‘I have come to realize that healthy eating isn’t hard, it just takes more planning’ – This comment came directly from one of the patients I coached at an integrative cancer care centre I use to work at. For years I worked there with some of the most digestively compromised people due to illness and treatment.
This patient hit the nail on the head ‘it isn’t hard, it just takes more planning’. Ensuring our home is our healthful oasis and stocked with the most gut healing foods is so key to keeping us on track in our digestive health journey and makes that planning just sooooo much easier.
Finding your ‘safe foods’ (aka: foods that will not send you running to the bathroom 10+ times a day or turn your tummy into a painful bloated mess) is very special and unique to everyone. I have listed below the most gut healing pantry items but make sure to always go slow with introducing any new foods into your diet.
GUT HEALING PANTRY STOCKING...
Herbs: unrefined salt and organic herbs that promote good digestion and calm inflammation. Some of my favorites are turmeric, ginger, cardamom or thyme. Hint: if you find dried herbs to stimulating for your tummy try fresh which are a little less concentrated. The 3 Day Meal Plan for IBS flare ups has lots of gut healing recipes using the most tummy friendly herbs.
Teas: I did a whole blog post on teas for IBS here but I’m a huge fan of medicinal teas for most health ailments but especially digestive wellness. They are powerful, from the earth and very effective if you stay consistent with them (have 1 – 2 cups per day). My favorites are; mint, chamomile, ginger.
Coconut Products: shredded coconut (unsweetened), coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut butter are all amazing pantry items to make your tummy happier. The high healthy fat content in coconut nourishes the digestive lining. It also contains a powerfully medicinal fatty acid called caprylic acid that is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. This is super helpful for getting the microbiome (microbes in our colon) balanced and happy. Check out this Coconut Chia Pudding Recipe!
Gluten Free Flours: Gluten is a common trigger for those with chronic digestive inflammation which is why I have a whole Gluten-Free Flour Guide in my 21 Day IBS Treatment Program. Examples of gluten containing flours are: whole wheat, all purpose, spelt, kamut, etc. So having a few gluten-free options on hand can be helpful for the calming that gut down. I like recommending almond flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour, just to name a few.
Natural Sweeteners: The quickest way to noticeably deflate your bloated belly is to cut out the refined sugar (white sugar, cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, etc) and replace it with natural sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc. Refined sugar feeds the harmful microbes in our gut causing them to off gas considerably.
Nourishing Quick Snacks: Having some digestive friendly easy to grab on the go snacks are great for keeping our blood sugar balanced, cravings low and prevents us from making less than optimal snack choices later (usually in the form of baked sugar filled goods at your local coffee shop… this was often my go-to). One of my favorite brands to keep on hand are the sprouted Snacks from Home Grown Living Foods. By sprouting the nuts and seeds in these yummy snacks HGLFs has made these much much easier to digest as well as enhancing the nutrient profile.
Get 3 glorious days of gut healing goodness with the FREE 3 Day Meal Plan for IBS Flare Ups
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