Got Gut? The Vital Connection Between Your Mid-Section & Your Health

Digestive concerns aren’t a fun topic of conversation. In fact, many people have trouble talking to their own doctor about their concerns. But they need to be, because digestive health is important. The fact is that if your digestive tract isn’t operating efficiently, you have more to worry about than just your colon. When you carry around too few friendly bacteria and an overabundance of the bad stuff, your body doesn’t make use of all the nutrients you’re feeding it.

You see, your gut serves as your second brain, and even produces more serotonin—known to have a beneficial influence on your mood—than your brain does. It is also home to countless bacteria, both good and bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by at least 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria forms the foundation for good health—physical, mental and emotional.

Most disease originates in your digestive system. This includes both physical and mental disease.

The most common symptoms of having poor digestive health are:

• Diabetes
• Acne
• Allergies (seasonal)
• Lactose intolerance
• Leaky gut (belly over the belt)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Urinary tract infections
• Depression / Anxiety

The good news? Once you heal and seal your gut lining, and make your digestive system work properly again, disease symptoms will typically resolve. Your action plan to better digestive health is simple:

Avoid:

• boxed meals (macaroni and cheese, hamburger and tuna ‘helpers,’ etc.)
• chips and other high-calorie snack foods
• foods made with refined white flour (white breads, pastas, rice)
• frozen dinners
• high-fat canned foods (spaghetti, for example)
• packaged cakes and cookies
• processed meats (sausage, hot dogs, bologna and other packaged lunch meats)
• sodium-laden canned foods
• sugared cereals

Eat More of:

Traditionally fermented foods, which contain living micro-organisms that replenish the friendly bacteria in your digestive tract, such as:

• Fermented milk
• Natto
• Miso
• Kimchee
• Tempeh
• Kefir
• Yogurt
• Olives
• Sauerkraut
• Pickles

I challenge you to start incorporating these practices in your life today for better digestive health, and feel the positive results for yourself (and those around you!). Please e-mail me your feedback, as I would love to hear how it is helping you change your life.