Month: September 2022

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The results of our Gut Secrets^TM microbiome tests show that most people have an extremely heterogeneous composition of bacteria in the gut.

Why is that?

They eat few plant-based foods and overindulge in meat, sweets, and dairy products.

If this also characterises your eating habits, there is no reason to be discouraged.

You don’t have to change your entire diet right away, start much smaller by simply increasing your intake of fibre. The quickest and most convenient way is to start with the Elsavie fibre supplements.

The Elsavie fibre supplements are made for your gut health

Our fibre supplements were developed because people who had taken the microbiome test were looking for a good solution to meet their fibre needs, but couldn’t find a suitable product on the market.

Therefore, in partnership with the researchers at TFTAK, we put together four unique blends of six different fibres.

Elsavie fibre blends are each designed to support your digestive system, with three of the products also fulfilling more specific functions.

💚 Feel Good Inside green fibre blend

The green blend is an excellent choice for your first blend, as it contains the highest variety of fibre out of all four of the products, and thus supports the highest number of different gut bacterial types.

The blend has a neutral flavour and is perfect for adding to porridge, smoothies, or yoghurt.

❤️ Calm Your Rumbly Tummy red fibre blend

The red fibre blend is different from our green blend because of the added anti-inflammatory agents, making it suitable for those suffering from gastrointestinal irritation, inflammation, or pain and frequent bloating and flatulence.  The blend has a light turmeric flavour and colour and is perfect for adding to lime water, juice, smoothies, or pastries.

💜 Beauty Inside & Outside purple fibre blend

The purple fibre blend helps to maintain smooth digestion and supports the immune system and the added collagen and zinc ensure healthy skin, hair, and nails.

The purple blend goes particularly well with smoothies, kefir, purées, and yoghurt.

💙 Food, Not Only For Thought blue fibre blend

The blue fibre blend is ideal if you lead an active lifestyle, as it supports both physical and mental performance, muscle training, recovery, and digestion.

The blue blend has a subtle taste of whey. It is best consumed as a post-workout snack in a drink or smoothie, for example.

What changes can you expect to see thanks to the fibre blends?

The benefits to your body and digestion of increased fibre intake can already be seen in 1–4 weeks:

• faster digestion;
• bowel movements become more regular and effortless;
• probably, you will no longer experience bloating, flatulence, and heaviness after eating;
• the constant feeling of hunger and excruciating sugar cravings are diminished.

What is the best food or drink for mixing the fibre blends with?

Your best choice is whatever food or drink you find most convenient. 

Since the blends are virtually tasteless, they won’t have much effect on the taste of your food or drink. You can also heat them up or process with a blender.

Feel free to add the blends to juices, smoothies or water, porridge at breakfast, soup at lunch, stew at dinner, and pastries.

What should you keep in mind about fibre intake?

Fibre is extremely beneficial for you, but as with everything else in life, moderation is the key to well-being.

If you have not previously consumed much fibre, you should start slow and monitor the changes in your bowel movements.

1. To avoid constipation, drink an extra 2–3 glasses of water every day when you increase your fibre intake.
2. Start with half a teaspoon (2.5 g) per day and stick to this regimen for one week.
3. Monitor your gut (taking note of any pain, bloating, or flatulence) and bowel movements daily. Don’t increase the amount of fibre until your body is used to it.
4. If everything goes smoothly, increase the daily amount by half a teaspoon the following week.
5. Proceeding carefully like this will get your body used to higher amounts of fibre, allowing you to eventually reach the recommended 20 grams (approximately 4 teaspoons per day).

• The fibre supplements are not recommended for children younger than three years of age.
• For older children, calculate the amount of fibre using the formula age + 7 g. The seven grams also include fibre from your daily diet.

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Your poop gives you vital hints about your gut health.

For that reason it’s important to learn to read the signals it sends you.

You can do that by using the Bristol stool scale.

What is the Bristol stool scale?

The Bristol stool scale is an easy visual tool to help you keep track of your poo.

The scale describes seven types of poop: from constipation (Type 1) to diarrhoea (Type 7).

Constipation

Type 1 is pebble poop and it looks like chocolate covered raisins. Usually it’s hard to pass.

Type 2 looks like a lumpy log or sausage. When you look at it, you can see that it’s quite hard and dry.

Constipation can also mean that you’re unable to completely empty your bowels in one go or you’re not passing stools regularly.

Usual/normal

Type 3 looks like a soft sausage but with cracks on the surface. The cracks show that your poop is a bit dry and you should drink more water.

Type 4 resembles toothpaste or a smooth, soft sausage. This is the true poo perfection!

Diarrhoea

Type 5 poop (soft blobs) is considered normal by some specialists, but others say it implies diarrhoea. Thus, its somewhere between normal and diarrhoea.

Types 6 and 7 definitely mean diarrhoea and you feel urgency to pass your stools.

Type 6 has a mushy consistency, like a thick smoothie.

Type 7 is entirely liquid, like chocolate milk. If this lasts more than three days, see your doctor.

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How to stay healthy?

By taking care of your immune system!

