Top Ways To Heal Your Gut From The Inside-Out

Our gut health is one of the essential parts of our health. Ninety percent of our body’s cells are generated in the gut. Our gut is responsible for helping us digest food to create energy, break down toxins and protect our body from getting sick. It takes the most damage each day from how much food we put in it and the kind of food we put in it. When our gut health is compromised, it can cause illnesses like anxiety, depression, IBS, SIBO, osteoarthritis, insulin resistance, obesity, and more. In today’s article, I will share the top ways to heal your gut from the inside out.

The Gut-Brain Connection

Our gut and brain are the first two living cells of the human body. It is where everything begins and ends, from disease prevention to weight management, stress management, and more. Making sure that your gut stays balanced and healthy is essential for optimal health. Our gut health is not just affected by food; it can also affect our mental state. The pineal gland connects our gut and brain in the brain, which is where our intuition is created. You know the feeling you get when something makes you nervous, and you get butterflies in your stomach? That is because the gut senses emotions before the brain is. It’s the same for stress, anxiety, and depression; our gut communicates that there is a problem through our feelings. Dysbiosis and inflammation of the gut have been linked to causing several mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression, which have become more common in today’s society. Understanding that your gut health may be out of balance instead of just thinking you are just anxious or depressed could be the first step to healing yourself.

Healing your gut starts with knowing the root

The first step in healing any body part is getting to the issue's root. Our gut health is one of the most complex pieces to the human body because it not only digests food, it protects against sickness, filters out toxins, outlines emotions, and much more. Pinpointing the root can be challenging, but getting to the core starts with eliminating specific foods. Next, begin a food log that helps you identify what foods make you feel the following symptoms; bloated, constipated, tired, aches and pains, headaches, changes in mood, anxiety, or overwhelm. An easy way to do this is with a food journal. Write down everything you eat for the next two weeks to see how the foods you eat make you feel. Once you have identified your problem's root, you can begin implementing the right foods and supplements to start the healing process.

Eat foods that are healing for the gut

Our body calls for one thing, and one thing only, nutrients. Our body uses nutrients to heal, rejuvenate, build, and strengthen its essential functions. When we do not have enough nutrients, we risk becoming overweight, sick, and metabolically dysfunctional. Our gut is the center point where all those nutrients are processed and spread throughout the body. If our gut does not have the nutrients it needs to do its job, making the other processes much harder. Nutrients like pre-biotics, pro-biotics, and fiber, are all essential nutrients that feed the microbiome. Our microbiome provides 90% of our cells, located everywhere and in our body. We are protected and fueled by these cells from the skin to the intestinal lining. Probiotics are bacteria and yeast. These bacteria forms keep your gut lining coated and protected against inflammatory foods, toxins, and more. Prebiotics are what feed the probiotics and contain other essential nutrients that protect your blood and increase the digestibility of certain foods. Having higher amounts of fiber in your diet can improve your body's metabolism and help relieve constipation. What foods are in these pre/probiotics, begin to include the below to heal your gut:

Probiotics:

1. Saurekraut

2. Greek Yogurt(plain non-fat)

3. Kefir

4. Kimchi

5. Tempeh

6. Pickled vegetables (organic with good ingredients)

Prebiotics/Fiber:

1. Chicory Root

2. Dandelion greens

3. Jersalem artichoke

4. Garlic

5. Onions

6. Kale

7. Leeks

8. Asparagus

9. Bananas

10. Barley

11. Apples

12. Berries

13. Cocoa

14. Flaxseeds

15. Seaweed

16. Sweet potatoes

17. Purple cabbage

18. Squash of all kinds

19. Organic gluten-free oats

20. Jicama root

Move your body each day

I want you to think about a dirty glass bottle. How would you clean it? Would you fill it with soap and water and then shake it until all of the gunk was gone? Well, that is how our gut is as well, movement will shake up anything in the stomach, and the body will respond by processing it and sending t out of the colon. The more you move your body, the better your bowel movements will be. Different types of exercise have additional benefits. Such as in yoga, with all of the twisting and awkward motions, can improve digestion and increase kidney and liver detoxification. Strength training reduces inflammation In the gut and prevents leaky gut syndrome. Cardiovascular exercises can also reduce inflammation and improve your body composition, which is good for energy balance. Tai chi is a tremendous gut-improving form of movement because it improves your immune system. There is not just one way to move; taking 5-15 minutes a day to do something can improve your gut health.

Practice deep breathing to heal your gut

The way we breathe is controlled through our stomach. When you take a deep breath, it is usually not in your chest. Here practice it with me. Take a deep breath through your nose. Did you feel your stomach rise, and when you exhaled, your body relaxed? Nasal breathing is so relaxing for the body because it releases a chemical called Nitric Oxide, a vasodilator that helps to widen blood vessels. That is essential because your blood vessels constrict when you feel stressed or anxious. When we feel stressed, we release cortisol and adrenaline, which are both excellent for surviving danger but not suitable for functions like digestion and inflammation. That is why it’s so important to stay as relaxed as possible throughout the day, t is normal to have small amounts of stress and anxiety, but they should not rule your life. Practicing meditation and journaling can help you control how stress affects you. Writing out the worries or stresses you have helps to externally cope with them instead of mentally draining yourself trying to solve the problem. Meditation/ mindfulness allows you to observe anxiously and stress thoughts for what they and they presently let go; this can help you become more present and aware of how things make you feel, which is great for better digestion and gut health. Meditation helps regulate the stress response, suppressing chronic inflammation and maintaining a healthy gut-barrier function.

Our gut is the beginning and end of every process in our body, and ensuring that it is at its best will ensure you live a long and healthy life. I hope these tactics are helpful for you today. Take and try them all and see which gives you the best benefits.