Gut Health with Eleanor Hoath and Nush

May 27, 2021

At Nush, we put love and care into producing our products, and never cut corners to make our products last longer on supermarket shelves or to keep the cost down. This means our products are 100% natural, dairy, gluten and refined sugar free; but also contain a great source of gut-loving bacteria with the addition of our plant-based cultures. This means our 350g tubs of Nush contain a minimum of 20 billion cultures to help keep your gut happy and healthy… but why should you worry about a healthy gut? We chatted to Eleanor Hoath, Owner & Founder of WELL NOURISHED to talk about the importance of good gut health and how it can improve your well-being. Here’s what she had to say…

There is a reason why we’re always told to go with our gut – and that’s because the gut microbiome sets the foundations of our health. Established in the first stages of life, the gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes and bacteria that live in your intestinal tract, that not only play a part in digestion, but are also responsible for your immune function, skin health, hormone regulation and mental health. With more and more health conditions being linked to an imbalance of the microbiome, we are starting to understand the reason why it is so important to keep our gut in tip top condition!

When looking at gut health, focusing on feeding this diverse range of microbes is imperative. In the same way that we use food as fuel, our gut bacteria needs the right foods to live off too. The greater the diversity in types of gut bacteria, the greater benefit to our health. There are more than 1,000 different microbes in the gut, that produce nutrients for our bodies to use for daily body function! Vitamins such as B3, B6, B7, B12, Vitamin K, Folate and Biotin.

So now you know how important gut health is, how can we support it? There are many factors that can affect our gut health and lead to growth of the ‘bad’ bacteria, often seen in a disease called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Stress is a significant driver for causing poor gut health; research shows that when we are in periods of stress, the friendly bacteria can take a turn on us and ferment into the ‘bad’ bacteria that we want to keep moving through the digestive system and eventually eliminate. Maintaining a healthy microbial balance can be achieved by nourishing our gut microbes. Microbes thrive off soluble fibre that is fermented in the gut; foods such as onions, leeks, asparagus, carrots, peppers and sweet potato are rich in prebiotic soluble fibre. This fibre encourages the growth of a variety of beneficial bacteria, to create long-lasting changes to our gut health, and help to get rid of digestive symptoms.

Adding fermented foods and products into our diets is a great way to feed the microbes in the gut, contributing to a greater range of gut diversity, and a greater benefit to our overall health. Before you splash out on the minefield of expensive probiotic supplements – it is important to remember that there are many accessible sources of probiotics that can have a significant effect on balancing your microflora. Foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and tempeh, are all fantastic sources of fermented foods – as well as products that are enriched with live cultures – such as yoghurts, probiotic drinks and spreads. Changes to what you eat and drink can have rapid effects – even within 24 hours – with research showing drinking alcohol can encourage growth of the Candida fungus within as little as 2 hours.

A single serving of probiotic-rich foods can have a significant impact on your gut health; alongside ensuring you are eating a wholefood diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Accompany this with regular and low impact exercise, such as yoga, brisk walking and light jogging, to keep the muscles in the digestive system smoothly contracting to move food along and manage stress levels.

@wellnourished_nutrition

You can purchase our live vegan yogs to keep your tummy happy from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic and our online shop.

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