When your gut is unhappy, then it's likely your health is unhappy too.
Everything in your body is interconnected and works together to keep you well and functioning at your best. The gut is quite literally at the center of all the interconnected action happening and when it is in disarray, it can cause imbalances throughout your whole system and can lead to mild to severe health conditions if not properly taken care of.
Superfoods like ginger, turmeric, and turkey tail mushrooms can help restore gut balance naturally.
Because we are what we eat, and our food choices have a direct impact on gut health, we put together a superfood trifecta guide to help your body flush out the bad and keep in the good.
WHY IS MY GUT HEALTH IMPORTANT?
The gut is considered the "second brain" in your body because of how much influence it can have over health, mood, digestion and more. It houses important bacteria that are responsible for keeping things in top-notch condition and when they are struggling, then it can result in a number of symptoms, symptoms that can often be confused for other conditions or assumed to be symptoms of another condition entirely.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF AN UNBALANCED GUT:
- Digestive issues (bloating, gas, diarrhea, etc.)
- Bad breath
- Abdominal pain
- Sugar cravings
- Food allergies/sensitivities
- Moodiness
- Depression/anxiety
- Eczema
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune conditions
60-80% of your immune system is located in your gut.
Because of this, research has been finding more and more connections between gut health and autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, eczema and a number of other symptoms and health conditions many people experience, like the ones listed above.
These symptoms don't always guarantee a person is struggling with gut issues, but taking the time to care for your gut never hurts and could actually do more for your health than you might realize - not to mention, make you look slimmer while feeling more energized.
GUT-HEALING FOODS FROM MOTHER EARTH
One of the best and most direct ways to help improve your gut health is through natural, gut-healing foods, that are abundantly provided to you by Mother Nature.
Let food by thy medicine.
These are a few of the top gut-healing foods out there that we highly recommend. Individually they can do wonders on their own, but when combined, they can create a powerful combo that's difficult to rival.
- Ginger
- Turmeric (or curcumin)
- Turkey Tail Mushroom
This superfood trifecta has remarkable anti-inflammatory powers, supports digestive enzymes, and also strengthen the immune system. Here’s why they should be a staple in your kitchen:
Ginger
Ginger is an incredibly powerful spice that can do a number of great things for your health. The benefits of ginger are remarkable, but when it comes to the gut specifically: relieves gastrointestinal irritation, helps digestion, lowers inflammation, and may even inhibit gut infections like the ones caused by Helicobacter pylori (a leading cause of gut ulcers.)
Furthermore, the benefits of ginger include having a positive effect on the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is a common condition of the gut where people often experience a lot of bloat, gas and other uncomfortable symptoms of indigestion.
Ginger can help ease any inflammation involved with the IBS and can help protect from further harm or damage, strengthening your gut and immunity.
Ginger can also help with relieving gas, nausea, and heartburn and can help promote nutrient absorption, helping boost your overall health and your body's ability to keep itself properly nourished.
Superfood Secret Tip:
You can extend the life of your fresh (and a-little-too-old) ginger by juicing it!
It keeps all of its bioavailability in juice or dehydrated extract form, and all you have to do is cut it in one-inch slices, send to the food processor, and then sieve over a bowl.
Use a 1-1 replacement in recipes: if it needs one tablespoon of grated or chopped ginger, just add one tablespoon or to get the benefits of ginger you love.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of our favorite spices and has also grown in popularity over the past decade and for good reason. The benefits of turmeric make it a king among spices and can do some incredible things for your body.
For your gut specifically, turmeric is best known for its natural inflammation-reducing properties that can really help provide your gut and digestive system some relief when it's worked up and struggling. It can also help relieve symptoms of IBS and other digestive issues and also help prevent the further development of gut and digestive conditions.
Used in Ayurvedic and Eastern medicine for centuries, turmeric is one of the most researched roots in western medicine today, with over 11,000 papers published in the US National Library of Medicine. The health benefits of this powerful root are just being uncovered in the west.
Other benefits of turmeric include helping stimulate the motion and release of bile, which is important for the breaking down and absorption of nutrients. It can also help with excessive gas and other digestive discomforts that stem from the condition of the gut.
Superfood Secret Tip:
You can increase your body’s turmeric absorption powers mixing it with black peppercorns.
Turmeric is not easily absorbed by the body, to get the benefits of turmeric you need to add black pepper; research shows that it makes curcumin (turmeric’s active component) 2,000 more bioavailable. That means that it can be absorbed up to 2,000 times more than on its own!
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Turkey tail may seem like a random superfood to focus on when talking about gut health, but we're featuring it for a reason.
Turkey tail can have an incredibly positive effect on the gut, immunity, and digestion. Along with helping the whole digestive process function more smoothly, turkey tail mushroom also naturally contains some important prebiotics that can help balance your gut's microbiome, which is essentially the homeostasis and balance of the bacteria in your gut.
Turkey tail mushroom can also help people who struggle with conditions like Leaky Gut Syndrome, which is a condition where food allergies and sensitivities can be exacerbated and lead to fatigue, joint pain, and other digestive issues.
It has a really bitter taste and chewy texture that not everyone likes, so consuming it in tea or extract form is recommended.
Superfood Secret Tip:
There is a misleading lookalike mushroom that’s called “False Turkey Tail Mushroom”
This other mushroom, called Stereum ostrea is similar to Turkey tail mushroom but it’s redder in color. Pay attention when you’re shopping! If you’re making real Turkey tail tea at home, for a less aggressive taste that keeps all the health benefits, the best ratio to try is one part mushrooms per five parts water.
Organifi GOLD
As you can imagine each of these foods individually can do great things, but when they're combined together, their potential abilities are only fortified and strengthened.
Our very own Organifi Gold is a deliciously nurturing combination of these three powerful superfoods and six more incredible plant-based superpowers:
- Maximum strength slow-dehydrated turmeric, 4X more potent than other powdered forms
- Black Pepper to make turmeric 2,000 times more available to you
- Turkey tail mushroom, excellent for gut health due to its adaptogen properties that may make managing stress easier for you
- Calming Lemon balm
- Good-fat coconut milk, easy on the digestive tract of the lactose intolerant while feeding your brain
- Comforting cinnamon to support healthy blood sugar levels
- Acacia fiber probiotic for smooth nutrient processing
- Reishi mushroom, the adaptogen with a remarkable relaxing and antioxidant mix
Gold makes an excellent drink when mixed with hot/warm water or your favorite nut milk, bringing out that superfood trifecta with the best nature has to offer.
Drinking it in the evening every day can help boost your gut health and help relieve upsetting symptoms mentioned above while also relaxing your body, preparing you for a good night's sleep, boosting brain function, strengthening bones and joints, and cleansing your system.
Be sure to jump over and check out more about our incredibly delicious Gold superfood powder and grab a bottle or two for yourself!
Have you had experiences with gut imbalances or conditions? What has helped you on your journey? Have you given these superfoods a try or, better yet, our Organifi Gold? Share your thoughts and experiences with us, we'd love to hear from you.
And remember, we're in this together.