What are the 3 F's for gut health? Beyond The Plate
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| A basket of different kinds of vegetables |
In our previous post, we looked at the basics of a proper digestion and we talked about fiber, fluid, and flora. These are essential for the daily functioning of your digestive tract.
But again, you might be doing all this things, but still feel awful. If your goals are bigger than just "being regular" then, you may want to improve your metabolism, your mood, and your long-term immunity.
Now, this is when we must look at the broader environment in which your gut exists. Your microbiome is heavily influenced by how you live, not just what you eat. In functional wellness circles, this is often summarized by a second set of "3 Fs", which are food (Quality), fitness, and fasting (Gut Rest).
This framework is about creating a lifestyle that allows your microbiome to thrive long-term.
The first F1 is Food; While the first framework emphasized fiber, this framework emphasizes variety. You can get your daily fiber requirement by eating the same bowl of bran cereal every day, but your gut bacteria will get "bored".
dates, carrots, pumpkin seeds and lavender teaDifferent types of bacteria prefer different types of plant foods. To have a diverse, resilient microbiome, you need to feed it a diverse array of foods. The American Gut Project, a massive citizen science study, found that the single biggest predictor of a healthy microbiome was the number of different plant species in a person's diet.
The magic number seems to be around 30 different plants per week. This includes vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Conversely, an intake high in Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) can damage the gut. Many emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners found in processed foods have been shown to erode the protective mucus layer of the gut and reduce bacterial diversity.
My Recommendation is: Take the "diversity challenge." Keep a list on your fridge for one week and write down every unique plant you eat. Did you have a salad with spinach, cucumber, and tomato? That’s three. Did you add garlic and basil to your pasta sauce? That’s two more. Aim to hit 30 by Sunday night.
The second F2 is Fitness; We know exercise is good for our heart and muscles, but it’s also vital for our gut.
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| A woman doing reverse bicycle crunches |
Firs, there is the physical aspect of motility. Your intestines are essentially long muscles that use wave-like contractions (called peristalsis) to move food along. Sedentary lifestyles can lead to "sleepy" bowels. Physical movement, especially walking and yoga, stimulates these muscles, helping to reduce transit time and prevent constipation.
Second, groundbreaking research indicates that exercise itself changes the composition of your microbiome. Studies have shown that regular cardiovascular exercise can increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria strains that produce short-chain fatty acids, which reduce inflammation in the body.
My recommendation is: You don’t need to run a marathon to help your gut. The best thing you can do for digestion is a gentle, 15-minute walk immediately after a large meal. This helps manage blood sugar responses and physically aids the movement of food through your system.
The third F3 is Fasting; Don't let the word "fasting" scare you. In the context of gut health, we aren't talking about days without food. We are talking about giving your gut appropriate periods of rest.
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| A picture illustrating the act of intermittent fasting |
Your digestive system has a built-in housekeeping mechanism called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). This is an electromechanical wave that sweeps through your small intestine, clearing out undigested food particles, bacteria, and cellular debris, pushing it into the large intestine.
Here is the catch: The MMC only works when you are in a fasted state, usually kicking in about 90 minutes to 3 hours after your last bite of food. If you are constantly grazing or snacking from morning until bedtime, the cleaning crew never gets a chance to do its job. This can lead to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine (SIBO) and chronic bloating.
My recommendation is: Practice "time-restricted eating" by aiming for a 12-hour overnight rest window. If you finish dinner by 7:00 PM, try not to consume anything other than water or black tea until 7:00 AM the next morning. This ensures your MMC has ample time to perform its nightly deep clean.
Read More: A gastroenterologist explains the importance of the MMC in this article for PUBMED.
Wrap up
By combining high-quality food variety, regular movement, and adequate gut rest, you create an environment where your microbiome can flourish, supporting your health for years to come.
If you have a question, or you'd like me to write about something you've bren looking for, you are welcomed to write me a comment down below.
References for Further Research
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/new-microbiome-research-reveals-exercise-may-impact-gut
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/water-healthy-drinks/index.html
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