The quality of our digestion, including our gut lining and the microbes living in our gut, can affect our mood, immune function, skin, weight or body composition, and overall health and well-being. Everyday diet and lifestyle choices can influence the quality of our digestion and the balance of microbes that live there. What can I do? – Dietary changes There are a number of things you can do to support intestinal health and integrity. Making short- and long-term dietary changes and eliminating foods that your body may treat as toxic is a good first step. Then you can address the stressors in your life and implement coping strategies. Common problematic foods include wheat and other grains, nuts/seeds, ultra-processed dairy, seed/vegetable oils, refined sugars, and food additives (colourings, flavourings, and preservatives). Eliminating ultra-processed foods and focusing on whole foods is key: Including and prioritising nutrient-dense animal foods along with their fat and collagen, which are essential for the health of gut tissue; having fruits and above- and below-ground vegetables that you enjoy, providing the little bit of fibre (you don’t need a lot…) that your gut microbes will love; and probiotic foods, e.g., kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir, to support the balance of the gut microbiota and its alpha diversity. Not fearing sea salt is also a good idea. We need sodium and the other minerals in a whole-food, unrefined salt like Celtic Sea salt to augment the minerals in our food (caveat: salt requirements are also individual; find your balance). The chloride in unrefined salt supports stomach acid production and minerals keep our digestion humming and our bowels regular. This local, seasonal, whole-food diet will help to support a healthy intestinal lining and encourage good bacterial growth.

Naturally helpful nutrients Zinc supports cell repair and supports a healthy immune system. The most bioavailable source is animal foods, especially meat, organs, and shellfish. Glutamine is an amino acid that supports healthy zonulin levels, protects the gut wall, and is the main fuel source for the cells that line the intestines. Glutamine is found in high-protein foods but is at least twice as bioavailable in animal proteins than in plant proteins. Good Health Gut Guard contains glutamine, zinc, and other gut supporting ingredients. Turmeric supports the integrity of the gut lining. Turmeric taken with black pepper or in a phospholipid base helps to aid absorption. Pre-, pro-, and postbiotics have been shown to support a healthy gut environment. Prebiotics are foods like collagen (bone broth) and some types of plant fibre. Probiotics are fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir/yoghurt. Postbiotics are the breakdown products of microbial life in the gut, and most are beneficial to the gut lining and our general health. Collagen, from bone/tendon broths, supports the gut structure and function. Collagen supplements may also support gut health. Colostrum contains immune proteins that support the gut structure and function and the immune system.