Eat Raw
It’s a fact: Our hectic, stressed lifestyles, combined with an industrialized diet and reliance on antibiotics, put the functioning of the microbiota to the test. We now know that intestinal dysbiosis can lead to autoimmune pathologies, degenerative diseases, and even depression. The good news? We can take preventative measures and optimize the functioning of our microbiota with the help of dietary prebiotics—another unsung hero of gut health.
“There are nutrients and fibers found in fruits, vegetables, and fresh herbs [you can eat] raw. Or at least, cooked at less than 42° C (107° F), as heat destroys them,” explains Marie-Sophie L., a French chef who champions raw and plant-based cooking. In her book Raw Food, she provides a list of simple, “friendly” foods to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis: nuts (such as coconut, cashew, and macadamia) and seeds (chia, hemp, and buckwheat), as well as vegetables in all their forms, as juices, smoothies, or soups. She also emphasizes apples, which, when eaten regularly, can help support liver health due to their fiber, antioxidants, and malic acid content.
Incorporate Probiotics Into Your Diet
And can you enrich your microbiota with probiotics? It’s important to be considered and targeted according to your own flora and current issues. Dr. Valérie Leduc, a specialist in antiaging medicine, is a great believer in microbiota DNA analysis. “This analysis will enable me to draw up prescriptions for probiotics and dietary supplements, making them targeted and personalized.” To be continued.
Until then, consider eating a wholesome, varied diet with naturally probiotic-rich foods. Think fermented foods, like pickles, yogurts, kimchi, and kefir. “They are key for providing special probiotics to the diet,” nutritionist Cristina Barrous told Spanish Vogue.
“Growing evidence suggests that fermented foods change the metabolic activities in the gut, acquire new characteristics, and increase benefits in age-associated changes,” another recent study outlined. “A series of relevant benefits associated with fermented foods in healthy aging and longevity have been reported, including preventing allergic reactions, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and improving metabolic function and neuroendocrine effects.”
Tweak Lifestyle Habits
Shapiro emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle in general to truly reset your gut. “Recent research makes it clear that gut health is a full-lifestyle conversation,” she says. “Which should include adequate sleep, regular exercise, and stress management as well, since they all impact gut health and function.”
Warning Signs of an Imbalanced Gut Microbiome
There are obvious signs of GI problems, says Shapiro, such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. But she points out that an imbalanced gut can manifest in ways you might not even think about. Unexpected symptoms include inflammation that can cause acne, eczema, or skin irritations, fatigue, brain fog, or strong sugar cravings. She also adds that there is a connection between gut health and the immune system, and a weakened immune system is another sign of an imbalanced gut microbiome.
