The perfect gut health routine looks different for everyone, but incorporating nutrient-dense foods is a surefire way to get the ball rolling. Of course, food lists can become overwhelming quite quickly—there are lotss of gut-healthy fruits and veggies to choose from—but here are 10 for your regular meal plan from integrative gastroenterologist Marvin Singh, M.D.
1. Arugula
Arugala is a member of the bitter greens family, and bitters are good with digestion and bloating. Plus, they’re rich in calcium, potassium, folate, and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Arugula is also a cruciferous vegetable, which means it’s packed with fibre and prebiotic material to sustain gut health.”Arugula also adds a little spice to your food, a little flare to it,” Singh continues. “People say, ‘Oh, my salad is monotonous,’ well, do something different. Put some cilantro in there, put some arugula in there, and all of a sudden you’re eating something different, even though it’s really still a salad.”
2. Cilantro
On that note, Singh raves about cilantro. In fact, “I consider cilantro a super-herb,” he says, mainly because of its ability to support detoxification and balance blood sugar. (It does the latter by activating enzymes that remove sugar from the blood.) Not to mention, cilantro is chock-full of immune-supporting antioxidants, like vitamin C, vitamin A, and quercetin.
“I love this as a garnish to salad or any kind of dish. You can just throw some cilantro on there; it’s a very flavourful herb,” Singh adds.
3. Asparagus
Not only is asparagus a prebiotic-rich food, which means it helps provide nourishment for beneficial gut bacteria, the vegetable is also one of the few dietary sources of glutathione, an antioxidant concentrated in the liver that helps escort waste out of the body.
Plus: “It’s packed with vitamins, it’s a good source of fibre, and it can be used in a lot of different ways. You can grill it, you can sauté it, you can steam it, you can even chop it into small pieces and throw it in a salad. It can be pretty versatile,” says Singh.
4. Bok Choy
Another cruciferous veggie to add to the list, bok choy contains a class of gut-healthy vitamins and minerals. “It’s a good source of manganese and folate, and it’s also a good source of sulforaphane,” Singh continues. Remember, sulforaphane activates the protein Nfr2, which in turn activates certain antioxidant genes in your body. But it doesn’t just stabilise free radicals the same way consuming vitamin C might—it activates the body’s natural detoxification and antioxidant enzymes.
5. Ginger
“Ginger is probably one of my personal favourites,” says Singh. In addition to helping when you feel queasy, “ginger can be good for bloating; and it can be a prokinetic, meaning it helps with your motility.” Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it an age-old botanical used for GI comfort.
6. Kimchi
Of course, Singh had to include a fermented food on the list. “We should try to eat fermented foods in our diet regularly,” he says. “Not only do you get the benefits of eating the food itself, but you’re also getting a dose of probiotics when you eat it.” This could be helpful in modulating your immune system, inflammatory pathways, and helping you feel better digestively in your belly as well. He touts kimchi as a wonderful, spicy side dish, plus it includes all the benefits from healthy spices, like garlic, ginger, and chili powder.
7. Purple Sweet Potato
These are not your average sweet potatoes (which are vitamin-packed in their own right, of course). Purple sweet potatoes (which have a rich purple colour) have a sky-high antioxidant profile. “It has more antioxidants than even blueberries,” Singh says. In test-tube studies, antioxidants in purple sweet potatoes were shown to aid in the growth of a specific type of gut bacteria that have been linked to improved digestion and gut health.
8. Blueberries
That doesn’t mean Singh ignores his blueberries. See, these berries contain blue-purple pigments, called proanthocyanidins, that are superb for brain health, and they’re also packed with fibre. “You can get [around] 6 grams of fibre per cup,” says Singh. “It’s a lower glycaemic fruit, and if you eat the right amount, it’s considered a low-FODMAP fruit as well.”
9. Turmeric
“There’s so much data on turmeric. It’s definitely a superfood,” Singh notes. Specifically, turmeric inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory genes, blocking the inflammatory response pathway. This in turn has a ton of full-body benefits, from supporting immunity to promoting gut comfort. Plus says Singh, “it gives some nice flavour to dishes.”
10. Walnut
Of all the healthy nuts and seeds, Singh would say his favourite is the mighty walnut. “They are a good source of vitamin E, they have polyphenols, and they can be a source of omega-3s,” he says.
Aside from their rich nutritional profile, they are also pretty versatile: “You can eat them as a snack, you can throw them on a salad, you can pair them with an apple as a snack,” says Singh. “Instead of going for a bag of chips and a soft drink, you can go for an apple and a handful of walnuts with a green tea instead. That’s then a totally different profile of nutrition you’re giving yourself.”