We welcome the growing trend in 2017 for all things gut health! Scientific understanding of the importance of gut health on our overall physical , mental and emotional wellbeing is really in its infancy. Research is discovering that the millions of microbes in your gut play a critical role in digestion, immune function and weight regulation, and did you know that they even have a role to play in promoting mental health ?
Understanding the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic is vital – Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep your digestive healthy by controlling growth of harmful bacteria. Prebiotics are carbohydrates, or fibre, that cannot be digested by the human body. They are food for probiotics. Feeding your ‘good’ gut bacteria can help you repopulate your gut and rebuild your gut health. What you eat can quickly change your microbes, and your mood, but are you eating the right foods to help your good gut bacteria? The video below explains the difference and explains why prebiotics are actually more important than probiotics. Getting your prebiotics from your food is a much better way than using supplements. Some of you may have seen Kate Quilton demonstrate tiger nut prebiotic power on Channel 4’s Superfoods The Real Story this summer. In the programme Kate visits the Chufa de Valencia farms in Spain where some of our tiger nuts are grown and dried, and her simple laboratory experiment clinically showed tiger nut prebiotics in action!
Our favourite gut health guru Eve Kalinik regularly writes, hosts workshops and consultations showing people how what you eat can make you feel brighter, lighter and full of vitality. One of her favourite foods for gut health and taste is….our tiger nuts of course! Tiger Nuts are a really great source of prebiotic fibre, and because they taste delicious it makes it easy to feed your gut!
In fact, her forthcoming book, Be Good to Your Gut, addresses the gut, probiotics and bacteria and her next evening workshop on January 25th at Summerill & Bishop is a great opportunity to ask Eve all your questions on beneficial bacteria and what you can do to improve your digestive health. Eve will also be be talking everyone through many of the beneficial products she recommends to many of her clients, and will be giving away a lovely goodie bag to everyone who attends. Hint, hint: This is a goodie bag not to miss! We have been invited along to say a few words and we can’t wait!
But just in case you can’t get along to the workshop we can let you in on the fact that Eve LOVES our tiger nuts!
There isn’t a better way to start the day than with some tiger nut goodness. A glass of horchata or tiger nut milk to drink or pour over muesli. Or one of my favourite ways to start the day is with a quick juice shot, spiked with a spoon of tiger nut powder for a quick prebiotic hit! Here is my favourite juice shot recipe for gut health, which through this winter has proved to be packed with preventive medicinal power;
Juice one whole lemon and a lot of ginger. I add sea buckthorn powder which is also known as the miracle berry as it is packed with too many health benefits and nutrients to mention! I like to add a small spoon of our tiger nut powder for strengthening the gut, cayenne pepper which is a great digestive stimulant, echinacea drops which can boost to the immune system and reduce many of the symptoms of colds, flu and other infections, and I then top it with some bee pollen which is pretty but also a powerful immune system booster. Although best made fresh you can make up a small jar of this in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, ready to give your family a quick boost before breakfast.
