Liz Earle’s top tips to keep your gut healthy
POOR gut health has been linked to a number of issues ranging from obesity and diabetes to rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and depression. Experts are dubbing the area the body’s ‘second brain’, believing microbes and nerves in your digestive tract can effectively alter everything from hunger pangs to your mood.
We asked Liz Earle, right, skincare guru and author of The Good Gut Guide
(£25, Orion Spring), to share her top tips for keeping your digestive system in good shape. Take a daily probiotic: “Taking a multi-strain probiotic each day (ideally one that includes at least eight different strains) is a useful insurance policy, alongside a diet filled with fresh and fermented foods. It can also help speed up the transit time of waste passing through your body, easing and regulating bowel movements.” Drink fermented beverages:
“Wash down your probiotics with a zingy kombucha shot or a glass of milk kefir. I start my day with a glass of kefir – a live yoghurt drink packed with powerfully beneficial probiotics. I make my own kefir at home using kefir grains and cow’s milk, although you can use coconut milk, coconut water or any other nut ‘milks’.” Go organic: “Buy fresh produce from farmers’ markets or look in supermarkets for loose organic fruit and veg that have yet to be scrubbed clean. This is such an easy way to take on board the healthy soil-based bacteria that help improve digestive and immune functions.”
Exercise: “Daily exercise keeps your gut moving – even just a short daily walk in the fresh air can make all the difference. Five to 10 minutes of meditation at the beginning or end of the day can also help relax both brain and gut, which will boost your overall wellbeing.” Give your gut a rest: “Whenever possible, try to rest your gut overnight, allowing a clear 12-hour window when nothing is eaten. It’s also worth considering juice-only days to fully rest your digestive system. Juices are natural cleansers and a quick and easy weekend reboot can make a real difference to how we look and feel.”