Boost Your Gut Health with These Delicious Shakes

Hello friends, welcome back to another episode of Uncle Marv's Unhealthy Podcast, where we go beyond the typical health and fitness talk to transform what's unhealthy in your lives. I am your host, Uncle Marv, and today we're going to be talking about a topic that is close to my gut. Yes, you heard me say that correctly. 

Literally, we're going to be talking about gut today. I saw an article back in June that talked about the surprising symptoms that might indicate your gut is not in the best shape. And of course, that's the area that I've been kind of focusing on as I move along in my health journey. 

So, we're going to talk about that article, and then we will go over some foods that can help improve your gut health. So, before we dive into the episode, I want to make sure that I give you a quick disclaimer. I am not a doctor, dietician, or medical professional. 

And the information that I share on the podcast here is based on my own personal experiences, research, and opinions. And of course, the friends or guests that I have on the show, this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. And you should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition or dietary changes. 

So, with that, let's get into this article. The title of the article is Seven Worrying Signs You Have Unhealthy Gut As Doctors Identify Disturbing Cancer Surge in People Under 50. And this article actually was published back on June 4th. 

And yes, it has taken me more than a month to get to it, but it's in the list of things that I want to go over. Now, those of you that know me personally realize that, yes, I am over 50, but that does not mean that I should not pay any attention to what we do find when it comes to gut health. And of course, I'm doing the show here, so if any of you under 50 can benefit from this, let's help you learn. 

So, the seven signs that they mention in this article, excessive bloating, especially when not related to a heavy meal or alcohol, changes in bowel movements, such as a sudden increase or decrease in frequency, persistent fatigue, which could indicate issues with nutrient absorption, low mood or depression, as the gut is sensitive to emotions, brittle hair, skin, and nails due to poor nutrition absorption, frequent illness, as the gut is responsible for 70% of the immune system, and last, susceptibility to broken bones because an unbalanced gut may lead to poor calcium absorption. So, these are what they consider as the surprising signs. Basically, gut health can affect a lot more than just digestion, so if you think that's just gas that you're dealing with, be sure to look into some of these other key signs. 

And of course, the advice of the article is if you're experiencing any of these issues persistently, it might be worth discussing them with a healthcare professional. So, the article actually does list some things to do when it comes to... Actually, no, it doesn't. I thought it did, but I actually went and did my own research as to what can be done when it comes to addressing gut health. 

And of course, most of it has to do around the foods that we consume that will help improve. So, let me go ahead and just mention what are some foods that can help. And of course, the foods are based on having a high-fiber diet along with plant-based products and vegetables, foods that are rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and polyphenols, which is that word that I never really understood, except that we'll start with that word first.

Basically, polyphenols are things like blueberries, green tea, and dark chocolate. And those are mentioned because they can benefit the gut microbiome. And I'm not going to discuss that here because I don't want to get too geeky into the tech there. 

But that is the food when it comes to polyphenols. Now, when we get back to the other areas, such as high-fiber foods, for the most part that, let's see, oats, beans, vegetables, nuts, grainy bread, so foods like brown rice, whole wheat bread. And the reason that those are mentioned is that they provide essential fibers that support gut bacteria and overall colon health. 

When it comes to beans, just looks like regular beans, of course, chickpeas and lentils, also rich in fiber and beneficial for gut health. Let's see, vegetables and fruits. I found that leafy greens. 

So, of course, things like your spinach and kale. These are high in fiber and nutrients like folate, vitamins A, C, and K. And it's interesting because what I found that these contain specific sugars that fuel healthy gut bacteria. And then we've got low fructose fruits, again, the polyphenols, which are the berries, citrus fruits, and bananas, essentially because these are easier to digest and are less likely to cause gas and bloating compared to high fructose fruits like apples and mangoes.

And then if we're getting back into the nuts and seeds, we're talking things like almonds, pistachios. These are high in fiber, healthy fats that include the omega-3 fatty acids, and they also support a diverse gust microbiome. And then the, let's see, probiotic foods. 

So, Greek yogurt, some words I can't pronounce that all start with K, sauerkraut. These are rich in probiotics. And then other beneficial foods, which I guess don't fall into any categories, avocado, because it is a nutrient-dense fruit, high in fiber and potassium. 

Garlic, which contains prebiotic fibers that feed beneficial gut bacteria. And then collagen-boosting foods like bone broth, salmon skin, and foods that help the body produce collagen, such as citrus fruits and broccoli. So, I'm going to dig into these a little bit more, but I wanted to just simply talk about that article. 

I'm going to have a link to it in the show notes, and I'll have some references to these foods that I mentioned and why they would be beneficial in helping take care of our gut health. And we're learning more and more that gut health is very important. And I did not realize that it was responsible for 70% of the immune system. 

So, that's it for today. I just wanted to reference the article and talk about some stuff that I found around that. And of course, don't forget these additional tips. 

Stay hydrated and eat a variety of plant-based foods. And incorporating these foods into your diet can help improve gut health and overall well-being. So, that's it for today's episode of the Unhealthy Podcast. 

Your gut is more important than you think and making a few changes to your diet can have a significant impact. Thanks for tuning in, and until next time, live healthy and be happy.