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. 16. Oats Overnight oats. Baked oatmeal. Energy bites. Oats are ultra versatile (check out our 17 favorite ways to enjoy them here). The prebiotic whole grains are also packed with soluble fiber that helps stabilize our blood sugar and drive down bad LDL cholesterol levels. Added bonus: oats contain important minerals such as magnesium and zinc. 17. Onion Just like garlic, onion is packed with prebiotic carbohydrates called fructooligosaccharides. Warning: some individuals may be sensitive to this subset of carbs, which can bring on symptoms like bloating and gas. As long as your belly does a-ok with onion, feel free to put it on your plate often. 18. Plantains They might look like bananas, but plantains have a unique flavor and texture. They’re also lower in sugar and starchier than bananas. Best of all, plantains are high in prebiotic resistant starch. 19.

Gut Love: 3 Facts About Prebiotics Your Tummy Will Adore

If you’re a regular reader of ours, you know how important it is to give your gut some love. Often, we talk about supporting good digestive health by incorporating probiotics into your daily regimen. But just as important as probiotics are prebiotics. In fact, the two work in synergy to keep your gut happy and healthy. New survey data, reveals that nearly 60% of Americans are more familiar with probiotics than with prebiotics, and about a third of Americans confused the two altogether. To clear up the confusion, we’re going to share some facts about the importance of both probiotics and prebiotics—and how they can help you to help your gut. Fact 1: Prebiotics are the food for probiotics. There are trillions of bacteria swimming around in your large intestine, and not all of them are good for you. The good bacteria, you probably have heard by now, are called probiotics. They help you to digest food and stimulate the growth of even more beneficial bacteria in the gut, which helps keep your immune system strong and balanced. Prebiotics are a specific type of fiber that play a supporting but vital role in feeding those probiotics. Prebiotics are not bacteria, but rather nondigestible compounds which serve as food sources for the healthy bacteria in your gut delivering benefits to your microbiome. They travel down to your lower digestive tract and become a food source for the healthy bacteria in your gut. During digestion, prebiotic foods are fermented in the gut to produce compounds like short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that provide critical energy to the cells of the intestines. SCFAs are also associated with inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells and supporting healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Fact 2: Most Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diets, so adding a supplement to your daily routine can be a good alternative. It’s always best to try to get your nutrients through the food you eat. But, according to one study, only 5% of Americans consume the recommended daily amount of fiber. That’s a pretty sad statistic, which is why we sometimes suggest a fiber supplement to many people who aren’t getting 21 to 38 grams of fiber in their diet each day, in addition to upping their intake of high-fiber foods. Even better than supplementing with fiber is supplementing with a product that includes fiber with prebiotic benefits—which helps nourish the growth of the good bacteria that naturally exist in your gut while fighting off harmful bacteria. A fiber powder can be super easy to add into your daily wellness routine. You can stir it into a smoothie or just add to water in the morning or sprinkle it into a recipe. It’s that simple. Fact 3: Stress can wreak havoc on your gut health, but prebiotics can help. How can prebiotics possibly help reduce stress, you ask? Well, it comes down to the mind-gut connection, which is the relationship between our digestive system and brain. The connection between the two is super tight and communication between them can impact everything from emotions and moods to decision-making and behavior. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Surrey, young women who took a prebiotic supplement once a day experienced reduced anxiety, better gut health and improved mental well-being. In our current world, managing stress and anxiety couldn’t be more important.

