The Art of Preventing Gut Problems

Lesson Ten

You may already know all about probiotics. These are the good bugs in your daily bottle of Yakult that help support your gut’s natural defences. But have you heard of prebiotics?

Prebiotics help to feed the good bacteria in your digestive tract, making them grow and flourish. You’ll find these little troopers in the Allium group of plants (onions, garlics, shallots, leeks) and also in asparagus, chicory and artichokes, as well as in beans, chickpeas and lentils.

Here’s a brilliant recipe for poached eggs and asparagus for your breakfast tomorrow. Sounds odd. But it works. Promise.

Ingredients
8 asparagus tips
4 eggs
1tsp vinegar
2 medium sized tomatoes
4 slices wholemeal bread

Method
1. Steam asparagus for 5 minutes
2. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in gently boiling water to which you’ve added the vinegar and the tomatoes. Don’t cook the eggs more than 3-4 mins unless you want them hard.
3. Toast the bread, remove the crusts and cut into triangles. Put one egg on each triangle of toast with one poached tomato. Serve the asparagus tips sprinkled with black pepper and dip asparagus into the runny yolks.