Excellent Article about Digestion and Gut Health

[Rianne]

Finally, a great article about gut health.

"When we think about gut health, we tend to focus on food. “Food is just one part of it, and I think people either engage in food-blaming, or think they need to eat all these expensive things,” says nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik. “But actually, there are other things, such as sleep, exercise and how we’re eating, that are just as important.” The good news is they’re easy, low cost, and you can start right away. Here, then, are 12 expert tips on how to get and maintain good gut health."

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand..._item_id=1dc812a6-d487-4892-b9f5-7503763f0e10

 

[pacergal]

Good article.
Sounds like some of my Grandmas advice:
"Always have a colorful plate. Chew each bite ten times. No snacks after dinner"

 

[bloom2708]

Not a mention of meat, fish, eggs or much dairy.

The keto people will not like. Thanks for posting.

 

[bmcgonig]

Not a mention of meat, fish, eggs or much dairy.

The keto people will not like. Thanks for posting.

No mention of protein either. I wouldn’t argue with it cos I just don’t know, but my system would rebel with having some grains at every meal.

 

[bloom2708]

No mention of protein either. I wouldn’t argue with it cos I just don’t know, but my system would rebel with having some grains at every meal.

Only for a short time. Because your gut biome doesn't have the makeup yet to digest the extra fiber.

3-4 weeks of a whole food, plant based diet and the changes are very apparent.

Cows and gorillas and hippos and elephants do not eat meat and they get plenty of protein from plants.

You are what you eat rings true. Your gut biome is based on what you eat. It can/does change, but most don't want to. Which is fine. Lots of paths to the end date.

 

[bmcgonig]

Only for a short time. Because your gut biome doesn't have the makeup yet to digest the extra fiber.



3-4 weeks of a whole food, plant based diet and the changes are very apparent.



Cows and gorillas and hippos and elephants do not eat meat and they get plenty of protein from plants.



You are what you eat rings true. Your gut biome is based on what you eat. It can/does change, but most don't want to. Which is fine. Lots of paths to the end date.

Unfortunately not a good example as we don’t have the ability to break down plants like cows do.

https://medium.com/a-microbiome-sci...200-pound-cow-get-enough-protein-506797b53845

 

[CDRE]

Finally, a great article about gut health.

"When we think about gut health, we tend to focus on food. “Food is just one part of it, and I think people either engage in food-blaming, or think they need to eat all these expensive things,” says nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik. “But actually, there are other things, such as sleep, exercise and how we’re eating, that are just as important.” The good news is they’re easy, low cost, and you can start right away. Here, then, are 12 expert tips on how to get and maintain good gut health."

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand..._item_id=1dc812a6-d487-4892-b9f5-7503763f0e10

Good piece. Thanks for sharing.

 

[EastWest Gal]

One thing a bit disturbing was the recommendation for unpasteurized cheese. This ignores the risk of listeriosis, which can be fatal, as well as brucellosis and other food borne infections.

She counts every spice as a separate plant. A couple of Indian curries would easily satisfy the recommendation for 30 different plants each week!

 

[Rianne]

One thing a bit disturbing was the recommendation for unpasteurized cheese. This ignores the risk of listeriosis, which can be fatal, as well as brucellosis and other food borne infections.

My takeaway from this article is that I need to pay attention to the foods I eat to protect and maintain a healthy colon and digestive system. I started following a lot of these suggestions after a small bowel obstruction. I started to research the importance of a healthy colon and how to achieve that. I've also practiced time-restricted eating since 2017. Gone are the weekly over-the-counter meds like Alka-seltzer, Pepto Bismol, Tums, laxatives, etc.

I would think pasteurized cheese is safe, but these popular cheeses are unpasteurized. When in Italy we ate many aged unpasteurized cheeses.

"What cheeses are not pasteurized?
As we mentioned, not all cheeses in the US are pasteurized. Generally, the following cheeses are unpasteurized:

Brie
Camembert
Feta
Gorgonzola
Mexican cheese (queso fresco, queso blanco, etc.)
If traveling abroad, you know, like your jet-setting friends who were recently in Italy, you are more likely to encounter unpasteurized cheeses—the dairy industries outside the US are much less regulated.

