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Love Your Gut! The Power of Your Gut & Healthy Digestion

Gut Health Snacks Probiotics Chocolate Gluten Free Kids School Snacks

So much of our health & wellbeing is directly connected to the health of our gut & digestion.

That’s why we wanted to include Probiotics in our Oat Clusters to give you an extra boost of gut love in every bite!

The gut-brain axis (GBA) consists of bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system, linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these interactions.*

The gut has immense power on our mood, our brain function and our overall health by being the epicenter of where we absorb (or don't absorb) nutrients vital for our body's vitality. 

“The small intestine is where a majority of our neurotransmitters or mood-regulating hormones are,” explains naturopathic doctor and epigenetic intuitive Dr. Melanie Keller, “and also where our nutrition is absorbed. So if you have an overgrowth of bacteria in that small intestine, where all of that work is getting done, then you can have nutritional deficiencies which can contribute to mental health.”

How can we take care of our gut & nourish our digestive functions? 

Eat Fibre Rich Foods & Probiotic Foods

We can do this by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables! Eat the rainbow and ensure that 3/4 of your plate is always filled with plants. Certain plants have high fibre content and also probiotic benefits. 
High Fibre Plants 
  1. Beans & Legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils etc.)
  2. Broccoli
  3. Berries 
  4. Avocados
  5. Apples 
Probiotics Plants 
  1. Bananas
  2. Watermelon 
  3. Yogurt & Miso 
  4. Sauerkraut 
  5. Kombucha & Kefir 

Movement

Exercise and movement increases blood flow and in some studies has been shown to increase the health of the good bacteria in our gut. Exercise and regular movement everyday can improve your microbiome. Your microbiome, as defined by the Oxford dictionary is "the microorganisms in a particular environment (including the body or a part of the body)."we depend on a vast army of microbes to stay alive: a microbiome that protects us against germs, breaks down food to release energy, and produces vitamins"
Being active lowers inflammation which also benefits your gut health and microbiome. 

Limit Alcohol & Other Inflammatory Substances

Large amounts of alcohol can cause increased inflammation that can wreck havoc on your gut and digestion. Everything in moderation. Experts recommend no more than two alcoholic drinks a day to avoid disruption. 

Reduce Stress

We know we all need to reduce stress for our health, it increases our blood pressure, puts our body into a fight or flight state and can cause inflammation throughout the entire body. 
The emptying of the stomach is delayed, which can lead to a stomachache, indigestion, heartburn and nausea.” As the stomach is slowing down, stress causes increased motor function in the large intestine. So at the same time that you're stressed, you might experience bowel urgency."
This relates to the incredible connection between our brain and gut, that when we are stressed the gut doesn't work the same way and this affects all the other systems in our body.

Ways to manage stress? 

  1. Meditation routine 
  2. Daily exercise 
  3. Breathing techniques 
  4. Adequate sleep 
  5. Time in nature 
  6. Connection with friends & family 
 

Grab a Healthy handful of gut love and Probiotics in each bag of our Oat Clusters! 

 

“The gut plays a huge role in the health and well-being of our bodies,” says Alicia Romano, a specialized clinical dietitian at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to digesting food and absorbing nutrients, “the gut is in tight communication with the brain, playing a constant game of telephone and influencing a number of factors, including immune activity, GI muscle contractions and fluid secretion. And the gut is a key player in the body’s immune system—over 70% of your immune cells reside in the gut.”

 

Peach Bowl Probiotic Snacks Vegan Gluten Free

 

Read more about the Gut-Brain connection in these recommended books below: 

Mind Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer

This is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo 

 

 

*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/#:~:text=The%20gut%2Dbrain%20axis%20(GBA,microbiota%20in%20influencing%20these%20interactions.