Gut Health
Why it is important? All health starts in the gut and it is actually where the immune system lives. 70% our immune system is in the gut. So what is the Gut? It starts from the intestinal tract and goes down to the stomach where digestion happens. Our gut is a diverse and complex microbial community working together to keep us healthy. In our Microbiome there are trillions of bacteria hanging out in the large intestines composed of several different strains. That is why you need top of the line bacteria in your gut. What do these bacteria do:
· They help digest your food and assimilate your nutrients . Lowers risk of chronic disease and protects the immune system . Affects mental health (80% of serotonin is housed in your gut. Serotonin - “happy” neurotransmitter) . Help regulate our metabolism · Metabolites are compounds generated by beneficial bacteria that help with the assimilation of B vitamins such as biotin, digestive enzymes and short chain fatty acids which are compounds that keep the intestinal lining intact. Stress: How it affects gut health (poor diet, poor sleep, alcohol, bad thoughts) · Increase in cortisol production · Lowers stomach acid production - decreases activation of digestive enzymes which inhibits proper digestions of macro and micronutrients. Disrupts natural balance of organisms in the gut. · creates intestinal permeability which can damage the lining of your gut Also note that 80% of people disrupted their microbiome with a 2 week course of anti inflammatory drugs · Poor Gut Health: Symptoms · Bloating · Increased susceptibility to infections and disease · Decreased assimilation/absorption of nutrients · Fatigue · Depression (mental health issues) · leaky gut - junctions of the intestinal wall opens which leads to proteins leaking out and potentially leading to disease What can we do to help our gut? Foods Benefits of eating a plant based diet. (About 80% of your intake from plant based sources, other 20% from clean proteins such as pastured eggs and organic, grass-fed meats or poultry) Include: PROBIOTICS Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, sourdough bread, tofu, tempeh, miso, kombucha, kefir and yogurt **particularly high in lactobacillus species which are essential for immune function** help maintain peace between the good and bad bacteria and make nutrients more bioavailable to absorb. Fermented yeast and lactic acid found in Rye bread have a host of benefits. Branch chain amino acids and amino acid contain small peptides which can improve gut health, balance blood sugar and lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But we have to feed the PROBIOTICS so we add PREBIOTICS ( which are like a fertilizer for the good bacteria) bananas, asparagus, berries, garlic, onions, and leeks which create short chain fatty acids that work in tandem with probiotics creating a symbiotic environment in the gut. We need both preferably from food to keep the gut healthy. FIBER (whole grains - feed the healthy bacteria in the gut), excluding grains can reduce beneficial bugs and allow harmful bacteria to park in the good bacterias spot. Legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, and my favorite, dark chocolate) An Apple a day let the bacteria play!! They enhance diversity of your microbiome with 100 million bacteria! Clean filtered water- Tap water contains hormones, medications, fluoride (endocrine disruptor, halogen that competes with iodine at the thyroid gland, effects our metabolism). Avoid Sugar - Candida (yeast that if it overgrows can decrease immune function), places stress on body, stimulates harmful bacteria Highly processed food - SAD (Standard American Diet) creates a less diverse microbiome and puts the cabash on beneficial bacteria. Gluten - glyphosate - disrupts the integrity of the intestines which can lead to proteins leaking out into the blood stream, better known as leaky gut. White bread is also a source of bromine that competes at the thyroid gland with iodine and can disrupt metabolism. Glyphosate turns salts into heavy metals and damages the gut lining. GMOs - genetically modified organisms - Always look for NonGMO verified project Red meat - 1 month study of substituting white meat for red meat as the main source of protein and it created TMAO which is a byproduct of heart issues. The bacteria changes swiftly in the gut and a meat heavy diet can leave to negative shifts in bacteria in as little as 2 days which then messes with the microbiome. Red meat is fine in moderation, but grass fed, organic meats are a better go to. Heavy drinking overstimulates the gut thereby increases gut inflammation which could prompt diarrhea which also messes with your microbiome.
Benefits A vegetarian diet improves gut health. A study showed that those that consumed over 30 different types of plants per week had a more diverse microbiome and lower resistance to antibiotics. A vegetarian diet is high in Vitamin A, C and K, high in fiber which help refuel the growth of healthy bacteria. The greater the variety of foods in one’s diet, the greater the diversification of beneficial bacteria. This increases immunity and protection from infection from pathogens, which is of particular importance during this time. As you can see, taking care of your gut is an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It affects so many aspects mentally and physically so - Trust your Gut! We need an abundance and a wide variety of plants every single day! Most of the time it’s so hard to do. If you would like a way to bridge the gap with highly concentrated food that is affordable, convenient and scientifically proven, please check out the links below so that you can add in an additional 45 plants to your diet every day. https://lswift.juiceplus.com/us/en/buy/capsules/juice-plus-fruit-vegetable-berry-blend-capsules https://lswift.juiceplus.com/us/en/buy/complete/juice-plus--complete-variety Clinical Study: Polyphenols and Juice Plus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w43BlQCkJX4 https://beyondthyroidcancer.com/iodine-fluoride-chlorine-bromine-the-health-effects-of-halogens/ https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2018/12/10/cleveland-clinic-studies-reveal-role-of-red-meat-in-gut-bacteria-heart-disease-development/