Can improving gut health help you lose weight? Yes! Good gut health and weight loss are connected in ways that are not always obvious.
For example, gut inflammation can hinder weight loss. Inflammation stems from imbalances in your gut microbiome (the community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that keeps your body processes in sync).
Key players in preventing gut inflammation are balanced hormones, vitamins, and eating healthy whole food as often as possible to feed the various beneficial bacteria in your gut.
If you keep your gut metabolism working well, your weight-loss journey will be easier.
But you don’t have to solve this alone. Your primary care physician for weight loss is the ideal person to help you sustain your efforts until you reach your target weight.
For example, they may:
- Diagnose any digestive issues you have
- Recommend some dietary changes to encourage gut health and weight loss
- Review your hormone levels to avoid imbalances that can inflame your gut
- Support you with practical steps to achieve your long-term goals
Digestive Issues that Hinder Weight Loss
Your gut will gradually digest your food properly when it’s healthy. But are you wondering how to tell if your gut is healthy? These are some signs your gut may be struggling:
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Diarrhea
- Heartburn
- Cramps
- Tiredness
- Food intolerance
Your primary care doctor can help you diagnose any of these digestive issues and provide treatment where necessary.
But let’s look at some dietary changes you can start today to improve your gut health and help you on your weight loss journey.
Dietary Changes to Encourage Good Gut Health and Weight Loss
Your gut operates a complex bio-system, acts as your “second brain,” and coordinates your overall health and immunity.
Many things can disrupt this system. These include lifestyle choices (adequate sleep and regular activity are essential), stress, and illness.
But here are some dietary changes and additions your primary care provider may advise you about to encourage sustainable weight loss:
Vitamins for Gut Health and Weight Loss
Vitamin B12 produces stomach acid to break down food effectively. B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, a B12 supplement is fine.
Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation and can help heal the gut lining in your stomach and intestines. Find it in oranges, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
Vitamin D is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps improve your gut microbiome. You can find vitamin D in oily fish, red meat, and egg yolks. Again, your primary care provider can help you choose a supplement or fortified food if you don’t eat meat and dairy.
Whole Foods vs. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
The press has been full of articles about UPFs recently. These are foods specifically ultra-processed to enhance taste and the feeling of wanting more – as well as to improve shelf life!
Many of these UPFs disrupt your gut health. There are two problems:
- Processing food can damage the natural nutrients in the food
- Preservatives to improve shelf life are not usually natural. You won’t find them in your store cupboard!
So, if you want to encourage gut health and weight loss, choose whole foods because they’re on your side nutritionally. They’re less disruptive to your gut.
However, your weight loss journey is a process not an overnight achievement! Try swapping UPFs out gradually to make the changes easier.
Tip: Whole foods to look out for include fresh fruit and veg, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, herbs, and spices. Minimally processed meat is also fine, but target unprocessed plant foods where possible.
We often get asked about adding in a probiotic supplement. Let’s look at that next.
Best Probiotic for Gut Health and Weight Loss
Probiotics are live bacteria and also yeasts – they live in your gut naturally.
They help you absorb the vitamin C we mentioned earlier and also have a beneficial impact on your metabolism – fighting off the less friendly type of bacteria in your gut!
Since gut health and weight loss are intrinsically linked, as we’ve mentioned, here are the two best probiotics to take if your healthcare provider recommends them:
- Lactobacillus species
- Bifidobacterium genus
Find a reputable brand and check the type of live culture in it. Your primary care provider can help you decide.
Tip: Good ones may include, for example, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Casei, and Paracasei, along with Bifidobacterium Breve, Lactis, and Bifidum.
You can also find these probiotics naturally in fermented foods. See below.
Best Foods for Gut Health and Weight Loss
We’ve mentioned whole foods and their benefit. For other foods that help your gut and encourage weight loss, consider ones high in fiber, and also some fermented ones.
High-fiber foods
These help you feel full for longer and are often lower in calories – so that’s a bonus if you’re trying to lose weight.
But they also help food travel through your gut, bulking out your stool and avoiding constipation (one of the signs of an unhealthy gut that we mentioned earlier).
Tip: Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains come with lots of fiber.
Fermented foods
These have beneficial bacteria to keep your microbiome balanced. Be careful to avoid those that have added sugar and flavorings or you lose the benefit. You can always add berries if you dislike their plain taste.
Tip: Yogurt, kefir, and kimchi are fermented.
Balanced Hormone Levels to Maintain Good Gut Metabolism
Your gut orchestrates your hormones. And be aware that imbalance can strike at any age. So, check out your hormone levels if you struggle to maintain weight loss. Imbalances in insulin, cortisol, or thyroid levels, for example, can affect your weight.
Tip: At Stella Mattina, we recommend BioTe pellets to rebalance hormones when necessary.
Practical Steps Towards Gut Health and Weight Loss Goals
Small steps have an immediate overall effect on gut health. Choose one of our tips and do just that before adding a second:
1 Eliminate sugar from your hot or cold drinks.
2 Eat a handful of almonds daily.
3 Try Greek yogurt with blueberries.
4 Cook one meal with no processed ingredients.
5 Add some fiber-rich black or pinto beans to a salad.
Stella Mattina’s Primary Care Physicians Support Gut Health and Weight Loss
If you’re now searching “primary care physician Dallas” or “primary care doctor Dallas,” look no further! We have many locations with expert doctors who are passionate about helping you achieve your health goals.
Choose your location and book today.
Dr. Gonzalo Venegas
Dr. Gonzalo Venegas has been in practice for over 30 years. He was born in Cotija Michoacán, Mexico. At a young age, he went to Mexico City where he attended medical school and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology. With his heart full of dreams and hoping that one day he could make a difference in the community, he immigrated to the United States in 1983. He finished his education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Venegas then started his practice in 1984.