To think that gut health will become a huge focus in the next decade?

[KenAdams]

I'm seeing more and more people looking for ways to improve their gut health.

I have endo and going GF has been one of the most helpful things pain wise.

AIBU to think we're on the cusp of a gut health revolution here? Fingers crossed that it will drive companies to come up with better tasting GF food as well as some of it is dreadful!

@Stupendousseptember it was this one. I got it from Holland and Barrett

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/natures-aid-kidz-pro-5-daily-microbiotic-powder-60014467

@Gloxinia I replied to someone else with the details.

It's basically natural yoghurt kefir. Yeo valley, Bioful, Asda's own brand... It doesn't seem to matter which for me. Whichever is on offer! I have half a pot a day for breakfast.

I also read that increasing fibre, leafy green veg and decreasing sugar helps because it provides better growing conditions for bacteria in your gut.

I can't say that I made any changes with that myself, but thought I'd mention it to see if it can help others

@Stupendousseptember with Zoe, they monitor your blood sugar over two weeks, take a blood sample and a stool sample so they can accurately assess how your body reacts to different foods, from the perspective of blood sugar, blood fat and gut micro biomes. So everyone’s results will be different.

to make it easy to understand, foods are given a score of between 0-100. The higher the score, the better they are for your specific body,

so taking fruit as an example, you would generally think any fruit is good if your trying to eat healthily. But for me, Avocado is a score of 100, passion fruit is a score of 93, strawberries and raspberries are 83, yet a banana is 47 and watermelon is 22- huge differences,

in terms of oil, I’d been using coconut oil thinking it was a healthy choice, but that gives me a score of 26 while xtra virgin olive oil is 92.

id swapped my rice for Cous Cous, but for my body, rice is a score of 5 (yikes!) and cous cous is 25. But bulger wheat is 71. So simply by swapping my grains, I’m making better choices.

It already is - the people who used to go on about calories and fat now go on about their homemade kombucha and bowel habits. Yawn.

Seriously though yes it appears to be becoming a big thing as science shows how much it apparently affects our overall health. I am trying to eat more foods like sauerkraut and natto along with more varied vegetables and pulses.

Yep.

I'm quite old, been vegetarian 40 years, and have come to strongly believe that if I can eat approx 30 different veggies a week then my diet should give me what I need mineral, vitamin and fibre wise. I need to get the protein and carbs from other sources. It can be hard if working all week or just busy - so I front load into any meal I batch cook for freezing at least 10 veggies, whether they go or not in the recipe!

Kefir is "sugary junk food"? Really? Is that like calling yogurt "sugary junk food", but then the yogurt in question is Munch Bunch, or something? 🤣

(I know Munch Bunch is fromage frais...)

Thank you. Sorry I missed your first reply

It’s not a diet though is it? It’s just that more research is now coming out about the link between gut health and many other aspects of health such as mental health. It’s complicated and fascinating. It’s certainly not going to cause anyone any harm (like certain trendy diets) to eat more variety of plants, less ultra processed foods and more fermented foods.

I’m not a Tim Spectre fan (not a fan of fasting) but the latest Zoe podcast on gut health/ultra processed food and health is interesting and covers the latest science on this.

Kefir is not sugary crap like one poster claimed.

@thebellagio

I find this really interesting. I'd love to have it done! I remember Dan Saladino on the food program on radio 4 had his biome analysed in terms of loosing weight and he found out that he shouldn't drink coffee, which he was very upset about!

But I wonder how zoe would work for families... If my results say to use coconut oil and DH's say to use olive oil, how do we fry our onions when we're making our spag bol for tea?

Not really the same kind of thing, though, is it? There are links between the gut and the brain. I think it's of the same significance as the connection between dental health and heart disease.

I find it hilarious every time I hear kefir talked about as superfood. It's obvious sugary junk food to me.

It's just fermented milk? What sugary junk food?

@lljkk most kefir has no sugar?!
The health of the gut has been long recognised as important but unfortunately medicine focuses so little on diet that GPs etc have almost no training in diet.
I have cut out most UPFs and all gluten and feel much better, lost weight and it hasn't cost more as it's loads of simple foods, salads and protein. I've really enjoyed the change and won't go back.

Use neither and try something else instead? Eg. Vegetable oil or rapeseed oil?

@BeautifulGnome thats the downfall with the program I think. If I’m to commit to it 100% it would mean always having to cook separate meals for me and then a different meal for DH and DC because they don’t necessarily want to stuff their faces with various beans and seeds and nuts!

what is interesting is that for me, white wine scores 42, rose scores 48 yet red wine is 65.

so I can continue to drink my wine haha

Rapeseed oil is a huge high scorer for me, so I’m alternating between that and olive oil

so far I’ve lost 2kg in a week and I feel like I’ve got loads of energy.

ultimately we need to remember to trust our guts!

@lljkk It is plainly not sugary or junk. It's similar to natural yogurt. I suppose I follow that way of eating myself, pretty much.

However, I hear you in terms of the note of caution-there is obviously money to be made in this field, and its early days.

Well my guts buggered…only thing which helps it is daily injections 🤷‍♀️

Rapeseed oil is really bad for you (and secretly found in everything). Bad for gut health.

Vegetable oil and rapeseed oil are the same thing. Take a look at the ingredients on a bottle of vegetable oil. It will say 100% rapeseed oil.

It really is. Every one of these things has something that they claim is going to be transformational, all backed up with whatever science they pick and choose from. They all get a cult like following until the next shiny new 'lifestyle' comes along. Tim Spectre must have made millions and millions from this, just like Robert Atkins did before him.

I always know whats on trend from my friend who does everyone of these, paleo, plant based, now this one. Of course each one she is going to stick to forever because it isn't a diet its a 'lifestyle'.

You won't make friends with salad!

Kefir is fermented milk - about as far from ‘sugary junk’ as you can get. I make my own, using live kefir grains and whole milk. The kefir grains feed on the milk sugars, as part of the fermentation process, so the end product is actually low in sugars.

I think you're right. I've been drinking Kefir for a few months now and I've lost loads of weight and feel better. Didn't make any other changes. I just have a glass of it when I wake up.

I'll look into kefir for my conditions then. I'll try anything.

Would people recommend Zoe? It would be fab for me given my health issues (currently managed by mebeverine).