The Liz Moody Podcast - Gut Health Hacks—Quick & Easy Solutions To Your Biggest Gut Problems with Dr. Megan Rossi

Episode Date: December 8, 2021

My guest today is the amazing Dr. Megan Rossi, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, with a PhD in gut health and a research fellowship at King’s College London. She’s the author of the internationally best-selling book Love Your Gut and the founder of the wildly popular website theguthealthdoctor.com and the @theguthealthdoctor Instagram page. On this episode, we talk about: The number one way to support your microbiome, even during times of more indulgence What actually causes bloating—and exactly how to fix it A genius tip for getting rid of travel-induced constipation, even when nothing else works What a gut-health expert actually eats on a plane The best general constipation cures How to change your microbiome to eliminate sugar cravings How to prevent a hangover, and easy solutions if you end up with one anyway How to instantly feel better after an overly indulgent meal What the research says about colonics, food combining, digestive enzymes, and more One gut health thing a lot of people THINK is helpful or works but it really doesn’t One gut health thing we should all be doing but probably aren’t We would both LOVE to hear your feedback and reactions to this episode, so screenshot and share your thoughts on Instagram—I’m @lizmoody and she’s @theguthealthdoctor. And please share this episode with friends, family members, partners—there’s SO much good, science backed information in here and a lot of it unfortunately directly contradicts some of the less researched things I see floating around on social media, so help us spread the word!! PS: My very first product is live!!! Go to htdeck.com to snag your Healthier Together Deck, which has 150 conversation starters in 6 categories! It’s the perfect holiday gift for friends, family members, romantic partners, co-workers…or, of course, yourself. Find out more at htdeck.com—this is a self-funded limited run and these will sell out!! PS: My Patreon is live! You can join Green Smoothie Society and get access to ALL of my green smoothie recipes and advice! Get all the deets at patreon.com/lizmoody. This episode is sponsored by Pique Tea. I LOVE their Ginger Digestion Elixir, the Mint Herbal and the Hibiscus Beauty Elixir. I’m also OBSESSED with their Daily Radiance Liposomal Vitamin C and their matcha is one of the best around. Pique is currently offering an exclusive bundle which includes their Sun Goddess Matcha, Pique Glass Beaker, and two limited time offer bonus gifts: a handheld frother and detox book worth $45, for FREE. You can also get an additional 5% off on the bundle OR anything else on piquetea.com/lizmoody using my code LIZMOODY. This episode is sponsored by AG1 by Athletic Greens, one of my favorite supplements. Visit athleticgreens.com/healthiertogether and get your FREE year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs today. This episode is sponsored by Seed, the makers of one of my all-time favorite supplements. Their Seed Daily Synbiotic is a game changer—it contains both pre- and probiotics, survives INTACT all the way into your gut, AND contains the most studied and powerful strains of probiotics out there. You can get 15% off of your first month’s supply of Seed’s Daily Synbiotic by going to seed.com and using the code LIZMOODY. This episode is sponsored by Paleovalley, who make incredibly high quality supplements. If you’d like to check out their Turmeric Complex, Vitamin C, Neuroeffect, or any of Paleovalley’s other amazing products, head over to paleovalley.com and use the code LIZM for 15% off. Healthier Together cover art by Zack. Healthier Together music by Alex Ruimy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Healthy Together podcast. I'm your host, Liz Moody, and I'm a cookbook author and long-time journalist. Today's episode is all about gut health hacks, little tweaks that you can make that will make a big difference in your gut health. I'm hoping that this will be especially useful during the holiday season when all of our guts are taking a bit of an extra beating between the cookies and the cocktails and the travel, but also that it can just be fun, easy fixes that you can rely on and come back to all your rest. My guest today is the amazing Dr. Megan Rossi. Megan is a registered dietitian and nutritionist with a PhD in gut health and a research fellowship at King's College London. She's the author of the internationally bestselling book, Love Your Gut,

and the founder of the wildly popular website, theguthealthdoctor.com and the at the gut health doctor Instagram page. I love Dr. Rossi because she's brilliant and not only well versed on the latest research, but actually involved in doing it herself. And then she can turn around and translate that research into pragmatic, actionable solutions that we can all employ in our everyday lives. On this episode, we talk about what causes bloating and easy tricks to fix it, what to do to feel instantly better after an overly indulgent meal, what she does to keep her gut healthy when traveling. Her number one solution for travel constipation even when nothing else has worked.

Her best tips for general constipation. How to alter your craving so that you actually want less sugar. Her favorite way to make drinking a little healthier, plus the best way to quickly get over a hangover. Her thoughts on colonics, food combining, and digestive enzyme supplements. Plus, one gut healthing a lot of people think works, but it really doesn't. And one gut health thing we should all be doing but are not. This episode is grounded in realism. Like, we're not going to tell you not to eat your holiday treats or not to have a drink with your friends, but we will tell you how to feel as amazing as possible with the smallest possible tweaks. It's like a full episode of low-hanging gut fruit, which I personally am

very here for. We would both love to hear your feedback and reactions to this episode. So screenshot and share your thoughts on Instagram. I am at Liz Moom. and she is at the gut health doctor. And please share this episode with friends, family members, partners. There's so much good science-backed information in here, and a lot of it unfortunately directly contradicts some of the less research things, shall I say, that I see floating around on social media. So please help us spread the word.

Quick reminder, before we get started, the healthier together conversation starter deck is back in stock after selling out in just over a week after launching, which is bananas to even say. Make sure that you get your orders in as soon as possible so that you can get yours before they sell out again and have them in time for all of your Christmas gift. You can find out more at htdeck.com. And if you need more holiday gift ideas or just say comprehensive review of my personal favorite wellness products of the year, definitely go back and make sure that you listen

to the last episode of the pod, which is all about that. All right, without further ado, let's get into our gut health hacks. You're listening to the Health Together podcast. All right, Dr. Rossi, thank you so much for taking the time to come on and join us here and share all of your gut health wisdom. I am such a huge fan of yours. Likewise, it's an absolute pleasure to be here. Can you give us a little bit of your background? You have quite an impressive background, and I would just love to give our readers or our listeners a little bit of a sense of that.

Yeah, so I'm currently living in London, but I actually grew up on a farm in Australia. So a slightly different environment. And yeah, it was in Australia where I and it took my PhD in gut health and did my nutrition and dietetics degree. But actually it was after completing my PhD where I really, you know, stumbled across the absolute power and potential about gut health. And I was just like, you know, this is my calling if I'm going to have my impact in helping people in the world, it's going to be by the gut because the new research coming out in this

space is absolutely mind-blowing how our gut affects literally every organ in the human body. So it was after finishing my PhD where it was on gut health, but I thought, look, how am I going to continue this research? So I looked around the world who was doing the most innovative gut health research, and it was King's College in London. So I begged them for their job and I was fortunate enough to get one. So I moved over here about 2015. And at Kings, we do a wide range of clinical trials looking at how essentially we can impact

our gut health via nutrition. So whether it's things like improving our mental health or our heart health, all of which are connected to our gut health. Is there something that you've been like, wow, this is really stuck with me. That's amazing. Just one little fun thing you've learned. Yeah. Well, I mean, one of the clinical trials we've got going at the moment is looking at food

additives, which is found in like 30% of the foods. that we eat on a daily basis, most of us. And it's suggesting, you know, it's only preliminary data at the moment, but suggesting that probably is not very good for our gut health. So I think this whole world of food additives, there's like 400 which have been approved as safe for human consumption. But actually, when they were doing all the tests,

they didn't actually appreciate the potential and importance of looking at how these food additives were affecting our gut health. So a lot of these food additives are now going back through and checking their safety, not just on, I guess, human metabolism, but also the gut bacteria metabolism within us. And I think there'll be a whole lot of research coming out in the near future about, you know, maybe we shouldn't be having so much of these food additives that we've previously thought, oh, they're safe. Let's just eat as much as we want with them. That's so interesting that now that we're realizing the importance of the microbiome, in essence,

