If you’re on that mind-boggling path of gut healing you’ll already know that it’s a minefield out there. A plethora of websites that give 101 reasons for why your gut is in poor health; an array of autoimmune and healing diets; all with convincing arguments of why you should follow their advice, and a vast selection of supplements, pills and potions that promise you a quick fix.
Probiotics are widely publicised in the field of gut healing. Yes they’re controversial – some people will tell you that they’re pointless; that the good guys will die before they get a chance to flourish. But there’s no doubt that the majority of us with gut issues are in need of a more diverse or well-populated ecosystem. And there are probiotics out there that can help.
But which genus or strain of bacteria does your gut need? If you’re depleted in bifidobacteria, taking a probiotic rich in Lactobacillus is not necessarily going to help. You can find out who is living in your gut by supporting the British Gut project. For a donation of £75 they send you a sample kit which you can return, ready for a breakdown of your microbial garden.
Once you know where the problem lies, you’re better placed to decide which approach is right for you.
Feeding your garden
If you have an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria then it might be worth trying an anti-candida or Body Ecology diet. I’ve long been an advocate of GAPS, and many of you reading this will be a fan of the FODMAP diet. But it’s not a one size fits all. FODMAP and GAPS may bring many digestively challenged peeps success, but when it comes to growing our inner gardens it’s not necessarily going to work for me and it might not be right for you.
Nurturing Bifidus
If you start to explore the world of prebiotics, you’ll soon find that bifidobacteria thrive on starch resistant foods. These are foods excluded from GAPS so it certainly made me question whether I’d been starving my bifidobacteria all this time.
Bifidobacteria are known as the ‘shy’ group of bacteria. You won’t really find them in fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, so if you’re hoping to fix your problems with these sources you might want to think again. There’s no way you should exclude them from your diet because fermented foods are a must, just don’t expect them to be the answer.
Take it easy on your body
If you’re gut is really damaged you’ll also need to take baby steps. When I first started on this mission of rebuilding my gut flora, I went full steam ahead, getting through kombucha, sauerkraut and kefir like it was going out of fashion. It’s no wonder that I scored a personal best on bloating…take it slow please!
And consider your intolerances. It’s a slow and painful process but using an elimination diet to identify any intolerances is a good starting point. After an extensive period of using the elimination diet, I went for Vega testing. It really was a last resort; there’s a lot of controversy around it and I’m not entirely convinced of its reliability, but I do know people who have benefited, so it’s your call.
A new action plan
So all things considered, I’ve developed a new strategy to try and grow my precious gut flora. Who knows if it will work but if you suffer from chronic constipation or IBS-C (depleted bifidobacteria is very common in people with IBS), I’m sharing it here in case you want to test the waters too…
Lauren’s bifidus action plan…
- Take a daily probiotic proven to set up camp in the gut (I’ve chosen Symprove). My line of thinking here is that by building a strong community of good bacteria they’ll help more bifidus species to grow.
- Take a probiotic rich in bifidobacteria (I’ve chosen Optibac) ten minutes after Symprove
- Feed your bifidobacteria like a King (more on this later but notable foods include bone broth, starch resistant veg like cold potatoes, sources of fructooligosaccharides like honey and yoghurt if you can tolerate it)
- Practice mindfulness every day – this is very important! If possible, do it morning and evening. I have my iPad by my bedside with earphones so there are no excuses! As soon as I wake up, the earphones are in for ten minutes and in they go again when I get home from work!
I certainly can’t guarantee results – it’s a lucky lotto, so even if it doesn’t work for me, maybe it will work for you. One important note here – if you have any suspicion that you have a candida infection or overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, steer clear of the foods I mention above as you’ll only serve to feed the bad guys.
Spiritual Saucepan 