Why Gut Health Is More Than Just Probiotic Supplements

Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is so important when it comes to maintaining our overall health. I’ll admit, for a while I thought that keeping my gut healthy was as simple as taking a pre-and-probiotic every morning. But, as I was recovering from my 15-year journey with binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia (which you can read more about here), I realized that maintaining a healthy gut wasn’t just a one-and-done step. Even after incorporating a probiotic, I still found myself wanting to support my gut health in other ways—since I still experienced occasional bloating, distention, and stomach pains. 

According to my friends at Seed, “recent studies have suggested that the intestinal microbiome plays an important role in modulating risk of several chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.” AKA, when we take the steps to properly care for our gut microbiome, we can help lower our risk for developing problems later on in life.

So, how do we take care of our gut? Really, it’s as simple as taking care of our whole-body health! Along with taking a quality daily probiotic (like Seed’s Daily Synbiotic!), it’s also making sure we are feeding our bodies with a wide array of fruits and vegetables that incorporates a variety of macro- and micro-nutrients. The perfect way to do this is with a smoothie.

That’s why I’m super excited to share my gut-healthy friendly smoothie that’s rooted in science, aptly named the Flavonoid Fructose Favorite. Why did we give it this name? Well, first of all, it’s packed with berries, which are a rich source of flavonoids (a group of micronutrients known as polyphenol). After ingestion, flavonoids undergo extensive metabolism by your colonic bacteria. In addition to this, the gut microbiome also plays a role in the bioavailability and metabolism of flavonoids, producing metabolites with increased bioactivity.

Second, this smoothie is sweetened with one of my favorite ingredients, dates! Dates are bioavailable and rich in energy and carbohydrates, mainly fructose, and also contain high amounts of dietary fiber.

In order to create this recipe, I used the Periodic Table of Microbiome-Friendly Foods. All of the foods listed in this table play a key role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, and all of the ingredients in my smoothie can be found on here. This recipe is so simple and easy, and can even be prepped ahead of time, so you always have a gut-healthy smoothie on hand.

Makes 1 Smoothie

• 1 1/4 cups mixed frozen berries (strawberries & blueberries & blackberries)
• 2 dates
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 2 tablespoons almonds
• 1 cup oat milk
• Dash of cinnamon

Combining this smoothie with my SeedDaily Synbiotic has been the key to taking control of my gut health. Now, if you haven’t heard of Seed, they really are unlike any other probiotic on the market! Here are a few reasons why I love them (and take them daily):

1. The Daily Synbiotic is a probiotic AND prebiotic all in one – hence the term “synbiotic.” The formula contains 24 strain broad spectrum probiotic and prebiotic formulated for digestive, gut immunity, and additional systemic benefits—53.6 Billion AFU. Aka, it’s powerful AF.
2. They Actually go where they’re supposed to – Did you know that most probiotics on the market actually die in your stomach before they reach the end of the small intestine, which is where the probiotics need to reach – intact – for delivery into the colon? With Seed, your probiotics will arrive intact. They use a special dual-layer capsule to protect against stomach acid, digestion enzymes, and bile salts for viability through digestion.
3. Seed is sustainably delivered to your doorstep each month. When you first make a Seed purchase, you will receive a cute, sustainable glass jar in the mail. The subsequent monthly refills come in a home-compostable bio-based pouch that keeps oxygen and moisture out. Plus, it looks really cute sitting on your kitchen counter.
4. You don’t need to refrigerate them – This is perfect for busy moms like me. When I have to keep something in my fridge, I almost always forget to take it.

If you are interested in trying Seed (you should be – YAY!!!), I’ve linked it for you, and you can use code KALEJUNKIE15 at checkout to save 15% off your first order. I can’t wait to hear how Seed is working for you, so be sure to come back and leave a comment below!

Sources Cited:

• Al-Farsi MA, Lee CY. Nutritional and functional properties of dates: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2008 Nov;48(10):877-87. doi: 10.1080/10408390701724264. PMID: 18949591.
• Eid N, Enani S, Walton G, Corona G, Costabile A, Gibson G, Rowland I, Spencer JP. The impact of date palm fruits and their component polyphenols, on gut microbial ecology, bacterial metabolites and colon cancer cell proliferation. J Nutr Sci. 2014 Oct 8;3:e46. doi: 10.1017/jns.2014.16. PMID: 26101614; PMCID: PMC4473134.
• Olas B. Berry Phenolic Antioxidants – Implications for Human Health? Front Pharmacol. 2018 Mar 26;9:78. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00078. PMID: 29662448; PMCID: PMC5890122.
• Singh R. Chang H, Yan D, Lee K. Ucmak D. Wong K. Abrouk M. Farahnik B. Nakamura M. Zhu T. Bhutani T. Liao W. Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health. J Transl Med. 2017; 15: 73. Published online 2017 Apr 8. doi: 10.1186/s12967-017-1175-y.