that's going to affect how we thought of everything else impacting our health because we hadn't counted the microbiome as part of our health, essentially. Is that what you're saying? Absolutely. You know, it's only been in the past 10 or so years where we've appreciated the full power and potential of our microbiota. So when I started at my PhD 2010, there was just a little bit of research coming to the forefront and why I decided to do it was actually because a lot of my patients were coming to me complaining of the gut, you know, even though they didn't have, you know, any disease in their gut. So they might have had mental health issues, weight management issues, different cancers

outside the body like breast cancer. And actually some of my clients were elite athletes. Yet all of them were having this, you know, commonality of symptoms in their gut. And I thought, gosh, what is about this organ? So that's what made me, you know, think, looking at the research, oh, there's not a lot here. I think I need to contribute to it. So that's what I undertook the PhD. And yeah, the research literally on a daily basis, different clinical research group,

of finding out new and exciting information about how these microorganisms living within us is actually dictating so much of, you know, our hormone production, vitamin production, and just every element of how the body functions. All right. Well, this episode is all about sort of like quick hacks and little changes we can do that will make a big difference in our guts. And since we're talking about the microbiome, I would love to know some really quick ways that we can support our microbiome during maybe a time of microbiome.

during maybe a time of more indulgence in our life like the holidays or any other time we're indulging a little bit more, like one thing that we could add in daily or weekly or take out daily or weekly? Yeah, I think one of the biggest myths out there around gut health is that we have to go on these restrictive diets and cut out all of these our favorite foods essentially to nourish the gut. When actually the research suggests the opposite. You know, it's more about ensuring that we're adding in plenty of plant-based foods. rather than cutting out food. So I guess my number one take-home tip, a very practical one,

is think about how many different types of plants you're having on a weekly basis. So when I talk about plants, I'm not just talking about fruit and veg. There's essentially six plant-based food groups. I call them the super six. You've got your whole grains, your nuts and seeds, your fruit, your veggies, your legumes, and your herbs and spices. So all of them count to your plant-based food points, I call them. And the research shows people who eat at least 30.

different types of plant-based foods each and every week have better gut health than those who eat the same sort of 10 on repeat. Now, whatever you add on top of those 30 plant-based foods, it's completely up to you. So absolutely, if you want to have, you know, your white chocolate or animal products on top of that, you know, that's not going to devastate your gut health. As long as you're getting in your plant diversity, what you add on top of that, like I said, is up to you. So would something like craving sweets be because our microbiome? is out of whack in some way or what causes those like intense sugar cravings? This is a really interesting one in terms of some of the research out there.

It's all based on animals at the moment have actually suggested that the microorganisms living in our gut can change our taste receptors. So there is some suggestion that our microbes could be triggering some craving. But certainly what I see at the gut health clinic is a lot of people who come from very restrictive background. So they've restricted, you know, carbs or simple sugars in their diet and they've completely cut it out when they're faced with it, then they go into this binging cycle. And that's more around the physiological state of the human body where if it feels deprived and then it's faced with it, it will tend to overgorge on it. So it's kind of, I think,

the two elements at play. So what I recommend for people who are having these really intense cravings is think about, okay, having small amounts of these foods, but actually topping it up with plenty of plant diversity. So an example is, you know, white chocolate is actually one of my favorite foods, but it's 100% just for my taste buds. There's no, you know, fiber or anything that my gut bacteria are really going to get from having the white chocolate. So what I recommend people do is add some pre-botic foods into that white chocolate. So they come from things like dried mango and pistachios, also a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. I get that. to mix that in there and then drizzle it with some dark chocolate.

Again, they contain these chemicals that feed our gut bacteria. And essentially, what I've done there is turned, you know, quite a selfish food, just my taste buds into a food that actually treats my taste buds because it tastes amazing, but also has the pre-bodics and the fiber in it to nourish the gut bacteria. And that sort of approach to food is what we're seeing has the best long-term outcomes for whatever your health goals are. If it's for just improving your gut health, if it's for, you know, reaching your happy weight, if it's skin benefit you'll after.

All of those sorts of things come from combining, you know, your favorite foods are fired to include, but adding in extra plants where you can. Okay, so how would you apply that to something like alcohol? Like, you're not going to put pistachios in your martini, I assume. Well, I often have gin kombuches with mixed berries, frozen. and berries in them, which is a fantastic way to add some plants and some fermented foods into alcohol. But other ways is, you know, just reducing the overall quantity. So, you know, if you're having white wine, splitting it with soda water, so half wine, half soda water, so you're still

feeling like you're having the same volume or every second drink, make it a non-alcoholic drink, or, you know, start engaging with some of these non-alcoholic spirits that are on the market. because we know that, you know, small amounts of alcohol is absolutely fine. But actually, if we do have too many, so any more than two or so, it can start to be inflammatory on the body. And again, you know, we all have these periods where we go to parties, we overdo it. You know, it's not the end of the world. I just think when I'm having those sorts of, you know, blow out, so to speak, I do things like, you know, making sure that I'm adding extra berries to my drink. and the next day have extra plants to kind of, you know,

feed your gut and ask for forgiveness, so to speak. Because when we have too much alcohol, what it does actually makes our gut lining a little bit leaky, which essentially means that the gut wall lining allows things to get actually into our blood that normally it would keep out of our blood system. And that can result in this cascade of inflammatory effects. But, you know, once you take the alcohol out, after a few hours that, you know, your gut,

closes again so it reduces its leakiness. So it's not like a long-term effect. But that's why I think typically people do get symptoms, gut symptoms, you know, within 24 hours of having quite a lot of alcohol. Oh yes. In college, we used to call it like the hangover poop. And it was like a known thing. Like until you take your hangover poop, you're not going to be able to get through your next day essentially. No, absolutely, and that's the mechanism. Is there a better or worse type of alcohol for your gut? It really comes down to the alcohol content.

So, you know, obviously if you're having spirits, it depends on the quantity of the spirits. We do know that people who've got more gut sensitivity, so if they've got irritable bowel syndrome, then having things like cider, which have got a lot of fructose, the fruit chug in it, that can actually affect the gut through other ways, not related to the alcohol, but if the fructose they eat too much at once, some people can't absorb it very efficiently. And then in turn, that can lead to fructose malabsorption. And that leads to things like loading and loose fruits and things like that. I know.

Okay, let's get into some of the actual. Oh, wait, no. I wanted to ask this first. What about when you are hungover? I know some people swear by like bacon or they have their like weird little hangover hacks, have B vitamins. I love to have a big spoonful of fermented, like, sourcrow or something, I swear it makes me feel so much better. Is there anything from a scientific perspective that actually does make us feel so much better?

Hydration is definitely an important one because alcohol certainly dehydrates our gut and the rest of our body. But like you, I absolutely do go to town on fment of foods and extra, extra plant-based foods because I think, well, actually, I do know mechanistically that alcohol has made my gut a little bit more weak and a little bit more leaky. So I want to feed my gut the nutrition that actually I know is really beneficial for the gut. So when our body eats these plant-based foods, they break it down into, or the bacteria in our gut actually breaks it down to these things called short-chain fatty acids. Now, not to get too sciencey, but essentially these short-chain fatty acids really do fuel and feed our gut lining, kind of nourish it.

