The 3 Secrets to Perfect Gut Health

More and more research is pointing to optimal gut health as the secret to a long life free of medical problems.  In this article, I share the 3 secrets to perfect gut health.

Could Gut Health Be the Fountain of Youth?

As most readers know, we have a new book, The Longevity Plan: 7 Life Transforming Lessons from Ancient China.  This book represents five years of research and writing.

In this book, we identified a small village in Southwest China that was cut off from China and the rest of the world.  Here, people often live into their 100s without growing old or getting sick.  These centenarians are still doing everything they want to do and don't require help from anyone else.

While we identified seven factors that explain this health miracle, other researchers have concluded that the secret is their gut health.  Indeed, one recently published medical study reported that the reason why these people live to 100 and beyond was because of their gut health.  Namely, it was their high fiber diet, natural probiotics, and the absence of gut toxins that accounted for their longevity.

Worry About Your Gut, Not Your Belly

Personally, I’ve never been that concerned with the size of a patient’s body. Certainly, there is a relationship between weight and health, but it’s not a perfectly linear one. We all come in different shapes, and those shapes have less to do with health than a lot of people think.

Instead of worrying about our bellies, we should be worried about our guts. Research shows that having the wrong sorts of bacteria in our digestive tracts can cause everything from weight gain and allergies to autoimmune diseases and heart disease. In fact, gut bacteria might be the absolute best indicator of personal health.

The 3 Secrets to Perfect Gut Health

When it comes to perfect gut health, we really need to learn from China's longevity village.  They enjoyed great gut health and didn't have to deal with all of the health challenges that we do.  Here are the 3 secrets to perfect gut health.

1. Get the Right Kind of Fiber

The best fiber comes from real foods.  I have yet to find a study showing that fiber supplements can even come close to competing with the fiber in real food.

To optimize your fiber intake, pile on the vegetables with every meal.  Eat plenty of fruit, especially berries.  Lastly, don't forget legumes like lentils, peas, and beans which are also loaded with fiber.  Even nuts and seeds can be high in fiber.

Studies show that for every 10 extra grams of fiber you can get in your diet, you can decrease your heart disease risk by 20% and increases your lifespan by about 10%.  Getting 10 extra grams of fiber each day is incredibly easy to do.  For example, just one small cup of great tasting raspberries will almost get you to 10 grams of fiber.

Along with fiber supplements, avoid highly processed high-fiber foods. If you've been to the grocery store lately you know exactly what I am talking about.

Basically, avoid anything that has a label advertising its fiber content.  Even if these processed foods are fiber-rich, the impact of the other ingredients can wipe away any advantages the fiber might offer.

Real food doesn't require a label.  When was the last time you saw a label advertising the fiber content of fresh broccoli, kale, or spinach?

2. Get the Right Fermented Foods

Getting a daily dose of fermented foods can be a great way to replenish your gut flora and keep your immune system working well.  If you are new to fermented foods, build up gradually.

As with fiber, stay away from fermented foods with added ingredients, especially sugar or other sweeteners. For example, kombucha is well established to be a great probiotic, but the drinks popping up in supermarket coolers ar...