A quote from scientific research that you'll find in the "Fasting for Gut Health" chapter of my book "The Fasted Lifestyle: The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting".
"Eating habits are the main significant determinants of the microbial multiplicity of the gut, and dietary components influence both microbial populations and their metabolic activities from the early stages of life." - Del Chierico et al (2014)
So, here are my 5 nutrition tips to get your gut microbes working for you:
1. Consume whole foods in their natural state - try to avoid food sources with lengthy ingredient lists!
2. Consume natural sources of both probiotics (for good bacteria) and prebiotics (feed the good bacteria).
Priobiotics: Kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, kefir or coconut kefir, miso, tempeh, and more!
Prebiotics: Green(er) bananas, leeks, onions, chicory (chicory coffee is a great coffee alternative, containing no caffeine - I personally cut out coffee and consumed this instead when I had IBS), garlic (great for your gut, but difficult for many to tolerate without bloating), asparagus and more!
3. Get as much variety as you can - something Dr. Tim Spector often preaches about, he suggests consuming 30 different plants each week and as many different colours as possible for the polyphenols and phytochemicals.
4. Limit refined carbohydrates, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners - these processed foods are associated with "bad" gut microbes, and also contain little-no fibre or nutrients for your "good" gut microbes.
5. Fast... "strong experimental evidence suggests that not only diet but also feeding schedules are important determinants for microbiota composition and function." - Fetissov (2017). Something I discuss at length in my book.