So absolutely having some fermented foods and your other plant-based foods, you know, some whole grains, some chickpeas, lentils, you know, nuts and seeds, all those sorts of things really can help, you know, nourish that gut lining. Once your gut is leaky, is there a way something that you can add in that would accelerate the getting unleakiness of it or is it just to avoid getting leaky in the first place? And like you said, that's not a permanent state and it will sort of self-repair. Yeah, you're right. in terms of it's not a permanent state. It will self-repair based on, you know, what triggered the leakiness, so to speak. So people who have celiac disease,

which is an autoimmune condition for gluten, so gluten is a protein, fun, and things like wheat, barley, and rye. If people who've got celiac disease eat gluten, then their gut will become leaky. And then as soon as they take out the gluten, you know, it does take several months, but they gut naturally heals because it's taken out the cause of that leakiness.

The same with the alcohol once you remove the alcohol, you know, it takes a couple of hours and then your gut will, you know, heal itself back up. I mean, it makes sense that if you nourish your gut, then it might accelerate how quickly your gut kind of mends itself, but there is, you know, no scientific study to kind of prove that hypothesis. But it makes sense to me. Got it.

If you know me, you know that I am upset, with tea. My desk at work used to have at least 20 different types of tea on it at all times, and my coworkers would stop by and be like, oh, I feel a little bloated, or I think I have a cold coming on, and I would give them personalized tea recommendations. Now that I work from home, you can be my new co-workers. I am so excited to share one of my favorite tea brands with you, Peek. Peek's teas are really unique. They're extracted by a cold brew crystallization, a super gentle process that preserves active compounds at maximum potential. One of the things that I love most about it is you just get powdered tea, which means you don't

need any bags, which can often contain glues and microplastics, or loose leaf brewers, which I love, but I use less often than I like because they're honestly so much work. With peak, you just pour the tea into your cup and give it a little stir. And even cooler, a lot of their blends can be brewed with cold water in addition to hot. I love their ginger digestion elixir, the mint herbal, and the hibiscus beauty elixir. I am also obsessed with their daily radiance liposomal vitamin C. I took it in the weeks leading up to my surgery and religiously every day after because there are studies that show that vitamin C can help with healing, and I do think it was part of

the reason that my recovery was so quick. Liposomal vitamin C has a specific encapsulation process that helps the vitamin C actually be delivered to yourselves for maximum bioavitone. I also love vitamin C to support healthy immune function and also to help support glowing skin from the inside out. If you've been following my Instagram journey with caffeine, you might have also seen that I have been experimenting with macha recently. Peek's sun goddess matcha has long been the macha that I bought for Zach. It's organic, ceremonial grade, and quadruple toxin screen for purity. Macha in general is phenomenally good for you. It helps support skin health,

digestion, and it provides a gentle, stress-free energy boost because of its al-thianing content. I've actually really been enjoying the sun goddess macha-lates that Zach's been making me some mornings. They don't make me feel jittery or anxious like most caffeine does at all. Peak is currently offering an exclusive bundle to take you step by step through creating a healthy skin and energy routine, which includes their sun goddess macha, peak glass beaker, and two limited time offer bonus gifts, a handheld frother and detoxbook worth $45 for free. You can also get an additional 5% off on the bundle or anything else on piquetee.com slash Liz Moody using my code Liz Moody.

Again, it's peakt.com, P-I-Q-U-E-A-A dot com slash Liz Moody with code Liz Moody. I cannot wait for you to try this tea. Now, let's get back to the episode. Okay, the number one question that I got when I asked my listeners what questions they wanted me to ask you was about travel-induced constipation. There are people who said, I have tried literally everything you're supposed to do to not get constipated when I travel, and it still happened. So I would love to know what causes travel-induced constipation, and then what are the best fixes that will work for these poor? constipated people. Look, I absolutely understand, you know, on a personal note, a hack that I sound really

beneficial is taking some silly and posth with me. But if we go back to your original question about what causes it, it is actually different for different people. And that's one of the reasons why in my book, Love Your Gut, I've got this flow diagram for constipation, which is kind of like a brain dump of the sorts of questions I would ask a person if they're seeing me in clinic. because there's not one strategy that will help everyone's participation. So, for example, some of the basic things is like hydration and fluid.

Often when we travel, we aren't as hydrated. We aren't as having as many types of high fiber food. So that's kind of a basic one. But actually, for some people, they're having all those things, and that's not impacting them. For other people, it's looking at the types of fiber. So that's where I mentioned at the cillium husk is a really helpful, laxating type of fiber that people can have. And I talk about the Sillium-Hast prescription in the book,

but it's, you know, having, turning on how sense of your gut is, maybe starting with one tablespoon with 125 mils of milk, of water. And then for other people, it's a case of not necessarily the nutrition aspect, but actually their pooping anxiety, which is a real thing. Because our bowels are such creatures of habit. So if we take them out of their normal routine of feeding, waking, and also just the general smells of the house, then a lot of vows just shut up, shop.

The muscles actually stop to work as effectively as they do when you're in a comfortable home environment. So for those people, actually, it's about thinking about doing five minutes of relaxation techniques around the toileting. Also, for those who are more nervous because of the smell, maybe that they're going in a public toilet where they don't really like that,

then actually I've got this amazing rest of, for poop curate in the book where essentially it's literally just alcohol, a bit of detergent and some sort of like essence. And what you do is you spray it in the toilet bowl before you poop and then you poop. And then what it does is it traps the smell under the water of the toilet bowl. And then you flush it and it's like it honestly is amazing. I have a little bottle of the stuff everywhere my bag. also makes a great Christmas present, particularly if you're on a budget, you can make them

and give them to people and call it your poop puree. And yeah, it really like hides any small. You know, like toilet spray, it just is disgusting because it just like mixes with the smell and everyone knows what's happened if you've done the toilet spray. Whereas the poop puree, you know, people don't know. It's magical stuff that you can make at home. Do you think that airplanes are actually having, or is there research on airplanes having an actual concrete effect on your gut? Like I've heard people say, look at what happens to your water bottle on a plane that's happening inside your body.

And that's one of the reasons our guts get all messed up in air. If we have a little bit of gas in our gut on the ground and we go up in the air because of the change in the atmospheric pressure, that expands several fold. And that is often why people get tummy pain extra bloating, particularly on long haul flights. and, you know, when people go back down, you know, to the ground level, then the gas can reduce, but actually because of it, the expansion, that can create a lot of tension. And that's why for several days after traveling, people, particularly if they've got a sensitive gut, i.e. more prone to IBS-type symptoms, then they can have, yeah, a really upset tummy around a flight time.

So what I recommend for those people is actually 24 hours to 48 hours before you fly, particularly the long haul flight, is actually to reduce. these fermentable types of carbohydrates in your diet. And I talk about this Fodmap light approach. Would your audience know about the low Fobab diet? They might, but I would love just like a 20 second recap so we can all be on the same page. Yeah. So the low Fobab diet diet is a medical diet actually, which takes out a lot of these really beneficial nutrients. A lot of them are called prebiotics, which feed the good bacteria. They take them out of the gut, out of your diet, and therefore out of your gut for a four to eight week period, essentially to give your gut a little

bit of rest. So in the medical world, we prescribe the low phobab diet for people who've got really bad irritable syndrome. And we know it absolutely work. And then after that eight weeks, it is so, so important that we actually start to reintroduce because like I mentioned, these FODMAPs, i.e, a lot of them being pre-bodics, feed the good bacteria. But when you've got IVS, sometimes you just need a little bit of a gut break. So that's why, I developed this FODMAP flight approach where it doesn't take out all of the prebiotics. But if you've got a sensitive gut or if you're flying, it takes out these highly fermentable foods. Just, you know, like I said, 24 hours to 48 hours before you fly out of your diet.

