Prebiotics – Improve the health of your friendly gut bacteria

Our colon (the large bowel) has an enormously diverse number of healthy bacteria. Like us, they are living. These very live and operating healthy bacteria require fuel, much the same as we require fuel (food) to live, notably prebiotics.

What do they eat?

The preferred fuel source of our healthy friends are called indigestible carbohydrates known as prebiotic fibres to undertake the vast array and very important roles they play in our health.

What do they do for us?

Our healthy bacteria are responsible for regulating the immune system, metabolism, energy production and much more.

It is important to ensure we are consuming enough prebiotic fibres from our food to sustain our friendly colonic bacteria. Because, let’s face it, without them and their health, we would be sick, tired and lethargic and that is just the beginning. Unfortunately, many of those who presented to clinic have already reached the sick, tired, and lethargic stage and require supportive treatments to reorganise, rebuild and repopulate their healthy bacteria.

Why are prebiotics considered indigestible?

  • They are resistant to the acid and enzymes found in our stomach.
  • They are fermented by our healthy bacteria (as their food and energy source).
  • They become a source of fuel to help the healthy bacteria grow and produce the materials. required to keep us healthy and happy.

What is Guar Gum?

Guar gum is a prebiotic fibre that is popular in many packaged food items and baked goods. In these food forms, guar gum may not offer its full nutritional potential. However, on its own guar gum is seen as a gut friendly ingredient that feeds our little gut ‘besties’.

What are the benefits of Guar Gum?

This gum is tasteless, odourless and helps to improve toileting habits. It does this by increasing the bulk of the stool, drawing in water and reducing the straining that often accompanies constipation.  Guar gum has been praised for its positive effects in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other digestive complaints such as gas, bloating and discomfort thanks largely to its prebiotics properties.

Some popular dietary fibres have demonstrated risks for nutrient absorption. Guar gum however, has not shown the same risks and is therefore suitable for those suffering from iron, zinc and calcium deficiencies under the care of a health professional.

Simple use tips

You can add Guar gum to smoothies or protein shakes to make them like thick shakes or play around with the quantities to blend protein powder and water into a mousse. You may also like to thicken home-made soups, stir fry sauces or salad dressings.

Want to know how your Digestive Health measures up?

Take the Digestive Health Quiz today to see if improvements can be made to your health.

Adrenal Health: Constantly Snacking or Drinking Multiple Cups of Coffee?

Dietitian Nutritionist Adrenal

Does Your Adrenal Health Need Assessment?

Snacking habits can be caused by a range of factors, which may be as simple as confusing hunger for thirst, boredom or habit or a reflection of your adrenal health.

But there may also be an underlying biochemical and physiological reason.

When our blood sugar levels spike and slump rapidly after a meal or drop too low due to a period of fasting, our body signals an alarm to tell us we need to eat again and fast. Often, we reach for fast fuel items such as sugary, carb rich, salty or high fat foods. We can also find ourselves gorging at the next meal for similar reasons. These persistent peaks and troughs in blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance and can become dangerous to our health.

Other reasons may include adrenal depletion and fatigue.
We  may be under a lot of stress or anxiety from:

  • work
  • illness
  • study
  • family
  • finances
  • a traumatic event
  • over exercise
  • and other lifestyle factors

With this stress our adrenal glands (tiny little glands that sit above our kidneys), release the hormone cortisol and other fight flight hormones that give us the energy we need to get through a stressful situation. These hormones direct our liver to release glycogen as glucose and glucose floods our body in response to the stress. We then crash as our body tries to bring the glucose within normal range. When we crash we fatigue and our brain and organs reach for carbohydrates to rapidly increase energy supply again. Our adrenal glands and the hormones released were not designed to cope with the persistent stressors of today’s society and this often results in the depletion of the cortisol secreted from our adrenals, which is required for releasing glucose from the liver and muscles.

The vicious cycle, causes us to continuously reach for snack items.
There are ways to find out if your adrenals are depleted on or their way.

Speak with me to find out how and what we can do to assist in preventing adrenal fatigue, persistent snacking habits and blood sugar dysregulation.

 

Online Dietician

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