How Gut Health Impacts Blood Sugar

Created in partnership with Pendulum How we keep our digestive system in tip-top shape, and improve our overall health, is one of the hottest topics in wellness. There are countless studies and articles about the importance of taking care of our tummies and the impact it has on our overall health. Our gut influences everything from heart disease to arthritis to cancer. Now, research has found that gut health—or lack thereof—may be linked to type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 1 in 10 people have diabetes, with about 90 percent having type 2 diabetes. Someone who has type 2 diabetes can’t process blood sugar effectively because they’re not responding to insulin or their bodies aren’t producing enough. And this means that people living with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk for heart disease, nerve damage, kidney issues, eye damage, hearing impairment, sleep apnea, and Alzheimer’s disease. WHAT THE HECK IS BLOOD SUGAR ANYWAY? Now, we’re about to get our science on, so stick with us here. We promise you’ll thank us. After we eat a meal, our bodies get busy breaking down food to be used as energy or to be stored as fat. After the food is broken down we are left with glucose, the simplest form of sugar. A hormone called insulin gets released from our pancreas and starts traveling through our bloodstream looking for the glucose to bring into our cells. Picture this: imagine all the sugar in our blood has a little padlock attached to it, and the only way to get the sugar in our cells for energy is to unlock it. Insulin is the only key we have for this padlock. People with type 2 diabetes produce little to no insulin, or over time, they become resistant to the insulin they are producing. The key no longer fits in the lock. Therefore, their cells are starving for energy and screaming “feed us, feed us!” In an attempt to quiet them down, the pancreas keeps pumping out more and more insulin, but it’s just not fitting in the padlock. When this happens, there is no way to get the sugar out of the blood and into the cells for energy. This causes high blood sugar levels, which is the trademark symptom of diabetes. HOW OUR GUT MICROBIOME WORKS—AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Now that we’ve gone over blood sugar, let’s dig into the gut microbiome. Whether you’ve heard it called microbiome or flora, the bacteria in the gut play a role in everything from weight management to cognitive functioning and immunity to digestion. In your gut, there are billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Billions. You’re hosting colonies and armies of microscopic bugs which we collectively call microbes. This is what’s known as your microbiome. These microbes are essential to your immune system, heart, lungs, skin, and gut. The foods you eat help to diversify the microbes in your GI tract. This is GOOD. You want lots of different bacteria, viruses, and fungi to have a nice rainbow of microbes that will help to keep you healthy and in fine tune. Research is looking at how diverse and rich your microbiome is as it relates to several areas: Weight Management: There is really good research out there, even twin studies that find that the more diverse and active the gut microbiome, the better, when it comes to weight management. Microbe imbalance is linked to overweight and obesity intimately. Digestive Disorders: Science is linking digestive disorders like IBS and leaky gut to microbiome imbalance. Introduction of a higher fiber diet and more diversity in foods as well as probiotic rich foods (like kefir and sauerkraut) can help to manage symptoms and prevent flare ups. Heart Health: There’s evidence showing that probiotics (from food and supplementation) may be beneficial to your heart by lowering total and LDL cholesterol. Blood Sugar: A rich microbiome may help regulate blood sugar and prevent spikes and crashes. A NEW APPROACH TO MANAGE DIABETES While diet and exercise are pivotal to the management of type 2 diabetes, there is a new cutting-edge microbiome company, called Pendulum, that is dedicated to making people healthier through microbiome-targeted solutions. The company’s flagship product, Pendulum Glucose Control, is the first and only medical probiotic that is clinically shown to lower A1C and blood sugar spikes.* Many with type 2 diabetes have lost beneficial bacterial strains that help digest dietary fiber and produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid which plays a key role in the body’s natural ability to signal insulin production, stabilize blood glucose and provide anti-inflammatory properties. That is how digestive health, insulin and diabetes are all connected. Pendulum has found a way to combine targeted probiotic strains of beneficial bacteria and prebiotics to restore the body’s natural ability to metabolize fiber and manage glucose levels.* New discoveries in microbiome research indicate that the lost or reduced ability to metabolize fiber and manage blood glucose can be restored by replenishing strains in the gut microbiome. Through DNA sequencing, Pendulum has identified unique, targeted strains of beneficial bacteria that help restore disrupted gut function in people with type 2 diabetes. This medical probiotic can help to metabolize fiber and produce butyrate, and as an added bonus, it can help restore the gut lining. BOTTOM LINE Our gut is extremely important in terms of our overall health. While healthy eating and physical activity (and your doctor’s guidance) is paramount to managing type 2 diabetes, this new medical probiotic could be an additional resource for those with type 2 diabetes to help lower A1C* and manage blood sugar spikes through your gut. What’s even better is that by using the Nutritious Life code, NL33, you can get 30% off your first bottle of Pendulum Glucose Control! *A nutrition study demonstrated a significant reduction in A1C and blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes. The study was randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, and across multiple sites in the U.S. **Consult

Can Food Journaling Really Help You Lose Weight?