So when you are going on the flight, there's not loads of gas. Because when our gut bacteria faced with these FodMap foods with these prebiotics, they eat them because they're really good for them. but one of the natural waste products is gas. And for a lot of people, gas is absolutely fine. You know, some of it comes out the back end when you fart, but also our body reabs it and we breathe out a lot of gas. But for some people, we've got a really tense gut, particularly when you fly or you've got IBS,

that gas gets trapped in your gut. And in turn, that leads to things like tummy pain, the bloating can even trigger things like constipation and diarrhea. So if you've been having issues when you fly, it might be worth just sort of looking up FodMap foods and avoiding them for 24 hours, high FodMap foods and then avoiding them for 24 hours before your flight. Yeah, but really important you reintroduce them because they are essentially fertilizer for your gut bacteria. You fly. I mean, you're from Australia and you're living in London, which is like, what, a 24-hour trek?

I'm curious how you approach flying when you do it. Are there things that you do before or during? Do you eat on the plane? Do you eat at the airport? Do you pack certain food? Yeah, so I always do pack my cilium husk. So it's just a natural fiber you can get from most health food stores. It's actually quite cheap to get. So I definitely take that because that certainly helps keep my bowels in their normal habit and normal routine.

Wait, just to get really granular on that, like how much just mixed into water do you do that before you fly? Do you do that every day of a trip? Yeah, no, I do it every day of a trip. And I have about two tablespoons, but my gut is very used to it. So what I recommend is that people do titrate it based on their gut sensitivities, because if you have quite a sense of gut and you have two tablespoons, actually that could block you up a little bit more. So, yeah, it's all about looking at the cillian prescription, and I talk about that in the book in terms of how much you should have based on the

sensitive of gut and then building that up. But I'd have mine every day throughout the trip. I also do take my own snacks on the airplane because the airplane snack food is always terrible. So I do make sure that I have them packed because I think your gut is already going through a lot of change in terms of the atmospheric pressure, time differences, you know, your sleep regime, all of these things actually impact your gut independent of diet. So it is important that you nourish them with their favorite food.

i.e. plants as much as you can. So yeah, I definitely take my own. If I'm quite stressed around that period, then I will slightly reduce the FODMAPs in my diet 24 hours before going on a flight. But actually, if I'm super chilled and my gut is 100% okay, then I don't even worry about that at all. It's more based on how sensitive or how stressed I am, you know, how many books or how much work I've had to do before flying off. And then hydration, I think, is the other one that's really important in the air because your skin and everything dries out so much. I got to know what you're packing as you're playing snacks.

So I make a range of legumes, so I dry them out. So I get like the four bean mix and then put them in the oven. I actually sprinkle them with a little of extra virgin olive oil, a little bit of smoky paprika, other batches I do rosemary. So I get a whole lot in and then hydrate them in the oven. So they're kind of like little crunchy nut snacks. So I love taking them.

And then I always take my seeded crackers because you typically, you know, whenever you get in the plane, you can eat some of it. Like, you know, they've got, you know, some decent cheeses and some, usually there's a vegetarian meal. So I usually have my whole grain crackers that I make. So essentially, you know, I've got all the recipes and love you've got, but they're mostly just seeds with a bit of oat flour and then like five different types of herbs and spices to really flavour them up. And yeah, they're probably my two like must haves. And then, of course, it all depends on like which airline I'm flying with because some of the airlines actually give away, you know, fruit as much as you want fruit.

Other airlines I found actually they're really stingy and they'll give you only like the processed fruit tops and only one of them. So yeah. You should do a ranking of like best airlines for your gut health. That's actually such a good idea. What about bloat? I'm sure that bloat like it feels like it's really related to constipation, but I know that that's also a really big issue that people are struggling with. In the most simplified way that you can describe it, like what is happening with? we're bloating. Yeah, so it actually comes back to when I was talking about the FOD map. So

bloating occurs when we, so we've got this nine meter digestive tract in each and every one of us. So that tube that delivers food from entry all the way to exit is nine meters long. And if we think about what happens along that nine meters, it can really help people understand, I guess, where bloating comes from. So when we, we swallow our food, it goes down our food pipe, our esophagus into our stomach. In our stomach, like washing machine, it chucks it around, cleans it, turns it into a puree consistency, and then it's released into the third section of the gut called the small intestine, which is a weird name because it's not small, it's actually six metres long. Now, in the small intestine is where most of our food gets

from our gut into our blood. So most digestion actually occurs there. But anything that doesn't get digested there or absorbed there gets malabsorbed and makes its way into this final part of the intestine called the large intestine. Now, the large intestine that's actually where most of our gut bacteria lives. So the vast majority lives in there. And anything which gets melabsorbed in the small intestine and makes it into the large intestine, the bacteria eat. And when they eat it, like I mentioned with the Fodmaps,

they produce a little bit of gas. It's just a natural waste product of when the bacteria eat food. So in terms of why people get bloated, well, it depends on whether actually they're malabsorbing food because they've got a food intolerance. So one of the common food intolerance is lactose intolerance, milk sugar intolerance. So people with lactose intolerance, if they go and have something like milk, for example, and which contains lactose, then actually the lactose gets melabsorbed through that smaller test,

and the bacteria get their hands on it, and they produce loads and loads of gas. And that's why people can get bloated. So food intolerance is a common one there. other people actually, it's really down to them just having quite a sensitive gut. And even if the bacteria are only fermenting and producing a little bit of gas from just the natural food products that enter the large intestine, i.e. dietary fiber because humans can't digest the fiber high up, the fiber always gets the last part. Then actually the bacteria produce that little bit of gas.

And if you've got a sensitive gut to start with, whether that could be because you are super stressed or you've had a gut infection or something else is going on like irritable syndrome, then that gas is really felt. And that gas put pressure on your intestinal walls, and that can in turn result in some tummy bloating. So that's another common reason why bloating occurs. But, you know, the thing about it, there is many simple strategies that you can apply to really help relieve bloating.

So I have a whole section of this in Love Your Gut, but I guess some of the key ones which people laugh at but actually can be super effective. The first one being chewing your food well because we not only start to physically break down our food, but actually we have enzymes in our saliva which start to chemically break down the food. So if we're not chewing our food at least 15 to 20 times, then actually that can put more stress on our intestinal tract and actually lead for more malabsorption, which means more bacteria fermenting and more gas. producing. So try chew your food, you know, at least 15 to 20 times. If it's nuts, you know, the studies have suggested that up to 40 times to really maximize the absorption of that nutrition. Other approaches that we know are really important is restricting things that the sugar-free food. So things are the end in oils, so polyols, so xylitol, solitol, those sugar alcohols we call them, actually, they naturally get malabsorbed in that small intestine. It gets

the lower part of the bacteria, rapidly ferment them, more gases produced. I can go on and on. All of the strategies are in it and love your gut, but probably an important one, non-diet strategy, because I think a lot of the time

when we think about bloating, we fix aid on diet, but actually there are some non-diet ways to help with bloating, such as ensuring you're not wearing tight clothes all day. You know, a lot of us live in our gym gear, and the studies have shown this,

it's a concept called the tight pants syndrome, actually living in a, you know, with these compressed gut can trigger bloating in itself. And then also stress. So trying to de-stress whether it's doing something like, you know, gut-tructured yoga flow or whether it's doing, you know, 10 minutes of belly breathing, all of them can help with bloating as well. Our next partner has a product that I use literally every day. I started taking AG1 by Athletic Greens maybe five years ago because I was traveling a lot and I wanted an alternative to green smoothies when I was on the go. I actually don't think that I've

taken a trip without it since because it makes such a difference with travel constipation. I went from having constant gut problems on trips to being able to poop regularly and also still feeling energized even though when I travel, I'm usually mainlining croissants like five times a day. The energy element is the main reason I started to bring it into my daily life. As I'm sure you're very sick of hearing me say, I don't drink coffee or any type of caffeinated tea in the morning. It just messes with my anxiety too much and it makes me feel jittery and then crashy later. Now, when I feel sluggish in the morning, I mix a scoop of AG1 into water and chug it down. It's honestly like instant energy. And unlike caffeine, it's real energy that comes from flooding

your body with nutrients, not stealing from your adrenals. So there's no jitters, no crash, nothing. Just this feeling of like them and vigor and being ready to take on the day. AG1 has 75 high quality vitamins, minerals, whole food source superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens that were specifically selected to support your gut health, your nervous system, your immune system, your energy, recovery, focus, and aging. And maybe even more importantly, they actually use clinically researched amounts of everything they include. So you're actually getting the studied benefits. I checked on that because a lot of times, even if it actually says something on the package,

it's like such a tiny pinch that it's basically just marketing. It also has less than one gram of sugar, no GMOs, and no artificial anything. And their third party tested, which is always so important to look for. I know you're going to ask how it tastes, and I'm going to be honest, I actually love it. It tastes a little sweet, a little grassy, and really bright and fresh. I'd say it's like a really good green juice. I've also come to crave the flavor simply because I associate it with making me feel so good. I've basically Pavloved myself.

