Gut Health
Gut Health is so important and has some extraordinary functions! It is considered by many doctors and clinical research to be our body's second brain. The gut is where our food is broken down, digested and absorbed into the blood stream and into our cells in order to feed our bodies with energy. It is considered our Enteric Brain and it is estimated that our gut has over 35,000 different strains of bacteria that effect our overall optimal health. These bacteria make up the Universe within our intestines and the integrity of our gut lining. They effect not only our digestion but our mental and emotional health as well
With this in mind, what we fuel our bodies with and the lifestyle choices we make impact the types of bacteria that thrive in our gut. The type of food that is being broken down, either supports the healthy bacteria and good digestion or can lead to inflammation in the body which can increase the risk of chronic illnesses and disease. Most of our immune system is functioned by the gut and how we live our lives is impaction our digestive health. The microflora and good bacteria in our gut is there to fight infections, enhance, nutrient absorption, promote bowel mobility, and ensure mucosal layer integrity. If we are not paying attention to what we are putting into our bodies, this is when we start to get sick, feel tired, and a whirlwind of other problems like anxiety, depression, and weight gain begins.
Your "gut feelings" matter! they are an initial sign to some lifestyle changes that may need to be implied in order to decrease the chances of other health related scares to come up. A couple factors that can cause imbalances in the gut flora are from stress and diet. To reduce stress, eliminate stressful activities to your life like yoga, meditation, and other selfceare routines. Diet has the most powerful influences on our gut health and this can be conquered by making some lifestyle changes in order to find peace and harmony within the gut.
Making dietary changes impacts the type of bacteria that will thrive in our gut, and a plant-based diet is especially beneficial for the healthy bacterias to live. The principles of nutritional integrity start with a foundational plan with eating more Whole Foods. This is more paint centric, crowding in a lot more veggies and fruits on a daily basis to reduce oxidized stress in the body which will decrease inflammation internally. Adding in more legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, with lean proteins is also recommended. Crowding out refined sugars and grains, along with fatty meats, dairy, and high sodium foods is also recommended. Other gut irritants that can have an affect on our flora are alcohol and caffeine. which should be consumed in moderation.
There are many foods that are not healthy to eat and the changes really happens when you start to focus on adding the good stuff to your diet. The importance of adding more fruits and veggies to your daily diet is a no brainer. We need on average 9-13 servings per day of a different variety of fruits and veggies in order to get all the phytonutrients our bodies need. Less than half of us are getting maybe 5-6 servings a day and that is on a good day. How many servings of fruits and veggies are you getting every day? And are you eating the same variety or the rainbow of colors? In addition, to bridging this gap with fruits and veggies, probiotic and prebiotic foods are magical to our second brain.
Probiotic foods help regulate our metabolism, detoxify the body, and helps to modulate immune and internal inflammation. There also balance out our PH levels and increase absorption of healthy minerals. Some of my favorite probiotic foods are kombucha, miso, kim Chee, yogurt, and other yummy fermented foods. Prebiotic foods act as food for probiotics and naturally exist in many foods we consume on a regular basis that are high in fiber. Some of these foods are garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks, and artichokes. Probiotics and prebiotics go hand in hand to support important healthy gut functions.
Whether you are battling with relatable health issues or you believe you are at your optimal health already, listen to your gut feelings on a daily basis! These feelings are there intuitively for us to tune inwards and to reflect on the ways our lifestyle and dietary choices may be affecting us from reaching our highest goals and potential. Please review my website for additional nutritional information on whole food nutrients and gut health.