Blog Post
Your Gut Health Affects Your Whole Body
Dawn Spolidoro RN • Dec 06, 2019
Gut Health
When it comes to health expertise, the Mayo Clinic ranks worldwide as the most renowned source for health-related facts and information. In fact, U.S. Newsranks them number one among all research institutions. Suffice to say that when the Mayo Clinic makes recommendations, I listen!
Gut health is one of those topics we need their advice on. After all, we hear so much about it and just how critical it is to our immune system and entire health picture. Here's a bit of advice on the topic from the Mayo Clinic’s website
by Board Certified Dietician Jason S. Ewolt:
"For a healthy gut, feed the good bugs … Try this: Focus on eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables are not only highly nutritious but also contain complex carbohydrates to help good bacteria to thrive."
Ewolt focuses on what we should be doing. Research has a lot to say about fat and sugar, which do the opposite. Studies show that a diet high in these greatly increases the prevalence of the type of bacteria that causes disease. Other research agrees, citing the tendency of diets high in animal protein to be correlated with a less favorable bacteria make-up.
To foster a healthy gut microbiota, limit processed foods in your diet, as these are often high in sugar and fat. During the week try instead to replace animal-based sources of protein with ones derived from plants, among them legumes, nuts, tofu and tempeh.
So remember - eating fruits and vegetables isn’t just good for your health; it’s also good for your "microscopic companions.”
Beyond limiting processed foods from your diet, eliminating sugars, and reducing your amount of fat intake, I would also suggest limiting or eliminating dairy, and lastly, and yes - you've heard this before - drink more water!
Regarding processed foods
in particular, you might be asking how in the world to limit them. After all, they're everywhere, filling the shelves of our grocery stores and tempting us due to their sheer ease of consumption and attractive packaging.
One way is to grow your own.
What? You don't have a “green thumb?" No worries - you don't have to!
Check out our Tower Garden. It’s a state-of-the-art, vertical, aeroponic, growing system, producing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in less time than it takes to grow them in soil. By providing vine-ripened produce right outside your back door, the Tower Garden makes it convenient to eat more fresh, nutritious food.
With the Tower Garden there’s no weeding, tilling, kneeling, or getting dirty. Assembly is easy, and its compact design fits almost anywhere. Plus, it comes with everything you need to start growing. Growing some of your own produce with the Tower Garden will not only save you money but can also cost a lot less than investing in the tools and products needed to cultivate a traditional garden. It’s a smarter choice environmentally because it requires less than 10% of the space and water. You can also grow 30% more, three times faster.
To assist you on this journey toward establishing a good gut and overall health, I would suggest Juice Plus+, as taking it regularly handles your fruit and veggie requirements! And speaking of research, Juice Plus+ is backed by a lot it, so you can be assured that you're truly getting all the nutrients that your body needs on a daily basis!
What is a Tower Garden? A Tower Garden is a clean, easy-to-use, eco-friendly vertical aeroponics growing device. In a nutshell, it is an instant garden that can grow fruits and vegetables year-round inside your home! Utilizing the same technology that NASA uses, these tower gardens can grow larger plants in less time than regular gardening techniques. They don’t require soil, weeding, or digging, and eliminate most of the physical labor of traditional gardening. Rather than getting nutrients from soil and the sun, plants in a tower garden use a nutrient rich water and a light system to mimic this environment in a more efficient way. They come with all of the supplies you need to begin growing your garden, so they are ideal for beginners or new gardeners! What exactly is Aeroponics? In the world of gardening, you may hear terms such as “hydroponics” and “aeroponics,” which are really just fancy words for the way that the plants get their nutrients, specifically ways that do not use soil. Hydroponics is actually a term used to describe 6 different methods of growing plants with water-based solutions rather than soil. Aeroponics is one of these methods in which plant roots are actually suspended in the air, and get their nutrients from a special type of nutrient-rich water. This method uses no soil (or even soil substitute), no pesticides, and 90% less water than other gardening methods. To learn more about aeroponic and hydroponic gardening , check out this article . What (and when) can I grow a Tower Garden? One of the most convenient features of an aeroponic garden tower is the ability to grow fruits and vegetables regardless of the time of year! Some plants are better suited for indoor growing vs outdoor growing. The ideal crops for an indoor Tower Garden are leafy, non-fruiting vegetables and herbs. Fruiting plants, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash are ideal for outdoor gardening. They will grow big and hang low to the point where they reach the floor. Some of the best foods to grow in an indoor Tower Garden are the following: Kale, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce (Bibb, Romaine, Mustard greens, Dill, Mint, Spinach, Swiss chard, Microgreens, Herbs (Lavender, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage), Collards (all types), and so many more!