To make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a free one-year supply of immune-supporting vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athletic greens.com slash healthier together. I love the travel packs. I keep on with me at pretty much all times and the vitamin D3 and K2 is a amazing. You actually want to make sure that you look for K2 with your D3 because the K2 helps the D-transport calcium to your bones where it's needed rather than calcifying in your arteries. Again, that is athletic greens.com slash healthier together to take ownership over your health

and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance. Now, let's get back to the episode. Is there anything where if we're like, well, I forgot to chew and I forgot to avoid the foods that I'm maybe less intolerant of and I'm already stressed and here I am, I'm bloated. Like I didn't do any of my preventative strategies and now I'm bloated. Is there anything that we can do post facto when we're just uncomfortable and want to feel better? Yeah. I mean, it will depend if the bloating is straight after you've eaten. So if the bloating is actually just because you've eaten loads and therefore your stomach is

over expanded, we know that going for a gentle walk can help. Remember the stomach being like a washing machine can help the water. can help the washing machine kind of clean the food faster and allow the food to move through the intestinal tract. So it's not all jammed in that washing machine, that stomach. Chewing, chewing gum can also help, again, with your stomach releasing the food into the small intestine to help it with absorption. So if it's, you know, due to just having a large meal, then those sorts of strategies

can help. If it's actually you're experiencing, you know, the bloating maybe later in the afternoon, it's kind of the buildup of the day. it's more related to the fermentation, the gas buildup, then we know that doing some gut-directed yoga flow movements can help release that gas. Also putting a hot water bottle on your tummy can help, particularly if you're more at risk of things like IBS, can help diffuse some of that gas by allowing the blood vessels to kind of help relax those gut muscles.

And then you mentioned like xylitol and these sugar alcohol sweeteners. How do other sort of artificial sweeteners, particularly the ones that we often rely on in the health food world like stevia and monk fruit, do you have thoughts on those in terms of gut health? Yeah. So there is more and more research coming out around these artificial, not artificial, these natural sweeteners, but low-calorie sweeteners. And a lot of them are suggesting they're probably not great for our gut bacteria.

but that has all been on animal studies at the moment. There is a real lack of human clinical trials looking at how it impacts our gut bacteria. And I think probably it will come down to the dosing of it. So if we're having loads and loads of the natural low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, then I suspect they will have a negative impact on our gut bacteria. But if we're only having small amounts, then it's probably okay. it's more again about if your face of your diet is loaded with different types of plants that

will probably outweigh any harm. But we certainly do need to wait for the clinical trials to come through before we know for sure. It's so interesting because on one hand, I'm like, it definitely feels too good to be true. Like I indulge in the sodas that, you know, contain them and I've not had soda for years and years and years. So I'm just like, oh, this is wonderful. But then on the other hand, I can talk myself into like, well, monk fruit and stevia are plants and if you were having like a spinach drink you wouldn't be feeling like it was too good to be true you know yeah no i i definitely understand that um that mindset um but we also you know you we do need to keep in mind that actually these low-calorie sweetness even if they are natural

they are changing our our taste receptors in our mouth and do start to make us um expect sweeter flavors and actually i certainly do see um in clinical all the time is that people who have switched over to the sweetness, even though their low-calorie sweetness, they start to notice that they're craving, having more intense cravings for sweet foods, you know, on a daily basis because their taste receptors have gotten used to having, you know, so much sweetness. That's really interesting. I also read there was some study about how they actually do, like, spike your blood sugar as if you, Like your body expects sugar or something. I'm not a scientist, so I couldn't interpret it probably as well as you could,

but I was reading about that. Yeah, no, and it does seem to be this individualized effect of sweetness. So one of the clinical trials, a very small study, but it looked at the effect. I think it was a spartame on blood sugar spikes. And what they found that for some people, actually, oddly, like you said, it did spike the blood sugar. But other people, it didn't have any impact.

So I think this will all come down to the role of, you know, that we all contain our own unique array of gut bacteria, which ultimately can prevent some of these artificial, or not just artificial, but low-calorie sweetness in general, as well as our genetic. So it's not just our genetics we need to think about anymore. It's also the bacteria, they have their own genetics, which makes this whole world of personalized nutrition so complex. and certainly something I think will be huge in the next 10 years, but at the moment the research isn't there yet. So if anyone is thinking about paying large amounts of money to do these inexpensive personalized nutrition tests, whether sending poop away or blood samples away, I'd say, you know, probably hold off because the science really hasn't caught up to,

I guess, this commercialization of the concept just yet. Not to harp on it too much, but I have a sweet tooth. So I'm like, I want to get all the information about the sugar because sugar is also not ideal for our gut either, right? So would you say in terms of lesser of two evils, would you put some stevia in your tea if you wanted to sweeten it or in your oatmeal or do you think it's better to use a small amount of sugar? Yeah, this is a great question. So in terms of sugar, so table sugar, we call it sucrose. What happens with that is actually most of it is digested very high up our nine meter digestive tract. So actually, the sugar doesn't really get to our gut bacteria. So the concept

that sugar is bad for gut is actually not true. What we know... Let's just stop there. No, that sounds great. Perfect. That's all of the info that I need. All the sugar is fine, right? It's totally good for me. No. So this is what we need to keep in mind is that it's more of the fact that if we're loading up on added sugars, then actually we're starving our gut bacteria. We're not giving our bacteria the whole plants that it really needs. So typically in all my recipes, I sweeten my foods with things like dates and with bananas, because what that does, it not only has the natural sugars in it, but it also contains these other chemicals called phytochemicals, which we know also feeds our gut bacteria. So that's the way that I see it, is having a little bit of the, you know,

sugar is fine, but we need to add in the nutrients that are going to actually feed. to nourish a gut bacteria. So, you know, it is on a case-by-case basis, but broadly speaking, and certainly what I do is try to limit the amount of these sweeteners and opt for the whole fruit versions, because I know that's going to actually have additive benefits from my gut bacteria. And I do love that your whole approach, especially as we're coming into the new year and people are thinking about New Year's resolutions, it sounds like instead of you saying, you know, do somebody might have a resolution like I'm going to not eat dessert you would you wouldn't it sounds

like with your approach you wouldn't have people do resolutions around subtracting things but all around adding like everything seems to be about like what are you adding in how many plants are you adding in rather than focusing on what you're eliminating or leaving out exactly it's all about inclusion not exclusion and even if your goal is around weight management that approach really does help because what we know about adding in plants is actually it's loaded with the dietary fiber, which the bacteria then, like I said, break down to these plant chemicals, some of which are called short chain fatty acids, which help regulate your appetite. So actually adding in plants can keep you fuller and therefore your, you know,

your portion of, you know, the treat foods is just going to be smaller by default. But you're not sitting there and saying like, you can't have a cookie, you can't have a cookie, you can't have a cookie. Yeah, it's have your cookie, but also have, some plants with it. So why not grate some zucchini in your cookies? I have great recipes on that or even some kale. But hey, yeah, have your chalk chips in there as well. So it's all about adding in some extra plants along with your favorite food. I'd love to speak briefly to how our gut health impacts our skin. I would love some like gut health hacks that will make us have really

glowing skin or potentially even because it's wintertime and our skin is really dry right now. Mine is I'm like a crispy like, ugh, it's nasty. Is there anything I can do to nourish my skin from the inside out? Yeah, absolutely. So there certainly is this connection called the gut skin after. So this dual-way connection between how we treat our gut microbes and also our skin health. And actually the research is showing that people who eat more plant-based foods, i.e. nourishing their gut health, seem to have, you know, lower signs of skin aging.

