Look after your gut for National Love Your Gut Week
Monday 22nd August is the start of National Love Your Gut Week and according to nutritionist Alli Godbold, author of Feed Your Health, this is a perfect time to take preventative measures to guard against food poisoning, diarrhoea and constipation, especially if you are travelling to far flung places for your summer holidays.
It is a known fact that travelling abroad exposes the gut to harmful bacteria, yeasts and pathogens that the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract just aren't used to back in Blighty. So what can people do to help themselves, and prepare their gut for what it will be exposed to abroad?
Alli's top tips for tip top gut health:
1. Take a good quality probiotic for the length of your stay - ask in your local health food shop for a probiotic supplement with at least 10 billion strains of lactobacillus acidophilus per capsule. Your health shop may stock another probiotic called saccromyces boulardi which is also thought to be useful for preventing gastro upsets. These probiotics are thought to help fight off foreign microbes, and thereby protect against tummy bugs.
2. Berberine, artemesia and citrus seed extract have all been shown to be useful in guarding against unwanted bacteria and parasites. Ask your health food shop for a product that contains these plant extracts and take this alongside your probiotics for the duration of your holiday/travels.
3. Eating local yoghurt (natural not flavoured) is also thought to be helpful as it naturally contains probiotics local to the envioronment and thereby is protective against local microbes. My recipe for Tzatsiki is a great way to use natural yoghurt and is great with grilled meat and fish.
4. Eat plenty of garlic as this has been shown to have powerful anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal properties. Garlic is most potent if eaten raw, so an excellent way to incorporate garlic into your diet is to add crushed garlic to olive oil and lemon for a delicious immune-boosting salad dressing.
5. Many people become constipated when they travel, so remember to drink plenty of water; particularly if you are flying as this mode of travel is very dehydrating. Once on holiday, don't forget to eat lots of fibrous foods; fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also remember to continue drinking plenty of water. Alcohol, teas and coffees are all dehydrating, and are not recommended in large volume.
Alli affirms that as long as you follow sensible precautions in the run up to and during your holiday, your gut has a fighting chance to remain healthy; so that your summer holiday does not have to turn into a nightmare. For more of Alli's top tips, plus mouth-watering, nutritionally balanced recipes, pick up a copy of Feed Your Health, published by HotHive Books priced £13.99, available from thehothive.com, Amazon and all good bookstores.