At Home In The Kitchen

Tamara McIntyre - Good Nature’d Health Food Store

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Digestion and Gut Health

Before eating follow these steps:

  1. Always eat in a calm, tranquil environment. Tension and strain tangle digestion.

  2. Always take a moment to reflect the food that has given its life to nourish your body.

  3. Take 3 deep breaths before beginning to eat.

  4. Consider where your food comes from. If you can’t identify where your food came from should you be consuming it?

  5. Chew slowly and many times. The breakdown of food begins in the mouth, the more you chew the easier it is for your stomach to get the most out of your food and prevent digestive upset.

  6. Eat only when hungry.

There is HOPE!

Following the steps above before eating is step one!

HOPE: Following the acronym HOPE. Which stands for High fibre, Omega Oils, Probiotics and Enzymes is a great way to heal the gut through supplementation. Depending on how severe your gut issues are most people on a western diet should follow the HOPE protocol.

Breakdown HOPE

High Fibre: eating food high in fibre such as flax seed, chia, psyllium fibre, raw fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, plant proteins such as millet, barley and oats. If you are not able to eat enough of these foods, Renewlife makes a great product called Fibresmart. Fibre is important to keep the bowels moving regularly to carry both food stuff and toxins out of the body.

Omega oils: cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, plants like: nuts and seeds, olive oils, flax, borage, primerose and more. Omega Oils are important for reducing inflammation, cellular health, tissue healing, and lubrication. Again, these oils can be supplemented.

Probiotics the fight between good vs evil.

Why are probiotics important? Well, two reasons. One, they help to protect the gut from foreign invaders and two they help balance the gut microbiome. This is important because an imbalance can lead to IBS, leaky gut, autoimmune disease, thyroid issues and more. If you suffer from any of these issues an 80 billion or more multi-strain probiotic is recommended.

Enzymes: Enzymes are the spark of life, they assist our guts in the breakdown and assimilation of our food stuff. They also act as catalysts to help carry nutrients to other areas of the body. We get them naturally from our fruits and vegetables, however if our diet is lacking these foods, then we need to supplement with a multi-enzyme blend.