McKinley Grapevine

Good Morning Everyone!

Here is the final email in the Healthy Gut Series!!

Probiotic Guide:

Probiotic vs. Prebiotic

Probiotics are, for the most part, bacteria that reside in our intestinal tract.  Other types of probiotics are yeast.  Probiotics get into our intestines from foods we eat or supplements.  There are many types of probiotics, and each one behaves a bit differently in our gut.  Any food that is cultured or fermented has probiotics. 

Foods with probiotics include:

• Yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk
• Kombucha (a fermented tea that is gaining in popularity in the U.S.)
• Aged cheese such as cheddar, gouda or parmesan
• Sauerkraut, kimchi and other pickled versions of veggies
• Pickles
• Microalgae (ocean-based plants such as spirulina, chorella, and blue-green algae)
• Miso (fermented barley, soy or rice)
• Tempeh (fermented soy)

Good Afternoon Everyone!!

**Foods that Support a Healthy Gut**

7 Gut Cleansing Foods To Add To Your Diet:

1. Dark, Leafy Greens

These fibrous and bright plants are great for sweeping clean the gut. They are also full of minerals and antioxidants that can help our body protect itself from the toxins we get exposed to. 

*Keep in mind that if you have a lot of digestive issues it might be best to eat cooked vegetables, as these are easier to digest!

Try simple soups, sautéing your greens or steaming them. Always add some healthy fat (butter, olive oil or avocado) and acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to support proper absorption of the vitamins in the greens. 

2. Chia Seeds

These tiny power seeds are the perfect gut cleansers. When soaked in water for a few minutes they plump up and turn into a gelatin-like substance. They help flush out the stomach and especially great for those prone to constipation. They also contain anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids, which your body will thank you for! 

You can simply add a spoon of chia seeds to a glass of water and drink it down, or make a pudding using nut milk and some cacao, or add it to your smoothies, morning porridge or sprinkle them on salads!

3. Psyllium Husk

This is another powerful seed with serious cleansing potential! It’s a very potent and as with chia plumps up in water and turns into a gelatinous soup.

*Because it’s so powerful I always recommend people start very easy with a low dose and see how their body reacts. And make sure to drink plenty of water to support the gut cleansing. 

4. Herbs

There are lots of herbal supplements on the market that can be used to support a gut cleanse, but there are also great ‘everyday’ herbs you can add to your food that will help support cleansing of the gut. 

• Try fennel seeds, which aid in elimination of mucus buildup and relieve gas.
• Peppermint is soothing for any digestive upset and helps alleviate bloating.
• Oregano has both antiviral and antifungal properties.

If you suspect you may have an overgrowth of yeast or fungus (a common issue!) it’s important to address it by including some herbs to your gut-cleansing plan.  Be sure to ask you Dr. about what herbs might be right for YOU.

5. Cayenne

Cayenne does more than just adding some heat to your meals. It’s a mucous dissolver and helps loosen any mucus build-up in the body. The stomach uses mucous and stomach acid to boost and ease digestions and cayenne may even fight symptoms of indigestion.

6. Prebiotics

Did you know that we are in fact more microbe than we are cells? Our gut contains 100 trillion microorganisms and these little guys play a crucial role in digestive function, protection against infections, nutrient absorption and immune function.  

Prebiotics are indigestible fibers that these microbes feed on.

*Try leeks, onion, garlic, apples, almonds, bananas, sweet potatoes and yams. 

7. Probiotics

Probiotic foods are fermented foods that contain beneficial bacteria. They tend to have a slightly (or intense) sour taste and are also known for helping to curb cravings!

*Try sauerkraut, kimchi, natural yogurt, kombucha and kefir!

For information on how to ferment your own food visit:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/15/caroline-barringer-interview.aspx

These foods help populate the gut with more good bacteria, giving our gut a stronger fighting power and ability to function well.

**If you don’t eat a lot of fermented food, you may want to look into a probiotic supplement.  There are several to choose from and then next email will give you more info about pro and prebiotics.  I would recommend finding a live probiotic supplement that requires refrigeration.  These tend to be the most beneficial.  Switch up the brand (and strains of bacteria) from time to time to give your body a variety of bacteria!

For more information on these foods visit:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16884/7-gut-cleansing-foods-to-add-to-your-diet.html

Some more tips on foods to eat to maintain a healthy gut include:

1. Eat to beat disease: citrus fruit, fiber-rich foods, leafy greens and yellow vegetables

2. Help the good bugs: yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, bananas, garlic, asparagus, and onions

3. Choose foods that soothe: caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, ginger, mint, nutmeg, and oatmeal

4. Eat foods to flatten your tummy: avocado, brown rice, dark chocolate, nuts, oatmeal, olive oil, seeds

For more information visit: http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-eats/digestion/the-foods-to-eat-for-a-healthy-gut

Good Morning Everyone! 

Working Out on a Cleanse

Detoxing doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your fitness routine completely.  Depending on the cleanse you choose, you may need to take caution before jumping into your normal activity routine and find an alternative such as yoga or pilates.  For example, if you choose the Master Cleanse or a cleanse where you are consuming less than 800 calories daily, it is NOT recommended you participate in vigorous cardio or heavy strength training workouts.  That being said, here are some of the best workout/cleanse match-ups:

Running/Cycling + A Raw Food Cleanse

For endurance workouts, you need solid food to sustain energy.  Make sure you get plenty of raw solids like avocados, nut butters, nut milks, whole fruits, and vegetables.  Shoot for a minimum of 1,200 calories a day and add some artichoke protein for muscle repair. 

Yoga + Juice Cleanse

The sugars in a cleanse that includes orange and red juices, like carrot and beet blends, will stimulate and sustain you.  Yoga promotes internal reflection, which makes pairing it with a juice cleanse easy as it is not very hard on the body.  For intense or hot yoga, consider adding on a protein-rich drink to aid in recovery.  A common 28-gram pick is: a blend of Valrhona chocolate, pea protein, golden raisins, and raw almonds. 

Low-Intensity Cardio (Walking/Cycling) + Green Juice Cleanse

Even low-intensity cardio requires the necessary get up and go, so if 6 daily juices isn’t enough, bump it up to 8. Go as deep as you can with an all-green juice plan that also includes metabolism-heating spices like jalapeno, potassium-rich coconut water, and system purifiers like cilantro and chlorophyll. Coconut water will help keep your electrolytes from getting low and boost hydration for added energy. 

These are just a few examples related to the types of cleanses we outlined in the previous email, for more information on these pairings visit: http://q.equinox.com/articles/2014/02/cleanses

All of the possible harmful consequences of exercising vigorously make it sound as if all exercise is completely off limits on cleanse days, but this is not the case. Not all exercise is equal in stressing the body.

Here’s the bottom line, the intensity and duration of the exercise matters most on cleanse days. Certainly it would not be a good idea to engage in a sport competition on a cleanse day, and might also be a good idea to avoid activities that involve heavy weight lifting, repeated bursts of alternating intense bouts of exercise (i.e. sprint track workouts or soccer), and performing for long periods (i.e. 10k run). Less vigorous activities such as walking and yoga would still burn extra calories, but would not place as much strain on the body.  Listen to your body :).

For more information visit: www.isagenixhealth.net/to-exercise-or-not-to-exercise-during-cleanse-days/