Foods that are ruining your gut

A good, clean, and healthy stomach is the basis for overall health of the body. A robust digestive system, among other things, helps in better immunity, nutrient absorption, improved mood and mental health, reduced risk of chronic diseases, and a healthy sleep. While enough has been said about which foods are good for your gut, there are also some foods that can ruin your gut health, even if you exercise, drink enough water and sleep well. Here they are...

Almost all processed food is high in additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats. In simpler terms, anything that comes in a box should stay in a box. These include all your biscuits, namkeens, cheese (not the fresh version), and those ready to eat food packets, no matter how convenient they are. If you really must have packaged food, try and limit its consumption to the minimum, and only when you have run out of options.

While sugar in general does nothing good for your body, refined sugar is even worse. We are talking about the store bought white version that we regularly add to our tea, coffee or desserts. (even present in all store bought biscuits, rusks, and the like) If you really need to have something sweet, go for variants like desi khand or unrefined raw sugar, jaggery, or honey. However, remember that sugar is sugar at the end of the day, so go easy on these as well.

While fried food tastes great on our tongue, it does nothing for our gut, and, on the contrary, contributes to poor gut health, if eaten on a daily basis. This includes all your street food variants like bhature, poori, samosa, papri chaat etc, and even bagels, doughnuts etc. The trick is to strike a balance, or look for healthier alternatives to have those treats at home, that too occasionally. Some options can be to use an air fryer instead of deep frying, and use sugar free variants for desserts.

Apart from being harmful for your body, alcohol ruins your gut as well. Doctors say that when it comes to alcohol, no amount is safe, and even if you are occasional drinker, chances are that at some stage of your life, you might face some health issues. Of course, some of us might still prefer to enjoy a glass of wine after a long day at work, but make sure you do not turn it into a habit at any point.

This one is slightly tricky to understand, but here's the deal. Protein (the lean version) from animals like chicken, mutton, and even eggs offer a host of health benefits. It is rich in protein, and many other micro-nutrients. However, things change when we have too much animal protein, which in turn can kill the good bacteria in the gut. The trick is to include all these foods in your diet, but in a limited quantity, and alongside other healthy foods like vegetables, legumes, fresh fruits, and the like.