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Common health problems like bloating may be signs of an unhealthy gut. Healthy gut bacteria helps to regulate metabolism, boost absorption of nutrients, and helps with weight management. Additionally, a healthy gut also means a stronger immune system, improved mood and proper digestion. In addition to drinking plenty of water, decreasing your intake of sodium and exercising more, you can aid your body’s natural gut processes by eating more fiber. Fiber can come from whole foods or supplements. Here are the foods leading health experts swear by for boosting your metabolism, having more energy and beating bloat:
Milled Flaxseed
“Also known as ground flaxseed, milled flaxseed is a versatile and high fiber food that can be integrated into just about any meal to boost it’s fiber and omega-3 content,” nutritionist Lisa Richards of The Candida Diet shares.
“These two nutrients are often used to improve metabolism, aid in weight loss, and correct high cholesterol along with many other positive health benefits.” How to shop for it: the flaxseed must be milled or ground for the body to absorb the beneficial nutrients it contains. “Otherwise, the hard outer shell leaves most of this seed left undigested and therefore the fiber and healthy fats pass through the body without being utilized.”
Galactan and Psyllium Husk
“These are very powerful fibers that can help flush out the bowel and help feed probiotics to properly reset the internal gut flora, help clean out the bowel of older stuck matter and restore function to the gut,” health and wellness expert Dr. Matt Chalmers tells us. “Any old matter in the bowel needs to be removed as it will often indignantly increase inflammation and can lead to free radical damage.”
There are benefits on the good bacteria, too. “They are both very helpful in keeping the good bacteria fed and thriving. Since good bacteria are fragile we need to do whatever we can to keep them alive and healthy.” How does this correspond to metabolism? “The better the gut flora the higher our metabolism functions, the stronger out immune system, and the more hormones like serotonin we have to help regulate a positive mood,” he explains.
Overnight Oats
If you’re looking for a more complete meal, look no further than overnight oats. “Adding a plant based milk with no sugar added, chia seeds and fresh berries contains a good amount of fiber in both soluble and insoluble fiber,” board certified internist and bariatric specialist Dr. Amy Lee of Nucific explains. “Insoluble fiber is one of the most well known prebiotic food ingredients seen in a lot of dietary foods nowadays to help feed our probiotics in the body; which has impact on health.”