So particularly as we get older, myself included, I have started to be like, oh, not only am I going to nourish my gut bacteria, but also, you know, helping delaying, the aging, the oxidation of my skin. So we knew that's certainly an important one. You know, if we think about specific foods that have been shown mainly in clinical trials to really nourish our skin and that being via our gut, you know, things like actually dark chocolate. we call them polyphenols in the dark chocolate has been shown to help protect our skin from oxidative stress. Green tea is also one as well as things like walnuts with the omega-freeze in it. Avocados for the fatty acids. Sunflower seeds as well.

There's also another one which has been shown to be linked with better gut skin after. So, yeah, where you can add as many plants as you can along with those few ones. Also actually, a good one is with tomatoes. We know that the chemicals and tomatoes can help protect our skin from the sun, obviously not as important in winter. But what this research is shown is that actually adding a little bit of fat and cooking it with the tomatoes helps our body absorb those nutrients even more. So that can really help, I guess, enhance our skin protection.

So when you're having your tomatoes, think, hey, why don't I fry a little bit of that with some extra virgin oil or have it with some full fat bric yogurt to really maximize your body's absorption of those important plant chemicals for the skin? Ooh, I love that. We love talking about our gut health here on the Healthy Together podcast, which is why I'm so excited to share the life-changing seed daily symbiotic. I actually discovered seed back when I was working as an editor full-time. A bottle came across my desk and I was instantly taken by how cute the green glass packaging is. Then, I found out that that packaging was actually refillable so that seed could share its products as sustainably as possible. And then I actually looked into the research behind seed and, well, I was blown away.

First of all, seed is not just a probiotic. It is a symbiotic. That means it contains both pre and probiotics, which is super important. In fact, if you remember my Ask the Doctor gut health edition, we talked about how prebiotics are one of the most important and often underlooked components of great gut health. Let me break it down for you. Probiotics are the live bacteria that are so beneficial to our gut health. But prebiotics are the food that those probiotics need to thrive.

If you don't have ample prebiotics, the probiotics you're consuming will be undernourished and not be able to help your health in the way that you want. Speaking of your health, there's also a common misconception that probiotics or symbiotics are for people with gut issues, which is so not true. Like, yes, the seed symbiotic is amazing for your gut health, but your gut health impacts everything in your entire body. Your skin, your mental health, your cardiovascular health, your ability to actually assimilate the maximum amount of nutrients from all that healthy food you're eating. Having a happy gut is critical for all of it. It is hard to narrow down everything

else that I love about seed. I am extremely particular with my supplements and I don't take many, but seed is just stellar across the board. It's been tested and tested and tested. Seriously, their testing process is bananas to make sure that it has a high, 100% survival through the digestive process, which is so rare. And somehow they do all of that without needing refrigeration, which is very handy. I find that when I have refrigerated probiotics, I just forget about them and they get buried behind like old jars of pasta sauce, whereas I keep these on my bedside table, so I'm reminded to take them every single night. They also contain the 24 strains that are the most scientifically studied to support your whole body's health. I am obviously

passionate about this stuff, taking care of my gut has been a key part of my own anxiety journey, and seed has been a vital part of that. So feel free to reach out with any questions. And if you like learning about gut health and how probiotics and prebiotics actually function, I highly recommend heading over to seed.com. They have a whole educational section that breaks down the science behind your microbiome and some of the easiest to understand ways that I have ever seen. And if you would like to try a seed for yourself and pretty much change your life forever, you can go to seed.com and use the code Liz Moody for 15% off your first month supply of seeds daily symbiotic. Again, that's code Liz Moody on seed.com. Now, let's get back to the

episode. What about the ones that we, I've heard about like, hibiscus tea being really good for skin? And then I've also heard and maybe experienced that olive oil is, I was doing this olive oil tasting trip in Italy and so we were literally drinking olive oil for like a week or two and I swear my skin looked better. Yeah, I mean, olive oil is the most world's is the world's most studied oil out there in terms of health benefits. So I'm a huge fan of extra virgin olive oil in particular. And we know that's loaded with not only these beneficial fatty acids, but these polyphenols which nourish the gut bacteria. And we, yeah, we certainly do see the fatty acids may have that benefit on our skin health as well. So I'm all for adding extra virgin olive oil to your diet wherever you can.

But maybe not drinking it? You know, the studies have they have included about 60 mils of olive oil a day and have shown things like increased longevity, got bacteria, heart health risk, etc. So, you know, it depends, I guess, what you're, where you are with your weight goals, etc. but if you can absolutely adding in, you know, plenty of olive oil, according to the research, shows that it's linked to the range of health benefits. Also, a fun fact that I learned on that tasting trip is that if it makes you cough, like if it has that sort of almost like bitter effect where it'll make you cough when you drink it,

it means that it has a stronger amount of those polyphenols and antioxidants. So if you have that little bit of a cough in your throat, that it's actually better for you. Absolutely. And that's, you know, the same with a lot of our bitter foods. It's these polyphenols. That's the element of why it makes them that little bit bitter. Same with the dark chocolate, red wine, et cetera. And they're the beneficial elements.

So the bitter foods thing is interesting. I was interviewing, I think it was Gigi Hadid's dermatologist years ago. And he was like, Gigi Hadid's secret to glowing skin is she has dandelion greens every day because the bitter foods help support the liver and that helps her body clear out the stuff that wouldn't make her skin glow. Do you have any thoughts on the truth of that? Well, I think if you are just, you know, fixating on this one type of plant, I think that isn't necessarily going to achieve, you know, all of your, you know, health goals. Maybe it will, you know, help one element of your skin.

But actually, you know, other studies have shown that diversity of plants can help also with the skin strength, etc. So my mind, in my mind, it really is about plant diversity. so not fixating on just one nutrient or one type of plant because there is literally tens of thousands of plants out there with tens of thousands of different types of plant chemicals in it that can do different things for the body. So if you are restricting your diet to just fixating on one, then you're missing out so much the potential of the plant world. But to that point, I bet a lot of us don't include something like dandelion grains in our diet.

So it's an interesting sort of wake up call to be like, well, do I? just go to the same four types of greens all the time? Do I just put spinach in my smoothie? Do I just have broccoli when I do a roast, etc.? Absolutely. And that's why I typically set people that challenge of 30 different types of plant-based foods each and every week. So, you know, it's about counting how many you're having at the moment. And, you know, once a week, maybe think, oh, actually, I'm always having the apples or I'm always having the spinach. Why can't I think of another type of fruit or another type of veg to really diversify my diet like the dandelions. I love that.

Could you give us one example of something we might not reach for at the grocery store but that would be at the grocery store so not they like super crazy and how you would prepare it so it tastes really good? Yeah, that's a good one because people would be really surprised at how many of these typically exotic types of plant-based foods are actually at the local supermarket. So, you know, in the UK at like this, you know, fairly accessible major supermarket, there is this nine grain mix where essentially it takes 10 minutes to cook. You just put it in some water just like you would with cooking rice.

