Thinking about the gut…
Are you like really, Alexis? You sit around all day thinking about the gut? WELL there has been many times in my life where I have thought about my gut for extended periods of time because it would not allow me to not think about it, more on that later. If you have ever had digestive issues, bali-belly, the runs, the trots, constipation, or even acid reflux you may understand what I mean. If you don’t want to read the entire thing, I’ll give you some quick bullet points on why I’m so passionate about the gut, so you don’t have to dig in too deep. If you want to hear my story and dig in, then read on! The gut (aka your digestive system) bullet points:
Your gut bacteria manufactures 90-95% of the serotonin in our bodies. Therefore your mood and even so much as depressive and anxious feelings can be instigated by poor gut health.
Your gut contributes to 70% of your total immune system. Which means, poor gut = poor health.
If your gut health is poor, your skin can show it! This can be due to toxins leaking into the bloodstream (from an unhealed and porous gut) and thus increase inflammation
Your gut directly affects your energy (think about it- if your immune system and mood is affected, your energy is surely to follow). Low energy can be a sign of poor gut health.
And finally, if those above weren’t impactful enough, there are studies that show:
An unbalanced gut microbiome has been linked to the following: ulcerative colitis, chrohn’s disease, depression, anxiety, cirrhosis, multiple sclerosis, obesity, food allergies, and diabetes
There are even studies out there using fecal transplants to alter the gut health and thus improve the health of those afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease anxiety, depression, and even being overweight.
Back to my gut story… it was debilitating. Tired, bloated, moody, and afraid to eat often… I was always hyperaware of eating for fear of how my gut would react to different foods. I tried cutting food items out, which usually helped but wasn’t consistent. When I was having an “episode” it seemed that any type of food that could cause a reaction- did. I later learned that this is also part of gut health, you can develop food allergies because of poor gut health! My gut issues started between 13-15 years ago. It has been a long history of attempting different methods, specifically natural ones, because although it seems counterintuitive to the western mind, I believe the body is extremely capable of healing itself if we learn how to manage inflammation, allergies, and irritants.
Where am I now with my gut? Well, it’s not perfect, but it is much improved. I still get stomach upsets occasionally and that’s mainly because I must be careful. Too much sugar, wheat, processed foods, dairy (basically anything that can tax my body into an inflammatory state) causes my sensitivities to rear back up. But guess what, my recovery time is much less, and I know exactly what to do when it rears up. Probiotics are part of my daily regimen, aloe vera is always on hand and I have an anti-inflammatory routine that kicks butt.
Here’s the moral of my story, the gut literally affects everything. If you have a healthy gut and have never had an issue (I know some people say they have iron stomachs- well they are really talking about the digestive track) then you will have no idea what I’m talking about and are very lucky. If you have ever had a parasite or a bad tummy from going overseas and drinking the water, you may have an inkling of what its like to have digestive issues. Point is, it’s serious and debilitating.
Here are a few must-do’s when it comes to your gut:
As always, reach out to me if you have gut issues and want to discuss. It is not always a one-size fits all solution! And one more thing, work with your medical professional as well, although I’d love for everything to be a natural solution, we have medicine and physicians for a reason, so I highly support utilizing a doctor as your first line of defense!
References:
Carpenter, S. (2012) That gut feeling. American Psychological Association, vol 43, No. 8)
Vighi, G et al (2008) Allergy and the gastrointestinal system https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/
https://www.healthline.com/health/gut-health#signs-and-symptoms
https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/fecal-transplant-what-you-should-know
Comments