5 Natural Nutrients That Can Improve Your Gut

The test of being on a gluten free diet is not just getting off gluten. Like I find it a joke when every other cooking class advertises it’s a “gluten free class”, come on what about the Soya Sauce, Worchester Sauce and of course the oats are certified gluten free. Please stop my kid and many people like him are at risk. Dietician’s advice oh! Go on a low gluten diet! That is not helping your gut.

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To cure the gut you need to be on a very strict gluten free diet and that included no cross contamination gluten. It means we need to add more things like the following to improve the gut.

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A generic recommendation for a healthy diet includes:

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• An individual’s daily caloric consumption should be similar to the daily caloric burn out.

• Consume unprocessed food

• Limit Salt/sodium consumption

• Eat more vegetables and fruits-the more colourful and varied, the better

• Limit consumption of fats and prefer unsaturated fats to saturated and trans fats

• Drink sufficient amounts of fluid

• Limit sugar intake

• Eat fiber rich food

• Limit red meat consumption and balance it out with fish, poultry, nuts and beans.

• Consume sufficient amount of vegetables and vitamins.

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If you have been on a strict gluten free diet some of the issues that arise are that the Haemoglobin is always slightly low, calcium levels need to be increased and the gut needs food items that continuously heal the gut.

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Some of the things you can eat to improve your gut naturally are as follows:

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• Betaine HCL: Spinach and Beetroot are excellent natural sources of Betaine HCL to increase your haemoglobin. Betaine HCL is a hydrochloric salt of betaine, which serves as a gastric juice acidifier. By lowering gastric pH, betaine HCL activates gastric protein, which degrades enzymes and stimulates the digestive process. Most kids can’t eat beetroot in a salad just add beetroot to your roti atta, chocolate cake, pasta sauce and create “Pink Pasta”. Spinach can be boiled and pureed to make “Green Pasta” or green risotto, the simplest is Palak Paneer or Palak Chicken.

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• Probiotics: Probiotics help in maintence of intestinal health the best source is yogurt, buttermilk, Yakut. My thumb rule is a “Yakut” a day.

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• Prebiotics: Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates based food ingredients that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the opposite of probiotics, prebiotics are not live microorganisms but rather heat-resistant, fiber like substances. The health effect of prebiotics are bought about by an increased production of short-chain fatty acids by stimulated bacteria which feed the gut microorganisms and provide the energy supply to the cells that form the intestinal linining. Natural sources of prebiotics are garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks. They help the gut absorb calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.

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• Magnesium: Magnesium controls gastric acid production, gastric emptying, intestinal motility as well as bile secretion and digestive enzyme production. Early signs of lack of magnesium is bloating, constipation and cramps. The best natural sources of magnesium is almonds, seeds like pumpkin, melon, green leafy vegetables.

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• Turmeric: The main ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile and stimulates the breakdown of large fat globules improving digestion. Turmeric or haldi is used in all Indian Cooking.

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I’ll end by saying”Knowledge about Gluten Free Food” is the Key to a healthy gluten free life.

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