Gut health is a term on nearly everyone’s lips, and rightly so. As we have discussed, all health starts in the gut, and so too does all disease. It’s therefore essential to have a well-developed gut health practice, not only for your health today, but for your long-term health and longevity. It can however, be an overwhelming space so we’ve put together our top seven supplements to help support your gut health journey. Start with real food first of course, but once you have spent four weeks “JERF-ing”, make your microbiome the next focus.
1. Bone Broth
It’s hard to summarise the benefits of bone broth as it truly is nature’s superfood. Bone broth is rich in minerals including calcium, magnesium and phosphorus; the best source of the amino acid glycine; and packed full of gelatin, glutamine and collagen which are essential for small intestine integrity, cell structure and healing, digestion, exercise recovery, muscle building, skin elasticity and reducing cellulite. Bone broth heals the gut and improves nutrient absorption, which transfers to every aspect of health and wellbeing. While everyone will benefit from adding bone broth, it is absolutely essential for those with leaky gut, celiac disease, Hashimoto’s disease and other autoimmune conditions.
- Check out my Super Easy Bone Broth recipe here.
- Looking for a simple ready-made option? My current favourite is Best of the Bone. Their turmeric bone broth concentrate is also the perfect natural anti-inflammatory.
2. Kultured Wellness Cultures
When it comes to ferments, absolutely nothing beats Kultured Wellness cultures. While there are many priorities when it comes to gut heath, one of most important goals must be microbial diversity. Kultured Wellness cultures contain ten strains of good bacteria where many store-bought probiotics contain only two strains. A great analogy here is to think of your gut as a forest – you don’t just want to feed and water one tree, but the entire ecosystem. I’ve shared Kultured Wellness with you many times since I first met Kirsty Wirth in 2015 and I highly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of her new book ‘Gutalicious‘ to not only learn more about gut health, but to see how many different way ferments can be used and how delicious they can taste! Five words: Layered Chocolate Banana Coconut Cheesecake. YUM!
- Ready to dive in? Purchase your Kultured Wellness coconut yoghurt starter culture and Kultured Wellness coconut kefir starter culture today.
- Learn more about Gutalicious here.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has to be next in line to bone broth when it comes to superfoods. It’s essential for digestive support, detoxification, blood sugar control and a fantastic natural antimicrobial. When you start your gut health journey the addition of ferments can cause a die-off of pathogenic bacteria and it is really important to ramp up your hydration, digestive, and detox support, and ACV plays a hugely positive role here. To get started, all you need to do is mix one tablespoon in filtered water and consume prior to meals. It’s also great as a salad dressing such as in my Clean Chicken Caesar Salad or simply paired with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. While there are a number of brands on the market these days, our TNN recommended brand is Melrose Health. It’s important to choose an ACV that’s made from the juice of whole mature apple, is naturally fermented and retains the “mother”.
- Melrose Health Apple Cider Vinegar is available in all good supermarkets and health food stores.
- Put my Clean Chicken Caesar Salad on your weekly meal plan today!
4. Diatomaceous Earth
There are so many reasons why I love Diatomaceous Earth but especially because a clean digestive system is the starting point for overall health and wellness. Made from 100% fossil shell flour, it is a food-grade ingredient that is effective at thoroughly cleansing your digestive system by gently removing toxins, impurities, build up and even parasites. Many of my clients completely resolved decades of sluggish bowels with the simple addition of Diatomaceous Earth! A great place to start is to mix one level tablespoon in water or a smoothie, up to twice daily.
- We love Supercharged’s Food Heal Your Gut Powder.
5. Collagen
Collagen is important for gut and digestive health, and our overall wellbeing. As you know, the gut is largely where our immune system resides, and is where over 70% of serotonin (our happy hormone) is made. Collagen provides the necessary building blocks to restore and repair the gut lining, keeping our immune system strong and increasing our overall wellbeing. My favourite brand is Nutra Organics Collagen, which is 90% protein, and contains no sugar or carbohydrates. I love to add one serve to my morning smoothie or MCT Coffee
- Learn more about Nutra Organics Collagen powder here.
- Try my Dairy Free MCT Coffee with collagen here.
6. Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil
Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil is so supportive to optimal gut health. Made from 100% coconut oil, MCT oil is rich in lauric, caprylic and capric acids all of which have fantastic antibacterial and antiviral properties. MCT oil is not only amazing for your cognitive health and fat burning potential, but also helps to kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. There are so many amazing ways to use MCT oil and I’ve included some of my favourite recipes below.
7. Magnesium
Our last gut health supplement is none other than our old favourite, magnesium powder. Did you know that a magnesium deficient diet is associated with higher intestinal inflammation, and reduced Bifidobacterium, a major component of the gut microbiome, that produce vitamins and protects the gut from harmful pathogens? For as long as I can remember I’ve been recommending magnesium for exercise recovery, stress management and sleep support, but the gut health benefits are so essential to support your internal ecosystem.
- Learn more about magnesium here.
To further simplify your journey, we have created a Gut Health Pack just for you. You can purchase the following for just $150 (postage is additional but please contact us for pick up from our Sandringham HQ): Best of the Bone Broth, Heal Your Gut Powder, NutraOrganics Collagen, Melrose MCT Oil, Melrose ACV and Cabot Health Magnesium Powder. Grab your pack today and save $49!
Want to know more? Book your complimentary 15-minute consultation here for personalised support with your gut health journey.