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Taking care of your gut health can be a tricky thing. When your microbiome—that’s the neighborhood of trillions of bacteria living in your gut—is put off-balance, the results can affectyour sleep,weightandeven digestion, among other things. What you eat can have an influence on your gut health, which is why we’re all about eatinglots of fiberandprobiotics, and your daily habits can also make an impact.
1. Enjoy your morning cup of joe.
“Coffee actually has prebiotics in it already, but I actually like to put in a soluble fiber supplement and some spices, really take it up to the next level,” Bulsiewicz says.
Spices can be a great way to add a little anti-inflammatory kick to your cup of coffee, especially since warm-sweet options like cinnamon and clove are amongthe very best spices for fighting inflammation. While we don’t always recommend supplements, a soluble fiber supplement can be a resource if you have a hard time getting enough from your diet alone. Recent research indicates that eating more soluble fiber could be great for your health, from making antibiotics more effective toreducing your dementia risk. Just keep in mind that you can also get in lots of soluble fiber from whole foods, like oats, legumes and fruit.
2. Eat fermented foods.
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, the good bacteria that can help your gut balance itself out and even support digestion. There are plenty of ways to work this tip into your diet, from kimchi and sauerkraut to yogurt and kombucha. If you don’t think of yourself as a person who enjoys the funky tang of condiments like miso or kraut, you could opt for a serving of kefir or mix your favorite fruit with ice and yogurt for a quick smoothie.
7 Must-Eat Fermented Foods for a Healthy Gut
3. Don’t count calories—but eat more plants.
“Stop counting calories,” Bulsiewicz says. “Start counting plants. Enough with the dietary restrictions—let’s live a life of abundance with as many different varieties of plants as possible.”
We couldn’t agree more with this plant-focused advice. There are so many health benefits toeating a plant-based diet, but an eating pattern made up of predominantly plants with occasional servings of meat or animal products can also be beneficial. That kind of plant-focused diet, which is less stringent than a plant-based one,could be especially good for your heart health. If you need some inspiration, tryone of these easy, top-rated vegetarian dinnerswe can’t get enough of.
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4. Diversify your plate.
Sometimes the oldest advice is still the best. Eating lots of different kinds of foods—veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and heart protein—from meal to meal is a great way to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need to thrive as well as delicious, varied meals that won’t get you stuck in a dinner rut. (That principle is just part of the reason we lovethe Mediterranean dietso much.) A mix-and-match option like oursheet-pan dinner formulais a simple way to start mixing up your dinner-time routine, and those recipe ideas will ensure that you at least get some protein and veggies on your plate. You could also lean on easy, pile-it-on bowls to get in all those necessary nutrients. Recipes like ourSalmon Rice Bowl,Vegetarian Protein BowlandCilantro-Lime Shrimp Bowlare customizable and low-effort, so you can eat diverse foods without adding tons of cooking time to your schedule.
Complete Plant-Based Diet Grocery List
5. Wear blue light-blocking glasses before bed.
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