Gut continues to be a buzz-word in the world of nutrition and holistic health. More and more research continues to come out on how our gut health has a bigger impact than we once thought when it comes to our immune system, metabolism and overall health.

And here’s the thing: There are a lot of gut health

promotion programs out there (and more surely to hit the market soon) that

offer up eating plans and supplemental treatment. But ironically, many of the

recommendations within them could actually negatively impact your gut health.

So what are the key components of gut healing eating? I’m going to outline some of the key components in our gut health program.

Article ShortcutsEliminate the Biggest OffendersMore Eating, Less DrinkingRotate Your ProteinsCook Your VegetablesReduction of Other Top OffendersInclude Gut-Nourishing Foods

Eliminate the Biggest Offenders

Gluten, corn, dairy, soy, eggs and peanuts. There’s a reason these foods cause the most common food allergies within our population. We not only are overly exposed to these foods within the processed standard American diet, but they’re also the top offenders when it comes to foods that disrupt our digestive function and immunity.

Also on the elimination list, processed vegetable oils (hello pro-inflammatory omega-6’s), beans, legumes and lentils (their high fiber can cause distress), foods high in added sugars, and specific nuts (cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios) that are harder to digest.

More Eating, Less Drinking

Although we recommend getting ample water throughout the day, (optimal is half your weight in ounces) focus on drinking that fluid before or after your meals, but never during.  This not only will help you focus on our other mealtime recommendations, (focus on the food, eat slowly) but will also make it easier for your body to break down and digest the meal.

Alcohol, coffee and tea should be eliminated as they can disrupt digestion and absorption of nutrients needed to heal your gut.

Rotate Your Proteins

When talking food intolerances and allergies, it is the protein within the food that the body is reacting to. As Americans, we tend to eat the same foods over and over so that when we compromise our gut health, we might start reacting to things that are common in our diet. Because we don’t have a huge variety of different proteins in our diet, (beef and chicken are most common) this food category specifically can be the most at-risk for a food sensitivity. 

The GUT.FIX meal plan rotates different proteins (or foods that are biologically similar) to not only provide variety but also help prevent a food sensitivity or allergy from emerging. To practice a rotation protocol with proteins, you can eat a specific category of protein (let’s say chicken) on a day and throughout the day, but then can’t again until at least four days later.  This allows your body to full digest and eliminate it along with any potential antibodies.

Cook Your Vegetables

Vegetables provide ample amounts of vitamins and minerals along with some of the best sources of dietary fiber (needed to support optimal digestive function). But if your gut is feeling compromised, veggies in their raw form can cause additional distention and related symptoms, (excess gas, etc) making them not so desirable to consume.

Eating cooked vegetables is a great way to make sure your body is getting the desirable nutrients and also making it easier for your body to digest and break them down.

After a couple weeks of eating cooked vegetables,