Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that keep your immune system in check. The performance of your immune system, the clarity of your mind, and the vitality of your body, skin, and hair all depend on the condition of your gut.

Use this nutritional checklist to help you get started on your gut and immune healing journey.

• Take a daily probiotic and consume cultured foods.
  Probiotics help to add beneficial bacteria to your gut, which in turn naturally boosts your immune system. Refer to your guide or me, your coach, for brands that are clean and beneficial. Cultured foods like raw sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha also provide good bacteria, and aid in the digestive system by breaking down other foods, which in turn nourishes and protects the gut.
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• Complement your probiotic with prebiotics.
  Prebiotics support your probiotics as well as the good bacteria you already have in your gut. You can choose to supplement with a prebiotic powder and / or regularly consume foods that are naturally high in prebiotics, like dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, tigernuts, onions, garlic, asparagus, bananas, and cocoa (to name a few).
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• Eat a clean, gluten-free diet full of variety.
  Pesticides, chemical preservatives, and gluten wreak havoc on the beneficial bacteria on the gut and weaken the immune system. Choose locally grown or organic foods, and always check your labels on packaged foods to be sure you aren’t buying any harmful hidden ingredients. A variety of nutrients provide food for varying forms of beneficial bacteria in your gut, and therefore encourages a diverse gut microbiome.
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• Chew your food.
  Properly chewed food is efficiently broken down before swallowing, so when your food travels through the rest of your digestive tract, your GI doesn’t have to work as hard to break the food down for processing. This also makes the nutrients in the food more available for use in your body.
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• Consume fiber and drink lots of water.
  Fiber and water both help to move foods along the digestive tract. Fiber adds bulk, and water keeps your intestines hydrated.
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• Give up smoking and reduce or eliminate alcohol.
  Not only does smoking and drinking alcohol impair your digestive system but negatively affects your health altogether. If you are struggling and need help quitting, please reach out to me for helpful resources.