9 Immediate Steps To Start Healing Your Gut
THE MICROBIOME EPIDEMIC
If you've landed yourself on my blog, it's likely that you are searching for some answers about your health. It's also likely by now you've heard about the microbiome epidemic. Every healthcare practitioner is raving about the gut, and there is good reason why.
The gut and the digestive system are wonderfully complex and intelligent. You've heard the saying "I have a gut feeling" because there is a a lot of intelligence radiating from this area of the body. It literally is the second brain.
It is called the second brain not only because 95% of your serotonin (the happy hormone) is created in the gut, but also due to the enteric nervous system (a system of neurons connected to the gut which impact the way signals are sent to the brain and body).
Therefore, if your gut is in bad shape, this can totally affect your mood by creating depressive and hopelessness thoughts.
Another big reason you want to be investing care into your gut is because it has a major impact on your immune system. Your immune system is terribly important as it's what keeps your body functioning.
This network of cells, tissues and organs protect you from outside invaders like bacteria and other disease-causing organisms and substances, and guess what... 80% of your immune system operates for the gut!
The microbiome is therefore the most important organ you can work on to restore your body back to it's healthy state. Absolutely ALL diseases start in the gut.
9 STEPS TO HEAL YOUR MICROBIOME
So how do we create a healthy environment in our belly? We need to think about this area of our body as a little garden that needs attention and love. It needs to be nurtured with good bacteria, fibre, nutrients, lots of water, good fats and some love.
Whether you know you are having problems in the gut or not, starting with these 9 steps will help you to feel like a new person. Your mood will be better, your sleep will improve, as will your energy and enthusiasm for life.
Not only that, but for those who experience trouble digesting certain foods or irritable bowel like symptoms, improving your gut flora will ensure all these problematic symptoms disappear.
THE 9 STEPS:
1. The first step is prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics and like the seed and probiotics are the water. When I was healing my gut, I was only using probiotics and it still seemed to do the trick. Experiment and see what works for you. In terms of probiotics, you want to be focusing on Acidophilus and Latobacillus to build up the good bacteria in your gut. You can buy these at any health food store. The refrigerated brands tend to be more potent.
2. Buy a digestive enzyme if you are having any discomfort or difficulty digesting food. This means any bloating, gurgly sounds, cramps, gas, diarrhea and even headaches can be a sign your digestion needs some support. We have enzymes throughout our entire body (they help to break down organisms for the bodies use) although taking a digestive enzyme will take a lot of the stress off the digestive system. I like the the brand Rainbow Light.
Drinking small amounts of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice before your meals will also aid digestion.
3. Chew your food properly (even until your jaw says NO MORE PLEASE). By chewing your food thoroughly to the point of it being uncomfortable, this will allow enough time for your saliva to mix in with the food until it is completely liquidated by the time you are swallowing. There are loads of enzymes found in your salvia that give your digestive system a huge helping hand.
4. Drink some filtered water throughout your day (when thirsty), although not so much during meals. Within the stomach and digestive tract are all kinds of digestive juices such as bile, acid and enzymes which support the breakdown of your food. By flooding your meal with water, you are diluting those juices. The more potent they are, the more powerful they are. I always recommend drinking loads of water as it flushes your body of toxins, although try to just sip your water during meals.
5. Any kind of fermented food is going to radically improve your gut flora. Start with fermented vegetables like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles and anything else in the fermented veggie section of your grocery store. Watch out for pickles or other fermented veggies in the aisles (non-refrigerated section) as they will not contain all the good bacteria we are looking for. The non-refrigerated fermented vegetables have been made with vinegar and usually have some hidden ingredients to make them more tasty, so opt for the refrigerated section at your grocery or health food store. Kefir in dairy or non-dairy form is fantastic too. Making your own kefir is easy and powerful for the gut. Check out this article to learn how.
6. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, organic wherever possible. Fruit and veggies contain lots of fibre. If the gut is a garden and pre/probiotics are the seeds, fibre is the fertiliser that is going to help the garden to grow and regenerate all the good bacteria. Not only this, but by eating nutrient dense, organic, fresh food all your nutrient stores will be loaded up with the essential vitamins and minerals which allow your body to do what it does best - restore itself to it's natural state of health.
7. Eating good fats will help to replenish your gut bacteria. Natural fats like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, or soaked seeds are also powerful fats to consume for the gut. Always soak or sprout your nuts to make them more easily digestible.
8. The gut does not like an overly acidic environment, so minimise red meat, dairy, alcohol, sugar and any other refined carbohydrates as much as possible. Maximising alkaline foods (fruit and veggies) will help. Fresh herbs are fantastic for healing the gut.
9. The gut is not only processing and digesting your food, it is digesting your emotions. Try to minimise your stress levels. Letting off happy hormones will see your gut improve faster, so have fun, play, exercise, laugh.
If you are feeling stressed, angry, frustrated or sad I highly recommend a walk in nature. Send any of your unwanted negative energy through your feet and back down to mother earth and call in positive, loving and kind energy.
I have had many a belly ache thinking it was caused by food when really it was an emotional belly ache. After a pleasant walk through nature underneath the stars, visualising all my negative emotions leaving my body and going down into the earth made the stomach ache instantly disappear. Give it a go!
REMEMBER - YOUR BODY IS HEALING EVERYDAY!
The good news is that the gut replenishes itself. The walls of your intestines regenerate every 5-7 days. This means endless opportunities to improve your internal ecosystem and bring your gut flora back into balance.
If you want to improve any condition from skin rashes, ache, pain, swelling, allergies, hormones and everything else you could be experiencing, you MUST start with your gut. I assure you it will be life changing.
Remember, the body wants to heal and it is doing exactly that every single day! Treat it right and the magic will happen. Use food as your medicine and understand the role your emotions play in your healing process.
You will be well on your way to seeing massive transformation.
And finally... be patient.
Healing the gut will take time depending on the severity of your gut dysbiosis.
Send love to your gut and follow as many of these steps as possible and leave the rest to your body.
Love your gut and it shall love you back.
xXx
