Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.”
While this may not be 100% true for every disease in every person, more and more research shows that our gut – the whole digestive system, bugs and all, has a bigger role in many diseases than we used to think. So, what does this mean for the health of your family?
We’re not just talking about obvious digestive symptoms such as heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, IBD, etc. We’re talking about all kinds of issues like allergies, pain, mood disorders, mental health, autoimmune conditions and nutrient deficiencies.
There are a lot of reasons for this.
· Our gut is the portal to the outside world.
· It’s here where we take in disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
· We take in nutrients (and toxins) through our gut.
· The nutrients we ingest and absorb are the building blocks of every single part of our body.
· We’re still learning the connections between our gut and other areas of our body – heard of the gut-brain connection?
Now when we talk about gut health, it’s not just our gut per se; but, its friendly resident microbes, about 3kg worth in the average adult!
It’s these guys who have recently discovered roles in our gut health and our overall health.
So, let’s talk about the roles that our gut and our gut microbes play in our overall health. Then I’ll give you tips to improve your family’s gut health naturally.
Our Gut’s Role In Our Overall Health
Our gut is a barrier.
To let things in that should get in, and to keep things out that should stay out.
Think of “absorption” of nutrients as things we want to let in; and “elimination” of waste as things we want to pass right through and out.
This seemingly simple role is super-complex!
And it can break down in so many places.
For one thing, our guts can “leak.”
Yes, like a long tube with holes in it, it can allow things to get into our bloodstream and therefore our bodies that can wreak havoc – these are things such as bad bacteria, undigested food, toxins and chemicals.
You name it, whatever you put into your mouth can be absorbedby your gut and get into your bloodstream, even if it’s not supposed to. And when your gut wall gets irritated, it can “leak.” When this happens, you get inflammation, which is a starting point for many diseases that don’t seem linked to the gut but have a sneaky connection there.
FUN FACT: About 70% of our immune system lives in and around our gut.
A healthy gut is not a leaky gut. It maintains its barrier and shuttles things through to be eliminated.
Maintaining a healthy gut barrier is the first pillar of gut health.
Our gut is home to billions of friendly health-promoting microbes.
Gut microbes help us digest and absorb nutrients. They fight off disease-causing microbes, make some vitamins for us, and have all kinds of other health benefits, like producing our “happy hormones” for mental health benefits, reducing inflammation, and stabilizing blood sugar.
So, keeping your gut microbes happy is the second pillar of gut health!
How to improve gut health
There are a lot of natural ways to improve gut health.
Let’s start with what to stop.
It’s always best to eliminate the cause, so let’s stop giving our guts junk to deal with.
How about eliminating added sugars, processed foods, and alcohol?
Try that for a few weeks, and you may be amazed at how much better your body (and gut) feels.
You may also want to eliminate other gut irritants. Dairy and grains contain common compounds known to irritate some people’s guts. Sometimes you only need to eliminate them for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference for your health.
Eat nutrient-dense foods.
By eating nutrient dense foods, we allow ample macro- and micro-nutrients into our gut to maximize the chance for absorption. These nutrients help our bodies build and repair our gut, and every other body part as well. Some of the most nutrient-dense foods include dark leafy greens, colourful fruits and veggies, liver, and fish.
Introduce more good bugs.
By ingesting probiotic-rich foods and drinks, we can help to replenish our gut microbes. These are found in fermented and cultured foods such as kombucha (the real stuff, not the supermarket stuff), kefir, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi and good quality yoghurts. Make these a part of your daily diet.
Eat more high fibre whole foods.
Not eating enough fibre increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Fibre plays lots of roles in our gut, including whisking away some of those pesky bad bacteria and toxins so they can be eliminated. Fibre also helps to feed our friendly resident microbes that help us absorb and digest our food better.
What foods have a lot of fibre?
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and even cacao.
Lifestyle
There are uber-important lifestyle factors which affect our gut health such as:
· Getting enough sleep
· Stressing less
· Doing the right amount (and intensity) of exercise for you.
It’s easy to forget some of the simple, but key links between what we do with our bodies and how well they function.
Conclusion
The function of your gut is key to your overall health.
There are two pillars of gut health:
1. Maintaining a good barrier
2. Maintaining healthy gut microbes.
The main ways to improve both of these naturally is by
· Eating nutrient-dense whole foods. Foods filled with nutrition, probiotics and fibre.
· Eliminating common gut irritants like added sugar, processed foods, and alcohol.
Recipe Probiotic Rich Fermented Carrots
Serves 12
1 L warm water
4 tsp salt
4 carrots, medium, peeled, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed (optional)
Instructions
Make a brine by dissolving the salt in water.
Place carrots into a sterilised jar (I use a clean jar straight from the dishwasher) packing them in tight. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of head space at the top.
Fill the jar with brine, making sure to coverthe carrots completely. Weigh the carrots down to make sure they don’t float (you can use a fermenting weight or even a clean pebble – also fresh from the dishwasher!).
Close the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 1-4 days. The longer it sits, the more the flavor will develop. Feel free to openand taste.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: Use this as a side dish, or on eggs for breakfast.
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