Gut Health
The subject of gut health is one of my favourite. Who would have thought it would be so interesting! The more research I do, the more I discover that everything in our body relates to gut health. And in this modern world of processed foods, over-indulgence, anti-bacterial cleanliness, antibiotics and stress, our gut health takes a major beating.
Did you know there are more than 3 million microbial genes in our gut microbiota?
There is also a very strong relationship between our microbes and our brain. The health of this relationship can have an enormous impact on our immune system, mood and mental health.
The functioning of our immune system is 80% dependent on the health and balance of bacteria in our gut and intestinal walls.
For optimal health, we need to start from within. From our mouth, through our gut, intestines and out the other end… it all needs to be nourished in the right ways for balance and optimal health, reduce autoimmune diseases, allergies, weight management, mood and emotions.
When we gain control of providing the best environment for our microbes we will also gain control of how well we age. If we can feed and care for our gut-friendly bacteria, they will keep our bodies in tip-top condition.
Ways to keep our bacteria happy:
Eating prebiotic and probiotic foods
eating alkaline foods
leafy greens in abundance
drinking healthy, filtered water
getting outdoors, getting dirty and muddy
playing and living with animals
sunshine
exercise
sleep,sleep and enough sleep
The foods to avoid are even more important. These include:
Sugar- yep, sugars are the major cause of all illness. Keeping sugary foods to a minimum is crucial
processed foods – over processed foods and grains cause too much acidity and can contain lectins (a sticky protein that binds to the gut wall)
overindulgence of meat and dairy products
pesticides/herbicides – unfortunately, most of our food is laden with chemicals. So make sure you wash everything well and try to buy organic meat and vegetables
personal care products – how often are we killing the good guys on our skin and in our environment that are there to help us. Unfortunately, every day. Bacteria are such an important part of our health system. Why? Because our longevity is determined by our bacteria health. Usually, our kids are getting sick because we are too clean, killing off the bugs that are needed to keep us healthy
antibiotics – yes these can save our lives and they are a miracle that we can be thankful for. But every time we take antibiotics it can take up to a year for our good gut bacteria to get to a healthy population again. So take them only when really needed.
So how healthy is your gut?
Is your diet acidic or alkaline?
Do you promote good bacteria or bad?
Are your energy levels low?
Do you have leaky gut?
If you relate to any of these issues or feel you need more information please book a free discovery session with me so I can help you.