Did you know that the secret to good health lies in your gut? And what you eat, as well as your exercise and stress levels, can directly influence just how healthy your gut is?
In this article I will explain the role that your gut plays in your general health and how you can eat for good gut health. Plus, I will be sharing a healthy gut plan diet plan pdf you can download for free.
What Does it Mean to Have a Healthy Gut?
You’ve probably heard scientists say that your body has good bacteria and bad bacteria. In our stomachs, we each have a microbiome. This is a community of bacteria and fungi that lives in our bodies and, in many ways, dictates our health.
To have a healthy gut, you should aim to balance the amount of good and bad bacteria in your gut and keep your microbiome happy. It might surprise you to know, for example, that 80% of your immune system is in your gut.
By keeping your gut happy and healthy, you can reduce stress levels, improve your general health, and reduce your chances of suffering from illness and diseases. In particular, eating a wide variety of foods can help you keep your gut healthy.
What you remove from your diet is just as important as what you add, since some foods and drinks are key culprits for messing with the balance of good and bad bacteria in your good. Alcohol and caffeine, for example, can mess with your microbiome in a way that affects the rest of your health.
With that in mind, let’s discuss my healthy gut diet plan pdf and how you can use it. By implementing this diet plan you will figure out how you can improve your gut health without having to eat restrictively or eat foods that are unappealing or difficult to source.
What Makes This Healthy Gut Meal Diet Plan Easy to Follow?
I know that eating well can feel challenging. As a result, I have kept this meal plan as simple and beginner-friendly as possible. You’ll find foods, dishes, and ingredients that you recognize, so you won’t have to learn an entirely new set of cooking skills to try them out.
You’ll also see that the my diet plan keeps you satisfied. Too many diet plans focus on being unnecessarily restrictive, leaving you hungry and craving more. This healthy gut meal plan is high in protein and fiber, both of which have been shown to keep you fuller for longer.
Forget the diets of the past, when you might have been left with a rumbling tummy only two hours after eating. With this healthy gut meal plan, you’ll be satisfied, leaving you less prone to give in to cravings and more likely to stay with the healthy gut lifestyle for a while.
Free Healthy Gut Diet Plan PDF
If you’ve been looking for an easy way to follow a diet plan that’s good for your gut, this if for you! My healthy gut diet plan PDF is completely FREE to download and it will make it easier than ever to cook and eat healthy foods. Just fill in the form to get it now.
No more standing at the grocery store with no idea what to buy. Simply follow the balanced meal plan for three days to get an idea of how a healthy gut diet looks.
Easy 3-Day Gut Health Meal Plan
What exactly is in my gut health meal plan? Let’s review each meal over the course of 3 days.
Breakfast
- Each day: Two eggs your way, 1 piece of soy free/sugar free bacon, coffee or tea with almond or coconut milk
Lunch
- Day 1: Baked salmon with ghee and rosemary + dairy free mashed potatoes, 1 cup of fresh fruit, and a handful of almonds
- Day 2: Dinner leftovers from Day 1, side salad with vegetables and oil and vinegar dressing, 1 cup of fresh fruit, and a handful of almonds
- Day 3: Baked salmon with ghee and rosemary + dairy free mashed potatoes, 1 cup of fresh fruit, and a handful of almonds
Dinner
- Day 1: Dairy free shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles and a side salad
- Day 2: Chicken thigh meatballs with leftover dairy free mashed potatoes and vegetables
- Day 3: Cast iron steak with ghee and rosemary with vegetables
Best Foods to Eat on a Healthy Gut Diet Plan
If you’re looking to make gut health a priority for your long-term wellbeing, there are the foods you need to be adding to your diet on a regular basis. Let’s review which ones you need to include in a majority of your diet.
Lean Protein
There’s so much talk online about high-protein diets. There’s debate around whether they’re useful or harmful, how much you need, etc. Whether you choose to follow a high-protein diet or not, there’s no denying just how beneficial protein is to your health.
As well as helping you to build healthy muscles and bone density, protein keeps you fuller for longer. This helps you eat fewer salty and sugary snacks out of hunger or boredom.
For a healthy diet avoid overly-processed protein, such as regular bacon that’s loaded with sugar or additives. Instead, focus on eating lean protein, such as eggs, chicken, pork, and fish.
Fruits
While they are high in sugar and, therefore, shouldn’t be eaten in access, fruits form an important part of a healthy diet. Try and eat a snack consisting of fruit at least once a day.
Berries tend to be the most nutrient-dense fruits, so try eating more strawberries, blueberries, and the like.
Vegetables
There’s a reason why literally every healthy eating plan in the world promotes eating more vegetables. Because put simply, they’re great for you!
Vegetables tend to be low in calories and high in nutrients. This is the perfect combination for maintaining a healthy weight and looking after your general health.
