Gut Health is incredibly important to living your optimal life. With a history of gut issues, I tried a variety of things to find relief. I’m sharing 7 things that improved my gut health today!
7 Things That Improved My Gut Health
WELCOME to the Capable & Strong Series!
This series is all about strength training. We will be chatting about things from reasons why women should lift to suggested supplements to building a strong body and mind! And you can expect strength training workouts!
Good Morning and Happy Friday!!
Today, we are chatting gut health. I decided to expand the Capable & Strong Series to include all areas of health. Having a strong gut is so important and it was a critical step in my healthy living journey. Having struggled with gut issues for YEARS, I tried a host of different things to find relief, including lots of medications. It wasn’t until I discovered that foods and supplements could help heal my gut that I actually started feeling better. Here are some of the supplements and foods that helped me immensely!
Strong gut, strong body. We are talking gut health #otb today! #sweatpink @fitappraoch Click To TweetL-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid – an AA that we must get from outside sources since it is not produced by the body – that has anti-inflammatory properties. It is a key supplement in healing leaky gut because it helps repair the damaged intestinal wall lining. You can find l-glutamine at most health food stores. I took 2 – 5 grams at least twice a day, just mixed in warm water.
Probiotics
Probiotics are essential to gut health. Whether in pill form, liquid form (hello, kombucha or keifer) or food form (see next one), it’s important to populate your gut with beneficial bacteria that can help make it strong. I’ve experimented with a variety of different probiotics. I’ve even tried gummy’s and powdered sticks. I honestly tend to switch it up every few months. Even if I do a pill, I’ll still make sure to include fermented foods in my diet.
Fermented foods, ACV, probiotics and more! Favorite gut health supplements #otb! #sweatpink Click To TweetFermented Foods
The first time I had kimchi, I was in heaven. These days, there are very few probiotic foods that I don’t enjoy. Kombucha, Keifer, Goat Milk Yogurt, Tempeh and Kimchi are my favorites. Eating fermented foods makes it easy to get in a solid dose of probiotics, especially if you are like me and tend to forget to take supplements sometimes! This Tuna Kimchi Bowl is perfect!
Digestive Enzymes
One of the very first things I purchased when I started my elimination diet was a bottle of digestive enzymes. There are a host of different varieties out there to choose from. Basically, this supplement populates your gut with enzymes that help break down macros in food completely, making it easier to digest/absorb/process, while cutting back on damage to the gut lining. I’ve actually backed off of taking digestive enzymes lately, unless I know I’ll be eating out or eating something that doesn’t agree with my gut. I’ll also pick back up in periods of high stress, as I know my gut acts up. My recommendation is to try out a couple and see what works best.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Have you ever taken a shot of ACV? It’s so unpleasant. I used to take shots of it all the time when I started my healthy living journey. It was too much for me to drink it in a cup of water! Now, I only use raw, unpasteurized ACV because it has The Mother and all kinds of other beneficial nutrients. ACV helps with SO many things, one of which is to help increase the production of stomach acid. Often times ‘heartburn’ occurs because there is a lack of stomach acid present in the gut to properly digest foods. AVC helps stimulate the production of stomach. If ACV is not your jam, you can also use a HCl supplement instead. I did that for a while, but felt like ACV helped much more!
Warm Lemon Water
You guys know I’m obsessed with warm lemon water. My number 1 health tip, other than just moving every day, would be to enjoy a cup of warm lemon water every day (I need to take my own advice and get my cup ready!). I’ve already shared the benefits of warm lemon water on the blog and gave you my #stupidsimplerecipe. My favorite benefits are improved digestion and bowel regulation.
Grass-fed Gelatin or Collagen
Having a scoop of collagen in either my warm lemon water or coffee is a daily occurrence. Since taking Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides regularly, my skin, nails and gut have gotten so strong. Remember, 2 scoops of the collagen peptides contains 18g of digestible protein, the same proteins that make up our gut lining! I usually split up my doses, but you better believe I get in at least 1 scoop per day! Even Mr. Burpee takes it!
Because I love this product SO MUCH, I’m partnering with Vital Proteins to give a tub of the Unflavored Collagen Peptides to 1 lucky reader! Entry details are below. Giveaway will run until Sunday night at 11:59pm. I’ll announce the winner Monday, along with some of my favorite ways to use collagen peptides!
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Giveaway
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So, what are you up to this weekend?! We have family pictures tomorrow and other fun family stuff. Plus, it’s going to be nice all weekend! It’s been a busy week and I am SO PUMPED to have the day off. I had the day off Wednesday as well. I ran errands, painted the kitchen and put together a dresser for the apartment. Yesterday, I finished a dresser and a cabinet, worked, shopped, decorated and got in 2 workouts because Oscar got lose in the afternoon. We looked for him for about 2 hours until I remembered he’s microchipped. We called PetLink, filed a report and he reported found about 5 minutes later. Someone in town (the one person that apparently doesn’t know us!!) took him to the Human Society. We got our pup immediately and The Hubs found out there is another Basset that needs a home…we might go take a look at him today!
SO, TELL ME:
What do you do to ensure your gut is strong?
What are you up to this weekend?!
XOXO,
JEN
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Sounds like it would be good to put the peptides in a protein shake!
Yes! Love them in a shake!!
I love adding peptides to my smoothies and coffee! I have been wondering if coffee inhibits absorption of the collagen so I’ve been trying to include it other places like oats but coffee ends up being so convenient!
Ooo, I never thought of that. Good point! I love including the peptides in oats and shakes too!
I am lucky that I’ve always had a strong gut – if I do have any issues, I usually know what I ate to cause them (9 times out of 10, too much meat). I do make fermented veggies, because I like them!
That’s awesome you haven’t really dealt with gut issues AND that you know that causes trouble when you do have it. I feel like that’s half the battle! Love fermented veggies!!
I love adding collagen peptides to my morning smoothies! I feel like there are so many other ways that I need to start adding more of it into my diet like chia pudding, coffee, ANYTHING!
Yes! Love adding to smoothies! And chia pudding – such a good plan!!
I’d try them in pancakes or in little protein snack balls!
Such a great addition to pancakes or snack balls!
I would love to try adding collagen peptides my morning coffee or even a matcha latte!
It will be so good in matcha!!!
Im really wanting to find some collagen. Now that im on a training plan I want to give my bones, joints and muscles everything I can to give them strength and healthy recovery. Training aside, I have concerns about my bones and jlints and want to start taking better care of them while im young. Ive seen so many recipes….but id most likely start with btownies :). Thanks for the chance!!
Either s smoothie or sweet potato mash!
I’ve been loving using collagen, but I need to use it more! some of the new Vital Proteins flavors sound really good. Also, I love warm tea or warm lemon tea; I didn’t know that ACV helps digestion, but I should try that. 🙂 Yogurt is one of my favorite foods ,ever, but I just haven’t gotten into kombucha.
I’m thankful there’s so many cool ways to help our digestion; I’ve learned so many ways from different bloggers.
Oh yes, and I would make…. OATMEAL with it! 🙂
i would use these in my coffee and smoothies
I would love mixing in my tea !
I’d throw it in my morning pumpkin oats with peanut butter!
I’ve never used them, so I’d be trying them everywhere to see what I like best
If I was keeping it real, probably a scoop in my morning tea or coffee, but if it was the weekend and I had more time, I would definitely add it to something a little more fun like a turmeric or matcha latte 🙂
I have recently started using this and my nails are the first thing to respond! I add it to my morning coconut milk latte. And sometimes I just add a bit is warm water and shoot it!