And it's got nine different types of grains in it, like things like fricob, buckwheat, kinoa, all the things which you think would be really expensive or hard to attain, or as well as hard to cook. So I'm always shouting out about that product. It's super accessible financially. So what I recommend is people actually go to the supermarket, maybe spend an extra, you know, five, ten minutes going down the aisles and checking out the different foods available.

Another one, you know, is legumes. So canned legumes, whether it's things like your butterbees, your canolone beans, your black beans, your azooki beans. your azuki beans. There are so many different beans, super accessible. Just make sure they are in water, not in salty brine or anything like that. You get them, you double rinse them just to reduce any of the, well, too much of the Fodmats, which can make the trigger your bloating. And then they're good to go, you know, in a salad, on pizza, in a stir fry, in soups, really versatile. I love the idea of doing a little explore sash at your supermarket, because I do think we all tend to go in

and we're like, we have our list and we need to get it done and it's a task and like really taking. And that's one of the reasons too when I go to farmers markets. I feel like it's a really wonderful experience. I end up buying things that I normally wouldn't because I treat it almost like an experience unto itself. And I love the idea of taking a second and just stepping back from your supermarket and saying, well, what's actually here? And maybe I shouldn't just travel the same exact path that I always travel here. Exactly. Let's do a really quick little speed round. And I don't know if you'll be able to have speedy thoughts on these, but let's see. Thoughts on colonics.

Nay. So, you know, the research around them suggests they can be quite risky, not only about like perforating your gut if, you know, the pressure is applied in the wrong direction, but also once you flush out your intestine, yes, for some people that can help with constipation in the short term, but actually it can kill off some of your beneficial bacteria. And what then repopulate your gut is something you. You can't necessarily control. And also you can get addicted to it and used to needing these flush outs in order to, you know, have a regular bowel movement.

And then people get caught in this vicious cycle of really reliant on colonics. So yeah, I'm nay to Colonic. I recently said on Instagram that I was like super opposed. And I got so many DMs from people who were like, but so many people on Instagram recommend it. And I'm like, if you can send me one doctor who recommends it, I would love that. up and they're all just like influencers, mostly in L.A., you know. I know who are probably getting some sort of perk back from it. Yeah, for sure.

Just like send me one doctor and then I'll believe you or I'll listen to you at least a little bit more. What about food combining or the idea that you should only eat certain foods together so it's not to impact your digestion? Yeah, I actually just did a blog on this. So I should link it up to your podcast notes. So it's definitely grounded in a culture. belief around the Aeovedic way of eating. So certainly nothing against that. But if we just put our scientific hats on,

there is no science to suggest that things like fruit needs to be eaten on an empty stomach. Or you should never combine dairy and fruit because of the protein and the fats and the sugars. Because actually our body, our stomach is the way that the enzymes are released is very much in tune with being able to digest. a range of different types of macronutrients, so the fats, the proteins and carbs altogether. So, yeah, with my scientific hat on, there is no evidence to suggest that you shouldn't be food combining. In fact, we know that in some elements,

food combining can be really beneficial for helping you, you know, maximize the absorption. For example, we know that combining, you know, sources of vitamin C, such as tomatoes and, you know, peppers with things like lentils and chickpeas can really help your body absorb the types of iron found in the lentils and the chickpe. So actually food combining scientifically is probably more beneficial than it is harmful. That's so interesting.

Thoughts on digestive enzyme supplements. Like, do they work? And if you're going to take them, is there a specific thing that we should be looking for? So there are, there is some types of digestive enzymes where there's good evidence for. For example, if you have lactose intolerance, then technically, taking the lactase enzyme whenever you're having lactose, so things like milk, absolutely can help because what it is doing is digesting that lactose for you because your body lacks the enzyme, the lactase enzyme.

So that makes sense. Also, if you find that when you're having loads of beans, so things like your legumes, that you get really gassy, then there is a specific type of enzyme. It's the brand, I think, the only one that I'm aware of is the beanieo. Yeah. So we know that that can also help relieve some of that bloating because what it does is break down the component of the legumes called galactologosaccharides, which is a type of floodmouth, actually, and that can help digest it in the smaller intestine instead of making the bacteria digest all of that. So that can also help.

In terms of these multi-digestive enzymes, unless you have pancreatic insufficiency, which is a medical condition where you absolutely know about you need to have gone to hospital, et cetera, and they prescribe you these really high-strength digestive enzyme, then these multi-ones you get over the counter. Actually, there's really a limited scientific evidence for them. All right. So go take a walk to help your digestion afterwards because there's actually scientific evidence for that. Yeah, absolutely.

What's one gut health thing that a lot of people think is helpful or works, but it actually doesn't? Oh, gosh, there are so many myths out there. I think for a lot of people, they've read that long fast is beneficial for the gut. And, you know, that's not the case. We know that if you go on these extended fasts, then actually it really is difficult for you to reach a quota of dietary fiber. and actually can then starve your gut bacteria. And the science is shown in animals anyway that when the bacteria are being starved, they start to eat the gut lining and that can weaken your gut lining.

That's grim. The mucus component, so it doesn't actually eat your skin. The mucus component. So therefore it makes things more likely to penetrate through your gut lining. So actually, yeah, going on these long fast is not thought to be good for the gut. And how are you defining extended? Any longer than I would say, you know, 20, hours. Got it. When I worked as a magazine editor, I wrote more than a thousand articles about

turmeric because pretty much all of the doctors that I used as sources kept recommending it or citing it is one of the supplements that they would personally take. Here's the background. Turmeric is one of the most powerful ways to fight inflammation. In a nutshell, there are two types of inflammation, acute and chronic. Acute inflammation can actually be a good thing. It's one of the ways that your body heals and repairs itself. But when that system goes, hey, why are we get chronic inflammation, which essentially makes your body feel like it's constantly under attack. The vast majority of doctors I work with cite chronic inflammation is one of the root causes of so many of our modern ailment. And research links inflammation with heart disease,

diabetes, autoimmune conditions, cancer, arthritis, and gut issues like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. I am never going to sit around and tell you that a supplement will cure everything that ails you, but if you're looking for a turmeric supplement to help get your inflammation under control, I am extremely impressed with paleovales. To increase the bioavailability of turmeric, you need to consume it with black pepper, which most people know, and fat, which many people forget about. Paleo Valley's turmeric complex has black pepper and coconut oil to maximize absorption and three other powerful anti-inflammatories, ginger, rosemary, and clove, for a maximum synergistic response. It also has no fillers,

binders or preservatives and is made with all organic ingredients and just a veggie capsule. Finally, it's third-party tested, which is something I always look for in supplements as extra assurance of their quality. I've had my uncle taking this for about three months, and he's gone from having debilitating back pain due to an autoimmune condition to being almost completely pain-free. Paleovality has a number of other incredibly high-quality food-derived supplements, including a vitamin C that I adore. Vitamin C is my ultimate. favorite supplement for skin health and a neuro effect mushroom powder that Zach loves for increasing energy and focus. So definitely explore their website. If you'd like to check out the turmeric complex,

the vitamin C, the neuro effect, or any of Paleo Valley's other amazing products, head over to paleoValley.com and use the code Liz M for 15% off. That's paleovalley.com and code Liz M for 15% off your order. And if you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Instagram, I love chatting about this stuff. Now, let's get back to the episode. Can you end us on one gut health like homework assignment for us? Like one thing we could all do during this holiday season, but maybe going forward, that might be like we're all going to eat more plants after this episode.

