Improve Gut Health
Your gut is basically any part of the body from your mouth all the way down to your exit point. So, it includes mouth, stomach, intestines, etc. In all honesty, I don't know that our guts have ever been more impaired than they are now. The truth is, there's a lot of things contributing to poor gut health that we are doing every day that we just may not be aware of... But here's the deal: your gut health matters.
In my opinion, gut health matters more than a majority of other things when it comes to your health. You see, your gut is responsible for a lot of things: it harbors a ton of bacteria (bacteria isn't all bad, by the way), it helps us assimilate our nutrients, it breaks down our food, gets rid of foreign invaders that we ingest, and so much more!
So, how do you know if you have a gut issue? Better yet, what can you do about it? That's what this post is all about!
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Signs Your Gut health is in trouble
Bloating
Gassiness
Sharp pains after eating something
Not pooping at least once a day
Diarrhea
Low energy
Fatigue
Sugar cravings
Unexplained weight gain/trouble losing weight
Nausea/vomitting
Inconsistent stool (one day it is solid, the next soft, etc)
Why our gut health is impaired
There's a lot of things that contribute to poor gut health:
Processed foods
Processed drinks
Industrial seed oils
Food dyes
Acid blockers
Refined grain diet
Sugar intake
Antibiotic usage
Drinking poor quality water (with added chlorine, especially)
What we are eating is the biggest contribution to poor gut health. Nowadays it is easy and convenient for us to eat packaged food. So, the processed food and drinks that we ingest on a regular basis are very difficult for our guts to break down. I wrote another blog post about ingredients I try to avoid for my child and myself- you can check that out here for guidance about ingredients! The use of antibiotics also depletes our guts of the good bacteria that we should have harbored inside of us. Once the good bacteria is depleted, it allows the bad bacteria to easily take over- leading to potential bacterial overgrowth in our guts.
I do a lot of bioengergetic scans on people and I would say about 9 times out of 10 someone's digestive system is not functioning properly. Typically this looks like having low stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Our stomach acid is our first line of defense against bacterial overgrowth and parasite replication. We are exposed to parasites all the time, but our guts are supposed to break down and kill them so that they can't hurt us or live inside of us. If we don't have the proper amount of stomach acid in our guts to break these things down, chaos ensues. It leads to pretty much all of the typical symptoms I listed above.
How to improve gut health
These tips are meant to be easy and cheap to improve your gut health:
Cut out processed foods
Basically anything that in a package. Yes, it is tough. Yes, it can be inconvenient. But eating real food as much as possible is the way to go. However, I created a list below of my favorite snacks that are packaged below!
Cut out processed drinks
Same premise as above. This is basically anything that is not filtered water, coffee or herbal teas.
Limit sugar intake
Sugar is what contributes the most to bacterial overgrowth. Candida loves sugar. If you're going to have sugar, I recommend it be organic and raw. Coconut sugar is the best sugar to use, in my opinion.
I want to be clear about this: I am not saying eat things that are advertised as "sugar free". Those things have FAKE, manmade sugars (sucralose, aspartame) about 99% of the time. It's horrible for your health, in my opinion.
Eat real food
Need I say more?
Eat more lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and other bitter liquids
These help to replenish our stomach acid
Take a good probiotic
I use Klaire Labs brand probiotic. Finding a reputable vitamin/supplement brand is vital before starting. I just found out that these companies are not mandated and can be filled with artificial junk. So, try to use a vitamin company that does 3rd party testing.
Eat more easy to digest foods
Think like soups, warm broths, steamed vegetables, etc.
Drink good, quality, filtered water (We use Kangen water)
Use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary
Snacks I recommend
I understand that it is hard to live life without eating packaged food. Here's a list of some of my favorite snacks that we have in the house. They're made with real ingredients that you can actually read, so it's easier for the gut to break down.
Simple Mills uses only real ingredients that you can actually read! I love this brand.
Truvani was created by The Food Babe herself, so all of the ingredients are carefully chosen and easy to read and digest!
I like Siete brand everything because it doesn't use harsh oils and only uses high quality ingredients. I use their tortillas, too.
Lesser Evil doesn't use harsh oils, either.
I like pumpkin seeds because their a healthy fat but also high in zinc- an essential nutrient that we all lack.
So, unlike your typical meat stick brand, Chomps uses quality meat that is nitrate free.
No added sugar and simple ingredients. These things are a yummy, guilt free sweet treat. My toddler is OBSESSED with them.
I get a majority of our snacks from Thrive Market. You can get 40% off your first order here! If you're interested in receiving my list of recommended lunch/snack swaps, you can get my list here!