Gut health IS mental health
GUT HEALTH?
I hear this question a lot, mostly because I’m carrying around probiotics, digestive enzymes, and sauerkraut around!
*don’t judge*
I’ve been on a slow path on my health journey for a long while. Aren’t we all? As we’re constantly presented with new information, it’s okay to pivot in a different direction. So often we’re judged for changing our minds when presented and challenged with new information. But if it aligns, why wouldn’t I, too?
I wouldn’t call myself a “crash dieter,” but I’ve been in the spiral of crazes and am consistently challenged by the hurts of my past eating disorder. From juice cleanses and salads with no dressing to keto or no carbs - no fun!
What these restrictive ways of eating, diets, and cleanses don’t tell you is that when you engage in such restrictive eating, you’re not supplementing your body with what it needs to sustain and support itself, hence the crash.
Our bodies are intricate and complex beings but are also simple in nature. We need to support our systems to be able to begin healing. What western medicine and crash diet mentality fail to understand is that our systems are connected. When we move towards such a restrictive pattern of eating, we usually aren’t being mindful of the systems in our body that need to be supported to actually begin healing. We aren’t mindful of the parts of our body which we need to begin to repair. Hint: our second brain, our gut.
Our gut regulates our emotional and immune systems. 95% of the serotonin in the body is found in the gut. Serotonin plays a role in our body’s ability to regulate emotions, behavior, sleep, pain perception, and gastrointestinal function. Without a healthy gut system, we can have gastrointestinal issues (cue IBS), mental health issues (anxiety and depression), and sleep issues (insomnia, choppy REM sleep). 70% of our immune system is found in the gut. When we eat or drink things that don’t support our body, our immune cells take the hit. The diverse bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are supposed to keep us healthy and ideally live in harmony-- result in disharmony. When we have a strong and healthy gut microbiome, we won’t get sick. Illnesses occur when our gut microbiome is in the “perfect condition” to host harmful pathogens.
Here are some starter tips to begin repairing gut health and my favs of each:
2. Sauerkraut or cultured veggies
Bubbies Spicy Sauerkraut
Grab cabbage, carrots, or cucumbers and ferment them yourself!
3. Less sugar, gluten, and processed food! We all love a traditional chocolate chip cookie. You don’t have to never have one again- but think homemade, organic, and in moderation. The best sugar alternative I’ve found is organic liquid stevia and monk fruit.
4. Instead of processed foods on the shelf, opt for whole foods to make your favorite processed goodies better!
5. As much as you can, grab organic goods. Live by the dirty dozen and buy organic from that list.
6. Buy grass-fed organic meat, such as ground beef, lamb, and bison. Try to find some from your local farmer. I also love our local farmers’ raw milk and cheese!
It can seem overwhelming to begin an entire lifestyle change. Begin by incorporating small steps into your daily life to change over time. I wish you the best of health!
