The magic formula for good digestion

Written by: Lindsay Little, MS — Holistic Health Coach

There’s a magic formula to good digestion:

Prebiotics + Probiotics = Postbiotics

We need all three to have a healthy gut and a healthy body. Human health is largely determined by gut health. It is well worth it to memorize this formula and practice it every day!

In this article, we’ll dive into what each of these three “biotics” are, why they’re important, and how to get them. But first, let’s talk a little bit about why we all should make gut health and optimal digestion front and center of our focus. 

Storytime…

Many moons ago (ok, like 15 years ago but it feels like a lifetime…), I began having really bad digestive issues. 

Every food I ate made me blow up like a balloon (even the really healthy foods). Buttoning my jeans was often an impossible task. I had both diarrhea and constipation, usually at the same time (yep, it’s a thing and really common). My energy level was about a 3 on a good day. I found myself curled up in the fetal position every day around 4:00 pm because I was in so much pain. And my hair was falling out. 

The cherry on top…I was working a very stressful job, often 16-hour days, 7 days a week, with virtually no time off. 

I was a walking time bomb.

It’s no wonder I felt like every day was a never-ending quest for just one second of relief!

Eventually, one day after being so tired I needed to pull over on the side of the freeway in downtown Milwaukee, I reluctantly made an appointment with my doctor. 

She told me I was “perfectly healthy” on paper and to go home, get some sleep, and drink more water. Thanks, doc. Like I hadn’t thought of that! [insert massive eye roll here!]

So I went on a crusade to DIY my own health. I took all the online courses, tried all the supplements, and did everything the “experts” said to do. 

Nothing worked.

I ended up in grad school as a last-ditch effort to solve my health problems. Yep, quite the overreaction, but like I said, I tried everything. 

Somewhere along the way, I decided other people needed to know the information I was learning. You could call this the “silver lining” to my years of suffering. I decided to become a health coach so others could learn from my mistakes and get the support they desperately needed easier and faster than I had.

I graduated with a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition, top of my class. But guess what? Even after all the accolades and advanced training, I still felt awful.

I was missing something. 

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks!

Maybe, just maybe, all that stress and the other unhealthy habits I picked up to deal with the stress (hello wine, I’m looking at you!), had messed up my gut. 

So I jumped down the deep dark rabbit hole of gut health. 

But let me tell you something, that rabbit hole is no longer dark and scary. It’s actually bright and shiny, warm and fuzzy. Not only did this rabbit hole turn around my health but it has done the same for the hundreds of women I’ve since coached. 

Here’s why gut health matters: if you’re not digesting your food well, you’re starving your body. 

Digestion is one of the most basic functions of the body and when it’s not working right, you’re gonna have a heck of a time doing anything else well – losing weight, balancing your hormones, preventing chronic disease, managing your blood sugar, and on and on. 

Gut health has been directly linked to things like heart disease, many autoimmune conditions, diabetes, infertility, ADHD, autism, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, frequent infections, and so much more.

With the gut and the brain in constant communication, it’s difficult to find a body part or health condition that isn’t in some way impacted by the health of your gut microbiome. Except maybe that teeny-tiny baby toe….what’s that guy’s deal, anyway?

How did I clean up my gut? Simple. I focused on feeding more of the good gut bugs and less of the bad guys, using the magic gut formula:  

Prebiotics + Probiotics = Postbiotics

Your gut is made up of over 39 trillion microbes, mostly bacteria and ideally, mostly good guys. When the good guys are in charge, they keep the bad guys at bay. The more good guys you have, the better health you will experience. Unfortunately, our society is not set up for the good guys to win.

The Standard American Diet mainly consists of overly processed “Franken-Foods” which contain way too much sugar, salt, fat, grease, chemicals, and preservatives. It’s not real food! And guess who loves and thrives on this food? The bad gut bugs. 