Did you know that once you feel thirsty that you’re already dehydrated?
It’s recommended that we drink enough water so that we never reach the point of feeling thirsty. Our body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue and organ in our body needs water to work properly. Did you know that our body as a whole, including our organs, is made up of 70% water? It’s crucial that we stay hydrated so that our body is able to function properly and that we remain in overall good health.
People have multiple ways of dealing with stress, but did you know that certain foods can also be beneficial to managing it?
It is imperative that kids boost their immune system. These are some tips on what foods will help keep their immune systems healthy and strong.
Summer snacks and beverages don't have to be same old, same old … they can be yummy AND good for you! Let’s get right down to it! Juice Plus+ Complete Hempseed Smoothie This hempseed smoothie with Juice Plus+ Complete is not just a pretty treat, it's also full of whole food-based nutrition to fuel your day. Made with our gluten-free Juice Plus+ Complete French Vanilla mix, this recipe packs a protein kick. Try this recipe today – just follow the instructions below! Here’s what you’ll need: 1 scoop of Juice Plus+ Complete Vanilla 1 cup of strawberries ½ cup of raspberries 1 banana frozen 2 cups of skyr 3 dates 3 tablespoons hemp seeds 1 teaspoon beetroot powder Instructions: Blend the banana, skyr, strawberries, raspberries, dates, hemp seeds and Juice Plus+ Complete French Vanilla. Pour half of the mix into glasses. Blend the remainder in the blender with the beetroot powder. Fill the rest of the glasses and then decorate them with the remaining strawberries and raspberries (on toothpicks)! Juice Plus+ Green Smoothie Our green Juice Plus+ smoothie uses fresh ingredients like pears, kiwis, bananas, and coconut milk—plus an added boost from Juice Plus+ Complete mix. Check out the full list of ingredients below, and for a chance to be featured, be sure to leave a comment with your favorite Juice Plus+ smoothie recipe! Here’s what you’ll need: 1 scoop Juice Plus+ Complete French Vanilla 1 pear (cored) 1 kiwi 1 banana 1/3 cup pineapple 1 handful of kale 1 cup coconut milk Water as needed (depending on the water content of the fruit) Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix. Enjoy!
There … I said it. It’s not just about selling Juice Plus+ and the associated nutritional products … it’s about truly understanding the importance of good nutrition. Why? Let’s look at a couple of snippets reported by the National Institutes of Health on the current state of nutrition education in medical schools! Get ready...Of the medical schools responding to the survey, only 30% have a separate class dedicated to nutrition education. You read it right: even with 88% of the instructors indicating that the level of nutrition education in med school is insufficient, only 37% require the MINIMUM RECOMMENDED 25 hours of classes. Also prevalent is the trend toward doctors becoming specialists as opposed to remaining “general practitioners.” The effect of this is that patients are more quickly "farmed out" to these specialists, who in most cases, end up treating their symptoms instead of addressing the root causes. Part of this means that patients' diet and nutritional needs are overlooked, which in turn means that advice about their bodies' immune response is not addressed, the need to re-balance the guts' biome basic to this. Read the example below …
If you have children, you know the importance of giving them a healthy start in life. Healthy kids tend to come from healthy homes, so we’ve made it our mission to help the whole family cultivate positive habits. Healthy Starts for Families is a wellness initiative designed to inspire healthy living at home to and empower families to make the simple but meaningful lifestyle changes that will propel them forward on their journey to better health.
With the hot summer weather upon us, it’s more critical than ever to ensure you're replenishing the fluids your body depends on!
So, what exactly is Aeroponics? Aeroponics is an advanced form of hydroponics - the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment rather than in soil. Aeroponic systems use water, liquid nutrients, and a soil-less growing medium to quickly and efficiently grow more colorful, tastier, better smelling, and incredibly nutritious plants.