The trending topic of gut health has made kombucha a $5.5 billion dollar industry and fiber an even more acceptable carb to consume.
“Listen to your body” can be a literal way of life when your stomach is constantly growling. She doesn’t care how many people are around. If she doesn’t like what you eat, everyone hears about it!
Your gut health is largely to blame (or praise) for your overall physical and emotional health. Let’s dive into how your gut health can affect every aspect of your body:
Mind
Your gut (stomach) is known as your “second brain” because of its ability to communicate with your real brain to regulate everything from your emotions, appetite, and immune system. This intercom-like system is called the “gut-brain” axis and refers to the physical and chemical connections between your gut and brain.
Medical professionals have known for a long time that stress can wreak havoc on our physical health. However, they’re now finding concrete evidence that the relationship goes both ways – inflammation and digestive problems have been linked to causing depression and anxiety.
Interesting fact: Serotonin is known as the “happy chemical” because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness. I was shocked to find out that the majority of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain.
Bottom line: When your gut and mind are getting along, the relationship is full of sunshine and rainbows. On the flip side, if one isn’t working correctly, the other is affected too.
Body
Your digestive system is the workhorse that is responsible for absorbing, converting, and delivering all nutrients to every other organ. (Not to mention, keeping the bad ones out!)
I was shocked to find out how poor gut health can negatively impact your body! It can hurt your cardiovascular system, immune system, skin, weight, hormone levels, ability to absorb nutrients, and can even lead to the development of cancer.
“You’ve got trillions of bacteria that help you digest food, but when you don’t have enough kinds of bacteria in there, it can contribute to a lot of issues with your health, and there’s a real correlation with low gut diversity and obesity.” Brad Pilon, Flat Belly Forever
SYMPTOMS:
1. Stomach problems (and new food allergies you’ve never had before)
2. A high-sugar diet
3. Unintentional weight changes
4. Lack of Sleep / Fatigue during the day
5. Skin / acne / wrinkles (oh my!)
SOLUTIONS:
1. Lower your stress levels: yoga and staying away from any drama is my preferred method
2. Sleep: aim for 7-8 hours/night
3. Eat slowly: promotes full digestion and absorption of nutrients
4. Stay hydrated: normalizes the balance of good bacteria
5. Change your diet:
- Probiotics: you know what I’m going to say: kombucha! It has live cultures that help break down foods and improve your immune system. It’s super important when you’re on antibiotics because they wipe out all the bacteria – even the good ones! You can also take a probiotic supplement if you’re not a fan of kombucha.
- Collagen and bone broth: I can’t say enough about the endless positive effects of collagen, so watch my video where I show you how to make my “Magic Smoothie”.
- Garlic and onions: both have anti-cancer properties and reduce gut inflammation.
- Healthy fats: avocados, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, chia seeds (also in my “magic smoothie”)
- Fiber: foods like beans, oats, bananas, berries, and asparagus.
- Fermented foods: yogurt, miso, kefir, and kimchi
- NO processed foods: turns out, your gut is pretty smart and treats foods with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients as “attackers”, making it resistant to proper digestion.
- Gluten-free: try eliminating gluten completely for at least 4 weeks and see if your gut health improves. I recently did it and the positive results were amazing! Be sure to read ingredient labels – wheat can be found in a lot of unsuspecting foods such as salad dressing, potato chips, spices, and even chewing gum!
- Dairy-free: milk doesn’t always “do a body good”. Thank goodness I can tolerate dairy because my life would be sad without milk and cheese. But, the two proteins in milk (whey and casein) can be hard to digest for some people.
- Sugar-free: I saved the biggest culprit for last …not only does it wreak havoc in your gut, but it feeds the bad bugs and can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Even if your gut health is perfect, sugar is a no-go if you want to live longer and healthier.
Let me know about your experience with gut health! What changes have you made that have made a difference?
Beth says
Figuring out sugar was mostly to blame for my stomach problems was such a lightning bolt moment for me! I’ve cut my intake drastically and also started eating more cultured foods and drinking probiotics. 😉 Next step, implement all these other great tips you highlight.
Hello Whitney says
Glad you found the info helpful! Making changes to your diet can make SUCH a big difference.
Jack Marbida says
thanks for the great tips. i am sure that a lot of avid health enthusiasts will love this article.
