Simple Tips for Good Digestive Health
Our digestive systems are miracles of nature, yet millions of people in England spend each day popping pills to heal indigestion. Sometimes this is due to a gluten allergy. But often due to eating foods that are low in fibre and preventable conditions like constipation and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
It Takes Guts is a fun book to explain in plain English how bodies turn food into fuel – and poo! Once you know how your body works, it’s empowering to know which foods to eat and avoid. You’ll also learn about helpful bacteria and how acids break down food, without burning holes in your stomach!
What Are Gut-Healthy Foods?
Fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses (beans, peas, lentils) and whole grains are all pretty gut-friendly. Fibre adds bulk to your stools, to help prevent constipation (as long as you also drink plain water and eat slowly, to help food absorb better).
A good way to see how your tummy is, is to look at your poo! Obviously see a GP for anything serious (and don’t worry if poo turns a bit pink or black if you eat beetroot or liquorice).
Sticky poo is due too much dairy/gluten, smelly poo is too little fibre and too much acid (give up meat). Greasy poo is due to fast food (Joy McCarthy writes that if you poo looks like ‘an oil spill in the toilet’, it’s your liver and gall bladder begging for love!) Alcohol can also cause havoc, as can dehydration (rabbit poo) and too much caffeine (race car poo!)
If any of the above apply, drink more plain water, eat more plants and fibre, and slow down your lifestyle. You should notice positive changes within days.
A Coconut Yoghurt (with gut health benefits!)
Got an icky tummy? You’ve likely heard that yoghurt is good for your gut, but you don’t have to eat dairy to get the benefits. Look in shops for The Coconut Collab gut-health yoghurt.
Made with fresh coconuts combined with coconut water, the mix is then fermented (just like dairy yoghurt) to produce millions of healthy bacteria for a healthy tummy.
The Coconut Collab never uses monkeys to harvest their coconuts, and never uses palm oil (this helps to protect orangutans and other endangered species from deforestation).
This brand makes lots of other tasty coconut yoghurts, this one is a little different in that it has billions of additional live cultures added. Like all their yoghurts, it’s fortified with vitamins (including B12, the one really important for vegans) and calcium.
Fermented Foods, Kefir and Kombucha
Many fermented foods are unpasteurised (and may contain caffeine or alcohol) so avoid for pregnancy/nursing, weak immunity, children and some medical conditions (IBS, leaky gut, low-salt diets, histamine intolerance and awaiting transplants).
- Sojade organic plant-based yoghurts (find in health shops) contain the same ‘good bacteria’ as dairy, without the cholesterol.
- Fermented foods include sourdough bread, sauerkraut and kimchi (both from cabbage), tempeh (an Indonesian food to replace meat) and miso (a tasty Japanese condiment).
- Kombucha and kefir are usually in drinks (use store-bought versions for safety, to avoid bacteria). ONE Living (founded by rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson) also offers canned water kefirs. Choose from strawberry or lemon flavours.
Pop ring-pulls back over cans before recycling, to help avoid wildlife getting trapped.
A Gut-healing Raspberry Smoothie Recipe
This gut-healing raspberry smoothie (Vibrant Plate) is made with coconut yoghurt, so does your tummy good, as well as your tastebuds! It also contains strawberries, blueberries and pear, so you get your five-a-day in one drink!
For tinned ingredients, remove and pop lids inside, or pop ring-pulls back over holes (pinch top closed) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
What are raspberries?
Everyone loves raspberries, and they are ideal in cake, desserts or even swirled through vegan ice-cream to make raspberry ripple flavour.
Related to roses, raspberries are not true berries, but very nutritious. They don’t ripen after being harvested, so buy ripe! Humans have been eating raspberries for a very long time, as they are so delicious! In history, they have been as medicinal herbs through to paint!
You may think our climate suits raspberries best, but in fact the world’s leading producer of them is ice-cold Russia. The flowers are also a wonderful source of nectar for honeybees and other pollinators.
How to buy, store and freeze raspberries
As raspberries don’t ripen after picking, they are very perishable, so only buy what you need and try to eat them straight away. As a local crop, farmers’ markets and PYO farms often have heaps of them on offer.
Buy bright firm and plump raspberries that are of good colour, and avoid ones that are wet, stained or leaking juice (this means they are over-ripe and could go mouldy). This often happens when sold in plastic punnets in supermarkets. Check the bottom of the container for mould or smashed fruits.
Once home, keep raspberries in the fridge (avoid the crisper drawer as it’s too damp), and only wash just before you eat them (again to avoid mould).
