Tag Archives: fiber

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Add Prebiotics to Your Diet

Photo by Liz West on Flickr.

Photo by Liz West on Flickr.

Probiotics for gut health are all the rage in the nutrition world.  Everyone is talking about eating yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchee  and drinking kombucha to introduce those vital,  “good bugs” to your gut.  Lately, however, the science community has been buzzing about prebiotics to help nourish the healthy bacteria already in your gut.  For healthy bacteria to thrive, they need fiber that survives the length of our GI tract without being digested.  Two types of fiber, cellulose and fructans, are tough enough to survive the digestion process and become the food source for our ”good bacteria’.  Fructans are found in many fruits and vegetables and cellulose is the tough part of veggies and fruit we usually don’t eat, like the stalks of broccoli and the string of celery.   Cooking does start the break down process of these tough fibers, decreasing the amount of prebiotics in the food.  With scientists estimating that over 70% of our immunity and 80-90 % of our serotonin comes from our gut,  you may be wondering exactly which foods you should add to your diet to feed your “good bacteria”.  Adding the following foods can start to shift your gut bacteria in a positive direction in as little as 48 hours.

  • Asparagus
  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Onions
  • Radishes
  • Jicama
  • Leeks
  • Garlic
  • Cooked beans
  • Chicory root
  • Raspberries
  • Wheat bran

Remember to start slowly with all these fiber rich foods to avoid excessive gas and bloating.

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Eat an Avocado

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Recently, I have noticed an increased interest in avocados.  It seems they are the new super food.  In the past, back in the low fat crazed days, avocados were avoided due to their high fat content but now that people are realizing how necessary fat is for our bodies, avocados are enjoying a popularity surge.  Even though avocados are high in fat, most of that fat is oleic acid, a mono-saturated fatty acid.  Oleic acid helps our digestive tract form transport molecules for fat that can increase our absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids.  Mono-saturated fats also help lower our risk of heart disease.  Avocados also contain phytosterols, which are invaluable in lowering inflammation, especially in arthritis.  Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, which known to help protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.  They contain lutein which helps fight macular degeneration and their high fiber content helps keep blood sugar level.  Avocados are a particularly rich source for potassium, Vitamin E, folate, Vitamin K, Copper and Vitamin C.  With all these amazing health benefits, it is easy to see why avocados are the new darlings of the nutrition world.  Throw some on a salad to increase your absorption of fat soluble vitamins.  Grind one into a smoothie to add a thick, rich, satisfying texture.  Mix one with some honey and smear on your face for a moisturizing mask.  The possibilities are endless.  What is your favorite way to enjoy avocados?

Post shared with Urban Naturale and Gluten Free Homemaker.

Photo by Three Layer Cake on flickr.

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