Plus, vegetables are high in fiber, which has been shown to keep you fuller for longer. This can help you to ditch unhealthy fast food and sweet treats, which you’ll be more inclined to reach for when what you’re eating isn’t keeping you satisfied.
One of the most effective and easiest ways to improve your gut health is by eating a wide diversity of plants. Try and incorporate as many different vegetables and legumes as possible into your diet.
Healthy Fats
Fat gets a bad reputation, but not all fats are created equally. Yes, saturated fats and the type of fat found in deep-fried foods aren’t good for you.
But there are some fats that can actually be consumed as part of a healthy diet. Remember though, you should avoid consuming them in excess because they can lead to weight gain.
Healthy fats include nuts like almonds, olive oil, and avocados. Aim to have at least one portion of healthy fats per day to keep your gut in good condition and to stay fuller for longer.
Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are often portrayed badly in the media. It’s true that when eaten in excess they can cause issues for your health. No one food group is entirely bad though. Carbohydrates give us energy when we need it and make sure that our bodies function at their best.
More often than not, the problem is the quality of the carbohydrates we’re eating, not the volume. Reaching for white pasta and bread every day isn’t the best choice, as these foods tend to be high in salt and can spike your insulin levels.
If you want to enjoy carbohydrates as part of a balanced healthy gut diet, opt for wholegrain options or complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes. These foods are super high in nutrients and great for your gut.
Foods to Avoid On a Healthy Gut Diet Plan
As well as there being scrumptious, filling foods you should prioritize as part of a healthy gut diet, there are some foods you should avoid. This doesn’t necessarily mean cutting these foods out of your diet entirely. But, you might want to reduce the frequency or quantity of these foods and drinks.
Soy
Soy is often presented as a health food. It is a source of protein for many vegans and vegetarians, but I wouldn’t actually recommend keeping it in your diet for long term gut health.
Believe it or not, soy isn’t just added to veggie burgers and tofu. It’s actually a hidden ingredient in many of the dishes we eat most frequently in the US – even bacon! One of the main reasons I’m not a fan of soy is that it can contribute to hormonal imbalance since it contains estrogen.
As well as its negative effect on hormones, most of the soy produced in the States is GMO rather than organic.. This means it can negatively impact your general health.
When soy is overly processed, which it is in most of the ways we consume it in the US, it doesn’t do our microbiome any favors. If you have to eat soy as a result of dietary needs, opt for an organic variety or a fermented form of soy, such as tempeh and miso.
Dairy
Dairy is a common culprit for people who experience symptoms that point to a hormonal imbalance or intolerance. While it does contain some key nutrients such as calcium, it’s not great for your gut health.
Dairy is not the easiest thing for our bodies to digest. This means that sometimes eating dairy can result in discomfort, bloating, or flatulence.
If you eat or drink dairy products for protein, turn instead to a form of lean protein such as eggs or oily fish. There are plenty of milk alternatives on the market these days too. Just steer clear of soy milk!
Caffeine
If you can’t live without your weekly commute to Starbucks, you don’t need to give up caffeine entirely. But do be mindful of its negative effects, especially if you drink a lot of it.
Caffeine can cause all sorts of digestive issues, including ones that negatively impact the balance of bacteria in your gut. Caffeine can also lead to the overproduction of stomach acid, causing painful and uncomfortable symptoms such as acid reflux.
Don’t forget that caffeine is in more than just coffee. It can be found in fizzy drinks and chocolate too. So don’t get that double espresso and muffin and opt for a decaf coffee instead.
Sugar
While your gut won’t be harmed by the natural sugar found in apples or oranges, eating too many foods that contain added sugar is a no-no for your health. According to experts, when eaten in excess, sugar can cause chronic inflammation. This leads to all sorts of long term issues.
This inflammation can damage the protective mucus layer of your gut, decreasing the amount of good bacteria. Next time you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, reach for a piece of fruit. Or, choose chocolate with a higher concentration of cocoa and much less sugar.
Alcohol
Alcohol is known to have several negative impacts on your health, one of which is damage to your gut. When drunk in excess, alcohol can actually inhibit the production of digestive enzymes and juices. This messes with your body’s ability to properly digest food.
Consuming excessive alcohol can also cause inflammation, which breaks down the gut’s permeable layer. This will result in some seriously damaging long term effects. While this doesn’t mean you have to cut out alcohol entirely, it’s worth cutting down on your consumption and never drinking on an empty stomach.
Get Your FREE Healthy Gut Diet Plan PDF Today!
If you’ve previously struggled to stick to your goals because you simply don’t know how to eat healthier, you’ll get so much out of my game-changing 3-day healthy gut meal plan. The goal of the PDF is to jumpstart your progress, so once you start understanding how to cook and eat better, you can continue long-term.
My number one passion is helping you make better decisions for your gut and your body in general and this 3-day meal plan is the perfect place to start. Fill in the form below to get it now. I’ll see you on the other side!