Q: Can food journaling really help me lose weight? I despise it and never seem to stick with it. A: You know I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Of any kind. But, this bad news (for all of you despisers out there) isn’t too bad. You may even turn into food journaling lovers by the end of this blog. Food journaling can be your weight loss secret weapon for a whole lotta reasons, and it’s been around since, well, forever, for good reason: it works. So just like you may not love flossing routinely, you do it because it’s good for you and you want a pretty smile too. Need more specific reasons than that to break out a new food diary? Here ya go. 3 Reasons Why Food Journaling Can Help You Lose Weight Accountability.Whether it’s a drill sergeant friend, your nutritionist or simply your sturdy Ticonderoga pencil keeping tabs on what goes in your mouth, accountability works. Food journaling is definitely one way to be accountable either to yourself or to whoever is reading them. One study showed that keeping a food journal doubled a person’s weight loss. It found that the best predictors of weight loss were 1) how frequently food diaries were kept and 2) how many support sessions the participants attended. Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records at all. Another study showed that the more food journals people kept, the more weight people lost. So basically those that maintained focus, diligence, and consistency with journaling were rewarded with fitting into smaller pants. Also, if you’re working with a dietitian or health coach, you’ll get a lot more out of that partnership if you’re sharing all your food deets. The good, the bad and the in between. Putting it all out there will help your nutrition guru help you. Food journaling can be kinda like getting a new gym membership and a fresh pair of kicks…you’re all excited to use them for the first few weeks, but when the novelty wears off, often so does your motivation and consistency. You gotta find a way to get comfy in your new kicks, even after they’re not new anymore, and realize that the more they get broken in, the better you might look in your LuLus. Honesty. Always a good thing, right? Food journaling keeps you honest – even if it’s just with yourself. When I ask clients about a typical a day of eating, I often get this for an answer: “I eat really well, not sure why I’m not losing. I eat a couple eggs for breakfast with a slice of whole grain toast, a kale salad, usually a few nuts for a snack and pretty balanced dinner of some kind of protein and usually a little rice or potato and a salad.” When I have them write down every detail, and I mean every detail, it goes something like this: “Two eggs prepared with butter and a drop of cheese. Slice of toast and two bites of my son’s waffle. Kale salad with dressing and parmesan cheese (I usually skip the cheese though), croutons and chicken. Three handfuls of nuts, diet soda and three bites of my daughters chocolate chip cookie (it was her friend’s birthday)…” You get where this is going. It’s easy to think you eat super clean but until you really hammer it out on paper, you often unintentionally don’t even realize just how much (or in some cases how little) you’re eating. Honesty and food journaling is always the best policy. Besides, your waistline is terrible at keeping secrets. Growth.Growth in all areas of life is always good idea. When it comes to weight loss, health, and food journaling, food journaling can be a wise sage that guides us in a new right direction. Food journaling allows us to reflect and analyze. What worked? What didn’t work? And, finally, how can I improve what I’m eating or the behaviors and habits I’m exhausting? There will come a day when you’ve nailed your diet and you don’t have to spend time food journaling anymore. That’s the ultimate goal, right? But there also may come a day when you need to go back to basics and clean things up again, and food journaling is the first thing you should turn to. It’ll be like riding a bicycle. It’ll feel familiar and easy even if it’s been a long time, and you’ll quickly remember how great it feels to have that wind in your hair…in a smaller pair of shorts.

4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Digestive Health

For years, I’ve been telling you to listen to your body. Digestive health is no different, it’s all about listening to your gut. What’s your gut telling you, and what should you be doing to be your most nutritious self? And I’m not just talking about reducing bloating, constipation, or indigestion. Gut health affects everything from your immune system, to your weight, to your brain function, so it’s really important to focus on what’s going on in your belly, or shall I say what’s going IN your belly? Here’s how to get things moving as regular as your morning commute. 4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Digestive Health Incorporate fermented foods These are foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi. These foods begin with a live active culture and are fermented, giving them similar benefits of probiotics supplements. Eat Fiber Many fibers are considered prebiotics. This means that they feed the good bacteria already present in your gut. But different fibers feed different bacterias, so it’s important to get these prebiotics from multiple sources and from a variety of foods. Translation: eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eat Frequently It’s much more beneficial for good digestion to eat consistent small meals throughout the whole day rather than just eating a few large meals intermittently. It will keep your digestive tract regular which is something we all can appreciate. My most successful weight loss clients also are those that eat consistently throughout the day. Drink lots of fluids. Our bodies need water for skin health, immunity and energy, but also to push things along through digestion. So while we need the bacteria for gut health, we also need the fluids to keep everything moving as it should. And there are other aspects of a healthy life to consider, too. Managing stress, exercising regularly, and even getting enough sleep will all affect your digestive health. If you’re thinking, “Hey! I’m already doing those things right, and I’m still not right!” then a probiotic might be just what you need. You can even take a probiotic as a bit of an “insurance policy” to make sure that you’re balancing the bacteria in your gut everyday, no matter what. Just make sure that you’re taking one with the right strain for you and your body. There are a lot out there on the market available to you, and you want to make sure it will address your specific needs.

