Love Your Gut
Gut health! Something we could all focus on just a little more. It’s kind of a buzz word in the wellness world these days, but let’s break it down a bit.
Your gut microbiome is a collection of microbes bacteria, yeast, fungi, and viruses. Every single one of us has a unique microbiome, and although genetics do play a role, it’s very much affected by our lifestyle choices. Diet, stress, antibiotic usage, and environmental factors (chemical exposure, etc.) all play a huge role in the makeup. We literally have 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells!!! I’m not really a science nerd, but that is nuts you guys. So, you can understand the importance here 🙂 And our gut does a lot more for us than just digest our food (although that is a big role!). 65% of our immune system lies in our gut! We also have more serotonin receptors in our gut than our brain! AKA gut health affects your mood big time. Everything is regulated by those little bacteria. And when there’s an imbalance of bad vs good bacteria (called dysbiosis), things can go south real quick. Not only can you experience digest upset (anything from bloating to IBS to celiac), but you may also experience acne, asthma, congestion, rashes, depression, anxiety, the list goes on!
So if gut health is so crucial to our overall well being, why wouldn’t you want to focus on getting it up to par?! The best news is, it’s totally realistic to get your gut flora back on track. Here’s what you can start doing to show your gut a little love:
1-Ease up on the processed foods and sugar
Okay, obviously this is number one. Additives in processed food, sugar, and just a general lack of whole real food can cause some serious inflammation. But you already knew that! That inflammation can do a number on our our digestion, causing dysbiosis and leading to serious issues. Aim to eat more fresh foods than those that come in a package.
2-Take a probiotic supplement
A probiotic contains microbes that can benefit our gut flora. Probiotics help with digestion, utilization of nutrients, balance ph, get things flowing properly (poop, guys), and help combat inflammation. Every probiotic has different strains of bacteria, and not all are created equal! But, I highly recommend experimenting with different ones to find which makes you feel best. I swear by probiotic supplements! This is one of my favorites
3-Collagen
Along with probiotics, collagen is my other go to on a daily basis. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, and effects hair, skin, nails, joints, and you guessed it- gut health! Collagen helps to seal your gut lining, so no waste can leak in to places it isn’t supposed to. This is one of my go-to’s I recommend for healing your gut! Vital Proteins is my absolute favorite. Plus, their powder is tastless and you can literally add it into everything! It makes a regular appearance in my morning oats.
4-Fermented foods
Probiotics are also found in true fermented foods. Things like kombucha (like the Health-Ade one I’m drinking in the pic!), kraut, sourdough bread, and real pickles all contain bacteria that are beneficial to your gut health and aid in digestion. The key here is quality, and to avoid the highly processed or sugar filled versions! Try drinking a quarter to a half a bottle of kombucha or adding kraut to the side of your egg scramble! The taste may take a bit to get used to, but now I can’t live without it!
5- Stress less, sleep more
Lifestyle plays a big role in well, our whole lives. BUT are you surprised to hear that it can seriously affect your gut health?! Untamed stress isn’t good for a number of reasons, but couple that with little sleep and you mayyy start to notice your digestion is a little out of whack. When you are in “fight or flight” mode, which happens when you are stressed and physically stressed from little sleep (read more about that here!), your body automatically takes the focus off of digestion. Overtime, this can lead to chronic inflammation, and send your whole system into a tizzy. One more reason to hit that snooze button a little longer, or better yet, head to bed one hour earlier 🙂
If you want to dive deep into a gut health makeover, I’d love to support you. Email me to find out more information and chat about program options!