Have you ever noticed your stomach bloating after a really big meal? Or have you felt a sharp pain in your stomach after consuming a dessert that was utterly loaded with sugar? Have you ever experienced any major mood shifts that took place after eating a certain food or drinking a certain drink? You are not alone. We are all impacted by the foods and drinks we consume. Everything we consume impacts the body either positively or negatively by either feeding or harming our microbiome, also known as our gut. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who is known as the Father of Medicine is attributed to saying that, “All diseases begin in the gut.” This powerful statement holds the key to our understanding of the foundation of health and wellness. In coming to understand the importance of gut health and how we contribute to it we can make informed choices regarding health and wellness.
Before beginning a conversation regarding the gut we need to clarify what the gut actually is. Without a clear understanding of what the gut is we can’t take any measures to heal or help it. The gut is the collection of organs that participate in absorption, assimilation, and excretion of nutrients. This collection of organs makes up the digestive system, or the gastrointestinal tract (i.e. GI) and includes the stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, the small intestine, large intestine, liver, and rectum. While the gallbladder, pancreas and liver do not directly have digestion taking place in them these accessory organs secrete substances such as bile and insulin that contribute to the digestive process.
If all goes well in the digestive process our bodies should be making the proper secretions for digestion, absorbing the nutrients from our foods, and excreting toxins in our waste. Despite our hopes for everything to go smoothly in the digestive process, the process of digestion is one of the most hijacked operations of the human body. If and when this operation is disrupted, interrupted, or disturbed we suffer the consequences in very visceral ways. Disturbed digestive processes can manifest in a host of diseases that result because of gut disorder and gut upset. Autoimmune diseases. Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis. IBS. Gut dysbiosis. SIBO. Celiac. Candida overgrowth. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Rheumatoid arthritis. I could keep going……and I think I will………..ADD,ADHD, anxiety, depression, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, mood swings, and infertility………and the list could go on and on.
Every condition, truly every disease and disorder is only made possible when our guts are unhealthy. Everything from poor mental health, to our immune function, to our reproductive health is impacted and affected by the health of our gut. While there are often multiple factors that play a part in the ill health of our body, restoring gut health and balance should be a first step in our comprehensive healing protocol. Gut health lays the foundation for health of the whole body.
So what are some practical tips that people can take to nourish and heal their guts to provide optimal health and wellness? While there are many, many different foods, supplements and lifestyle changes individuals can take to support gut health I thought I would list just a few here.
The first tip on supporting gut health is to consume ample probiotics through live food options. Probiotic foods are foods that contain a large amount of healthy bacteria that are needed for our brains and bodies to function. Some of the probiotic rich foods are sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, fermented yogurt, and kombucha. By consuming these probiotic rich foods you can nourish the populations of good bacteria in your gut that are the foundation of good health for the entire body. While probiotic supplements can and should be taken to support gut health, probiotic rich foods are the most easily absorbed form of the probiotic into our bodies. So eat away!
The second tip to support gut health is to cut out refined sugar and processed foods. Many of the ingredients in our chips, candies, and pretzels are actually really bad for gut health by overloading our livers with toxins that could actually harm our bodies. By cutting out highly processed snacks and sweets and replacing them with healthier or whole food alternatives, we can avoid doing direct damage to our microbiome and contribute to our overall health and well-being.
The last tip to support gut health is one that supports your mental health as well, and that is to learn how to better handle stress. Numerous articles and studies have come out regarding the negative effect stress has on your whole body health. Your gut is one of the places in the body that is negatively impacted by poorly handled stress or an excess of stress in the body. While it is true that stress is unavoidable, the way that we respond to and handle stress is of critical importance for the health of our gut. By applying effective stress management techniques and taking time to step away from the intensity of life and engage in activities that relax and nourish the body you will not only support your mental but your gut health as well. Despite the fact that these gut supportive techniques seem rather simple, they are in fact critical steps to take to support and heal your body. So what are you waiting for? Go buy some sauerkraut, chuck your leftover Halloween candy, and take some deep breaths to support your gut health today.
Anna received her education and certification in functional nutrition counseling from the accredited Functional Nutrition Alliance Program and is a part of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. In addition to her certificate in nutrition counseling, Anna also has a B.A. in Pastoral Theology and a certificate in ESL. An interest that has been a common thread in all of her academic pursuits has been to empower others to become the best version of themselves in God and to live their lives to the fullest.
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