The 4 R's to Heal your Gut

1. REMOVE

It is essential to take away the issue first by identifying the root cause of your gut health symptoms.

Removing specific triggers won't be forever in most cases. It's at least until your gut has had time to heal.

These "triggers" may include:

• Food sensitivities determined by an elimination diet
• Excessive [intense] exercise
• Chemical pollutants
• Rushed mealtimes
• Poor sleep habits
• Chronic stress
• Slowly crowd out excessive sugar, alcohol, caffeine

Many facets of modern life, such as high stress levels, too little sleep, eating processed and high-sugar foods, and taking antibiotics, can all damage our gut microbiome.

2. REPLACE

Replace your suspected triggers with nutrients and gut-healing foods that will help to reduce inflammation and support 

     your digestive health.

These foods include:

* Herbs and spices (e.g., turmeric, rosemary, garlic)

* Extra virgin olive oil

* High-fibre foods

* Omega-3 fatty acids

Exercise:

Consider less intense workouts or changing your routine to include yoga, pilates, walking, swimming.

Mealtimes:

Replace rushed mealtimes with a more relaxed atmosphere and get into the habit of taking a few deep breathing exercises just before you tuck into your meal.

Mindfulness:

Slow down when you're eating. Chew your food to a mushy consistency and enjoy all of the new flavours you'll be experiencing from the gut-healing recipes.

3. REFINE

Refining means adding good bacteria [probiotics] back into your gut. This is especially important if you've recently taken antibiotics.

Probiotic supplements improve gut microbiota composition by restoring beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria species.

Beneficial bacterial strains are also found in fermented foods like:

• Yoghurt
• Fermented vegetables
• Kimchi
• Pickles
• Sauerkraut
• Fermented soy products
• Kombucha [not so good for heartburn]

It can be common to experience some bloating when introducing probiotic supplements or fermented foods. This is why it's imperative to start slowly.

4 REPAIR.

This final step in the process is all about repairing the lining of your gut.

Fibre ranks top of the list, and by now, you will have increased the amount of fibre [slowly] into mealtimes. Probiotics can't survive without the prebiotics in fibre to feed them.

Include foods like:

• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Hemp seeds
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Bone broth

Your nutrition plays a significant role in this step, along with possible supplementation.

Supplements can be used to help repair the intestinal tract lining, including:

• L-Glutamine
• Collagen
• Adaptogens
• Vitamins A, C and Zinc.