Tip Put Your Gut Health First Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Put Your Gut Health First You are what you eat right Not really Here' s what you need to know by Paul Carter October 18, 2016April 5, 2021 Tags Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Gut Health First One of the biggest dietary mistake lifters make is not putting their gut health first. The old adage of "you are what you eat" is absolutely incorrect! It should be "you are what you can digest and assimilate efficiently." Boom. Easy. Now let's take a closer look. It s About More Than Macros Bro This isn't a sexy topic or one that most athletes, powerlifters, or bodybuilders pay attention to because the focus for so long has been about macronutrients. But it really doesn't matter how dialed in your macros are if your body can't use them efficiently. Everything from a nutritional standpoint starts in the gut. The gut contains somewhere around 100 trillion organisms. This is why an "if it fits your macros" approach has shortcomings. Just because you can fit refined food into your diet doesn't mean it's as good as one that creates a healthy environment for said food to be processed optimally. Starving bad bacteria, feeding good bacteria, and establishing healthy gut flora is imperative. A very easy way to ensure you're taking steps to create such an environment is to reduce refined, sugary, and overly processed foods, and include some fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir. Foods like steamed spinach and ginger will also help reduce inflammation in the digestive tract. When you add all those things up, you're now working with a healthy digestive system that will promote fantastic nutrient assimilation and a stronger immune system. Want more info? Check out the related links below. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Diet & Fat Loss The Warrior Diet Every once in a while, I'll run into someone with a new idea about how to train or eat that's so contradictory to everything I think I know that I'll want to close my eyes, plug my ears, and bury my head in the pillow so I don't have to listen. After all, I'm just getting comfortable with what I think I know. I don't like having my world shaken up any more than necessary. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements TC Luoma August 6 Supplements Take This at Night to Reduce Stress Lower Cortisol One supplement can help you reduce stress and control excess cortisol. Here's how much to take and when to take it. Living Better, Nutrition & Supplements TC Luoma December 3 Diet & Fat Loss Question of Nutrition 6 Dr. Bowden gives you the real truth about saturated fats, honey, fake health foods, coffee and much more. Diet Strategy, Nutrition & Supplements, Question of Nutrition Jonny Bowden, PhD February 10 Supplements Tip The Effects of Low-Dose Creatine A new study shows how little creatine you can take and still reap the athletic performance benefits. Check it out. Building Muscle, Creatine, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Chris Shugart June 18