We all experience gut feelings. You’ve likely felt butterflies in your stomach when you’re nervous or had a gut instinct about something. Japanese view the gut as the seat of the mind and soul. When anything gets in the way of gut-brain communication, your health suffers.
The foundation of good health starts with what you eat. Focus on fiber-rich vegetables, low-sugar fruits, non-gluten grains and good fats. And cut the CRAP - Carbonated drinks, Refined sugars, Artificial sweeteners, and Processed food. If you want to fix your health, start with your gut. It affects your entire body. Consider the important jobs your gut performs regularly, including breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, keeping out toxins and producing nutrients. That’s a lot of work! For optimal immunity, detoxification and nourishment, your gut must function seamlessly. One of the reasons why your gut has so much influence on your health has to do with the 100 trillion bacteria--over a kilo worth--that line your intestinal tract. This is an extremely complex living system that protects your body from outside offenders. DID YOU KNOW? For many people, the root cause of their IBS may be dysbiosis – meaning an unfavorable balance of bacteria in the small and/or large intestine. Modern life has been hard on this world of bacteria within us – known as our microbiome – stress, junk foods and antibiotics can all upset your bacterial balance. And if like so many people who have IBS, your symptoms started after a bad infection, your poor microbiome may not yet have fully recovered. THE LOW FODMAP DIET CAN AFFECT YOUR INNER WORLD OF BACTERIA Researchers have found that people who follow the low-FODMAP diet experience changes in their inner bacterial make-up. What they don’t know yet is what this actually means. However, they have also found that people who follow the diet can, over time, expand the range of food that they eat without a problem, suggesting that these changes are changes in the right direction. We have talked about what can hurt your gut bacteria – now let’s talk about what helps! Eating more real, whole food, such as vegetables, fruits, protein and healthy fats. Taking time out of your busy life for some healthy self-care, such as exercise, meditation, or simply going outside and taking some deep breaths. Don't view the low-FODMAP diet as one of restriction, view it as a diet of opportunity! The opportunity to:
Why pre-probiotics help your digestive system
Prebiotics and Probiotics are not the same thing! Probiotics (good gut bacteria) are live micro-organisms, and are responsible for ensuring your digestive system is working to it's best ability. They help your body absorb health boosting nutrients, boost your digestion reducing levels of (bad gut bacteria) and strengthen the immune system. Prebiotics are non-digestible ingredients found in certain foods that stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the gut. They both work together to boost gut health, so you need both, either through supplementation or food. *As you can see below many foods contain FODMAPS so caution needed / control portion size
Prebiotics are found in: Probiotics are found in:
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FODMAP's lower levels of good bacteria and starve beneficial gut flora digestive enzymesWhat are digestive enzymes, and why are they so important?
We eat food, but our digestive system doesn’t absorb food, it absorbs nutrients. Food has to be broken down from things like steak and broccoli into its nutrient pieces: amino acids (from proteins), fatty acids and cholesterol (from fats), and simple sugars (from carbohydrates), as well as vitamins, minerals, and a variety of other plant and animal compounds. Digestive enzymes, primarily produced in the pancreas and small intestine, break down our food into nutrients so that our bodies can absorb them. *They are also made in saliva glands and the stomach If we don’t have enough digestive enzymes, we can’t break down our food—which means even though we’re eating well, we aren’t absorbing all that good nutrition. Digestive enzymes are very safe and reasonably cheap, you can always try them and see if you notice any difference in your digestion e.g. bloating after meals |