Scrumptious meals to repair a troubled tum

By Dr Michael Mosley, 5:2 diet creator

We ARE often told to listen to our gut. That strikes me as good advice because, if you look after your digestive system and the billions of bacteria that reside there, they will certainly look after you.

I am now convinced a healthy gut is key to a healthy life. If you have been following my advice — and trying out the recipes — featured in my pullouts in the Daily Mail all this week, you should be on course to make your gut bacteria extremely happy.

however, if you’ve been on more than a few courses of antibiotics, or if your diet is predominantly ‘beige’ (heavy in refined carbohydrates and processed food), there’s every chance your gut may be struggling.

You’ll probably know if things aren’t quite right. It might be griping stomach pain, bloating, occasional nausea, or frequent trips to the bathroom (or not going often enough).

Perhaps you’ve been told you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) — a relatively common condition, which affects one in five people at some point in their life.

But, equally, your body might have become so accustomed to being out of kilter that mild digestive discomfort is now just ‘normal’ for you.

The lining of your intestine can be inflamed, or hyper-sensitive, and therefore vulnerable to damage by infections, some medications, an overactive immune system (which can lead to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease) and, controversially, by a poor diet.

Some of the most common mild gut conditions, as well as tiredness and even generalised aches and pains, are sometimes blamed on a condition called ‘leaky gut syndrome’.

The idea is that weakness in a damaged gut wall allows bacteria and other toxins to escape from your gut into your bloodstream, causing all sorts of problems.

If you ask your doctor about leaky gut syndrome, though, you are likely to be met by sighs and eye rolls. Many doctors think it is an imaginary condition dreamt up by loopy promoters of alternative medicine to flog dubious supplements to desperate customers. That’s certainly what I used to believe.

Yet there is mounting evidence that leaky gut — also known as ‘intestinal hyperpermeability’ — is a real condition. There is also emerging evidence a change in diet to one that encourages the growth of ‘good’ bacteria just might help turn things around.

We know, for example, that as well as protecting your gut from attack, some of the good gut bacteria produce chemicals which actually reduce inflammation and help reinforce your gut wall.

You should always discuss any gut-related symptoms with your GP (to exclude the possibility of a more serious problem), but if you suspect you might have dietary sensitivities, I suggest you kick off your new healthy guts lifestyle with two separate phases, which I will explain in detail on the following pages.

It begins with a ‘remove and repair’ phase for a few weeks, to allow any gut inflammation to calm down, before moving on to a ‘reintroduction’ phase, where you gradually reintroduce potential trigger foods, before launching into the diet your gut will really thank you for.

In the first phase, stick to healthy basics, but temporarily take away any foods that might be triggering your gut-related problems. It’s not a detox, nor is it drastic — it’s just giving your gut a break and the chance to recover.

In today’s pullout, you’ll find tasty phase one recipes, which were created with the help of nutritional therapist Tanya Borowski and GP Clare Bailey.

(Note that if you skip phase one, you may find adding the fibrous vegetables and fermented foods that I have been recommending all this week could further irritate your gut.)

When your symptoms have settled — this can take days or even weeks — you should be ready for phase two, the ‘reintroduction’ phase, where you can start to introduce new foods and bring back those eliminated during phase one.

This is when you can really start to boost your microbiome by including prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet.

PHASE 1: Remove and repair

The aim here is to temporarily remove from your diet foods that commonly cause gut problems, such as gluten, milk or coffee.

But you shouldn’t go hungry. experiment with healthy alternatives and fill your plate with non-fibrous vegetables to boost your healthy gut flora.

WHAT TO REMOVE

GLUTEN: There’s lots of scepticism — which I share — about the benefits of going glutenfree. I’m not suggesting you eliminate all wheat products (bread, cereals, etc) from your diet long-term, unless you have a genuine diagnosed allergy or intolerance.

however, gluten does appear to be a relatively common gut irritant, so it is worth seeing if you notice improvements when you temporarily switch to gluten-free grains.

