Gut health

Many disorders ranging from anxiety, depression, ADD, autoimmune conditions and eczema can be symptoms of poor gut health.

The gut is actually our “second brain” – it has it’s own nervous system and even contains more neurotransmitters than the brain. This sophisticated nervous system communicates with our brain for optimal gut health. In fact, it’s really the bacteria in our gut that is it’s own world and can help or hinder our ability to digest food, regulate hormones, excrete toxins and produce vitamins.

The health of your gut actually determines the health of the rest of your body!

The gut, which has pounds of bacteria communicating with each other, is connected to everything that happens in your body. It begins with chewing the food you put in your mouth and relies on the healthy lining of our gut to digest, absorb the nutrients our bodies need and get rid of toxins. Too many of the wrong bacteria and not enough of the good ones can affect this process. Chronic stress, repetitive antibiotic usage, medications like Advil and poor food choices and also impact this process affecting the way we feel physically and emotionally.

Look for these common signs and symptoms of poor gut health including:

Bloating
Abdominal pain
Constipation or Loose stool
Heartburn
Joint Pain
Brain Fog
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia

Consider getting tested for malabsorption and gut health if you have more than three of these symptoms. Common tests include stool tests, blood tests for nutrient deficiencies and breath hydrogen test to assess if there is excess bacteria where it shouldn’t be.

There are some things you can try on your own to heal the gut:

Eliminate gluten and dairy
Reduce sugar and alcohol
Eat whole, unprocessed foods with plenty of fiber from vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds
Take a good probiotic every day
Get good fats from WILD caught fish and omega-3 supplements