However, your best bet in determining whether a cheese is pasteurized vs. unpasteurized? Read the label or ask your server at a restaurant."

https://www.cellocheese.com/pasteurized-vs-unpasteurized-cheese/

 

[bloom2708]

Unfortunately not a good example as we don’t have the ability to break down plants like cows do.

https://medium.com/a-microbiome-sci...200-pound-cow-get-enough-protein-506797b53845

Most adults get 3-4x the amount of protein.

We don't break down 100% of fiber which is good. Some of it passes through and acts as a cleanser and sponge to absorb fat before it is stored.

https://nutritionfacts.org/?s=fiber

Funny how a plant centric post turns in to a cheese discussion. Meat and cheese make the world go something...

 

[Aerides]

Most adults get 3-4x the amount of protein.

what do you mean? To maintain even normal muscle mass you want about .75gms per lb or body weight per day. That's going to be 100 gms of protein or more for most people, and hard to complete if you aren't trying. No one is easily getting 3x4x the protein they need.

 

[braumeister]

I'm pretty sure the author of that piece is vegan herself (nothing wrong with that) but it does put a certain slant on the conclusions drawn.

I certainly agree that what goes on in your gut is important to your overall health. There are many interventions you can do to affect that. I recently read an interesting book on the subject.
Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight

 

[MarieIG]

I'm pretty sure the author of that piece is vegan herself (nothing wrong with that) but it does put a certain slant on the conclusions drawn.

I certainly agree that what goes on in your gut is important to your overall health. There are many interventions you can do to affect that. I recently read an interesting book on the subject.
Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight

I remember reading the Wheat Belly a number of years ago; which I thought was an eye-opener. I wonder if I can get that book out of my library.

Update: Well, I did a search under the author's name and nada. For some reason, it did come up under the title.

I told myself I had a few books out of the library already that I needed to read first so would wait to "borrow" that one. My will-power lasted 3 to 5 seconds, so that is now downloaded in "Libby" the library app (which one of the librarians was kind enough to put on my phone.)

 

[Markola]

Alcohol, fat, protein, fiber, antioxidants, wheat, cholesterol, probiotics, inflammation, keto, Mediterranean, whole grains, caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, carbs. Yeesh.

 

[Winemaker]

Alcohol, fat, protein, fiber, antioxidants, wheat, cholesterol, probiotics, inflammation, keto, Mediterranean, whole grains, caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, carbs. Yeesh.

You forgot about the 8 glasses of water a day!

 

[aja8888]

Alcohol, fat, protein, fiber, antioxidants, wheat, cholesterol, probiotics, inflammation, keto, Mediterranean, whole grains, caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, carbs. Yeesh.

Let me add intermittent fasting along with the water! Oh, exercise a lot too!

 

[Markola]

I know that people have specific conditions and these different tools can help them. I take a fistful of vitamins every day to good effect, and experiment with wholistic health approaches that makes sense. But when one stands back and looks at the bewildering array of things to be concerned about…. Yeesh!

 

[braumeister]

when one stands back and looks at the bewildering array of things to be concerned about…. Yeesh!

I think one of the things that bothers a lot of people is how the conventional wisdom keeps changing.

A short history of medicine.

"I have an earache"

2000 BC -- Here, eat this root.

1000 AD -- That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.

1850 AD -- That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.

1940 AD -- That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.

1985 AD -- That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.

2010 AD -- That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

 

[bmcgonig]

what do you mean? To maintain even normal muscle mass you want about .75gms per lb or body weight per day. That's going to be 100 gms of protein or more for most people, and hard to complete if you aren't trying. No one is easily getting 3x4x the protein they need.

