Bethany Frazier
Price Chopper Dietitian
Bethany Frazier
Price Chopper Dietitian
Research has shown a direct link between gut health and mental health. And one of the most effective ways to support gut health is diet.
April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS awareness month, the perfect time to think about foods that support a healthy gut. While IBS impacts 10-15% of people in the U.S., everyone can benefit from foods that support a healthy gut. Plus, supporting gut health with your diet can actually be pretty simple. Let’s talk about three things you can add to your diet to support gut health.
- Resistant starch
Resistant Starch is most often found in starchy foods that have been cooked and cooled, but it’s found in a few raw foods like green bananas too. Resistant starch, as the name suggests, is starch that resists digestion, helping to provide food for the gut bacteria. When gut bacteria are well fed, they are happier and create a healthier community with fewer digestive symptoms. Some other ways to add in resistant starch:- Add cooled rice to salads
- Try Overnight oats
- Whip up some potato salad
- Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be taken in supplement form or in the form of foods. Try topping your sandwiches or salads with sauerkraut, sipping on kombucha or replacing half of your mayonnaise in chicken salad and potato salad recipes with Greek yogurt. - Bitter Foods
Bitter Foods like arugula, dill and apple cider vinegar can help to support digestion. Have you ever taken a bite of something extremely sour and felt your mouth almost burn as it watered? That is part of the body’s response to digest what it’s exposed to. Bitter foods can trigger the release of digestive enzymes, throughout your whole body which can help with digestive capacity.