DAIRY PRODUCTS: Dairy, particularly milk, contains lactose, to which people can have a low-level intolerance without realising.

The process of fermentation reduces the lactose load in yoghurt and cheese, making them easier to tolerate, but you may decide to temporarily remove all dairy products in this phase if you are prone to bloating, gut pain or diarrhoea.

PULSES: While beans, chickpeas and lentils form an important part of my healthy gut plan, they are best avoided when you are trying to repair your gut, as they contain lectin, which may contribute to bloating.

ALCOHOL: Sorry!

VERY FIBROUS VEGETABLES: This includes broccoli and kale stalks, stringy beans, whole peas and brassicas, such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which can be difficult for your guts to handle when they are feeling particularly sensitive.

I am a big fan of these vegetables, however, and I strongly recommend you introduce them as soon as your gut has settled.

SUGAR AND SWEETENERS: There is evidence that these can disrupt the biome and cause inflammation. For the same reason, you may want to cut back temporarily on tropical fruits, including melon and grapes, which have a high sugar content. HEAVILY PROCESSED FOODS: Where possible, get rid of these from your diet. COFFEE: This can also irritate the gut.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

PLENTY OF NON-FIBROUS, PLANT-BASED FOODS: Aim to fill at least half your plate with vegetables, salad, herbs and fruit. Include at least seven portions a day of vegetables and fruit (mainly veg). And make them colourful — variety is important for gut health.

GOOD-QUALITY PROTEINS: These are crucial for the repair of your gut lining. Aim for at least 45-60g protein a day in the form of fish

(particularly omega 3-rich oily fish), eggs (if they don’t cause you problems), chicken, game, red meat (grass-fed), nuts or tofu.

POLYPHENOL-RICH FOODS: Herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and fruit are packed with these antioxidants.

PHYTONUTRIENTS: Choose a variety of nonstarchy veg and fruits of different colours to get a range of these beneficial chemicals.

NON-DAIRY FATS: Including olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.

PHASE 2: Reintroduction

ONCE you’ve been through phase one and are beginning to feel better, you can start to slowly reintroduce potential trigger foods (such as bread or milk) one at a time, with a gap of at least three days between each new food. As these foods have been out of your diet for a while, any reaction (such as bloating or nausea) should be easy to spot.

The idea is to try to help you identify which foods might be causing problems.

If any of your symptoms recur after you have reintroduced a food, withdraw it and allow a few days of recovery before trying to reintroduce a different food. Keep a detailed food and symptom diary to track your body’s response to different foods.

The length of the reintroduction phase depends on whether or not you encounter problems when you reintroduce foods. The message is: go slowly and carefully.

DAIRY PRODUCTS: Start with full-fat live yoghurt, cheese and butter, before adding milk back into your diet.

GLUTEN: Start with relatively low-gluten grains, such as rye and spelt. Sourdough breads are usually easier on the guts, too. Then move on to introducing small amounts of wheat, again over a few days.

ALCOHOL: Consume in moderation — and with food. If you can, choose red wine.

INTRODUCE PREBIOTICS: This is the food your bacteria love to eat, such as onions, garlic, leeks, fennel, asparagus, apples, chicory and pak choi. PULSES: Reintroduce slowly.

ENJOY PROBIOTICS: These will top up your ‘good’ microbes (for example, live yoghurt, sauerkraut and smelly cheese).

IF YOU have any significant medical problems or very troublesome symptoms, consult your GP before starting this diet. It may not be suitable if you are underweight, under 18, have a history of an eating disorder, suspect you have a food allergy, have other significant medical problems or are frail or unwell. Seek urgent medical advice if you pass blood and/or mucus, have severe and/or persistent abdominal pain, experience unexplained, unplanned weight loss or loss of appetite, suffer from anaemia or a deficiency in important vitamins or nutrients, have persistent diarrhoea and/or vomiting.