Well that may be a Sh- -ty topic?

This is a topic many may not be to comfortable to talk about. So why talk about it? In recent times Gut Health has become a very hot topic. Why now and our grandparents certainly didn't have discussions about Gut Health. Today we are seeing everywhere on TV, Social Media and the internet ads to solve our Gut problems.

Let's look at why more people are concerned with their guts and perhaps this article with help give better understanding. When our gut health is out of balance, it can lead to affects on everything in our bodies from the immune systems, hormone levels, and mental health. If there is not a balance a risk of developing diseases like arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes, autoimmunity, heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, and even cancer can occur. When the gut is restored the disease can even disappear. Did you know there are over 10,000 different species living in our gut? When people get sick with a bacterial infection often a Broadspectrum antibiotic is used for killing off bacterial infections. What we didn’t know is the the broadspectrum antibiotics were killing everything in our bodies. Not only have we killed the good bacteria but when we haven’t killed them we have starved them to death.  How is that? Our diets our grandparents ate were whole grains, high fiber diets and today many people are eating fast foods and processed foods. Even 70% our animals that are raised for food are being feed antibiotics. Plus our pets are being given antibiotics.

Probiotics are good bacteria and other organisms that are needed in the body. Examples would be yogurt and fermented foods. What is a prebiotic? Prebiotics are compounds found in foods such as soluble fiber and polyphenols that help create growth and activity for the beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast. What are postbiotics? Postbiotics are the compounds produced during the process of fermentation or consumption. When discussion of the microorganism in the human tissues and biofluids it is referred as our microbiome. Since our gut is it's own little microbiome it directs what happens to our mitochondria, our mood, our brain, and even what happens to cells in our heart. Butyrate, is a four-carbon short-chain fatty acid that is produced during the microbial fermentation of dietary fibers in the lower intestinal tract. The cells lining our large intestine, our colon, get most of their nourishment from butyrate. If there isn't enough butyrate-producing bacteria, these colon cells get damaged. Persons who don’t have a lot of butyrate-producing bacteria have a higher incidence of things like leaky gut, as well as polyps in the large intestine (a.k.a. the colon) and colon cancers.

It is important to have a balance of organisms in the gut as there are "bad" organisms that can enter and our good organisms need to be able to fight them off. Give the good bacteria what they want to eat—specifically, a combination of prebiotics, probiotics and beneficial products that your gut buddies and bacteria and yeasts outside and inside your gut produce, such as the acetate found in vinegar. Eliminate foods that kill off your gut buddies-fast foods are a big one.

A few helpful foods and organisms:

·         Ginger: has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

·         Omega-3 fatty acids: reduces inflammation and improve the gut barrier.

·         Turmeric: modulates gut microbiota and protects against intestinal disorders.

·         Probiotics: replenishes beneficial bacteria and balances gut flora.

·         Peppermint oil: helps relax intestinal muscles and eases digestive discomfort.

·         L-Glutamine: can speed up gut cell regeneration and heal the intestinal lining.

·         Arabinogalactan: a prebiotic fiber that can feed good bacteria and enhance immunity (this is a polsaccharide found in a large amount of foods such as carrots, radishes, wheat, shiitake mushrooms and coconut).

·        Marshmallow root (Althaea offficinalis): can soothe and lubricate the mucous membranes of the gut.

Healthy practices

·         Eat whole foods: organic when possible, non-processed foods

·         Get plenty of fiber: apples have pectin, fennel, whole grains like quinoa, beets

·         Add healthy fats to your diet : Omega-3 found in fish/seafood, spinach/leafy green vegies, dry beans, wild rice, eggs, nuts especially walnuts, flaxseed, chia, red lentils

·         Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water, add fruit or herbs to help with hydration and taste

·         Manage your stress: stress is a huge factor of causes of health conditions Schedule a A MASSAGE!!!!!

·         Eat mindfully: make your meals interesting and colorful so they are more enjoyable

·         Chew your food: set aside time to eat, put the phone down, mute or shut off the TV, enjoy your food

·         Get moving: go for a walk in nature