Gut Bacteria – Chef V's Blog

Did you know there’s a non-stop party in your gut? It’s true. In your microbiome—the home of your trillions of bacteria, both the friendly and unfriendly kind—your gut bacteria are constantly eating our leftovers. If only we could claim them as tax dependents! So how can you make sure you’re feeding the good guys in your gut and not the bad? Chef V has one simple solution and offers her 3 favorite gut-supporting supplements…

It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie and it’s kind of creepy if you think about it…

In your gut, there’s a constant war going on. It’s a 365/24/7 battle between your good gut bacteria and your harmful bacteria. Your good bacteria craves things like green leafy veggies to your diet—whether you eat or drink them. That’s how they grow and multiply and crowd out the unfriendly bacteria.

When we eat and drink unhealthy food, it’s the potentially-harmful bacteria that thrives in the gut. But never ever blame yourself for indulging. You see, it’s not you, it’s your unfriendly microbes—they have a huge impact on what you decide to eat.

Besides sipping on Organic Green Drinks every morning instead of eating a big, typical breakfast, I have a few other ways for you to support your gut microbiome. I’m not usually one to be a big promoter of supplements. But having a healthy gut microbiome is so important. Because after all, health starts in the gut!

So here are my top 3 gut health supporting supplements.

collagen

Collagen Protein

Who hasn’t heard of collagen by now? But I’m not talking about collagen implants for your gut. Nope, your lips are beautiful enough. And I’m not talking about collagen cream for wrinkles. The collagen I’m talking about for gut health comes in powder form that you can add to smoothies or even your morning Green Drink.

But there’s something all collagen products have in common. They are formulated to help your own body make more collagen. And what is collagen? It’s the most abundant type of human protein in the body. What makes you, you is tens of thousands of proteins. There are different types of collagen but just know that collagen is king when it comes to your body.

And here’s what collagen does. It’s basically the glue that holds all of your skin, muscles, organs and tissues together. Gut lining included.

The problem is that after age 40, your levels of collagen start declining. And the collagen you do have gets weaker. So by taking collagen powder, we can support our gut health by strengthening the protective barrier of the gut so nothing leaks out of it that’s not supposed to.

leafy greens

L-Glutamine

If you have frequent bloating, constipation or other digestive issues, L-glutamine is another powder that can help support your gut. While collagen is a protein, glutamine is a building block of protein (an amino acid).

So you already know that collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Well, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the protective barrier of your gut. Roughly one-third of your body’s glutamine goes to your gut.

And if you have a lot of stress going on, that stress could gobble up a good amount of glutamine. In light of this, it might help to take an L-glutamine supplement. (L-glutamine is just glutamine in supplement form.)

Marshmallow Root

Another supplement that can be great for your gut microbiome is not the same kind of marshmallows you roast by a campfire. Back in the day, before modern food processing methods were invented, marshmallows were actually made with the root from the plant.

Marshmallow root has been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy for all kinds of things. And the cool thing is research studies support it for gut health. And here’s how it works.

Marshmallow root soothes inflammation in the gut lining. Beyond that, it might help to build back up the sticky layer of mucus that surrounds the gut barrier.

So if you want to improve your gut and, by extension, your overall health, try marshmallow—just not the candied kind.

These are by no means all the supplements that may help support your gut microbiome. And you don’t have to take all three at once. I just love giving you a few options so you can achieve your health goals.

Love,

Chef V

Veronica's blended juice cleanse

Everyone knows a blended juice cleanse can benefit weight loss. But that’s just the beginning. For example, did you know a blended green juice can benefit your digestion, energy levels, and brain function?

After our recent vacation, I did a 5 day Chef V cleanse (natch!). I’m feeling revitalized, and lost a couple of pounds. Read on to learn about the many benefits of my cleanse.

Veronica's blended juice cleanse

Weight Loss

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the main benefits of a cleanse is weight loss.

Doing a blended juice cleanse or detox for a couple of days helps clean out the digestive system. This helps kick-start your body to get into weight loss mode. You’re burning more calories than you’re ingesting.

A recent study showed that weight loss was not only possible on a juice to cleanse, but that the weight loss is maintained weeks after. The participants lost about 3lbs on average after a 3-day juice cleanse. These same participants two weeks later had maintained a 2lb weight loss.
Another main reason people lose weight after a juice cleanse is because of a lack of appetite – especially on blended juices.

The body is getting all the vitamins and minerals it needs from the blended juices – this is because all of the produce and its fibers are still in the juice when it is blended vs just juiced. To the shock of many, they find themselves being perfectly satisfied during their cleanse. Maybe not the first time around as it can feel a bit odd, but if you begin doing regular cleanses you will find it easier and easier.

While juice cleanses and detoxes can help you lose weight, the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to incorporate blended green juice into your diet combined with healthy eating and being active.

weight loss with mixed juice cleanse

Gut Bacterial Changes

Another benefit of a blended green juice cleanse is mitigating gut pain and digestion problems.

A blended vegetable juice cleanse is meant to help clean up our digestive system and improve digestive health. The study mentioned earlier concluded that cleanses increased the amounts of some health-promoting bacteria and lowered the number of bacteria that cause illness.

There are around 40 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are in your intestines. This bacteria is called the microbiome. The more healthy bacteria the better. Different bacteria help break down different foods and aid our body in being able to absorb the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that we need.

Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy microbiota. This is because they are high in fiber, which can’t be digested by your body. However, fiber can be digested by certain bacteria in your gut, which stimulates their growth.

digestive system

Give Your Digestive System a Rest

Our digestive systems work extremely hard all day long digesting our meals. An organic juice cleanse offers our gut a bit of a break.

Not having to exert energy to break down food offers your body all that extra strength for properly digesting and absorbing nutrients. Chef V green drinks are jam-packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients will benefit your metabolism and ensure you look and feel slim.

reduce bloating

Reduce Bloating

Many of us struggle with bloating on a regular basis, especially women. This can be caused by eating too many inflammatory foods. This includes dairy, gluten, and alcohol. When doing a 3- or 5-day liquid cleanse you are detoxing your gut from these bloating triggers.

While you do lose between 1-3 pounds on a 3-day cleanse, you will feel like you’ve lost 10! This is because you’ve debloated and are now enjoying a tighter tummy.

Mental Health & Sleep Improvements

You will experience a bunch of different slight changes when you’re detoxing on an organic juice cleanse.

Mental clarity is something that you will benefit from on our cleanse. This is mostly due to there being more room in your brain! No more meal planning, shopping, or dedicating hours of your day to cooking. Your next meal is already planned to eliminate mealtime stress.

Many people who do the Chef V cleanse have also reported better sleep. Toxins, high blood sugar, and too much caffeine can disrupt natural sleep patterns and prevent you from getting a solid night’s rest. A one-day blended juice cleanse is just enough time to allow your body to remove these disruptors and focus on resting.

Even doing a one-day cleanse can put you to bed faster and you will wake up feeling detoxed, fresh, and energized. You will no longer experience a ‘crash’ from eating too many carbohydrates and can also help stabilize your sugar levels.

Is a Chef V Organic Cleanse Right for Me

Whether you want a 1-, 3-, 5-, or even 21-day cleanse, Chef V has you covered.

If you’re just starting a major weight loss journey or just want to debloat for an event, we have a cleanse plan for you. Including our signature green drink, blended vegetable soups, and protein shakes. We help people accomplish all different types of goals.

Chef V

Tag: Gut Bacteria

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