Eating the right kind of food is one of the easiest ways to boost your immunity. Here are 3 super simple tips you can do that.

1. Eat your veggies

If you eat enough veggies, you’ll get the important nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which you need to keep your body and mind happy.

For an adult it is very important to eat MINIMUM 3 portions of different vegetables every day. 1 portion = 1 your handful (about 100 grams / 4 oz).

Where to start?

Start adding more of these to your diet:

• broccoli;
• cabbage;
• all the colours of bell peppers;
• spinach;
• kale;
• carrots;
• pumpkin;
• fennel;
• turnips;
• beetroot;
• brussel sprouts;
• aubergine;
• asparagus;
• green onion;
• red onion;
• garlic.

Just pick one you haven’t eaten (for a while) and buy it the next time you go shopping.

2. Eat your fruits and berries

As with vegetables, it is important to enjoy your daily fruit and berry portions/handfuls since it provides your body with energy, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Make sure that you eat vitamin C and fiber rich fruits and berries like:

• wild blueberries;
• cranberries;
• raspberries;
• strawberries;
• currants;
• lingonberries;
• sea-buckthorn berries;
• pomegranate;
• mango;
• orange;
• kiwi;
• grapefruit;
• apples;
• passionfruit;
• bananas.

3. Eat your nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds help you reach your recommended intake of protein each day, as well as count toward your daily fat allowance.

Seeds and nuts benefit your health because they offer key essential nutrients and play a role in disease prevention by keeping you healthy as you age.

Bonus tip!

You also get dietary fibers from plants and this is food for your good gut bugs.

Why is it important?

Because: “With 70–80% of immune cells being present in the gut, there is an intricate interplay between the intestinal microbiota, the intestinal epithelial layer, and the local mucosal immune system” (source).

Simply put: if you want to support your immune system to keep you healthy, feed your good gut bugs.

A quick and easy way to increase your fiber intake is to use Elsavie’s fiber supplements. Click this link to discover more.

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PS! You may feel tempted not to try these tips, because such simple things have little or no effect. Right?

Nope! The key is consistency.

If you eat the suggested amounts every single day (yes, 7 days a week!), you are guaranteed to have a better functioning immune system in the long run.

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Why should you track your water intake?

Firstly, our clients’ experience shows that without tracking they tend to forget to drink water.

Secondly, if asked, they don’t really know how much water they drink during the day and this makes it hard to do any changes.

In short: tracking your water intake helps you to stay hydrated and gives you hard numbers that help you to make adjustments, if needed.

How much water should you drink?

The golden rule is to drink 2 liters / 6.7 oz / 10 glasses of water per day.

How much more water should you drink when taking fiber supplements?

When you increase your fiber intake, you should increase your daily amount of water by 0.5 l / 16.9 oz, or 2.5 glasses.

Why is it important to drink enough water?

Approximately 60% of your body is made of water and if you want to feel good, you need constant hydration.

For example, staying hydrated helps you to:

• avoid constipation;
• digest food more efficiently;
• avoid unnecessary snacking;
• get rid of wastes through urination, sweating and pooping;
• boost your energy levels and mood;
• create enough saliva that fights the bad bacteria in your mouth;
• maximize physical activity and effort.

What are the signs of dehydration?

It’s important to know the signs of dehydration, because only then you can notice them early enough.

First signs are:

• thirst;
• not urinating enough (normal is 6–8 times a day);
• dark yellow urine.

Depending on the dehydration level, other signs are:

• loss of appetite, but maybe craving sugar;
• dry mouth or a dry cough;
• headache and confusion;
• tiredness (fatigue);
• dizziness, weakness, light-headedness;
• high heart rate but low blood pressure;
• red skin, swollen feet, muscle cramps.

What’s the difference between water and other liquids?

You are surrounded by tea, coffee, juices, syrups, different soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. They all contain a significant amount of water, but this isn’t the same as drinking pure water or mineral water.

Why?

These different liquids contain tanning agents, dehydrating agents and toxins (alcohol is a neurotoxin) that remove fluid from the body, instead of hydrating you. Therefore, always choose pure water or mineral water as your first choice of drink and you’ll keep yourself hydrated.

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How can consistent fibre intake help you improve your health?

Here are 4 great changes you’ll experience with consistent consumption.

1. You will lose weight, as you eat less during the day.

You’ve probably experienced that major sugar craving, which tends to happen in the middle of the work day.

And if you have a few pieces of chocolate or indulge in a cinnamon roll, you’ll feel good for a short while, followed by a sudden drop in energy and drowsiness.

After this, you naturally feel like you should have another bite of something to restore your productivity.

So, your day is filled with constant snacking without you even noticing it and over time your weight starts to slowly but steadily rise.

How can fibre help?

Fibre is also a type of carbohydrate, but unlike simple carbohydrates found in chocolate or cinnamon rolls, fibre has a much more complex structure and therefore takes longer to digest, so you feel full for longer.

Example: while a cinnamon roll makes you feel full for around 30 minutes, it takes 1.5–2 hours before you feel hungry again after having a bowl of oatmeal.

