Gut Health: The Basics

To Achieve Balanced Hormones

Gut Health has become a buzzword lately, but for good reason. It not only impacts your ability to digest the food you eat, it also affects mental health and your immune system. So, is this a passing fad or should we be paying attention? Well, as Hippocrates said over 2500 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut”. In today’s post, we will be discussing:

• Why gut health is important

• Signs of an imbalance in the gut

• How to support gut health naturally

I haven’t always had the best relationship with my gut health, especially coming off birth control and after having been vegan for a few years. Get ready for a TMI moment, but it was rare if I had a “formed” bowel movement, I was gassy and bloated after most meals, I would get heartburn and acid reflux after meals that would keep me up at night, and my acne reared its ugly head. One of the first things I did to address my hormonal imbalances, was to start taking a look at how I could better support my digestive system and gut through diet, lifestyle, and supplementation.

Who Cares About Gut Health?

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “gut health” thrown around a time or two in recent years, but what does it mean exactly? Essentially gut health refers to the health of our microbiome in our intestines and how efficiently our body can digest food. Not only does what we eat impact it, but also sleep, stress, the products that we use on our bodies, cleaning products in the home, and other environmental stressors can also play a role. Colon cancer is on the rise in younger populations, because we are exposed to hundreds of chemicals a day between our personal care products, pesticides used in our food supply, antibiotic use, etc.

Our digestive system is one long tube and starts in your mouth with the release of saliva when you chew. As you can probably guess, your digestive system ends with a bowel movement (let’s normalize discussing poop, shall we?). Our intestines house bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms, mostly in pockets in our large intestines. These microorganisms help to break down food, aid in nutrient absorption, and play a role in our overall health. We have roughly 40 trillion bacteria in and on our body and only 30 trillion cells, meaning we have more bacteria than we do our own cells!

A happy gut not only means your digestion system is working at its best, but it also means your immune system is thriving and your gut also supports your mental health. Did you know that 80% of our immune system is in our gut? Especially during times like these, it is key that we do everything we can to support a healthy gut.

Gut Health and Happy Hormones

Gut health ties into balancing hormones because a build up of hormones, such as estrogen, need an exit strategy and will be excreted with bile in fecal matter. Estrogen dominance is actually one of the most common hormonal imbalances because of all of the synthetic estrogen in our environment that builds up in our bodies. So, if you are trying to balance your hormones or have recently come off of birth control, supporting your gut health should be a top priority.

Women who have been on the pill are more at risk for inflammation in the gut, alterations in your microbiome, and a weakened immune system. It is possible to improve your gut health and feed those healthy bacteria, so stick around and I will give you some tips on how to start seeing improvements TODAY.

Signs of a Gut Imbalance

How do you know if you have an unhealthy gut? Here are some signs and symptoms of GI issues to look for:

• Bowel Movement less than 1-3 times per day

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Bloating

• Gas

• Heartburn or Acid Reflux

• Food sensitivities

• Acne

• Frequent illness

• Mental Health Issues such as anxiety or depression

How to Support the Gut

Now that you understand the importance of gut health and how to identify if you might have a digestive system that’s working against you, let’s talk about how you can go about healing it. I am going to be covering mostly habits that can help at meal time and specific foods to incorporate, however don’t forget about the basics, notably, movement and proper hydration.

• Eat Slowly and While You’re Relaxed

  • Eating on the go has become the new norm, but it is detrimental to your gut health because it puts added stress on you and your body isn’t able to switch over into a parasympathetic state. If your body is in fight or flight mode or stressed, your parasympathetic nervous system cannot do its job and help your body digest food properly. The PNS stimulates the release of saliva, stimulates digestion in the stomach, and puts your body in the “rest and digest” state. By reducing stress, especially when it comes to meal time you can help your body more efficiently breakdown food.

• Incorporate more fermented foods into your diet!

  • Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough, kombucha, yogurt, and kefir are sources of natural probiotics and help feed the ‘good’ bacteria in your intestines. Studies show that incorporating as little as a tablespoon daily can improve microflora.

• Increase Stomach Acid

  • Stomach acid’s main function is to help breakdown food that passes into the stomach for easier digestion and aids in the absorption of nutrients . Gastric juice is made up of hydrochloric acid (HCl), lipase, and pepsin. Symptoms of low stomach acid include heartburn/acid reflux, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, etc.

  • Why is it that if you have low stomach acid you would experience acid reflux? If there isn’t enough stomach acid, the pressure in your stomach drops and your esophageal sphincter is able to open causing stomach acid to escape.

    To increase stomach acid:

    • Take your time at meals and thoroughly chew your food

    • Mix 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in 8oz of water and drink before each meal

    • Use digestive enzymes, which you want to take directly before or after meals

      • My favorite brands are: Enzymedica Digest Gold or Digestzymes

• Incorporate more foods that support gut health and consider cutting out foods that cause you discomfort

  • Organic bone broth,

  • Organic gelatin and/or collagen supplement,

  • Cut out sugar substitutes and limit heavily processed foods, which can both trigger inflammation in the gut,

  • Take note of foods that impact you specifically. Certain foods can upset your GI system such as dairy, gluten, eggs, beans, etc.

    • You can try an elimination diet (under the guidance of a professional) OR try the following tips if you have issues with:

      • Dairy: A2 milk or cultured dairy instead of regular dairy

      • Gluten: Opting for gluten free products or stick to a grain/gluten free diet

      • Beans/seeds/legumes: Try soaking before consuming and opt for sprouted versions as it is easier on the digestive tract.

• High Quality Probiotic

  • Probiotics are one of those things that have become sensationalized, probiotics are not the golden ticket to improved digestive health. However, it can be a great tool along with some of the other lifestyle tips we’ve discussed. Start by incorporating foods that are naturally high in probiotics and see how you tolerate them (see list above). If you find you get gassy and bloated after eating some sauerkraut, work on increasing your stomach acid and reducing your stress while eating and then investing in a high quality probiotic.

  • What to look for in a Probiotic?

    • Doesn’t have to be refrigerated: If it can’t survive in room temperature, how will it possibly survive through your digestive tract?

    • Includes at least 3-4 strains of bacteria

    • Can withstand stomach acid and arrive in tact in your gut!

  • When you are ready to incorporate a probiotic into your regimen, one of my favorite brands is: JustThrive Probiotic, you can use Balanced15 for 15% off!

All in all, gut health is essential if you have recently come off of birth control or are simply trying to support your overall health and wellbeing, especially if you are experiencing any of the signs/symptoms listed above. If you’re looking for a full guide, I have an entire module in my course ‘Nourished Foundations’ all about gut health that includes a meal plan and recipe guide.

Check out Nourished Foundations for more tips and a meal plan

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