Healthy Gut = Healthy you!
WHEN YOU ARE IN A RUSH, DO YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST?
If you start the day without a healthy breakfast, this will affect your health and gut feeling throughout the day. I collaborated with Emma Sear from The Gut Works. This is so that between us, we can explain the effects of an unhealthy gut and the positives of looking after your gut health.
START THE DAY BEING KIND TO YOUR GUT AND REAP THE BENEFITS!
The gut is not an obvious choice for a discussion topic, and probably not something you stop and think about often. However, scientific research has revealed how complex and incredible its function is. It is something we should all be aware of if we want to stay healthy.
One of the primary functions of the gut is to extract energy from food. However, it also plays a leading role in our immune systems and hormone production. This influences all sorts of things, including mood, sleep, and appetite. Also manufactured in the gut are certain vitamins and chemicals, which are vital for the body to function properly.
It is also our second brain. Over 100 million neurons are located within the gut tissue, making it the enteric system. These neurons communicate with your brain via the Vagus nerve, sending messages back and forth. This explains phrases such as ‘gut instinct’ and ‘gut feeling’.
We now know that a large proportion of cells in our bodies do not contain DNA and therefore are not human in origin. The other cells in our makeup are microbes, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa that live on and inside us. The largest collection of these microorganisms resides in the gut, where around 50 trillion are found. They weigh 1-2 kilos. They are collectively known as the gut microbiome and form a remarkable ecosystem that protects us and allows all the functions that a healthy gut provides.
An imbalance in the gut microbiome can ruin our health. It is not just your digestion that can be affected, but also your hormone balance, memory, joints, energy levels, sleep function, weight, and cardiovascular health. This is to name a few.
Do the following issues ring any bells for you? Bloating, difficulty sleeping, low mood, achy joints, fatigue, poor concentration, unable to lose weight, particularly from the middle. If so, you may need to look at your gut health.
Factors such as lifestyle, stress, diet, and environment all play a role in the condition of your gut microbiome and therefore your overall health. Some of these factors are difficult to control, but one thing we can control is what we eat and when we eat it
Berry Smoothie Bowl
SERVES 2
150G BIO LIVE (PREFERABLY ORGANIC) GREEK YOGURT
150 ML OF MILK (PLANT-BASED OR COWS)
1 TABLESPOON OF CHIA SEEDS
200G OF SEASONAL BERRIES (RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES ETC)
1 TABLESPOON OF HONEY
50 G CHOPPED NUTS (ALMONDS, PISTACHIO, CASHEW)
1 TABLESPOON OF SEEDS (MIXED OR PUMPKIN, SUNFLOWER ETC)
PROCESS
MEASURE THE YOGHURT, MILK CHIA SEEDS, HONEY, AND ALL BUT A HANDFUL OF BERRIES INTO THE BLENDER. BLITZ EVERYTHING UNTIL IT IS SMOOTH.
ROUGHLY CHOP UP THE NUTS
SPOON the BERRY AND YOGHURT MIXTURE into 2 BOWLS, TOP WITH RESERVED BERRIES, CHOPPED NUTS AND SEEDS, ENJOY!
LET’S TALK ABOUT BREAKFAST! THE BEST MEAL OF THE DAY
We all know that breakfast is a vital meal. As the name suggests, it ‘breaks’ the overnight fast and replenishes glucose supplies to boost your energy. This gives you the energy you need to start the day.
Healthy eating habits are the key to gut health. The right nutrition at the right time is essential for your health and wellbeing. It improves your performance mentally and energetically, increases productivity, and you literally gain time for the day.
All that said, mornings are generally busy in most households. Therefore, conjuring up a breakfast fit for a king isn’t a reality for most of us. Many of us either skip it altogether, grab something on the run, or just settle for a bowl of good old cereal. This cereal is often sugary and leaves you starving by midmorning and vulnerable to unhealthy snacks.
A simple thing to do is eat more protein in the morning. This smoothie bowl, which packs a punch with high protein yogurt and gut-friendly ingredients, such as nuts and seeds, keeps you feeling full and your microbiome happy. So, when you have time in the morning, this is one to try.
For the days when you are rushing out the door and you really don’t have time why not try our Biome Shake?
PROCESS
TWO SCOOPS MIXED WITH WATER
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT START TO THE DAY, AS IT CONTAINS 22 GRAMS OF PEA PROTEIN AND A HOST OF CAREFULLY SELECTED INGREDIENTS TO SUPPORT THE MICROBIOME. THIS INCLUDES THE POWERFUL PREBIOTIC INULIN WHICH HELPS TO FEED EFFECTIVE BACTERIA IN THE GUT.
PLAY WITH FLAVOURS BY ADDING A HANDFUL OF:
BERRIES
FROZEN FRUIT
BANANAS
NUT BUTTERS
CACAO POWDER
THIS WILL SET YOU UP WITH THE ENERGY AND NUTRITION YOU NEED FOR A BUSY DAY. THIS IS A POSITIVE STEP ON THE ROAD TO PERFORM GUT HEALTH, AND THE RESULTS OF THIS CAN BE FAR-REACHING.
At The Gut Works, we run programs that help people get their health back on track, and tackle the issues mentioned earlier (bloating, weight control, poor sleep, fatigue, low mood, etc.), which arise when our microbiome becomes unbalanced. We use scientifically proven organic supplements from Synergy Worldwide to target and reset the gut and see amazing results time and again.
All the products have been rigorously tested to do what they say they will, and have 14 clinical trials behind them. Alongside the supplements, our customers receive structured, comprehensive support information, including access to gut-friendly recipes, practical hints and tips about small achievable changes they can make to their diet and lifestyle, which will help maintain their gut health in a sustainable way, and six-monthly check-backs to ensure everything stays on track.
To learn more about this fascinating subject, we offer complimentary webinars on our website. These webinars explain in more detail how our gut microbiome works to keep us functioning properly. To watch these or book a free, no-obligation health analysis with an advisor, you can visit the website at www.thegutworks.co.uk. Here you can also sign up for our informative emails about diet and the range of products we offer.
Small changes add up, so start your day the right way. Take charge of your gut health, and feel the benefits, and remember, everything is better when the gut works.
Thank you for reading this blog
I hope the information provided has been useful and will make you think about how you start each day. If you have any issues with your gut, or would like to know more, read the above intro to ‘The Gut Works'. See how they can support you.
As the photographer of this site, I enjoy writing blogs, per photography technique or theory, but I am reaching further in the content per blog. This is my reason for working with Emma. This is so that I can share more informative and detailed blogs on food or fitness, as these are my photography specialties.
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