How to Eat Your Way to a Healthier Gut

The complexity and sophistication of our bodies’ systems should never fail to astound us. For example, your body alone contains over 40 trillion bacteria, the majority of which live in your gut, proving that it’s an amazing ecosystem in and of itself.

As with most aspects of our health, what we eat impacts our gut significantly. The nourishment we choose makes a big difference to our overall gut health and can ease symptoms of digestive disorders. 

Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia and the Gain Wellness Center team are focused on helping you improve your gut health, which is connected to your heart health, the condition of your liver, and other major organs. Our practice’s integrative approach means we don’t isolate a single factor and assess how it alone affects your health, we examine how all your body’s systems relate to one another to help you live your healthiest life.

How your diet impacts your gut health

We know that an unhealthy diet – one that includes many highly processed foods and lacks nutrient-dense whole foods is one that can put you exacerbate digestive conditions:

1. Leaky gut syndrome

When your intestinal lining is more permeable than it should be, you can suffer with a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including constipation, diarrhea, skin issues, headaches, and even systemic inflammation. 

2. Food sensitivities

Unlike a full-blown allergy, which involves the immune system, a sensitivity occurs when your body has problems digesting a certain food. Sensitivity symptoms include gas, a stomach ache, and diarrhea.

3. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

This is a hard condition to manage because symptoms are chronic and include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and gas. IBS can be debilitating and interfere with doing your favorite activities.

4. Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)

This condition is also known as acid reflux, and it causes your stomach acid to return to the tube that leads to your mouth, causing uncomfortable heartburn. 

5. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

When the bacteria in your small intestine flourish too much, the surplus isn’t a good thing. Unfortunately, it causes abdominal pain, appetite loss, and needless weight loss.

The good news is that no matter what digestive symptoms may plague you, the diet you follow can be a game changer and ideally complement other treatments that we offer here at Gain Wellness Center, such as stress management and dysregulated hormones. 

What should I eat to optimize my gut health?

We have tips on what you can eat to support your gut health, and the building blocks of this diet are easy to follow:

• Make sure you’re eating a “rainbow plate,” filled with colorful fruits and vegetables
• Get out of dietary ruts and eat a variety of different whole foods
• Aim to eat whole foods as opposed to highly processed ones
• Favor legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Opt for whole grains rather than refined grains — think whole wheat bread over white
• Incorporate a variety of nuts and seeds into your diet
• Eat plenty of high-fiber foods like apples, berries, broccoli, and leafy greens
• Include fermented foods regularly in your diet, like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut

Many, but not all fermented foods are probiotics, which are bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system. It’s also important to get prebiotics, which are often high-fiber foods, and they help balance your microflora — the microorganisms that make up your gastrointestinal system. 

It’s within your power to transform your gut health considerably with diet, and Dr. Walia can help further by providing a Complete Wellness Evaluation, in which she does a “deep dive” health assessment and searches for the root cause of your digestive problems. 

Call our Poway office today at 858-206-9715 to improve your gut health and gain relief from digestive conditions and problems. You may also schedule a complimentary wellness consultation with us online. 

Author

Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP, is the founder of Gain Wellness Center in San Diego, California. At the wellness center, one of Dr. Walia's, greatest goals, as a health care provider, is to provide her practice members with alternative, but healthy and safe choices that will enhance their health and well-being. She likes to motivate and educate her practice members to take charge of their health by providing them with evidence-based information so that they can make informed decisions regarding their own personal health and take control of their health. Dr. Walia was born in India and raised in Canada before moving to San Diego. She attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada for her Master of Science degree with specialties in Biology and Physiology. She had various publications in research articles during her time at McMaster University funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. She has three kids and enjoys cooking, hiking and going to the beach with her family.