Trouble with your immune system...fix your gut.
Trouble with your skin...fix your gut.
Trouble with your health...fix your gut!!
You get the point!!! Our GUT is one of the main control systems in our body that can very much contribute to over overall health and wellbeing! They say- the root of all disease begins in the GI Tract!!
Fun Fact: 70% of our immune system resides in our gut!!
So what are some things we can do to create a healthy gut??
Adding probiotics to your regimen. Probiotics help boost beneficial bacteria in the gut. You can get probiotics as a supplement or from different foods! Fermented Foods are a good source of probiotics. Consuming a variety of these foods regularly may help: fermented vegetables, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, sauerkrout, tempeh.
High Fiber Diet. Consuming foods that are high in fiber enhance prebiotic fiber and can enhance detoxification of the body. Every adult should aim to consume about 25g Fiber per day. Some examples of high fiber foods are: asparagus, bananas, chicory, garlic, onions, nuts, seeds, and avocados. Don't forget to wash all of this fiber down with lots of water! Aiming for 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily!
Consume LESS sugar and NO SUGAR SUBSTITUTES. Eating a lot of sugar or consuming artificial sugars can disrupt a healthy GI tract. AVOID zero calorie sweeteners such as Splenda, Sweet & Low, Aspartame, Sucralose. Many of these items are hidden in common diet/low fat foods and drinks. Opt for these instead: Stevia Leaf, Raw Maple Syrup (in moderation), coconut sugar, Monk Fruit, LOCAL raw honey. But don't get too comfortable, we still want to limit the amount of pure sugar in our diets because sugar is a major cause of disease and inflammation!
Reduce Stress! Believe it our not, our stress levels directly effect the inflammation of our GUT! Stress management plays a key role in our overall health. Chronic stress can lead to chronic inflammation. Stress, even in the short term can disrupt your GI tract. Include relaxtion and stress reduction techniques in your daily routine. Start small with less than 5 minutes and build on the routine. Some things to consider are: regular exercise, meditation, prayer, gratitude journalling, good sleep hygeine.
Elimination diet! There is a possibility that your body does not tolerate specific food groups. Even though you may not have a true food allergy, our body can be inflammed, bloated, uncomfortable based on the foods we eat! Common food sensitivies include gluten, wheat, sugar, peanuts, soy, dairy, and alcohol. To find your true triggers you would do a 30-90 day elimination diet that slowly reintroduces foods to learn what your individual triggers are!! This is recommended to be done with guidance from a health or nutrition coach!