You have convinced me and I'm sure that you've convinced everybody listening, but maybe something that's very nuanced and specific that we could add into our day or our week going forward. You know, I'm going to pick a non-diet approach, and that would be taking five minutes out to really relax that gut brain access. I think around the festive period, you know, we're going to so many parties, we're staying up late, you know, we're trying to finish off work deadlines, like it's all a bit many, but finding five minutes just to do either some belly breathing, so diaphragmic breathing, like where you breathe into your stomach, so expand your stomach, and then breathing

out, doing that for five minutes, you know, doing some gut-directed yoga flow for five minutes, going for a walk for five minutes, but just literally block in your diary five minutes where you are relaxing that connection because I find a lot of people, you know, 20% of people experience gut symptoms on a daily basis. A lot of that stress isn't necessarily what they're eating, but the kind of connection that occurs between the gut and the brain, which I know we haven't spoken that much about, but it's called the gut brain access. So if you were really, stressed in your head, even subconsciously, that is sending really stressy signals down to your gut and kind of strangles your gut. It means that everything is on the back foot in terms of digestion

and how our bowels move, et cetera. So taking that five minutes out to relax that cut brain axis really can have far-reaching benefits. That's why I always, people always say when they go on vacation, they're like, oh, the way they process the food is so different in Italy and whatever. And I'm like, Maybe, or maybe you're not stressed for the first time all year, and that's made your gut actually absorb and digest your food differently. Absolutely. That's often the correct answer. If people wanted to find out more about you, you listed so many resources in this. One resource I'd really love you to point us in the direction of finding out more about is that gut directed yoga, because I think a lot of people are going to be interested in that. but that and in general, where can people find you? Yeah, so the gut-directed yoga flow, I actually have that in my book, Love Your Gut.

So there was a clinical trial which showed that gut-directed yoga flow had an equal benefit to the low-format. I don't remember that diet, I spoke about for IBS. So what I did is took that clinical trial protocol. I gave it to my yogi friend, Richie Norton, and I said, hey, can you condense this protocol down into a 15-minute yoga flow that people could easily do at home on their own. And he worked his magic and I put it in the book. So people can check that out where, yeah, it walks you through the steps to really relax that two-way communication.

And then people can find loads of free recipes and everything at the guthealthdoctor.com or follow me on social at the gut health doctor. Thank you so much. I'm definitely going to try out that yoga. It's just such a great thing, especially during the time when we just want something quick and easy we can do to nourish our bodies. So I love that. And I so appreciate you taking the time to share all of your wisdom with us. It's an absolute pleasure. And it's so great that, you know, you are spreading the evidence-based word because there's so much

power and confusion out there. And it's really limiting people's, you know, ability to make the most out of the scientific discovery of our gut. And likewise to you, you're doing such important work. You're listening to the Healthier Together podcast. I hope you love that episode. I hope you learned so much. I certainly did. I feel like I'm never going to have to feel constipated again. I'm going to be walking and including all of my plans and, oh, that white chocolate bark that she talked about. I'm definitely going to be making that 100%. I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode. And I know that Dr. Rossi would too. So definitely screenshot and tag us both on Instagram. I am at Liz Moody, and she is at The Gut Health Doctor. And if you loved this episode, the two best ways to support this podcast is to do a

quick rating review on Apple Podcasts. It means the world. It really helps other people find the podcast. And then share the episode with somebody in your life that you think would benefit from this information. Not only does it help spread the science-backed word, which is just great in general, and it helps people feel good. It helps their guts feel good. It helps them just feel better in their bodies. But it also really helps support this podcast. It's the most loveliest and appreciated thing from my perspective. So people are always asking, how can we help support the podcast. Those two ways are it, and they are so infinitely appreciated. And I'm so grateful for everyone of you who does both of those things. I see them both on a daily basis, and I love you all for it.

All right. And don't forget if you need to order your HT decks, your healthier together, Conversation Starter decks. Those are on htdeck.com. Get them before they sell out. Again, get them in time for all of your holiday presents. There are $25. So great for stocking stuffers, for coworkers, for family members, for partners, really for basically anybody that you need a present for in your life. And that's it for me. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season. I hope it gets even better with all of this amazing information that Dr. Rossi shared in this episode. And I will see you on the next episode of the Healthier Together podcast. When it comes to wellness, you're going to get the best results by focusing

on the big needle movers. A lot of us spend a lot of time trying to optimize that last 1%, which creates a ton of stress and it actually doesn't help our health that much. At the top the needle mover list? Sleep. And one of the best ways to optimize your sleep is to optimize your mattress, which is why I love avocado green mattress so much. First of all, this mattress is so comfortable. I have the one with the pillow top, which is medium firm, and it's just a dream. I miss it when I travel. It's better than even the fanciest hotel beds. Having a mattress that supports your joints and your body and feels good is going to help you get more sleep and better quality sleep. But then, on top of that, avocado mattresses are made with certified organic cotton,

wool, and latex, and they are made safe and green guard gold certified. They're also Okotech certified, which is the gold standard. I look for it in any mattresses, sheets, or towels that I buy, which means the materials have been rigorously tested for harmful substances. You can actually look for the Okotech standard 100 label right on the product, and I love this part. It includes a traceable certificate number and the name of the testing lab so you know exactly what you're getting. There are no toxic chemicals. There's no harmful off gassing. It does not smell like it's going to kill you when you unbox it. This is what I mean. I'm not going to swap out all of my clothing, which is that top 1% of optimization. But by making sure that my mattress and my bedding

are as good for me as possible, I literally reduce my exposure during a third of my life, which is a huge needle mover for a one-time swap. I will also note, and this is a me thing, but I sleep super hot. And avocado's materials are really breathable, and it makes me sweat the least of any mattress that I have slept on. And avocado is a certified B-corp and a 1% for the planet member, because caring for yourself and caring for the planet do not have to be separate things. You can get up to 20% off organic mattresses and more by shopping Avocados President's Day Sale right now at Avocadogreenmatress.com. That is avocadogreenmatress.com no code needed. I very rarely get genuinely excited about skincare, but this is one of the most innovative products that I have come across in

years, and I'm so obsessed with it. I've been telling all of my friends to get it, so now I need to tell you guys. Here's some science first. Your skin isn't just getting older. It's being actively broken down by something called senescent cells. These are cells that have stopped functioning, but refuse to die. They sit there, releasing inflammatory signals, breaking down your collagen, degrading your skin barrier, and accelerating every visible sign of aging. Scientists call them zonautism. zombie cells and as they accumulate, they are one of the primary drivers of how old your skin looks and feels. The team at one skin, a group of female longevity researchers and PhDs, spent five years testing over 900 peptides to figure out how to help reduce the accumulation of senescent

cells. And they finally landed on it. OSO1, the first peptide scientifically studied to reduce skin's biological age at the molecular level. OSO1 goes to. in and it clears out the senescent cells so it helps skin function like healthier, younger looking skin. It is not masking the signs of aging. It's not targeting one thing. It is actually rolling the clock back at a cellular level. I've been using the face moisturizer for almost six months now and I love it so much. It feels amazing. It goes on really smoothly. It's not tacky at all. And I actually see a difference, which I just feel like is never the case with skincare. You want to always like see a real difference and you're kind of like, do I? Do I? And

this I genuinely do. Because it's clearing the senescent cells, it doesn't just target one thing. So my skin looks firmer. It looks glowier. The texture feels dramatically smoother. And I feel like you can see that too. I also love the body moisturizer. It dries down really quickly, which is always a pet peeve of mine with moisturizers. I hate that like sticky feeling when you go to put your clothes on. This does not do that. But it does moisturize really, really well. And then again, I'm reducing my skin's biological age. I am not making it just look younger. I am making it actually younger. OneSkin has four peer-reviewed clinical studies in over 10,000 five-star reviews. The data backs everything up. For a limited time, get 15% off with code Liz at oneskin.c.co slash Liz. Again,

that's 15% off at oneskin.co with code Liz.