general

• gut health is important for physical and mental health
• it impacts performance, energy and sleep, concentration/mental clarity, emotional wellbeing (esp. anxiety/depression), and the immune system (70% is in the gut!)
• gut-brain-axis: chemical, hormomal and physical (vagus nerve) connection
• microbiome = everything from mouth to colon and all the good 'little critters' inside (bacteria, fungi, viruses)
• diversity of 'critters' is important for gut health, and it should be well-balanced
• bad eating (and stress) can make our gut sick -> doesn't work properly, stomach aches, bloating, etc.
• if we only eat one kind of food (e.g. fatty junk food) we get more of the critters who like that and less of the others -> less diversity and more cravings for those foods
• stress literally kills good gut bacteria

how to improve gut health

• good diet (see below)
• stress management (e.g. mindfulness, meditation)
• exercise and/or walking (15-20 mins per day)
• enough sleep
• enough water
• fasting
• targeted supplementation (if necessary)

5 things to add

• eat 30 different plants per week (= 4-5 per day) - including tofu, plant milk, seeds, nuts, etc.
• have a lot of variety in meals (don't eat the same every day)
• eat fermented foods (= probiotics) like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, apple cider vinegar
• eat 30g of fibre per day (see below)
• eat foods with omega-3-acids (e.g. flax seeds) or supplement

5 things to avoid

• red meat
• processed foods (= everything that comes in a package)
• sugar and artificial sweeteners
• trend-diets and detoxes (often not from professionals)
• eating too quickly and/or too much

prebiotic foods (= 'food' for good gut critters)

• whole grains
• oats & barley (Gerste)
• couscous
• flax seeds
• garlic
• onion & spring onion
• leeks
• cabbage
• eggplant
• artichoke
• avocado
• asparagus
• raw leafy greens: dandelion, endive, radicchio (chicory)
• beans & (chick)peas & lentils
• mushrooms
• cashews
• bananas
• apples
• berries (esp. blueberries)
• kiwi
• pomegranate seeds
• honey
• cocoa powder / dark chocolate

foods high in fibre

• psyllium husks (Flohsamenschalen)
• chia seeds & flax seeds
• lentils & (chick)peas & beans
• artichoke
• avocado
• leafy greens
• pears
• carrots
• broccoli & califlower
• sweet potatoes
• pumpkin
• brussel sprouts
• oats
• quinoa
• wholewheat pasta/bread
• sunflower & pumpkin seeds
• berries (esp. raspberries & blueberries)
• apples
• apricots
• cherries
• grapes

foods that are good for both

• legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
• seeds (esp. flax)
• berries & apples
• oats & whole grain products
• artichoke
• avocado
• leafy greens