By Your gut controls you…
Our guts are complex mechanisms, hard at work even while we are sleeping. Endless recent studies have classified the gut as our ‘Second Brain’ and the driver of our emotions and mental well-being! Our gut health is governed by a number of things, including stress, processed food consumption, sleep fluctuations, antibiotics and infections.
Things can go horribly wrong when gut microbiome, or gut bacteria, becomes imbalanced. To put it in other words, when the bad bacteria outnumbers the good ones. It’s not hard to tell if this is happening to you. The body forces us to become aware of the external and internal evidence of this problem. Below are 7 ways for you to become aware of the problem’s that may arise with an unhealthy gut. I will explain to you what can be done to enhance your gut health, bring in more energy and what sort of exercise to do.
- Constantly experiencing an uncomfortable stomach or intestinal gurgling.
Bodily disturbances such as heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence and bloating can be a tell tale sign of the gut inflammation.
A healthy and balanced gut does not experience these symptoms because of their ease in digesting food and eliminating waste. Keep your eyes on these symptoms and note any foods you have eaten when this happened, and your present stress levels (this is very important!)
- Sudden food intolerance’s and/or allergic reactions
There is a difference in these two instances. Food allergies are an immune response to a certain food (peanuts, seafood, milk etc) which trigger symptoms such as; difficulty breathing, skin rashes, swelling, itching, hives or digestive symptoms. Food intolerance’s are triggered when ingesting a certain food that your body cannot break down or triggers a reaction with your digestive tract (think gas, diarrhea, gurgling or nausea.) These foods can also be certain fruits, additives in sauces or processed, packaged foods containing colouring and chemicals. There has been some evidence showing that food allergies may be related to poor gut health!
- Skin reactions and/or irritations
Our skin will always give way to tell tale signs of what our diet and lifestyle is like. Outbreaks can be triggered hormonally, and also by the food you are eating on a daily basis. Stimulants such as alcohol, sugar and gluten can rear it’s ugly head as a pimple, or inflamed cyst on the face or body. Ingesting these trigger foods can create inflammation in the gut lining, and decrease the proper functioning of digestion (think constipation or diarrhea).
- Depression, irritation and lack of energy
Food has a profound effect on how we feel, due to our bodies ability to digest and absorb the vitamins and minerals we need. When our digestion is compromised from eating processed foods, stimulants and excessive sugar; we experience lethargy, brain fog, constipation, constant irritation and sheer exhaustion. Some of this is caused silently, and most people feel pain, discomfort and irritation after eating certain foods. Constantly feeling uncomfortable and in pain leads us to depression, anger and not experiencing life to it’s full potential. As challenging as it may be, discovering and ELIMINATING these trigger foods will allow you to see and feel the world in a new light.
- Constantly experiencing bloating
Bloating can be experienced after eating certain foods. The digestion is struggling to break down the food for the body to use, and a lot of gas may be the result. Hormones can also cause gas and spasming in the digestive system. The bloated feeling is usually similar to eating a big meal, even though you may not have eaten a lot. Stress can also trigger bloating and discomfort.
- Brain fog and forgetfulness
Your diet on a day to day basis plays a huge role in how alert and functional your brain is. Certain foods are triggers, such as; dairy, peanuts and MSG. Foods such as these can cause irritation in the digestive tract, inflammation and discomfort. This leads to poor nutrient absorption, and disabling the dispersion of vitamin’s and minerals from ingested foods. It also causes a rise in cortisol, which puts our whole nervous system under distress, causing even more inflammation in the body.
- Frequent colds and infections
If you experience several colds, infections and flu throughout the year, and take antibiotics, your gut is most certainly going to be in need of repair! Antibiotics strip the gut of any good bacteria, and many months of repair is needed in order to bring it back into balance. Our immune system is placed under huge amount’s of stress when our gut bacteria is not balanced. This causes us to be susceptible to any viruses and bacteria lurking. Eating processed foods adds another level to this catastrophic and irritant environment.