Gut Health Is Critical To Overall Health

We’ve talked about this previously but I can’t emphasize enough how important your gut health is to your overall wellbeing. It’s a fact that 70% of your immune system is found in the gut! When there are too many bad bacteria running the show, you develop an imbalance that can negatively affect your health. Unfortunately, the typical American diet full of processed foods and sugar is wreaking havoc on our gut microbiota.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳?

Let’s say that you’re super stressed at work, so you eat junk food all week, drink more alcohol than usual, and get poor sleep. All of these actions can negatively impact you gut microbiome. The result?

• Bad moods
• Brain fog
• Anxiety
• Food allergies
• Skin problems – itchy, hives, rashes
• Digestive upset – bloating, abdominal pain
• Autoimmune issues
• Constipation or loose stools
• Frequent illness
• Joint pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Weight gain
• Exhaustion
• Poor sleep
• Depression

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?

Unfortunately, there are many ways that your gut microbiome can become unhealthy. Here are some ways the gut can get out of balance:

• Poor diet – processed, sugar-laden food is not doing any favors for your gut health.

• Excess stress – stress is no friend to your body or your life. A quick stress-reliever can be to take a few long, slow deep breaths in the moment to relax the body. Meditation can also be super helpful to release excess tension.

• Repeated use of antibiotics – while antibiotics can play an important role in fighting off infection, overuse can kill the good bacteria in your system. Probiotics can help balance your system.

• Overindulging in alcohol – alcohol consumption can negatively impact the gut.

• Overuse of NSAIDs and ibuprofen can also damage your intestinal lining so look for alternative ways to address the issues causing your pain. Try turmeric, white willow bark, and boswellia serrata herbal remedies instead.

• Not getting enough sleep – being sleep deprived can impact your gut, brain, and diet so make quality sleep a priority.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗚𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

• Eat fermented food. Sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi are all great fermented foods that will improve your gut microbes. Make sure you buy the unpasteurized varieties found in the refrigerated section.

• Drink bone broth. Your healthy gut loves a quality bone broth. You can make your own or buy a quality organic, grass-fed broth.

• Load up on fiber – eat leafy greens to keep your gut healthy. Starting out your day with sugar-free oatmeal is also a great way to improve gut health.

• Keep inflammation at bay by using healthy oils and avoiding the harmful ones that can bring added toxins into your body.

• Drop the sugar and artificial sweeteners – that’s only going to feed the bad bacteria. Getting rid of sugar will help keep your body in better balance.

• Mix up your food – give your microbiome some variety.

• Be aware of your food allergies and sensitivities and be sure to avoid them. Many people have issues digesting gluten, grains, and dairy and eating them can lead to inflammation and an imbalanced gut.

• Eat prebiotic rich food that feed your good gut bacteria like dandelion greens, artichokes, flax seeds, seaweed, leeks, garlic, onions, and asparagus.

• Add a probiotic. Probiotics can go a long way in helping to restore gut health. Work with your health care provider to find the one that’s right for you.

• Exercise regularly. Exercise has a positive effect on the gut microbiome, reducing inflammation and increasing energy.

• Test your gut bacteria with an at-home kit like Viome. Viome’s service goes deep into the makeup of your gut to determine the health of your microbiome. They then offer recommendations on the food you should be eating and avoiding to support your personal gut microbiome.

𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙄-𝘼𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙉𝙐𝙏𝙍𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 ™ … 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙉𝙀𝙍 𝙄𝙉 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙇𝙏𝙃💪