Gut Health 101
Gut to the root of it
The approach of a new year brings joy for some and hesitancy for others. Health is a monumental part of everyone's lives that could leave you with a great year ahead or a juicy journey leading you there. No matter where you are in your health journey at this time, there are ways to help you optimize and nourish what you already have to empower you on whatever path you are on.
We make lots of whirlwinds and big talk about what magic pill, diet, or detox will help thoroughly cleanse you from the previous year and set you up for health success in the new year. Gently put, there is no such thing.
Reason for this is because our bio individuality (our health’s uniqueness) is not one size fits all. This is a very special element of life that we have to our advantage. What might work for some, might not work for others. That is why we must go from the gut of it. Heal the one epicenter we all have within us that helps absorb, breakdown, and distinguish the health or harm that's activated in the body. Humans are sensitive, vulnerable, and easily influenced beings. It is in our nature! If we consume bad thoughts, processed food, inflammatory foods, etc we are communicating to our body clear as day that those are the types of bacteria we want to activate for inside to outside health we want. Our health works from the very core, the gut.
A quick gut breakdown;
The gut is set up from the moment you are born with 40 trillion bacteria waiting for attackers to come so they can defend you. The way we were born (vaginally or c section) determines what immunity you were set up with as a child. Some have stronger immune systems than others because of the vaginal delivery and breastfeeding. The bacteria are both good and bad that live within us. This is to show you how equipt our body really is when it comes to activation and communication. If there is a virus invader, the body will send good bacteria troops (a.k.a immune system) to combat and defend. The key to our gut is maintenance and consistent care. We have to communicate to our body the health we want by the diet and lifestyle we live. Some potential inflammatory foods that the gut could be communicating to you it does not work with are dairy, eggs, corn, soy, alcohol, coffee, gluten, and sugar. These for some are major sensitivities and can lead to detrimental harm to the gut if not limited or avoided. Practice mindfulness in the foods you eat and tune in to what your body is telling you. We often dismiss all of our own messages. Some of which can look like headache, bloating, low energy, puffiness, irregular bowel movements, weak immune system, dizziness, brain fog, and more. Normalize body messages! We are not meant to be ill.
Here are some clean, easy, and accessible ways to prime the gut with whole plant foods that communicate love, optimization, and healing to the body. Once we eliminate distractions of inflammatory foods, our gut can focus on absorbing and healing. This looks like fortified foods that contain probiotics and fiber that directly feed the guts good bacteria and strengthen immunity. When we eat fermented plant foods we are more likely to eat it consistently for an evenly fed and maintained gut. Some ideal fermented plants to add in your diet are kimchi, sauerkraut, olives, vinegars, pickles, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar.
In the long run a healthy gut will promote hair growth, nail growth, glowing skin, natural weight loss, energy boost, proper digestion, healthy stools, good mood, and on the spiritual side, a more intuitive connection with your mind and body.
This journey is not about how to just solve the issue. It's about meeting our body for the first time and trusting that it knows us better than we think.
It is about introducing real food both on and off the plate and giving it the love it needs to heal. We are finally giving ourselves a chance for health in the deepest, most pure way.
By integrating healthful foods such as whole plants we are communicating to our body the type of bacteria we want to activate and therefore the health we want.
The beauty of our bodies is that they will forgive us for mistreatment. Our gut is ready for the good stuff at all times.
This new year is the guts year. Let's communicate love, health, sustainability, trust, bio individuality, optimization, and healing to the root of our existence, the gut.
Let’s get to the gut of it.
Happy healing!
