Hippocrates once said that “all disease begins in the gut” and, more and more, we’re starting to agree. As study after study reveals just how important our inner microbes may be for our health and our bodies, we’re finally starting to sit up and pay attention.

You see, each and every one of us needs bacteria to thrive. Our bodies are home to 100 trillion little microbes (most of them good), which not only help us to make the most of our food’s vitamins and minerals, but also boosts our digestive system, helps to promote a healthy metabolism, and keeps our immune systems nice and strong.

Sounds good, right? Yet with modern day life wreaking havoc on our guts (antibiotics, a poor diet and chronic stress or illness are just a few of the things that can affect our microflora), then sometimes our little friends need a helping hand.

Want to know more? Here’s our very own Rizopia lowdown on what you should be feeding your gut to restore that healthy, happy balance:

Load up on Fibre-Rich Foods

A diet low in fibre has often been linked to poor gut health. To feed those happy little critters, add plenty of plant-based goodness to your diet, which will also help your body to cultivate a more diverse body of microbes. In particular, cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage, as well as fruits with the skin on, are all great to ramp up that fibre.

Eat Prebiotics

You’ve probably heard of probiotics, but did you know that there are prebiotics, too? Prebiotics feed and nourish the bacteria in our gut, which helps them to flourish. Some of the top prebiotics to add to your diet include garlic and onions (perfect for pasta sauce lovers!), leeks, asparagus, banana and wheat flour.

Try Fermented Foods

Those fabulous fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir are deliciously natural sources of probiotics and can help to fire up that good bacteria. However, go slowly when you start with fermented foods (and probiotics, too!) as too much too soon can hurt your tum.

Take a Supplement

If you struggle with your gut health or have recently been on antibiotics, then you might want to consider replenishing your good bacteria with a probiotic supplement. These supplements contain plenty of healthy, gut-boosting live cultures to keep your microflora as happy and as diverse as possible.

Dish up the Yoghurt

One of the best and most accessible probiotic foods is humble yoghurt. Found in every supermarket worth its salt, yoghurt (including natural and Greek varieties) contains live cultures which can help to create a thriving microflora.

Bake Some Sourdough

This delicious bread is baked using a lactic acid starter which includes lactobacillus, one of the most famous of all the friendly bacteria. Now, where’s that toaster…?