A healthy body starts with a healthy gut. Did you know that your immune system begins in your belly?

Throughout the average lifetime, over 60 tonnes of food will pass through the gut. The type of food you put in it plays a significant role in your long-term health.

Why Is Taking Care of Your Gut Health So Important?

There is a lot of research to link our gut health and the balance of the bacteria in the gut and disease.

Did you know that your gut contains thousands of viruses, microorganisms, and bacteria? It's no wonder we should avoid certain foods.

These bacteria collectively make up your gut microbiome and help your body fight any harmful bacteria that enter. A healthy and balanced microbiome can help:

• Regulate your nervous system
• Boost your brain health
• Maintain your metabolism
• Help you process nutrients 
• Regulate your immune system
• Help you fight disease

Healthy, balanced foods can help maintain the balance of bacteria in your gut. Then, if you were to get sick, your body would have a better chance of fighting the illness. 

Here are the Toxic Foods to Avoid to Maintain Gut Health

When you regularly eat processed, low nutrient food, it can play havoc with your microbiome. Eating unhealthy foods may cause inflammation of the gut and may cause issues with your gut health.

Avoid the following 13 foods to keep a healthy gut: 

1. Deep-Fried Foods

Fried food is not only high in fat; it can cause long-term damage to your gut. Oily, fatty foods can disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut and promote the growth of unhealthy bacteria.

Have you ever eaten fast food, and it made you feel bloated, too full, and gassy? That's your gut's way of saying it isn't happy.

Avoid or at least minimize eating fast food.

2. Alcohol

We all know alcohol isn't great for us when we drink it too often.

When we drink to excess, it starts to cause problems in the gut. If you drink too much alcohol, it can reduce the number of healthy bacteria in your gut.

Better yet, avoid alcohol completely.

3. Artificial Sweeteners

The clue here is in the name. Anything artificial will not have a positive effect on your gut health! Artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea and stomach cramps. Avoid any foods that contain artificial sweeteners!

4. Refined Sugars

Having a sweet treat sometimes is ok. Don't eat refined sugars often if you want to keep your gut bacteria in balance.

Refined sugars can cause inflammation and reduce the effectiveness of your gut lining.

5. Dairy Products

Many people don't have the enzyme in their gut to break down the lactose in dairy products. This can cause gas and bloating.

Avoid eating too many rich dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Your gut will thank you!

6. Citrus Fruits

Although we need citrus fruits as part of our diet for vitamin C, too much can cause issues. They aren't toxic for you, of course, but the acidity of the fruits may give you stomach issues.

7. Processed Meats

We all know that overeating meat isn't good for our overall health. It can lead to high cholesterol and heart disease. Processed meats can also harm your gut health.

Leave the bacon and sausages for special occasions only.

8. Coffee

One cup of coffee a day is excellent. When you start to drink three or four cups a day, you may start to get problems with your digestive health.

Drink coffee only in the morning, and don't add chemical sweeteners or creamers to it.

9. Meal Replacement Bars

Cereal bars and protein bars often contain processed sugars in high quantities.

Excess sugar damages your gut health and can mess with your metabolism. If you need a quick snack, check the ingredients and ensure the product is as unrefined and unprocessed as possible. The fewer ingredients, the better!

10. Cereal

Breakfast cereal is an unhealthy choice. They are heavily processed refined carbohydrates filled with sugar. To protect the health of your gut, leave them alone!

Switch out the sugary cereals for oatmeal with fruit for a healthy breakfast alternative.

11. Ready Made Cakes and Cookies

If you want a sweet treat, make it yourself. Anything bought from the store will be full of preservatives and nasty additives; it won't have your best interests at heart!

12. Bread

Bread is another refined carbohydrate high in sugar. It can negatively impact the balance of bacteria in your belly and cause inflammation. Avoid or minimize your exposure to it.

Replace bread with whole grains or legumes.

13. Sodas

Another culprit of poor gut health is high sugar sodas. They disrupt the balance of your microbiome and promote a lower number of healthy bacteria.

Sugar doesn't make your gut happy!

Your Diet Is Key to Your Gut Health

The best way to improve your gut health is to avoid eating these toxic foods regularly. This doesn't mean you should never eat them ever again but be careful to consume them only in moderation.

If you improve your diet to move towards a more whole-food, plant-based diet, you will see many improvements in your gut health. From less gas, bloating and stomach cramps you will feel fuller for longer while consuming fewer calories.

You can also try adding prebiotic supplements and probiotic supplements to your diet. These help keep the balance of the bacteria in your gut.

Supplements aren't magic pills though, you can't take them and still eat cheeseburgers every day! A healthy, balanced diet, combined with the right gut health supplements, will help you get your gut in excellent health.

Our prebiotic supplements are great to get you started to better gut health, so be sure to check them out.