If you experience excessive fatigue, bloating…

joint pains, skin problems, and have strong cravings for sugar and carbs, chances are you have a leaky gut, especially when you suddenly become sensitive to certain foods. Fortunately there are ways you can heal leaky gut and get back on track with your digestive system. Here are some of the most common and easiest ways to jumpstart that process!

1. Bone Broth is an Excellent Start

Those who have problems with the permeability of their intestines have problems with an inappropriate movement of ions, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients between the intestine and the rest of the body cavity. It is important to ingest foods that are easy for the intestines to digest to give them a break. Bone broths are gentle foods that are light enough for the digestive tract to handle easily yet still contain many vitamins and minerals that are important for a healthy body. Those who are looking to try something new should try cooking chicken or beef bones to release the hearty broth contained within.

2. Food with Cultures

Also called probiotics, many people have turned to these for help with other digestive problems. Cultured foods, such as yogurt, can also help people struggling with a leaky gut because they contain probiotics that can help improve the natural flora of the digestive tract. These flora are important because they defend the body against dangerous pathogens and help to process nutrients that the body otherwise couldn’t use on its own. Probiotics provide assistance for these important flora and can help line the gut with much-needed defenders that can improve the health of the digestive tract.

3. Nutrient-Dense Foods

When people hear nutrient-dense foods, they should think of items such as meat and kale. In order to help a leaky gut, it is important to keep the nutrient load high without overloading the gut with immense volume. The problem with volume is that this will stretch the gut, possibly thinning out the tight junctions that are important for maintaining permeability; however, people who eat smaller volumes of food could be missing out on key nutrients. Eating nutrient-dense foods can help to lower the volume of food, easing the workload on the intestines, while still keeping the nutrients high.

4. Seafood with Omega-6 and Omega-3

It is important for people to focus on reducing inflammation when they have a leaky gut. Inflammation can damage the lining of the intestines and lead to a significant amount of nutrient wasting. The benefit of fish oil, both in pill-form and in seafood, is that it contains important fatty acids that reduce inflammation. This can help relieve many of the symptoms that people experience with digestive problems. Even those who don’t typically order seafood should give shellfish or salmon a try due to their Omega-6 and Omega-3 content.

5. Antioxidants are Key

People with digestive problems should also focus on antioxidants, plentiful in vegetables and fruits. Because fruit is more acidic and can irritate the lining, vegetables might be the better option here. Without antioxidants, toxins can build up in the body and release free radicals that can damage the intestinal lining, leading to many of the symptoms that people experience. Antioxidants will help to purify many of the toxins that have damaged the lining of the gut, leading to a faster healing process and improved symptoms.

By gradually reducing the amount of inflammatory foods in your diet, managing your stress levels, and eating gut supportive nutrients (listed above) each and every day, your gut health will quickly improve so you can live a life feeling your absolute best!