Posted by Ashley Koed

The good bacteria in our guts is important to fend off disease, avoid allergens and manage our weight. Sometimes after we take antibiotics or have recently been sick, the balance gets thrown off. Whenever I am trying to get back on track, these are some of the things I have found helpful.

Limit Wheat and any gluten containing products

Avoid Sugar (including juices especially apple)

Avoid Processed foods (especially anything with hydrogenated vegetable oil)

Limit Alcohol and Coffee: Both can bring on and exacerbate intestinal spasms

Avoid Popcorn: It is impossible to digest the fiber

Chewing Gum:  avoid gum with sugar substitutes (especially on an empty stomach); it can wreak havoc on your intestines

Dairy should be avoided except grass-fed butter (KerryGold is an Irish brand very high in gut-healing vitamins and minerals). The butter can be found at Whole Foods and sometimes Shaw’s.  Also, plain organic yogurts and plain Organic Kefir which both have calcium, are low in sugar are good for you.  Natural probiotics are good for putting the good bacteria we need into our stomachs and intestines.

First thing in the morning, try adding the juice of a lemon to your first bottle of water. The vitamin C is fresh and also very helpful in the healing process of your gut lining. Initially, it seemed counterintuitive and I thought that lemon could exacerbate acid reflux but it actually helped mine.

These days, it is challenging to get enough amino acids and collagen in our diets. I have found that beef or chicken bone broth is one of the most healing secrets to gut health and Chinese medicine recommends it, along with lots of holistic nutritionists.

Increase intake of Omega 3 rich foods. American diets have way too much Omega 6 which is inflammatory and is a root cause of so many unnecessary digestive issues. Omega 3 is in fish, cod liver oil, grass fed animal meat, and organic free range eggs.  A good cod liver oil supplement that is not fermented (since fermented foods can sometimes aggravate sensitive digestive systems) is Carlson’s and it is available at Whole Foods.