Gut health is everything. If you truly understood how much your gut was “king” of the human body, then you would never neglect it again.
Most of us think of our gut as the place where food goes to be digested. But, it’s so much MORE than that. Your gut is connected to absolutely everything in your body. Think of your gut as a pipeline that connects from your mouth to the end of your butt.
A properly functioning gut system is necessary for overall health and well-being, yet it is underappreciated, undervalued, treated like crap and otherwise ignored unless it starts acting out.
Some interesting facts about the gut:
- The gut system comprises 75% of the body’s immune system.
- It is the only system that has its own independently operating nervous system in the body.
- There are 400+ species of microbes living in your gut, equaling over 15 pounds of mass and containing more bacteria than there are known stars in the sky.
- The surface area of your gut is roughly 300 square meters, which is the size of a house!
“Gut Feeling”
Did you know that our gut lacks pain-sensing receptors known as nociceptors? Because of this, we typically don’t know when our gut system has a problem. Usually, what ends up happening is that we have to wait until things get real AWFUL to notice that something’s not right.
Awful symptoms include:
- poor digestion (like you have a brick in your stomach after you eat)
- constipation
- diarrhea
- bloody stool
- gnawing pain in the stomach that won’t go away
- bad breath
- nausea
- depression
- anxiety
- brain fog
- confusion
- weight gain
- burnout
- leaky gut syndrome
- SIBO
- Candida overgrowth
Often, health ailments like hormonal imbalances, headaches and migraines, allergies, eczema, and autoimmune disease can all be traced back to the gut.
Guts Gone Wrong
Almost everything, from a compromised immune system to stress, is connected to gut problems.
One of the best ways to help aid your gut is to control inflammation in your body. We can’t stress this enough.
Our modern lifestyles have us suffering from chronic stress, sleeping fewer hours than our bodies need, and eating processed foods, all of which have to lead to chronic inflammation in the body.
Inflammation is one of the leading causes of disease, and as we all know, most illnesses begin in the gut. The good news is that inflammation is preventable and can start with a proper elimination diet.
Foods that can wreak havoc on your gut:
- Nightshade veggies (onions, tomatoes, eggplant)
- wheat & gluten-containing foods
- dairy products
- corn
- citrus
- pork
- eggs
- soy
You’re probably wondering, “what’s left to eat?” As someone who is personally going through this, I know the struggle.
But, I learned that there are still a lot of other great things you can eat like rice, turkey, fish, lamb, green vegetables, and some fruits (blueberries, apples).
This may seem daunting and restrictive, but I promise you, if you have the persistence to embark on such a journey, you’ll be glad you did.
Final Note
The gut is one of the most underappreciated and undervalued systems in our body. Stop neglecting it! The gut has such a powerful impact on our health, well-being, and our ability to function in society – all of which are needed if we want to live a long and satisfying life.
