Improving Gut Health one Bite at A Time

The health of our gut impacts not only our ability to absorb and digest nutrients but our mood, brain chemistry, immune system, body weight, and risk for disease. Our gut health can change in as little as 24 hours, making it essential to give your body the nutrients it needs daily. Supporting your gut health does not have to be complicated. Below you’ll find five things to target daily for the optimal healthy gut.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is required to help us break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into fuel for our bodies.  It also helps make serotonin, our feel-good neurotransmitter primarily produced in the gut. When feeling nauseous, Vitamin B6 can also reduce the severity.

Because vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, it is excreted if it is not used, so we need to get vitamin B6 through our diet daily to support a healthy digestive system.  Great sources to get B6 daily include beans, meat, poultry, fish, Gut Support Gummies, Beauty Support Gummies, Designer Whey, Designer Lite, and Designer Plant.

Folate

Folate is needed to stimulate the formation of digestive acids that break down food into particles we can absorb. Excellent sources of folate include beans, leafy greens, fruits, sunflower seeds, peanuts, whole grains, liver, seafood, whole grains, Gut Support Gummies, Aria: Women’s Health Protein, and Designer Plant.

Vitamin- B12

Vitamin B12 keeps our metabolism burning and helps with nerve function and DNA production. As we age, Vitamin B12 is less readily absorbed in the gut. Our primary food sources for Vitamin B-12 include poultry, meat, fish, and dairy products. Those who follow a plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian diet may be more likely to be low in Vitamin B12, making it essential to supplement with Vitamin B12. Designer wellness makes this easier by having several products high in B12 to help your gut absorb all the B12  the body needs. You can find excellent sources of B12 in our Gut Support Gummies, Beauty Support Gummies, Designer Egg, and Designer Plant.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are fibers that feed healthy bacteria in the gut. Without prebiotics to feed good bacteria, harmful bacteria can overgrow, and the gut becomes imbalanced. We need prebiotics from food to help good bacteria thrive. 

The balance of bacteria in our gut can influence gene expression, body weight, immunity, and risk for multiple diseases. Bacteria also impact our mental health. 95% of our feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin is made in our gut. An imbalance in the gut can affect the efficiency we make serotonin and contribute to anxiety and depression. 

Excellent sources of prebiotic foods include pomegranates and beets, which you can find in our Gut Support Gummies. Other significant sources of prebiotics include Designer Plant, chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, green bananas, barley, oats, and apples.

Glutamine

Amino acid glutamine is a vital nutrient when it comes to gut health. Glutamine supports the health of the gut microbiome (gut bacteria), modulates the inflammatory pathways, and keeps junctions in the intestines tight, preventing what is commonly called “leaky gut.” Keeping junctions in the intestines close is imperative to avoiding invaders from getting into our system and controlling our body from developing intolerances and allergies to foods. 

Beets are one of the best sources of amino acid glutamine, plus it is super anti-inflammatory and high in prebiotic fiber, making them a gut superfood. You can find beets in our Gut Support Gummies. Other good sources of glutamine include chicken, fish, cabbage, spinach, tofu, lentils, beans, and peas. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is touted all over the internet as a cure-all for everything, especially digestive issues. Due to ACV's natural acidity, ACV may naturally help those who suffer from low acid levels that cause gas, bloating, and slow digestion. ACV that contains the “mother” includes probiotics which may help keep a natural balance of bacteria in our gut. 

You can add ACV to your smoothies or enjoy ACV in our  Gut Support Gummies.

Bottomline

Improving gut health doesn’t have to be complicated; simply include the foods above in your daily diet to give your body what it needs to digest and food, and absorb nutrients. To meet the gaps in your diet, try Designer Wellness’s Gut Support Gummies to help your gut health thrive.

By Ginger Cochran, MS, RDN, CDCES, CEP-ACSM

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