3 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Microbiome

When you think of health and wellness, you probably think of how much you weigh, what you eat, and how much you exercise…NOT your microbiome. Your micro-what?! Your microbiome, which is a fancy word for the bacteria living in your gut (and in other spots all over your body, like in your mouth and on the skin). But you should! Yep, believe it or not, there are trillions of different kinds of bacteria living in your GI tract. We used to think these teensy-tiny bacteria were only connected to digestion and nutrient absorption, but they have a far greater impact on your overall health than originally believed. Over the past several years, scientists have found that gut bacteria affect how we feel, how much we weigh, and how well we can fight off infections. So yep, your microbiome may not sound sexy, but it certainly contributes to how sexy you feel. 3 things you didn’t know about your microbiome: Your microbiome affects your mood If you seem to always feel tired, sluggish, or just in a funk, it might be time to look inward—and by inward I mean your GI tract. Your gut bacteria influences chemicals (dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin) that send messages in your brain. Interestingly, these chemicals are actually produced in the gut and delivered back to the brain. These chemicals are super important because they help relieve stress, control your mood, and raise alertness. They’re also linked to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. So, if your gut bacteria becomes imbalanced, it can cause a delay in the delivery of the chemicals to your brain and ultimately result in an altered mood. Bottom line, a happy gut = a happy you! Your microbiome influences your weight If you can’t lose that stubborn extra weight and you’re doing everything else right, it might have something to do with the bacteria in your gut. Research shows there are both “good” and “bad” types of bacteria located in your GI tract. When the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, the imbalance can silently wreak havoc on your body and cause it to store excess fat. Some contributors to this overgrowth of bad bacteria include overuse of antibiotics, chronic stress, and a low fiber diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. The good news is there are simple things you can do to increase the number of good bacteria in your gut! Eat a high fiber diet, from whole food sources, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. Some of my favorites are buckwheat, quinoa, beans, broccoli, raspberries, apples, figs, pears, avocados, and almonds. Incorporate foods that are considered a “prebiotic”. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria. These nondigestible or partially digestible fibers are found in bananas, garlic, asparagus, sunchokes (aka: Jerusalem artichokes), leeks, and onions. Incorporate a probiotic! “Pro”-biotics are different than “pre”-biotics. Probiotics are good bacteria that can be naturally found in fermented foods. Probiotics are often thought of as packaged supplements, and while they can be, you can also get probiotics through food sources. The most common probiotic food is yogurt, but probiotics are also found in other fermented foods such as cheese, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, and miso soup. I recommend adding as much of these foods to your meals as possible or start taking a probiotic supplement daily. Your microbiome develops your immune system Believe it or not, 75-80% of your immune system resides in your gut. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Babies are actually born with a bacteria-free gut since the womb is a sterile environment. Once you’re born, your gut bacteria starts taking shape and you begin to build your immune system. You’re exposed to bacteria on a daily basis. Whether it be in the air you breathe, the food you eat, or simply by wiping your eyes or nose, you come in contact with bacteria. Your body is amazing in that it fights off the bacteria and remembers how it did it. Therefore, the more exposure you have to bacteria, the more diverse your internal ecosystem and the stronger your immune system becomes. I think we can all agree that the body is a complex system. But would you ever have guessed the bacteria in your GI tract play such a big role in your overall health? If you’ve never given much thought about the trillions of little creatures hanging out in your gut, try incorporating some probiotic foods, a probiotic supplement, and more prebiotics foods on a daily basis. You just might realize you’re happier and healthier and may even lose a pound or two! (Image: Shutterstock)