When you eat that way, and then add on things like inconsistent activity, over-exercising, stress, and spending most of your days indoors alone, you create an internal environment where bad gut bugs thrive and produce inflammation, toxins, and other garbage. This leads to damage of the gut lining which is only one cell thick. When the gut lining is damaged, toxins, food particles, and other gunk seep out and float around your body. BOOM. You now have a disease.

In order to keep these bad gut bugs in check, you need to feed your good gut bugs. When they thrive, they do the heavy lifting for us. You just get to sit back and enjoy the side effects including sustained energy, beautiful skin, strong muscles and bones, graceful aging, and glorious experiences in the bathroom!

Feeding your superstar gut bugs is simple. They eat one thing and one thing only: plants. 

If you want to be politically correct, they eat fiber. But no one wants to be told to eat more fiber, so I reframe it - eat more plants.

Every plant, from black beans to rice, seaweed to broccoli contains various strands of fiber. Fiber is the skeletal system of the plant. Plants don’t have bones, they have fiber to help them stand up and live. And within that fiber are the nutrients your body needs. You can’t get to the nutrients if you can’t get through the fiber.

There’s a problem…

We as humans are unable to digest most of this fiber. We still need the nutrients in those plants, but how do we get the nutrients if we can’t digest them? Easy. Call on your gut bugs. They digest the fiber for you so you can then use the nutrients. 

To keep things simple, I put together a cheat sheet with my top 10 favorite superfoods for good digestion. And many of them are foods that fit in either the prebiotic or probiotic categories. You can download this free cheat sheet right here. 

Speaking of prebiotics and probiotics, let’s dig into that magic gut health formula again:

Prebiotics + Probiotics = Postbiotics

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are found in certain types of fiber and are the food for your good gut bugs. Humans cannot digest this fiber, but your gut bugs can! Without the right food, they fall behind. Some food sources include raw honey, miso, soy sauce, seaweed, cocoa, green and black tea, pomegranates, apples, blueberries, and reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms. 

The resistant starch in oats, legumes, and potatoes also contains prebiotic fiber.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the microbes living in your gut that eat prebiotic fiber. Probiotics are found naturally in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, Keifer, and miso.

Most people benefit from eating a variety of both prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods. However, if your gut is out of balance, you may have difficulty digesting these very healthy foods at first. It’s important to add them in slowly and if symptoms persist, work with a qualified practitioner to figure out what’s going on.

Prebiotic and probiotic supplements are widely available and could be beneficial in certain situations.

Postbiotics

Postbiotics are the waste products from your good gut bugs and play a huge role in good gut health. They’re not waste to you! One postbiotic in particular is even helpful in preventing obesity and heart disease. 

This is an emerging field of research, but as of right now, the best way to get the health benefits of postbiotics is to feed your good gut bugs. Let them do the rest!

A wide variety of plants should make an appearance on your plate and in your mouth throughout the day. But follow the K.I.S.S. rule…

Keep It Simple Sweetheart 🤍 

I encourage my clients to use this cheat sheet as a starting point or as an “audit” to ensure they continue making healthy choices. 

You’re more likely to stick with the changes if they are easy enough to become part of your daily routine. When your tummy is growling at 2:00 pm, reach for something on the cheat sheet and know you’re not only curbing your hunger but also feeding your gut microbes, all 39 trillion of them!

Want to know the other superfoods I love? Click the button below to download your free cheat sheet with my top 10 superfoods for good digestion and get ready to live the life you never knew was possible.

Can I get a “kale yeah”?!

Hey there! I’m Lindsay! I’m a Holistic Health Coach with a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition and a specialization in gut health. In my virtual health coaching practice, Full Bloom Acres Wellness, I help busy women over 40 eat the foods they love without without embarrassing, painful, and annoying digestive issues. I would love to help you, too! Connect with me on social media at @fullbloomacres.

Get started resolving your digestive issues by downloading my FREE cheat sheet featuring my 10 favorite superfoods for good gut (and hormone!) health right here!

DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational and information use only and is not meant to diagnose or treat disease or illness. Please work with a qualified healthcare practitioner before making dietary or lifestyle changes.