Recently on my instagram stories I was chatting about one of my favorite healing foods for the gut, metabolism and blood sugars: Apples! Turns out that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” isn’t too farfetched! I don’t know who said it but thanks! Haha

Leaky gut contributes to lower immune function, mental health issues, inflammation throughout the body, food allergies and sensitivities, hormone imbalance and a whole host of other issues. If you find yourself often with indigestion, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, this is typically connected to leaky gut too! You probably have already have heard of gut healing foods like aloe vera, slippery elm, bone broth and fermented veggies, but don’t forget the affordable and widely available apples!

When apples are fully cooked, the skin starts to shimmer. This means that the pectin from the inside of the apple is not available on the surface. This pectin acts as a fuel for your gut cells to help them heal and regenerate! Pectin also selectively feeds your probiotics, which helps them multiple and fight harmful pathogens and parasites that may be living in the gut. 
As those good probiotic bugs eat the pectin, they produce short chain fatty acids that benefit the lining of the colon. These short chain fatty acids promote epithelial growth of the cells in the intestines, helping to reduce leaky gut. Also super cool: pectin binds with and eliminates heavy metals from the body…which is likely contributing to any symptoms you are experiencing already! Cooked apples also can offer allergy protection and optimal gut bacteria balance.

Here’s my recipe for homemade gut healing applesauce:

A dozen organic apples (ideally choose a variety here and add in some green!)

1 tbsp cinnamon powder

2 drops lemon vitality oil or a tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup purified water

Optional: Serve with collagen

Peel and cut applesauce in quarters and place in a large pot. Add the cinnamon, water, and lemon. Stir and place a lid over top, keeping on medium heat. Bring water to boil and then let sit on a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes before transferring to vitamix/blender. Puree and serve when cool or store in mason jars in fridge or you can use in canning. We love to use this to top pancakes or to mix into high protein plain greek yogurt with some honey. Besides collagen, another great add in you can use is the GI revive powder which has fantastic ingredients to support healing gut permeability or I would suggest adding a 1/2 to 1 tsp colostrum. Let me know if you try it!