It’s been said you are what you eat. To a degree, this is very true, but I’d add to this that your also what you absorb. You could be eating a perfect diet, but if your body doesn’t digest and absorb properly, it doesn’t mean a thing.
The gut can be the gateway to good health, but it can also be the gateway to disease depending on your diet and lifestyle.
Our digestive tract is home to billions of friendly bacteria. They are critical to our health and help …
- Boost our immunity
- Improve our digestion
- Raise our mood
- Reduce inflammation
- Protect against disease
If you want these friendly bacteria to do their job, and to optimise their performance you need to avoid the following pitfalls …
- Unhealthy Diet
It goes without saying that an unhealthy diet is going to leave you feeling lethargic, prone to illness, and acidic.
For a healthy gut follow these tips:
- Eat live raw foods e.g. sprouts
- Eat fermented foods e.g. kombucha, sauerkraut. miso and kefir
- Avoid gut irritants e.g. gluten, dairy and MSG
- Eat slowly and chew your food properly
- Eat an alkaline diet (Liquid Chlorophyll will really help)
- Take a good probiotic such as Pro B11
- Increase fibre
- Avoid processed foods
- Eat lots of greens
- Reduce sugar
If you need some one-to-one help and a personalised nutrition plan you can always book in for a FREE B-Fit Session here.
- Contraceptive Pill
The contraceptive pill has obvious benefits but sadly is disastrous for gut health. It strips your body of B12, folate, zinc and kills beneficial bacteria. Added to this, the majority of women stay on it for years. Taking a break from the pill alongside a gut-friendly diet will do wonders for your health.
- Alcohol
There are several problems with excessive alcohol. Firstly, it increases acidity. Secondly, it kills good bacteria. And lastly, it increases intestinal permeability. This means that foreign bodies and partially digested food matter enter through the gut leading to inflammation and reduced nutrient absorption.
- Medication
Regular pill popping and antibiotics kills good bacteria. If you do need to take some meds just bare in mind, you’ll need to replenish your good bacteria through fermented foods and a probiotic supplement like Pro B11.
- Stress
The stress response is a natural reaction designed to protect you from real danger. When triggered, blood will be diverted away from all vital organs including the digestive tract to help you flee from danger. The problem occurs when we keep triggering the stress response for no real danger. Over time, the continuous lack of blood supply to your digestive tract and a lack of gastric secretions will contribute to increasingly poor gut health. To avoid activating the stress response try meditating, and lots of deep breathing.
After reading all this, is your gut health as good as it could be? What tweaks can you make to take yours up a notch or two?
Gut health doesn’t sound as interesting and exciting as weight loss and toning up, but let me tell you it’s vital. If you don’t maximise your nutrient absorption, everything else including weight loss is massively compromised.
Love Gaynor x
