We are in peak season for colds, flu, virus, upper respiratory illness. That means many of you will be receiving prescriptions for a course of antibiotics. Is there a problem with that?

Antibiotics are often over-prescribed. They are also sprayed on plants and given to animals so they appear in our produce and our animal protein sources. Despite those facts, we must recognize their importance. Antibiotics are frequently necessary and definitely life saving.

I know that all too well. I am recovering from complications of a routine surgery that involved a massive infection in my blood that was clearly life threatening. I had multiple rounds of extremely powerful antibiotics over the course of nearly a month.

That is quite extreme. However, whether you’ve had the “mother load” of these drugs or a short course of one antibiotic, there is one thing we know for sure. Your “microbiome” which is the colony of bacteria in your gut, has been compromised. Many of your good gut bacteria have been wiped out and you have a gut that needs to be healed. In some cases the microbiome may not be restored for as long as 2 years.

We have a “prescription” to restore and repopulate your “good gut bacteria” and it doesn’t involve drugs or pharmacies. This Rx can be filled in your local supermarke.

Before we talk about the foods that you should eat to restore, we need to make sure you know which ones to avoid. If you’ve taken antibiotics your digestive system is in an inflamed state. In order to avoid throwing “gasoline on this fire” – do not eat foods that contain wheat/gluten, dairy, sugar, “bad fats”, fried foods. Since 70% of your immune system is in your gut, you will want to replenish the good bacteria as quickly as possible.

Here are the 4 Foods you can eat for 4 Weeks to heal from the onslaught of antibiotic damage:

Cooked Apples: This is a simple recipe that will ensure the release of pectin to the surface. Pectin becomes easily accessible to the lining of the gut and has the potential to heal the perforations (leaky gut).

Ingredients:

4 large apples (I like Granny Smith but you can use a sweeter apple)

2-3 Tablespoons raisins

“lots of cinnamon” – I just shake it on until it is well covered – 1-2 tbs.

2 cups water (or enough to equal 1/3 of the volume of apples)

Method:

Remove the core from the apples. Cut into approximately ½ inch cubes. Place apples in a covered pot. Add raisins. Cover with cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Add enough water to be about 1/3 of the apples.

Cover and bring to boil. Remove cover and turn to low simmer for 8-10 minutes until apples are tender and skins are shiny. Enjoy!

Chicken Bone Broth:
The collagen in the bone broth is a natural “prebiotic” (prebiotics feed good bacteria) and heals leaky gut. Here are a few links to various bone broth recipes.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-bone-broth

https://wellnessmama.com/5888/how-to-make-bone-broth/

Vegetables:
Buterate or Buteric acid is made in the gut. It builds cells and helps build the gut lining. If you don’t have enough you will not have strong cells. You need adequate amounts of buterate to build these. How do we get buterate? It’s the action of the good bacteria in your gut (which has now been damaged due to antibiotic use) on fiber that manufactures buterate. Specifically, we need the insoluble fiber – “prebiotics” – to feed the good bacteria.

Some examples of insoluble fiber foods are:

Turnips

Beets

Sweet Potatoes (tuber or root vegetable)

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Green Peas

Kale

Green Beans

Other root vegetables or tubers such as Jerusalem Artichokes, Cassava, Jicama, Rutabega

Turnip

Parsnip

Root vegetables roast really well and it is a great way to bring out the sweet flavor. Whatever method you choose to cook your vegetables – add lots of turmeric to help reduce inflammation and add wonderful taste and golden color.

Fruits:

Raspberries

Apples with skin

Strawberries

Pear

These are just some of the insoluble fiber foods to include.

Fermented Foods (Vegetables)
You only need one forkful or spoonful a day of these to help repopulate your gut with good bacteria.

It is important to vary the fermented vegetables because the key to gut health is “diversity”. Each vegetable will contain a difference type of bacteria and they all interplay to keep your gut healthy.

Examples:

Saurkraut (Bubbies is my favorite -make sure what you buy contains “live cultures”)

Kim Chi

Beets

Look for as many different varieties as you can find. Kim Chi has a rather strong flavor so it takes some getting used to. You can find local sources of fermented vegetables in Whole Foods and health food stores- or you can order from sources on line, i.e.

http://www.spiritcreekfarm.com/about-us.html

http://www.micromamas.com/products.html

Be sure to visit these sites and see what interests you. Many local health food stores such as “Grass Roots” in Denville and Morristown carry a variety of these foods.

Add something from each of the four categories and you’ll be on your way to a “happy tummy” in no time.