Therefore, by eating foods rich in fibre, you’ll feel full more consistently throughout the day and significantly reduce snacking, which is one of the keys to weight loss.

2. Fibre lowers the level of bad cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance circulating in the blood.

Cholesterol is essential for the body because it is used to build cells, but too much cholesterol is dangerous because it builds up on the inner walls of blood vessels, increasing the risk that they become clogged.

Clogged blood vessels can lead to life-threatening conditions such as a stroke or heart attack.

Fortunately, fibre can help you.

Soluble fibre binds excess LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol that otherwise builds up on the walls of blood vessels) and carries it out of the body with stool.

By eating 5–10 g of soluble fibre a day, you can lower your cholesterol by up to 11 points (that’s really something!).

3. Fibre ensures smooth digestion

You’ve probably suffered from both constipation and diarrhoea in your life.

However, if you experience one or even both of these conditions daily, there might be a more serious problem in your digestive tract.

One common issue is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.

Your stomach is dominated by the bacteria you feed more every day.

If you eat a lot of sweets, pastries, large amounts of meat and fast food, bad bacteria start to thrive.

In the worst-case scenario, these bacteria start feed on the protective mucus covering the inner lining of your intestine and eventually the intestinal wall itself, causing a range of inflammatory conditions from abdominal pain to ulcers.

Good bacteria, or probiotics, feed on fibre and you should eat diverse plant-based foods daily to support their predominance, as only plants contain fibre.

Good bacteria thriving in your gut will ensure that you have smooth digestion, easy elimination of waste, and good health in general.

4. Over time, your overall health improves

Fibre and good gut bacteria are not only important for digestion.

The composition of bacteria living in your gut also plays a significant role in the rest of your body and your health. A lot depends on bacteria, for example:

• the functioning of the immune system;
• the production of vitamins and hormones;
• mental well-being;
• skin condition.

So a fibre-rich diet is much more important than you may have realised and worth investing your time and energy in.

Start slowly when beginning to increase your fibre intake

As with everything in life, too much of a good thing at once is not actually good for you. This is also the case with fibre.

If your diet has been very low in fibre and mainly based on fast food, bread, white pasta, meat, and dairy products, you need to give yourself plenty of time to introduce fibre into your diet.

In particular, if the bacteria in your gut are not used to the new food and high amount of fibre, you may experience stomach pain, bloating, constipation, and gas. Therefore, it is important to increase the amount of fibre gradually.

The recommended average daily amount of fibre is 25 g for women and 35 g for men. It may take several months to work up to this amount. Start with small amounts and work your way up.

Elsavie’s fibre supplements are a great help here. They are easy to measure out and can be used to keep track of your daily fibre intake. Check out our product range in the Elsavie e-shop.

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Sources used:

Central Control of Body Weight and Appetite
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585760/

Brain Regulation of Appetite and Satiety
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2710609/

Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Dietary Fibre: a Meta-Analysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK67753/

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You are probably also living a fast-paced life.

The downside of this way of life is that you make a lot of automatic choices.

For example, at the grocery store you always make the same choices without thinking about it too much. The things you buy might be delicious but not necessarily the best for your health.

How can you start doing things differently?

Here are 6 simple tips on how to make gradually healthier choices in your diet.

Replace meat products with legumes a couple of times a week

Legumes are rich in protein as are meat products, so they are a good substitute for meat and fill you up nicely.

For example, try these:

• add lentils to a sauce or soup instead of minced meat;
• make chickpea hummus with ingredients you like and use it as a sandwich topping.
  
  Are you not a fan of tahini and cumin in hummus? Replace them, for example, with garlic and tomato.

Choose whole grains instead of white bread and pasta

White bread and pasta contain very few necessary nutrients.

Replace them with whole grains and your stomach bacteria will be grateful for the fiber they contain.

Your stomach will also stay full longer thanks to whole grains, which will reduce snacking during the day and keep your energy levels steady, enabling you to be more productive at work.

Eat the rainbow! 🌈

Colorful vegetables and berries are rich in fiber and antioxidants, supplying your body with vitamins and nutrients even during the winter season.

The more colors there are on your the plate, the better. Make it a challenge for yourself!

Add fermented foods to your diet

Buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi and other naturally fermented foods all contain useful lactic acid bacteria.

By eating a few tablespoons of sauerkraut every day and drinking a glass of kefir, you probably won’t need to take additional probiotics sold at the pharmacy.

PS! Fermented foods also help you digest fatty foods, so they are very useful before and during all kinds of anniversaries and holidays.

Eat “good” fats

Spread an avocado on your toast instead of butter. Likewise add less cheese and meat and more seeds and nuts to your salad.

Stock up on high-quality cold-pressed olive oil in a green bottle and keep it in a cupboard away from the light to preserve its best qualities.

Useful tip! When frying or making other normally fatty foods, use less oil or replace it with water or vegetable broth instead.

When times get busy, enhance your meals with the fiber supplement

It is not always possible to get everything you need from food.

Elsavie fiber supplements are designed to complement your daily diet so you can always get the necessary amount of fiber. Read more about the fiber supplements by clicking on this link.