Ever made a decision by just “going with your gut” or felt butterflies in your stomach because you were thinking something that made you feel nervous ? These are just a couple of examples of how our gut is closely related to the brain. Our gut health is pertinent for whole body health, mind and body. Not only do emotions impact the feeling in our gut but our gut, the things we eat and feel can affect our mood on a biochemical level. Additionally, our gut is also very closely related to our immune health as well.
Keeping our immune system strong is of the utmost importance especially these days. The human gut is home to a hundred trillion microorganisms, give or take, including thousands of different species of healthy bacteria. The balance of these bugs is very important to your health! Yeasts, viruses, unfriendly bacteria and parasites are among other visitors in your gut. However, those bad bugs do not cause trouble when your gut is flourishing with the healthy bacteria.
The digestive tract is one of the most crucial aspects to one's health because of the links to the immune system (80% of the immune system is built in the gut), your brain health, the creation of neurotransmitters (think feel-good hormones), and more! Did you know that common conditions such as: allergies, eczema, anxiety, and even depression can be linked back to gut health? I often say, if I could support 1 body system on EVERYONE it would be the gut! Here are 3 simple ways to boost your gut health, naturally! Remember, to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting a new diet/supplement regimen.
1. COAT THE LINING OF THE GUT
Many people experience what is called "leaky gut". This means that the normally tightly packed cells that line the gut, have become porous, or leaky, thus resulting in inflammation and poor absorption, among other issues. One of my go-to recommendations is to take either l-glutamine or collagen powder (or both!) at the start of every day. Do this first thing in the morning to give your gut a nice gentle coating, helping it to heal and absorb the nutrients you are consuming on a daily basis. For high quality recommendations, stop by our office or check out our products online!
2. REMOVE FOOD SENSITIVITIES
This is the hardest step for most people, but the MOST important! It is impossible to heal the gut while eating an inflammatory diet. For 30 days, I recommend completely removing:
Processed sugar
Gluten (wheat)
Dairy
Corn
Soy
*bonus points for removing nightshade vegetables, too (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, to name a few)
The reason behind these specific recommendations is inflammation. The inflammatory process from these foods can be in your system for upwards of 12 weeks so “trying” this for 1 week will not yield the results you desire. Eating anti-inflammatory foods allows the gut to heal properly. Remove these foods and watch your tummy troubles disappear! But not only that, you may just pull out of a depressed state or notice that you don’t feel so “foggy brained.” A great reference guide to eating whole, clean food is the Whole 30 program, which I recommend to patients quite frequently. Utilizing that program but fine-tuned to a complete, realistic hand-held approach, you can also check out the program we designed called, 30 Day Reset which helps you to eliminate those foods, exercise correctly (with videos) as well as guided 5 minute meditations + supplement suggestions. Check it out HERE!
3. REPOPULATE THE MICROBIOME
It is crucial to have a healthy amount of good bacteria in the gut, and arguably everyone could benefit from taking a great quality probiotic. My favorite probiotics are spore based for their incredible resiliency. Spores actually survive the harsh acidic environment of the stomach while bacteria/probiotics generally do not. Additionally, sporebiotics have great immune system benefits. My favorite and most recommended brand is MegaSpore Biotics. Sometimes, even before or while taking a pro/sporebiotic, you need to build back up the mucosal lining of the gut for protection. Specific Immunoglobulins like IgG (can be found in IgG2000 supplement and others) and MegaMucosa are a wonderful start for this.
I hope these steps help aide you on your journey to a healthy digestive tract! By coating the lining of the gut, cleaning up the diet, and having plenty of good bacteria, all other body systems will benefit…very importantly, YOUR MOOD!
Want more? Join us for our FREE health class in-person this month! You can learn more + RSVP, here.
Cheers to a Balanced Microbiome because a Happier Gut leads to a Happier Brain and an Overall Happier System!
Dr. Cari Jacobson