Your gut health can greatly impact your overall wellbeing; in fact, it can affect everything from your immune system to your mental health. Unfortunately, many of the foods we consume on a regular basis can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome, leading to inflammation, bloating, and other uncomfortable digestive issues. If you’re feeling sluggish, bloated, or simply not your best, it may be time to reset your gut by cutting out certain inflammatory foods.
To discover some of the biggest offenders of poor gut health that you may want to consider cutting out to get things back on track, we spoke to nutritionist Lisa Richards, creator of The Candida Diet. She told us that many people could benefit from kicking sugar, dairy, and gluten to the curb. Find all of her expert insight on the matter below!
1. Sugar
It's probably not shocking news to you that sugar can lead to a number of negative health effects, from weight gain to skin issues. As it turns out, Richards says that consuming too much sugar can also be detrimental to your gut health.
"Sugar, specifically refined sugar, can disrupt gut health by feeding bad gut bacteria and leading to overgrowth," she explains. "This can lead to a serious imbalance in good gut bacteria to keep it healthy and work properly." That means that if you're struggling with your digestive system, you would likely benefit from cutting refined sugar out of your diet.
Richards suggests replacing refined sugar with natural sweeteners like monk fruit, honey, and erythritol in order to get your gut back on track.
2. Dairy
Do you prefer whole milk in your coffee? Maybe you can't stay away from cheese. No matter the case, Richards says that too much dairy could lead to poor gut health for certain people. Cutting dairy out of your diet could be one good way to improve digestion—and discover if you have an intolerance.
"Dairy is highly inflammatory and produces mucus, which can be harmful to gut health," she says. "Cutting dairy out will allow you to determine whether it is the culprit of your gut health concerns."
If you don't want to give up your creamy treats, there are plenty of dairy alternatives out there. Try adding almond, oat, or soy milk to your coffee. Your body might thank you!
3. Grains with gluten
Gluten-free diets aren't just a useless wellness trend; although avoiding gluten may not be the solution for everyone, Richards recommends cutting grains containing gluten out of your diet if you frequently struggle with your gut health, as this ingredient is one major culprit of digestive issues. It's possible you have an intolerance you don't know of yet.
"For those with an intolerance or allergy [gluten] can cause the gut to become inflamed among many other issues," she tells us "Cutting out grains that contain gluten can be beneficial for your gut health for a short period of time. This is especially true of refined varieties like breads and pastas."
The bottom line
Ultimately, the best way to figure out what works and doesn't work for your body and digestive system is to pay close attention to how you feel after eating certain foods—and talk to a healthcare professional. Everyone's body is different, so what works for one person won't work for everyone. However, if you're looking for a good place to start, following Richards' advice and cutting out these three foods is definitely worth a shot.
