By Eating fruit does more than just satisfy your need for something sweet and tasty
One of the most important tasks you can assign yourself is continually flourishing and supporting better gut health.
Why should we take better care of our gut health?
The gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that live in our intestines – plays a crucial role in overall health, including digestion, immune function, and mental health. Imbalances in the gut microbiome have been linked to various health issues, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
The quality of our gut microbiome also governs our immune system. A healthy gut microbiome can help protect against infections and support immune function.
It may sound surprising that the state of our gut health also helps flourish better mental health.
The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication pathway between the gut and the brain. An imbalanced gut microbiome has been linked to an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
What the study says
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, you feel better, think clearer, eliminate your chances of developing disease, boost immunity, and increase your mental health. 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 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 few fruits daily, depending on what’s available in any particular season.
Apples, berries and plums are my favourite fruits of all time.
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 and unavailable often, and I prefer to have them in my snap-frozen smoothies.
Fruit can be used in various 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.
One: Cut up an apple for your mid-morning snack
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.
Two: Add Raspberries to your oats and smoothies
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 stabilising our daily energy levels.
Eating enough magnesium can help exercise recovery, regulate protein synthesis and muscle function and control blood sugar. Raspberries contain a rich source of magnesium and may be a wonderful post-workout snack (or putting it into your smoothie).
Three: Eat more tomatoes
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 vitamin A dose 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 via this article here.
Four: Chop up some prunes in your smoothie & oats
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.
Five: Add wonderful avocados to absolutely anything
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.
Key takeaways
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.
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?
Please help support all the wonderful writers on this platform by subscribing to Medium here. It helps to encourage writers like myself who want to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
You can also follow me on YouTube for the latest, science-backed research on health, weight and weight training, and an endless supply of healthy recipes.
You may also like to download my FREE Fat Loss Recipe book.
I appreciate your support.