The Leaky Gut Diet Plan:What to Eat What to Avoid
Foods to eat!
As leaky gut syndrome isn’t an official medical diagnosis, there is no recommended treatment.
Yet, you can do plenty of things to improve your digestive health.
One is to eat a diet rich in foods that aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. An unhealthy collection of gut bacteria has been linked to poor health outcomes, including chronic inflammation, cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
The following foods are great options for improving your digestive health:
Vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, carrots, kale, eggplant, beetroot, Swiss chard, spinach, ginger, mushrooms, and zucchini.
Roots and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, squash, and turnips.
Fermented vegetables: kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso.
Fruit: coconut, grapes, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, oranges, mandarin, lemon, limes, passionfruit, and papaya.
Sprouted seeds: chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and more.
Gluten-free grains: buckwheat, amaranth, rice (brown and white), sorghum, teff, and gluten-free oats.
Healthy fats: avocado, avocado oil, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil.
Fish: salmon, tuna, herring, and other omega-3-rich fish.
Meats and eggs: lean cuts of chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, and eggs.
Herbs and spices: all herbs and spices.
Cultured dairy products: kefir, yogurt, Greek yogurt, and traditional buttermilk.
Beverages: bone broth, teas, coconut milk, nut milk, water, and kombucha.
Nuts: raw nuts, including peanuts, almonds, and nut based products, such as nut milks.
Foods to avoid!
Avoiding certain foods is equally important for improving your gut health.
Some foods have been shown to cause inflammation in your body, which may promote the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria that are linked to many chronic diseases.
The following list contains foods that may harm healthy gut bacteria, as well as some that are believed to trigger digestive symptoms, such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea:
Wheat based products: bread, pasta, cereals, wheat flour, couscous, etc. .
Gluten-containing grains: barley, rye, bulgur, seitan, triticale, and oats.
Processed meats: cold cuts, deli meats, bacon, hot dogs, etc. .
Baked goods: cakes, muffins, cookies, pies, pastries, and pizza.
Snack foods: crackers, muesli bars, popcorn, pretzels, etc. .
Junk food: fast foods, potato chips, sugary cereals, candy bars, etc. .
Dairy products: milk, cheeses, and ice cream.
Refined oils: canola, sunflower, soybean, and safflower oils.
Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin.
Sauces: salad dressings, as well as soy, teriyaki, and hoisin sauce.
Beverages: alcohol, carbonated beverages, and other sugary drinks.
A sample menu for one week!
This is a healthy one-week sample menu for improving your digestive health.
It focuses on incorporating foods that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria while removing foods that are notorious for causing uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
Some menu items contain sauerkraut, a type of fermented cabbage that is easy, simple, and inexpensive to prepare.
Monday!
Breakfast: blueberry, banana, and Greek yogurt smoothie,
Lunch: mixed green salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs,
Dinner: beef and broccoli stir-fry with zucchini noodles and sauerkraut.
Tuesday!
Breakfast: omelet with veggies of your choice,
Lunch: leftovers from Monday’s dinner,
Dinner: seared salmon served with a fresh garden salad.
Wednesday!
Breakfast: blueberry, Greek yogurt, and unsweetened almond milk smoothie,
Lunch: salmon, egg, and veggie frittata,
Dinner: grilled lemon chicken salad with a side of sauerkraut.
Thursday!
Breakfast: gluten-free oatmeal with 1/4 cup raspberries,
Lunch: leftovers from Wednesday’s dinner,
Dinner: broiled steak with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
Friday!
Breakfast: kale, pineapple, and unsweetened almond milk smoothie,
Lunch: beet, carrot, kale, spinach, and brown rice salad,
Dinner: baked chicken served with roasted carrots, beans, and broccoli.
Saturday!
Breakfast: coconut-papaya chia pudding, 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, and 1/4 cup diced papaya,
Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil,
Dinner: roasted tempeh with Brussels sprouts and brown rice.
Sunday!
Breakfast: mushroom, spinach, and zucchini frittata,
Lunch: sweet potato halves stuffed with spinach, turkey, and fresh cranberries,
Dinner: grilled chicken wings with a side of fresh spinach and sauerkraut.
Other ways to improve your gut health!
Although diet is key to improving gut health, there are plenty of other steps you can take.
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