After travelling between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates last month, I needed Gut Healing due to a parasite I caught from poorly washed salads on the go. Here’s how I recovered, thanks to gut-healing herbs and foods.

If you have any of the following symptoms, you need to support and heal your gut:

1. Wind, gas and bloating
2. IBS symptoms
3. Diarrhoea
4. Constipation
5. Mood imbalances
6. Weakened immune system
7. Struggling to reduce body fat
8. Feeling tired and sluggish

It's important to note, your gut also is home to a vast number of immune cells, so if you want to have a healthy immune system you need to support your gut.

My top 10 Gut Healing Foods

These Foods will boost your immune system and are anti-parasite and anti-fungal gut healers too;

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is vital in delivering most of the health benefits of coconut oil, such as the germ-killing and disinfectant agents against parasites, yeasts, viruses and pathogenic bacteria in the gut.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar  

Always choose the cloudy version when you buy apple cider vinegar, with the ‘mother’. It is high in probiotics and great to boost stomach acids to kill off parasites and any larvae you inadvertently ingest with your meals.

3. Pumpkin Seeds 

The pumpkin seeds contain many nutrients, but the cucurbitacin (a thin green shell covering the seeds) is a powerful ingredient to kill parasites.

Cucurbitacin is effective due to its anti-inflammatory effect that is toxic to parasites but safe for humans (and dogs). The prebiotic fibre in pumpkin seeds helps cleanse the intestines from parasites. It increases intestinal peristalsis and offers a thorough colon cleanse.

4. Bitter Melon  

I first came across bitter melon when moving to Dubai. It looks like a lumpy cucumber, but it is a powerhouse at killing parasites and clearing fungus and candida.

Bitter melon has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. They believe bitter foods help treat ‘damp’ conditions such as parasites and candida overgrowth.  

5. Sauerkraut and kimchi

Sauerkraut and kimchi are wonderful to reinoculate good bacteria in the gut microbiome. You can add them to any meal as a garnish. This works well with psyllium husks as an excellent prebiotic combination to feed and boost good bacteria.

6. Cinnamon

Most people associate aromatic spice with sweet food, but it is also a potent anti-fungal and anti-microbial. Cinnamon is also great for balancing your blood sugar levels, especially since candida and parasites can increase your desire for sweets and junk foods, so this is their preferred food source.

7. Cloves & Oregano

Cloves and oregano are great for killing off parasites, larvae & eggs so incorporate these herbs into your diet each week.

8. Seaweed

Seaweed is a nutrient-dense ‘superfood’ known for its powerful healing properties. Great to help clear Candida, helps flush out heavy metals in the body and supports healthy bowel function.

9. Turmeric

Turmeric is a powerful natural remedy for intestinal worms, fungus and parasites. It acts as an internal antiseptic and contains antimicrobial properties.

Turmeric can also help relieve bloating, excessive gas, nausea and abdominal pain, which are some common symptoms of candida and parasites. Always consume with black pepper to get the best absorption effects.

10. Gut healing garlic and ginger

Garlic and ginger are amazing antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial superfoods. They are superhero gut healers! As a family, we grate them raw over our evening meals to support good gut healing and to keep our immune systems strong.

Seven Foods to Avoid if you have IBS Symptoms

Here are seven super villain foods to avoid when you are infected with parasites and or have candida overgrowth:

1. Sugar (fruits and Manuka Honey are an exception)
2. Dairy products
3. Ultra-processed foods
4. Gluten-containing foods
5. Meat
6. Raw Fish
7. Watercress — strange one I know for wild watercress can be contaminated with liver flukes (parasites) if grown in sheep-raising areas.

My Secret Superpower

If you find it tough to include these foods into your diet each week, you can fast track by drinking only 2 teaspoons of The Super Elixir to not only feed your gut microbiome but help heal gut function too.

The information in this article is not intended to be taken as medical advice. We recommend consulting your primary healthcare professional before making any changes to your supplementary routine.