Spring is here; a gut reset is a great way to boost your energy and feel better. Often, people crave heavier foods during Winter and can eat more fat, refined carbohydrates and sugary foods like the Western Diet. The typical Western Diet is high in processed foods, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, fried foods, animal products and drinks high in sugar, which leads to overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The typical Western Diet, medications, alcohol and a lower water intake can strain your digestion and cause negative changes in your microbiome.
Making simple positive changes to reset your digestion can make you feel better and potentially lose some extra kilos you put on during Winter.
Simple gut reset changes include:
·      Remove sugar and sugary foods, including chocolate, lollies, cakes and biscuits
·      Drink at least 2.5 litres of water daily
·      Cut out alcohol
·      Eat at least two pieces of fruit per day
·      Aim to eat five serves of vegetables per day (1 serving = ½ cup cooked veggies or 1 cup of salad)
·      Remove takeaway food from your diet for 7-14 days
·      Increase fibre with whole grains like brown rice, lentils, legumes, whole grain pasta, oats, vegetables and fruit
·      Reduce or cut out red meat.
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Simple meal swaps are:
·      Swap your morning toast for a chia pudding, overnight oats or a smoothie
·      Replace high-sugar snacks with cut-up veggie sticks like carrots, celery, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, with or without homemade hummus.
·      Replace your sandwich with a salad, including some fish or chicken with avocado for some food fats. You can add some roasted veggies for bonus points! Or have a wrap instead.
·      Replace red meat with chicken or seafood for dinner, which is lower in saturated fat, and have 3-4 of your plate full of vegetables, either steamed or roasted.
·      Swap a high-sugar dessert with a few nuts – almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts are good choices.
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Some more challenging changes to make:
·      Cut out coffee and caffeinated beverages
·      Cut out sugar all together, including hidden sugars in sauces
·      Try a vegetarian diet for 7-14 days
·      Cut out gluten and dairy.
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These dietary changes are a great start to getting your digestion in shape. Just remember that you sometimes feel worse before you feel better while your body is detoxifying. For example, cutting out coffee when you drink even one cup daily can lead to caffeine withdrawal headaches. So sometimes simple steps are better. For instance, reduce 3 cups of coffee daily to 2 for a few days, then one for another few days until you aim to cut it out.
Hopefully, these changes will help boost your energy, regulate your digestion, and even drop a kilo or two. Happy swapping!
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