LOVE YOUR GUT

Holistic Approach to Gut Health

We now know that a healthy gut (or microbiom) is linked to a healthy body and mind. Many wellness experts now refer to our gut as our second brain, because it is so closely tied to the way our entire body functions.

In order to have a happy, healthy gut it takes a balance of bacteria—that is, billions of bacteria that live in harmony in our gut without harming us. Achieving this balanced symbiotic relationship requires the ability to effectively digest, absorb and assimilate the foods we eat, combined with consistent healthy elimination (yep, that’s part of it, too)—and I am going to share with you some of the hacks I found to improve my own gut health.

1 – Clearing out the bad guys
You’ll always have some bad bugs, but the good ones should dominate. When your gut bacteria get out of balance – when those bad bugs take over – systemic havoc ensues, creating a wide range of dis-eases. Taking the following steps can help in balancing the gut microbiome.

2 – Diet
The foods we eat either nurture us, or harm us. How can we Improve our gut microbiome through diet?

• Identify food sensitivities and eliminating them
• Eat a diverse amount of fruits and vegetables
• Minimize processed food
• Eat less sugar and refined carbs
• Fermented foods help build our gut microbiome; add food such as kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut
• Increase foods high in an array amount of fiber

3 – Support your Microbiome
In most cases, eating a healthy well-balanced diet keeps your microbiome optimal. However, there are some cases in which a person can benefit from adding probiotics and digest enzymes to their diet, such as if you’re recovering from poor dietary habits, have health issues that prevent you from absorbing some nutrients, are experiencing leaky gut syndrome, or have recently taken antibiotics.

When looking for the right probiotics and digest enzymes to add to your diet, make sure you purchase them from a reputable company. Not all supplement companies can be treated equal. Nearly 95% of products on the market are strains that are not designed by nature to do the job. Meaning, they do not even make it to the digestive system. I look for companies who specialize in digestive support, and my favorite probiotic is 100% spore based, which survives through the digestive process.

4 – Decrease Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is so prevalent amongst today’s society. Every “Dis-ease” begins with inflammation. Chronic inflammation from underlying infections, stress, or allergies can trigger leaky gut, can cause damage to healthy tissues, and can impact nutrient absorption. You can help to reduce inflammation and rebalance your body by:

• Identifying food allergies or sensitivities (as stated in diet section) and take steps to remove those foods from your diet. Common food allergies and sensitivities are; Citrus, Dairy, Eggs, Gluten, Soy, Peanuts, Shellfish, Tree Nuts, Beef Products, and Corn.
• Avoiding inflammatory foods such overly-processed foods, sugar, and refined carbs
• Identifying and healing underlying infections such as sinus infections, yeast infections, parasitic infection, bacterial infection, or viral infection.

5 – Stress Management
Prolonged or excessive stress can wreak havoc on your overall health, including your digestive system. That’s because chronic stress can cause inflammation in the body as well as decreasing your immunity. Consider adding the following to your gut healing protocol;

• Your favorite outdoor activity. This could be a walk, gardening, biking, hiking, etc.
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Improving your quality of sleep

6 – Drinking plenty of water
Keeping your yourself at the right fluid levels eases along important processes in your body, such as proper circulation of the nutrients from the foods you eat. Drinking plenty of water also promotes healthy digestion and flushes waste from your system. A good rule of thumb is to drink half the number of your weight in pounds in fluid ounces each day.

Remember… if you are going to rise, you may as well SHINE.
Angie Budell
BC HHP, CYT, CMSA
I Shine Wellness

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