Deanna, Blended's Founder, here. I know many of you are in Summer-mode, but if you struggle with gut health and/or digestive issues, take a few minutes to jump into it with me today.  I was listening to a podcast and love the simplicity of this message from the GI Doctor being interviewed: skip the pricey probiotics and other 'gut-fixing' supplements and get into a few daily habits that can be game changing when they're a regular part of your day.  She's also a green-smoothie daily advocate (we've got you!). 

Here's a quick recap on a few key gut-health truths we've shared before:  

 1. Our bodies are designed to self-heal. When you understand what to do, feeling better is often days (not months or years) away. We can all do it and it's not complicated. 

2. The foods we eat change everything in real time: energy, mood, mental focus, digestive issues/symptoms, inflammation and tons more. 

3. What goes on below the neck hugely impacts what goes on above the neck ie. your gut health impacts your mental health. Fixing gut health (having a health gut) has proven to significantly improve mental health. 

4. When you don't have a healthy gut bacteria, inflammation is caused (body and brain). Inflammation fuels everything from bloating, swelling, poor skin and hair health, bowel issues to mental focus, anxiety, depression, brain fog and tons more.

The entire podcast is definitely worth a listen. Here's a summary (from the podcast) of easy habits you can start now to build (and maintain) your Gut Health:

#1 (TOP TIP): Eat 30 DIFFERENT plant-based foods per week to get the huge range of benefits that they give your body and mind. Choose a mix from all of: fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. This number sounds big, but it's not. For example, your Blended Greens Daily Dose Smoothie gives you 9 alone !

#2. Fibre: get your 40 grams/day to help keep your system moving it and it feeds your gut microbes (healthy gut bacteria). 

#3. Hydration: keep your plumping running! The goal is 100 oz, which is about 12 cups per day (I like to do 6 large 500 ML glasses spread through out the day). 

#4. Daily Movement: it creates nitric oxide which helps your gut healthy and keeps things moving through your system (i.e. reducing bloating, constipation and other GI issues).  

Listen to the podcast here: How to Fix Your Gut Health

Need to show your gut health some love? Below is a sample one-day meal plan to try.

For Your Gut Health

Stick to these habits for one week and see how you feel: 

1. Eat whole foods and avoid processed sugars, artificial sweeteners, refined carbs, and processed foods at least 80% to 90% of the time (try 100% of the time for the first week).