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Most often when you hear about maintaining a healthy gut, the conversations are around probiotics and increasing good bacteria in your colon. However our body needs much more than probiotics to create an optimal internal environment, it also needs prebiotics. Prebiotics are a type of fiber or non-digestible carbohydrate found in edible plants that are food for good bacteria in your colon. They help maintain blood sugar levels, aid in maintaining healthy weight, and can prevent constipation. However not all foods high in fiber are prebiotic. Some great prebiotic foods include leeks, dandelion greens, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, soybeans, oats, asparagus, onions, and unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
How does your body use these prebiotics? Prebiotics are made up of carbohydrates called oligosaccharides, (oligo means few and saccharides means sugars). When you eat these foods the body moves the fiber that was not digested all the way down to the large intestines, where it is fermented. Through the fermentation process your body breaks down these carbs and produces short chain fatty acids, or acids that are made up of 2-6 carbons. These fatty acids then become very important for colon health because they regulate the pH or balance of alkalinity and acidity within the colon and one fatty acid called butyric acid actually serves as an ideal energy source for the cells of the colon.
Having an abundance of these critical short chain fatty acids then in turn can reduce inflammation, support immunity, and maintain a health gut flora environment. So, it’s incredibly important that you maintain a whole foods diet that is comprised of both prebiotic and probiotic foods, because they work together to keep your colon happy. Some simple ways you can incorporate prebiotic foods into your routine include: drinking an apple cider vinegar tonic that consists of a glass of water and diluted ACV, steam sautéing greens with caramelized onions and garlic, having steamed asparagus as a side dish or chopped up in a salad along with tomatoes, adding artichokes to salads, or just adding garlic often to meals. Now the next time sometime goes on a rant about how bad you need your probiotics, you can say “Got Prebiotics?” –XoXo Raw Girl
The Ultimate Prebiotic Salad
1 bunch kale
Arugula
Garlic (2-3 cloves)
Pea Shoots (or any sprouts)
6-7 stalks of asparagus steamed
artichokes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Dulse
Himalayan Sea Salt
2-3 capfuls of unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar
turmeric ½ teaspoon
Chop kale and wash along with arugula thoroughly. Add finely diced garlic, olive oil, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt to taste. With your hands massage the greens thoroughly for a few minutes. Chop steamed asparagus and then add the rest of the ingredients into the salad: tomatoes, artichoke. Top with sprouts and sprinkle dulse. Serve & Enjoy!