Hello Whitney says
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Marjie Mare says
I AM ALWAYS TELLING MY DAUGHTERS THEY HAVE TO WATCH WHAT THEY ARE EATING. oNCE IT IS INSIDE, YOU CAN’T RETRIEVE IT. vERY INFORMATIVE POST, THANKS FOR SHARING.
Hello Whitney says
Excellent point – what we eat affects so much of our lives!
Deborah says
I’ve been learning a lot about this lately. I have noticed that when I have probiotics like greek yogurt, my stomach feels better and I feel a lot better too!
Hello Whitney says
It does seem like gut health is talked about all the time now, doesn’t it? I love yogurt – probiotics are so important!
Kate Findley says
i’m glad that medical professionals are finally starting to make a correlation between gut health and brain health. For months i was having recurring yeast infections, and then about a year after that i started having seizures. I’m not saying they’re directly linked, but there must be some connection! Thankfully the infections cleared up and my seizures are controlled by medication now. I’m not sure what the “magic bullet” was but i think reducing stress was key. I generally eat very healthy and exercise a lot; i’ve also started taking high-quality probiotics. I’m not perfect, though, and i do occasionally eat processed foods (like energy bars) when i’m on the go.
Hello Whitney says
Yes, I absolutely agree – it’s been needed for a while! I’m glad your health is improving 🙂
Daphne says
For me dehydration is a big issue, sometimes at the end of a day I realise I only drank three cups of coffee. Its good to be aware.
Hello Whitney says
I definitely have those days! It’s so hard to remember to drink water sometimes.
Momsfy says
those are some real health tips explained in a great manner. I personally keep a check on the regular intake of Garlic and onion. They have amazing health benefits!
Hello Whitney says
Thanks! They absolutely do – and I love both!
Karla says
Thanks for the guidelines! I just realized that I need to get more sleep! I love that you discussed each item comprehensively.
Hello Whitney says
Glad you enjoyed it! Sleep is so important <3
Chloe @callmecoco.co says
I noticed that I feel much better when I drink enough water and don’t eat too much sugar. I don’t really take probiotics but I was thinking of giving it a go for this winter
Hello Whitney says
You should definitely try them! They’ll do wonders for your gut health!
Laura Dove says
I have had so many issues with my digestive system, going gluten free was a big change for me which helped but i also need to make more changes as im still not right.
Hello Whitney says
I’ve heard from many people that gluten free has made a big difference. Best of luck!
Elle (CleverlyChanging) says
kombucha was a huge craze in 2005 and 2006 in the corporate office that I worked in. Honestly, the first couple of times I tried I didn’t like it. I think I just drank it to be cool. LOL.
Hello Whitney says
Haha, it takes some getting used to, for sure!
Jesusa Gilliam says
GREAT INFORMATION, MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN HAVING A LOT OF STOMACH ISSUES LATELY, A good start would be CHAnging his diet. I WILL BE SHARING THIS WITH HIM.
Hello Whitney says
Absolutely – I think it’ll make a big difference!
Elizabeth O says
I found this to be such an interesting post indeed. I definitely haven’t thought about gut health as much as I should but I think I will be making some changes for sure!
Hello Whitney says
Thank you! It’s so much more important than you might think. Best of luck!
John Sallie says
after a time you become really in tune with your body. I know what I can eat and what I can’t. if I do cross the line a couple of days of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and water flushes my system out pretty good.
Hello Whitney says
Absolutely. It’s all a process of figuring out what works best for you!
Christopher Mitchell says
I USED TO HAVE HUGE PROBLEMS WITH MY GUT WEALTH, BUT THAT’S IMPROVED RECENTLY! ARTICLES LIKE THIS HELP!
Hello Whitney says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks!
mike ShugrHed says
I totally agree with this. When my stomach is feeling a bit tender, pro-biotics are the thing that gets it back to normal. I’ve never heard of kombucha though – i’m going o have to give that a go! Thanks for the heads up!
Hello Whitney says
Thanks, Mike! I hope you’ll give kombucha a try – I love it!
Eliza says
I love this, am really focused on gut health at the moment. I’d definitely recommend read the clever gut if you haven’t already, really interesting.
Hello Whitney says
Thanks Eliza – I’ll check this out!
Shirley says
I HAVE So much problem in gut. indigestion is the big one. I am trying apple cider vinegar for some time. I hope it will work
Hello Whitney says
I completely understand. Apple cider vinegar is amazing!