Fruit & Veg Wash helps reduce exposure to listeria, E.coli and salmonella. Code GSENGLANDNATURALLY (15% off order, minimum purchase £20)
To freeze leftover raspberries, rinse gently in cool water and air-dry on kitchen towels (ensuring they are dry helps to prevent ice crystals). Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they don’t touch, then freeze for 1 to 2 hours until firm. Then transfer to a silicone freezer bag (remove as much air as possible, to stop freezer burn). Label with the date and store in the freezer for up to a few months.
Ideas to use up leftover raspberries
- Blend into homemade smoothies
- Simmer into a quick sauce with a little sugar, to make a coulis. Drizzle this on pancakes, or swirl into plant-based yoghurt or ice cream.
- Blend with plant-based yoghurt, then freeze in ice-lolly moulds.
- Dip in melted vegan chocolate, and freeze on a baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Gently fold fresh berries into muffin or scone batter.
Dr.Vegan Healthy Digestion Supplement
Dr.Vegan Gut Works is a quality supplement, the first order is sold in a refillable metal tin, then you just order refills in eco-pouches thereafter. You can buy once, or get a free pill tin, then subscribe for bigger savings.
It contains 6 scientifically studied strains of bacteria, with prebiotics and psyllium husk, to support a healthy gut and bowels (88% of people find it effective). Just take 1 capsule each day for at least 6 days (morning or evening, with or without food – take at least 20 minutes before or after hot food or drink).
These supplements are sensitive to heat, so keep pouches sealed, away from warm air and radiators.
Always check with your GP before taking supplements if on medication (also for women if pregnant or nursing). Keep them away from children and pets, and recycle unused supplements and medicines at pharmacies (never flush them down the loo).
When to expect improvements
- In 2 weeks (better gut health and good bacteria)
- In 1 months (healthier bowels, less digestive discomfort, bloating and gas)
- In 2 months (better absorbed nutrients & gut health)
Join the transparent label campaign
The Transparent Label Campaign is a worldwide movement set up by US supplement company Terraseed, to demand that supplement companies list full ingredients, so people can avoid ones with gelatine, fish, collagen, creatine and magnesium stearate (mostly in vitamin D and omega 3 supplements – which cause the death of 24 billion creatures each year).
Also boycott krill supplements (you can easily get omega 3 fatty acids from nuts, seeds or algae supplements). Krill is an important food for whales, seals, penguins and fish, and removal causes by-catch of other creatures.
When to expect improvements
- In 2 weeks (better gut health and good bacteria)
- In 1 months (healthier bowels, less digestive discomfort, bloating and gas)
- In 2 months (better absorbed nutrients & gut health)
Feel Daily Biotic Supplement
Feel Daily Biotic is a quality nutritional supplement formulated by experts, and sold in zero waste sustainable packaging. All their products are vegan and not tested on animals.
Teens and older children can use it, although those under 13 may be better served by a child-friendly probiotic. Use code partner20 for 20% discount (not bundles or subscriptions). If you subscribe, sign up for an account to earn discount rewards.
With results in 90 days, this supplement uses strains used in human clinical trials, to reduce bloating, constipation and abdominal comfort in just as few weeks. It contains 10 billion CFU of live bacteria to target mood and digestion (very much linked) and has more benefits for your skin and weight management.
You should find improvements within a few days, like less bloating and discomfort after meals, and may also notice improvements to bowel movement and constipation.
- 1 month (better gut health, skin and mood)
- 3 months (better bacteria should mean less inflammation in the body and better brain function), plus stronger immune system
- 1 year (long-term digestive health and better gut microbiota)
Vegums Probiotic Supplements (for adults or children)
Vegums probiotic supplements are quality supplements (created by pharmacists), of tasty fruit chewable supplements sold in cellulose (wood pulp) bags that you just cut and compost, after use (or bin to naturally break down in the bin, without harm).
Ideal for daily health and immunity, they are also gentle on the stomach. Save 20% when you subscribe online for monthly home delivery.
These supplements contain 1 billion CFU of bacillus subtilis to help a healthy gut and smoother digestive system. Ideal for:
- Gut health
- Good immunity
- Boosted mood
- Also in a Children’s version
How to take these supplements
Just take 2 gummies daily for adults, or 1 gummy daily for children (age 3 to 12). Ideal for people who have regular upset tummies, or are a bit grumpy!
NHS website has good (regularly updated) information for parents of vegan children.
