Screw it, I need something to get my metabolism in check, full-speed ahead while tuned to create the winning edge. At one hundred and fifteen kilos with plenty of muscle it does me no good, as my mid-section boasts bags of fat-ladened bulging corpulent pudginess. I could blame genetics, but it’s abusing too much intake and consuming empty calories.
Experts say, “happy gut, happy life.” We are what we eat if you think about it. Eat too much and feel bloated. Eat excessive amounts too regularly and the bulge keeps growing! It is as simple as that. Then the sedentary lifestyle doesn’t help, as love handles are like wearing a tyre around your waste. Well maybe not you, but certainly I’ve been in better shape! Gut health has been proven to affect everything from mental health to the immune system to skin conditions.
How, exactly? You may have heard the term “gut microbiome” before. Gut microbiome refers to all of the microorganisms and bacteria that live in our digestive tract — all 100 trillion of them. With an army that large, it’s no wonder the gut controls so much of our overall health.
Fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics are gut health all-stars. We might know how to get these through foods, but how about your bevvies? May I suggest following a week’s drink menu to have your gut glowing to burn effectively! Five liquid products that can make a tremendous difference.
1. Kefir for breakfast has a consistency that’s similar to drinkable yogurt, which makes this the perfect on-the-go option. Incredible for gut and digestive health, kefir is actually a more powerful probiotic than yogurt and can contain dozens of different strains of yeast and bacteria. Most yogurts only have a few. That’s good gut news, since probiotics are linked to healthy weight management, mental health benefits, and general treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases.
2. Midmorning break: Soothing bone broth for a much-needed midday break.
Bone broth has a long history of being used as a digestive tonic to soothe inflammation. Two of its main components, gelatin and glutamine, are great for the gut. Gelatin can help heal inflammation and intestinal lining in the digestive system while glutamine, an amino acid, has been shown to aid in leaky gut.
3. Celery juice with lunch for good digestion is a natural anti-inflammatory that can improve digestion and restore gut health. It can also act as a mild natural laxative, and as an added bonus, it can help lower your blood pressure. Sipping celery juice with lunch, especially if that lunch contains some protein, will ensure a happy gut.
4. Swapping wine for kombucha at dinner is a great choice for gut health. And, hey, you can even put it in a fancy wine glass if you’d like. Kombucha brings us back to probiotics. Kombucha is a type of tea that is fermented, and anything fermented is naturally a great source of probiotics. Since kombucha is made from tea, you also get to reap all of those benefits including antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory polyphenols.
5. Sweet dreams with ginger tea that has been used for centuries to soothe the GI tract, and it isn’t going anywhere. Studies have shown that ginger increases the emptying of the stomach and may be beneficial for those with stomach discomfort and indigestion. Ginger also stimulates the production of certain gut-healthy bacterial species, acting as a prebiotic. Plus, you’ll reap all of the other benefits of this powerful plant!
Don’t forget water the most important beverage for gut health. Water keeps things moving along, balances the good bacteria in the gut, and protects the intestines. Consider sipping alkaline water, which supports a healthy colon and encourages the growth of probiotics.
Every now and then give yourself a week’s treatment, and see the difference.
Have a great day!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Screw it (idiom) = Expression of frustration or contempt. Interjection. screw it! (Mildly vulgar, slang). Expression of frustration or contempt. This mathematical problem is really difficult. Oh, screw it!
In check (idiom) = 1. under control. "A way of keeping inflation in check."
2. CHESS (of a king) directly attacked by an opponent's piece or pawn; (of a player) having the king in this position.
Pudgy (adj) = fat, chubby, heavy, round, overweight, portly, stocky, (ant) thin
Bulging (adj) = protruding, swollen, bloated, expanded, projecting, distended, protuberant
Pudginess (n) = the state of being slightly fat: She wasn't thin, but all of her pudginess was gone.
Empty calories = calories derived from food containing no nutrients.
Probiotics, and prebiotics = probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body. Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora.
Bevvies (n) = 1. a drink, especially an alcoholic one. “We had a few bevvies last night.” 2. a session of drinking.
Polyphenols (n) = are a class of compounds found in many plant foods that includes flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes. There are more than 8,000 different types of polyphenols that have been identified so far.
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