One of the most important tasks you can assign yourself to do is continually flourishing and supporting better gut health.

A study published in 2018 shows that when you eat up to 30 different types of plants per week, you can positively boost your gut microbiome.

When you have a healthy gut, not only do you feel better, think clearer and eliminate your chances of developing disease, boost immunity – but your mental health also increases. Eating more plant sources of food every day keeps your gut healthy and happy.

As the saying goes, a happy gut is a happy life!

Fruit consumption is one way to greatly increase the amount of fibre, minerals and antioxidants you consume daily.

I love eating fruit because they are very portable, are a very versatile snack and you can use them in many different dishes too. Who’s to say that you can’t add strawberries to your salads for extra flavour and deliciousness?

I eat a couple of fruits daily, depending on what’s available at any particular season. Apples, berries and plums are my favourite fruits. But like many of us, I divert to the most enjoyable fruit for my taste buds: apples. Fresh strawberries and berries are usually far too expensive, not available a lot and I prefer to have them in my smoothies snap-frozen.

Fruit can be used in a variety of ways, and to help encourage you to keep eating them regularly, below is a list of the most beneficial ones you can choose during the next shopping trip.

I had to start with apples, as they are my favourite fruit of all time.

Apples have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which help us reduce the risk of many chronic diseases that are apparent today.

You also benefit from reducing type two diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease since apples have phytochemical compounds.

You get a big dose of soluble fibre that is key in healing and nourishing our good gut bacteria.

Both soluble and insoluble fibre provides many gut health benefits. Apples contain soluble fibre, which helps food move faster in your digestive tract. That act alone can help you poop easily and much faster rather than causing constipation. Eating an apple helps to satisfy your hunger and diminish it.

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Raspberries should be the top fruit on everyone’s list because it contains the highest fibre in smaller quantities. You only need a cup of raspberries and eat 32 per cent of your daily fibre value.

Eating foods high in fibre is one of the best ways to encourage weight loss whilst maintaining a steady weight. Fibre also decreases your risk of chronic disease while, at the same time, regulating blood sugar. Proper blood sugar management eliminates unnecessary weight gain while keeping our daily energy levels stable.

Eating enough magnesium can help with exercise recovery, regulate protein synthesis, muscle function and blood sugar control. Raspberries contain a rich source of magnesium and may be a wonderful post-workout snack (or putting it into your smoothie).

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Tomatoes are my favourite vegetables for their bright colour, high nutrient value and wonderful taste in my delicious Mediterranean salads. However, most people like eating tomatoes raw; cooking them gives you much more nutrient value.

You get a good dose of vitamin A and high doses of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can fight free radicals and reduce the risk of developing chronic disease. There is some research in the works today in using the compounds of tomato to help eliminate cancer in the body without damaging cells.

Read more about this here.

Prunes are well known for their poop-assistance properties – but there is a lot more to them than this future. Eating prunes can help prevent bone loss, which is especially important for women transitioning to menopause.

Although that may be a long way for some women, it’s a good idea to start eating more calcium & vitamin K-rich foods in your plan. Vitamin K also helps develop certain proteins required for blood clotting and bone products. Buy a bag and chop up a couple to eat with your oats or blend in a smoothie.

I cannot close out a post without mentioning avocado. Not only is avocado delicious in any meal, but it’s also key in helping to support healthy hair, skin and nails. Avocados also contain vitamin C and many B vitamins, which can help boost your immune system.

You also have a good dose of healthy fats, both polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and omega-3 fats. Replacing your butter or vegetable oil with avocado can help reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular disease and improve your blood sugar.

One study conducted on 163 adults who were overweight found that people who ate 175g-140g of avocado daily for 12 weeks had lower faecal bile acid concentrations and a more diverse range of bacteria.

More bile acid encourages less inflammation in the intestine and helps the growth of beneficial microbes that protect you against colon cancer.

Avocados also help promote a healthy body weight since they are high in fibre and create a sense of fullness.

Several other studies show that avocado is also linked to decreased abdominal fat.

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These wonderful foods provide so many great benefits to our health that they are hard to ignore from my list. If you continually add a variety of fruits and vegetables into our meal plans, you can expect many health and longevity benefits as a result.

We aren’t eating enough fibre to keep our gut healthy and maintain a stable weight.

To do those two things, we need to eat a high-fibre diet that supports more beneficial gut bacteria to thrive.

Which one is your favourite on this list?

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