Nature's superfoods that you and your pantry need. Maintaining your gut health and overall wellbeing starts with the food you choose as fuel and what’s in your kitchen. Here’s our top picks for shelf staples to help support optimal digestive health for you and your family.
Fermented foods are rich in probiotic bacteria that help to balance and maintain our intestinal flora. For a probiotic that is also a delicious side dish to help spice up any meal, we can’t get past the flavour and benefits of the spicy and fermented vegetable dish, Kimchi.
Typically made with cucumbers and cabbage, Kimchi has long been an essential staple in the kitchen and on the dining table in Korea and is now gaining popularity across the globe for its bold flavour and host of nutrients:
Gelatin is derived from the protein collagen found in the skin, connective tissues and bones of animals. The cooking process used to make gelatin breaks down these proteins to a final product which is more bioavailable to us and is easier for our bodies to absorb.
Like collagen, gelatin is packed with beneficial amino acids and powerhouse proteins which is lacking in the majority of Western diets. These amino acids make gelatin especially powerful fwith many functional benefits:
ALL- NATURAL BEAUTY AND ANTI AGEING
PROMOTES GUT HEALTH AND DIGESTION
WELL-RESTED SLEEP
JOINT HEALTH AND BONES
Tallow is rendered animal fat usually from beef, with countless nutritional benefits and a variety of uses from roasting to skin care. It is cooked low and slow, down to a liquid which then solidifies and can be used in place of inflammatory and processed seed oils as a non-toxic and bioavailable fat for the body.
Tallow is one of the most stable of cooking fats which allows it to maintain its rich flavour and nutrients in high temperatures:
Ghee is an essential ingredient in Indian and Ayurvedic cuisine and was originally created to prevent butter spoiling in the warm weather. Ghee is clarified butter, made by simmering butter on a low and slow heat, then straining it to remove milk and water resulting in a rich, clean and tasty alternative to your usual cooking oils and a casein free butter replacement:
Lactose free – After the milk solids are removed, no more lactose!
Rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E & K
High in Vitamin E, one of the most powerful antioxidants
Contains Anti-viral properties
Great source for fatty acids – providing anti-inflammatories
And with a higher smoke point than butter ideal for frying
Unlike your average stock, bone broth’s secret is in its length of time for cooking. Low and slow it is a good bone broth must be cooked and simmered for at least 18 hours to release the maximum collagen protein and amino acids from the bones. Just like with any animal product, provenance is key. When choosing or making your own bone broth be sure to use organic and grass fed/ pasture raised where possible for maximum nutrients, including including higher levels of omega-3s, vitamins and conjugated linoleic acid.
Consuming organic bone broth regularly can have numerous benefits for your body – from improved joint health to glowing skin and fewer colds. A morning cup of Bone Broth can help to restore and soothe your digestive tract, improve your food allergies and help boost your immune system with the nutrients shown to help seal the gut.
The rich makeup of gelatin and collagen has also been shown to help young children and adults with eczema and psoriasis. That is why it is not a surprise that more and more nutritionists, health coaches and beauty gurus all over the world are recommending this liquid gold:
Naturally high in collagen protein to support stronger and healthier skin, hair and nails
Filled with collagen, amino acids, glutamine & arginine to support a healthy immune system
The production of gelatin and collagen help protect those joints and ease any pains
Helps to increase bone strength
The glycine and magnesium helps give you a better night sleep as well as helping to seal the gut to improve mood and energy levels.
Similarly to kimchi and kefir, the fermentation process used to make apple cider vinegar encourages the growth of gut healthy microbes, probiotics. Most of the probiotics in apple cider vinegar are in the cloudy "mother" strands you'll find floating in it, and that is why it important to make sure your ACV is raw, organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized.
As a probiotic ACV has been shown to have numerous health benefits :
Organic herbs and spices are not only great for adding flavour but have been used in medicine for centuries to help remedy common ailments from the effects of stress to even a cold. From pink himalayan salt to thyme, basil and rosemary, herbs are much more than we think:
They can help regulate your blood sugar
Help supports a better quality sleep
Hep to balances your body’s pH
Strengthens immune system
Help to calm and destress
Rich in antioxidants
Honey in its purest form, before heating and being pasteurised. Thanks to the bees this superfood is jam packed full of gut healthy benefits and deserves a place in your pantry:
Extracted from fleshy meat of Coconut, coconut oil has been used in Africa, Asia and South America for centuries. A part from adding a natural sweetness and a delicious flavour to cooking and baking it also boasts numerous functional benefits too:
Metabolism stimulation
Supporting Insulin sensitivity
Reducing inflammation
Improving immune functions
Antimicrobial properties
Versatility; Great for cooking and skincare/hair care
Medium-chain fatty acids – great for sustainable energy boosts
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fermented-foods-can-add-depth-to-your-diet
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24456350/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416885/
4. https://www.flushinghospital.org/newsletter/benefits-of-collagen-for-maintaining-a-healthy-gut/
ng-healthy/know-the-facts-about-fats
5. https://www.ecpi.edu/blog/culinary-nutrition-9-health-benefits-ghee
6. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/whats-the-scoop-on-bone-soup
7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/apple-cider-vinegar-diet-does-it-really-work-2018042513703
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30651162/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30651162/
11. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-benefits-of-honey-how-to-incorporate-it-into-your-diet/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5424551/
13. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510
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