Just like a garden needs care and tending, your Gut Microbiome needs nurturing too. That’s where digestive enzymes and probiotics come into play.

Probiotics contain “good” bacteria which create an ideal gut environment by aiding digestion, inhibiting growth of potentially harmful microorganisms, and supporting immune function.

Just as different skill sets contribute to team performance, combining different probiotic strains yields greater benefits when taken together.

Kombucha

Your gut garden, comprised of symbiotic bacteria living within your digestive tract, plays an essential role in digesting food, fighting infections, and setting mood. Like a bustling city, its vibrancy depends upon constant care for its proper development. Probiotics are friendly microbes found within your gut that feed off prebiotic foods – plant-based sources of fiber that promote good gut health – helping probiotics and prebiotics work hand-in-hand to maintain an ideal ecosystem in which to flourish and balance out.

Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage packed with probiotics, offers an easy and delectable way to add more probiotics into your diet – and could even help alleviate digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhoea!

Kombucha can be found in most grocery store refrigerators or homemade with a kit or recipe, though you can also make it yourself using dark glass storage to protect it from light damage. Experts advise consuming it moderately – perhaps starting off by sampling one 8-ounce (240-ml) serving per day if you are new to drinking kombucha. High quality varieties with little sugar content should be the preferred choice when starting out; for best results store it away in dark storage to prevent light damage.

“Probiotics play an integral part of digestion, so it’s essential that they match up with what your digestive system and individual needs,” notes Li.

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning created through fermenting soybeans with salt and koji mold, providing an abundant source of umami flavoring for certain foods. Just like its more well-known cousin kombucha, miso contains probiotics to promote balanced gut ecosystem.

As with any food product, miso is best when consumed shortly after purchase, as its probiotics may begin to die over time. Be wary when purchasing homemade kombucha as some varieties contain harmful bacteria as part of its fermentation process and can contain higher acid levels due to fermentation processes.

Miso

Your gut garden requires food to survive. Consuming foods rich in probiotics like fruits, vegetables and whole grains will nourish good bacteria in your intestine. Avoiding foods high in sugar, artificial sweeteners, salt or processed ingredients will also provide your gut microbes with essential sustenance to thrive.

Miso is a fermented Japanese paste that adds savory umami flavor to meals like soups and marinades, adding depth of flavor with just one spoonful! Packed full of probiotics (good bacteria that live in your gut), plus protein for muscle repair and brain health, try miso at home or pick some up at the store – just be mindful to read labels to determine how much sodium there may be!

Fermented foods, including sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso are rich sources of probiotics for your gut flora; however, it is essential that they be included as part of a well-rounded diet for maximum benefits. “Every individual has their own individual gut microbiome; adding these foods in moderation will allow ours to flourish more fully,” Rossi advises.

Fiber can also help promote healthy gut microbes by providing essential nutrition to them, including iron and calcium absorption. Fibre also feeds these microbes responsible for breaking down food, producing vitamins, and preventing inflammation.

Reaching 30 grams of fiber every day should be achieved through eating fruits and veggies, beans and nuts – for instance a bowl of berries combined with raspberries is one option or try having oatmeal with milk and yogurt added.

As well as eating foods containing probiotics, another way to increase probiotic consumption in your diet is through kefir. This fermented dairy product provides both probiotics and prebiotics. When shopping for kefir, opt for plain varieties without added sugars rather than flavor variants; you could even create your own with milk! For added benefits try our overnight oats recipes which incorporate it!

Green Peas

Green peas are packed with the prebiotic fructans inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), making them a go-to choice for your gut microbes. Plus, these veggies contain Leuconostoc mesenteroides probiotic which has been proven to ease symptoms associated with IBS while improving digestion.

Fruits are an excellent source of heart-healthy minerals like magnesium and potassium. Plus, they’re full of dietary fiber – helping your digestive tract stay healthy by moving waste out of the body quickly.

Green peas are versatile veggies that you can enjoy both raw or cooked, alone or as part of soups and stews. Additionally, they make for delicious salad toppings or sandwich fillings, and when baked in olive oil provide a crunchiness snack option.

Add canned or homemade bean salad to your diet today or switch up your meals by including black, kidney and kidney beans in your next salad dish! All types of beans offer important nutrition such as protein, fiber, iron and zinc that support gut health – perfect for supporting good gut function!

Fatty fish such as trout, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids which can support healthy gut bacteria as well as boost your immune system.

Sauerkraut made of cabbage is packed with prebiotics and probiotics, providing your gut with essential flora that support its health. Furthermore, it’s high in soluble fiber content which may help lower cholesterol levels while protecting against heart disease.

Store-bought sauerkraut, often pasteurized and reduced of beneficial bacteria while being loaded with unhealthy sugars, salts and additives that can upset the gut, should be avoided at all costs. Instead, try making your own at home or switching out for pickles in sandwiches and burgers when making these meals.

Adjusting your eating habits and including more plant-based foods can have dramatic effects on the health of your gut microbes. ZOE at-home test can show which of 15 “good” and 15 “bad” bugs make up your individual gut microbiome, so that you can identify exactly what kind of microbes exist within it! To fully benefit from ZOE at home test you need 15 good and 15 bad bacteria – including which “good” and which “bad” species – make up your unique gut ecosystem!

Apples

Consume probiotic-rich foods to increase good bacteria in your gut, such as yogurt. Probiotic yogurt must be unsweetened and made with cold-pressed ingredients; when reading its label, look out for words such as “genus,” “species” and “strain,” (for instance “Bacillus Coagulans HU58,” with more strains being better).

Sauerkraut is an easy and tasty source of probiotics for gut health. Made with cabbage, salt and fermentation to increase friendly bacteria in your colon. You can easily make or purchase raw sauerkraut that doesn’t contain pasteurization agents – eating sauerkraut may reduce appetite, aid digestion and boost immunity!

Fiber is essential to gut health. Fiber feeds your gut microbes, helps you feel full faster and prevents digestive issues such as constipation. Consuming enough fiber-rich foods may be challenging, so to increase intake it’s essential that we consume a wide range of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds from different sources.

Apples contain anti-inflammatory properties that can lower c-reactive protein levels in your blood and improve respiratory function, while quercetin acts as an antioxidant that combats inflammation to defend against chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer.

Apples contain pectin, which acts as a prebiotic and provides food for beneficial bacteria in your gut. This can be especially helpful after taking antibiotics which can kill off these crucial organisms and damage digestion.

Apples contain not only nutrients but also polyphenols which are known to promote good microbiome health by encouraging beneficial bacteria to flourish while suppressing any growth of harmful ones. Some foods rich in polyphenols include black and green tea, berries, cherries, red wine (one glass per day), chocolate and purple corn.

An important key to maintaining gut health is maintaining a balanced diet and lifestyle. Eating plenty of plant-based foods provides your good bacteria with everything they need to thrive!