Agreed. And the older we get the more we need. And then again if we exercise we need even more. And unlike a cow which has 4 compartments to her stomach which allows it to get protein from grass, we don’t have that ability *. Yes, we can use beans etc., but you have to consume a lot of calories of beans to get a lot of protein that way. Personally getting approx 100-120 g of protein even as an omnivore is difficult without a whey protein shake.

 

[Markola]

Agreed. And the older we get the more we need. And then again if we exercise we need even more. And unlike a cow which has 4 compartments to her stomach which allows it to get protein from grass, we don’t have that ability *. Yes, we can use beans etc., but you have to consume a lot of calories of beans to get a lot of protein that way. Personally getting approx 100-120 g of protein even as an omnivore is difficult without a whey protein shake.

I wonder what folks mean by “need”? How is that determined? Yours seems a good argument for a paleo diet vs the well-accepted benefits of the plant rich Mediterranean diet. Presumably, our ancestors in temperate climates ate lots of plants, yet didn’t have whey protein shakes, and our arctic ancestors ate meat, because they didn’t have many salads, and yet we collectively made it this far as a species.

Is there a best diet we can we agree on or is it YMMV?

 

[bmcgonig]

I wonder what folks mean by “need”? How is that determined? Yours seems a good argument for a paleo diet vs the well-accepted benefits of the plant rich Mediterranean diet. Presumably, our ancestors in temperate climates ate lots of plants, yet didn’t have whey protein shakes, and our arctic ancestors ate meat, because they didn’t have many salads, and yet we collectively made it this far as a species.

Is there a best diet or can we agree on YMMV?

You’re right, they didn’t have protein shakes but then again they all died before old age and sarcopenia set in. I’m only half joking because you’re right there’s no real agreement on what we need. And YMMV might apply.

However just from my viewpoint as someone who does resistance training in order to not get the dreaded sarcopenia I want an amount of protein that’s consistent with lots of research e,g.

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1

“The collective body of evidence indicates that total daily protein intake for the goal of maximizing resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength is approximately 1.6 g/kg, at least in non-dieting (eucaloric or hypercaloric) conditions “

For someone of 150 lbs that is around 110g of protein. That is actually not extremely easy for me to get from food sources. I fill up to quick. And there’s quite a body of evidence that older people need more protein since we don’t metabolise it like we used to.

There’s lots of similar research around. The government recommended amount of protein was determined by looking at the average sedentary person and what they ate. I’m trying not to be that person as I age.

But we all pick our experts on who to believe so I won’t be dogmatic for you, just for me.

And of course Arnold does all this as mostly vegan using vegan protein shakes.

https://www.menshealth.com/nutritio...enegger-protein-shake-salad-plant-based-diet/

 

[ERD50]

One thing a bit disturbing was the recommendation for unpasteurized cheese. This ignores the risk of listeriosis, which can be fatal, as well as brucellosis and other food borne infections. ....

I was curious about this, as from what I recall about the discussions of pasteurized/unpasteurized milk for home cheese making, was that unpasteurized cheeses were required (by most local mandates?) to be aged longer. The aging gave time for the lower pH and maybe other factors to kill off anything harmful from the unpasteurized milk.

But a quick search showed listeria outbreaks from eating unpasteurized soft (short/no aging) cheeses. That does seem open to problems, and goes against what I had read about what is typically done.

-ERD50

 

[Taco]

I think one of the things that bothers a lot of people is how the conventional wisdom keeps changing.
<snip>

Along those lines, the Time Traveling Dietitian...

 

[Markola]

^^^^^ That video nails it! Ha, ha.

 

[Rianne]

Love it. The same goes for sugar and fat. Energy bars, low-fat, high-fat, the right fat the wrong fat...the right sugar the wrong sugar. Marathons and runners (how are your knees today?) My beef (no pun intended) is processed food. I eat meat. I think of processed food as fake food. To be clear, I eat bread, meat, cheese, eggs, milk, etc. Not everything is organic. But I'm mindful of my digestion health.

70% of American adults are obese. Does our diet have anything to do with that?
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesit...A closer look at,in non-Hispanic White adults.