The Surprising Gut-Healing Secret in Your Garden: Okra

We love to fry fresh okra when it is in season, as well as use it as a frozen vegetable in the winter. Okra is very nutritious, good for the digestive tract, and high in fiber. It actually has almost no flavor, and you can add them to a smoothie for extra fiber and nutrients.

Have you ever walked past a vegetable at the market and wondered if it was actually a secret weapon for your health? Many of us know okra as a Southern staple to be fried, but it’s time we look at this unassuming plant for what it really is: a powerhouse for your digestive system.

Today we decided to fry some okra and share that experience with you. 

See the Short Video on: Cooking OKRA

I like to put just a few pieces of frozen Okra in smoothies and detox drinks.

I stumbled across this article and thought I’d share with you some of the benefits of okra that they talked about.

I used to think okra was just another side dish – tasty, sure, but nothing special. That all changed when I started focusing more on gut health in my own kitchen. I realized that the “slimy” texture that turns so many people away is actually the key to its magic. It’s that very substance that coats the lining of the gut, providing a soothing barrier that standard vegetables just don’t offer. Cooking with it, blending it into smoothies, and seeing how it helps my own digestion has completely changed how I look at my garden harvest.

The Benefits of Okra

Okra is a great source of fiber, helps the gut, and can be used raw (or frozen) in smoothies. It is also great cooked. We like it fried with onion in a natural cooking oil like coconut oil.

Okra is Good for the Gut

• The slippery substance of Okra actually helps to coat the lining of the gut
• It has a non-fermentable fiber so that it does not irritate the gut or cause gas or bloating

Okra is Rich in Nutrients

• It is high in Vitamin A
• Contains Calcium – the type that is absorbable by our body
• It is a source of Iron – so it is great for people who are on a mostly plant-based diet because there aren’t many vegetable sources of Iron

Okra is Good for the Immune System

• Okra has a nice dose of vitamin C as well as antioxidants
• It can help the body to scavenge and remove free radicals that cause damage and chronic inflammation

Protecting your Gut and Preventing Leaky Gut

As I was doing research for this article, it made me think about other herbs that also help protect the lining of the gut. So you might ask, why is it so important to protect the lining of the gut? Well, what we are finding is that the gut protects us from a lot of toxins we put in our bodies from processed foods etc... Not only that, if your gut lining gets "holes" in it, you are more likely to develop food sensitivities.

If you’re looking to nourish your gut and support your immune system, it’s time to bring okra back into your regular rotation. Whether you fry it, stew it, or sneak it into a smoothie for a fiber boost, you’re giving your body a gift. If you are struggling with gut health and need a deeper level of support, take a look at our resources for rebuilding your gut lining – your body will thank you for it.

Some of us get to the point of having to be super careful about what foods we can eat and what we have to avoid. For some, that might look like Gluten Sensitivity, for others, a  Dairy Sensitivity, maybe an egg allergy or painful joints from tomatoes and peppers. The list goes on and on, and the evidence shows we need to eat more things that protect our gut and rebuild our gut lining.

So here is a list of things that help to "PROTECT" the gut:

• Slippery Elm
• Myrrh Gum
• Ulcer Ease
• Aloe Vera

The other side of this, is what can we do to re-build the gut lining? Here is a short list of things to "REBUILD" the gut lining.

• Papaya Enzymes to help rebuild your gut enzymes

• Dairy Digest Complete Helps with Dairy sensitivities

• Optimal Fiber GLP-1 is a Pre-Biotics it helps regulate gut health as well as manage cravings

We hope this has been helpful in your day and look forward to hearing from you.

Until Next time – Be Well !