5 Easy Steps to Heal Your Gut
In these uncertain times, one thing you CAN control is the health of your gut bacteria. Even those who eat a generally healthy diet can still experience gut imbalance due to factors such as stress, antibiotic use, toxins in the environment, alcohol consumption, and inflammatory chemicals in our food. Most people benefit from the use of a daily probiotic, but you may need more. Did you know we have a simple and effective protocol to give your gut flora, digestion, and immunity a boost? Not only will you feel better, you may improve your ability to lose weight and you will most definitely boost your body’s defenses against foreign invaders! That’s something we all could use!
What You EAT Matters To Your Gut! Follow these 5 easy steps for the duration of your gut-reboot and beyond!
1. 🥛 Discontinue all cow’s dairy products and reduce or eliminate gluten and refined sugar.
These foods cause inflammation in the gut and make it hard for gut-healing to take place.
For cheeses, milks, yogurts, stick with non-dairy varieties or those made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk, as these don’t contain the inflammatory protein like cow’s milk.
2. 🌾 Increase fiber intake to 25g for women and 38g for men (Currently fiber intake is among adults in the US is about 15g per day!)
Fiber acts as prebiotics for your good probiotics. It is important to note that eating a variety of vegetables in the diet increases gut health as each type has different types of fiber, which feed different types of bacteria.
Organic acacia fiber is especially good for the gut as it tends to not cause digestive upset. Add a scoop of fiber to your next dairy-free Healthy Habit smoothie!
3. 🍔 Discontinue processed foods
Processed foods wreak inflammatory havoc on the gut!
A good way to do this is to keep a food log for a week and circle everything that you ate that was factory made, came in a box/bag with a barcode, and had more than 3-5 ingredients listed. Even “organic” food can be processed. Next work on reducing and substituting these with whole foods. There may be a time and place for these foods, but eating whole real foods from the earth will be your best bet for a healthy gut.
4. 🥗 Consider going more plant-based with your diet
No need to become full vegetarian (unless directed by your doctor), but you should consider incorporating more meatless meals for you and your family. Not only is this environmentally friendly and less expensive, but you will be able to keep your body in a healthy pH range, increase your fiber, and decrease the load you are putting on the digestive process. Have fun with this!
5. ✨ Add fermented foods
Most cultures include fermented foods regularly which helps to keep their gut balanced. Unfortunately, American cuisine lacks in this department. BUT, you can find these types of foods at most grocery stores. Look for sauerkraut, Kimchi, and pickles that are in the refrigerated section and say “contains live active cultures”!
Who Should Do A Protocol Such As This?
EVERYONE! Addressing the gut is the first steps to detoxification, which anyone can benefit from. An optimal time-frame to adjust the gut microbiome is 12 weeks. This is a must for those who are experiencing symptoms of gut imbalance. Symptoms may include, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, acne, allergies, skin rashes, GERD, heartburn and sometimes unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Additionally, due to the gut-brain connection, those suffering from low mood, depression and anxiety are likely experiencing an imbalance in the gut flora as well.
Let's all take a big step in the right direction to bettering our gut health every single day, one day at a time! We got this! Together we can feel the best we have ever felt!"
With love, Andrea
