“How do you heal your gut?”
Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask me that question.
Growing up I never fathomed that I’d talk about poo for a living. I was on the path to becoming the Editor in Chief of Seventeen Magazine or Katie Couric on the NBC Today Show.
Yet, today, to heal your gut is one of my favorite topics of conversation!
That’s because your gut health (poo included) effects everything—your immune system, your hormones, your metabolism and weight, your cravings and appetite, your brain and your thoughts.
Unfortunately, approximately 90% of the population has at least one health condition related to “bad gut health” —which is why I’ve dedicated my life and provide functional medicine support for helping you heal your gut from the inside out.
Bad Gut: My Story
Bad gut health doesn’t happen overnight.
My bad gut health story is no exception.
My own “health problems”, or should I say “gut health problems” date back to, well, basically my entire life…although, I never really thought twice about them—since my issues were common, I considered them normal.
When I was 6, I couldn’t poop. My pediatrician prescribed me a high fiber diet—Fiber One cereal bran and strawberries replaced my Lucky Charms for breakfast; and I downed Miralax for “dessert” after dinner every night.
I popped TUMS like candy.
And do you remember your first-ever embarrassing moment? Mine happened during story time…when I let one rip, like Pumba…in front of my crush!
My health problems also went far beyond gas and bloating.
There were the countless strep throat infections and antibiotic treatments— I got sick at least 4 to 5 times every year—fun fact: 80% of the immune system is housed in the gut.
My ballet teacher told me to suck in my tummy and that I sounded like an elephant when I leaped down the floor. My metabolism—a natural byproduct of my inside. Transplant gut bacteria from an overweight human into a mouse and it gains weight, just like lean human bacteria make it lose weight—no diet or exercise change at all.
And, then of course, my insatiable “sweet tooth”—I often snuck into the pantry to snag a marashino chocolate-covered cherry and always ate my Oreos before my turkey and cheese at lunchtime. 95% of our serotonin and a vast majority of our dopamine—feel good brain chemicals–are produced in our gut…my gut bugs were hungry critters…
And no one ever talked to me about healing my gut to feel better or lose my symptoms!
Chronic Dieting & Disordered Eating Wreck Your Gut
My imbalanced gut biome was the perfect storm for what happened at age 10—when my diet obsession, odd food cravings and chronic eating disorder began.
I was a trendsetter for this new diet: the “fasting diet” (ever heard of it?)…Until the day I passed out in the shower. Then I switched to vegetarian, vegan, South Beach, Atkin’s…whatever was popular at the time. I lived on 100-calorie snack packs and artificial sweeteners—most of which made me feel 3 months pregnant and bloated 24/7.
Then, when my loving parents caught on, it was onto treatment —synonymous to the conventional healthcare, conventional wisdom…
I spent an accumulated 4 years living inside hospitals and rehabs where my anorexia “symptoms” were often treated with what made the most sense for weight gain and food freedom— Pop-tarts, Pizza and Processed foods, obviously.
Sort of like someone who is overweight may be prescribed the treatment to just “move more, or eat less”— addressing symptoms, not necessarily getting to the root cause…Like what’s going on in the gut to affect metabolism and our thoughts?
There was the day that 4 Pop-tarts showed up on my hospital tray…Egg McMuffin Friday breakfasts and pepperoni pizza and milkshake Saturday nights…I am lactose intolerant…then there was the Twinkie challenge…the Burger King challenge…the Snickers challenge…
“Healthy eating”—at least according to conventional wisdom—had me well on the way to chronic disease.
“Clean Eating” Gone Wrong
By age 29, I joined the 7 in 10 Americans that have at least one autoimmune condition or chronic illness.
Only this time I had 12, some including: Colitis, Celiac Disease, Lupus, Hashimoto’s, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Lyme disease, Mold illness, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
Both “healthy eating” during my dieting days and eating disorder treatment destroyed my gut, resulting in intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis linked to all sorts of diseases…
The solution to “heal” according to “holistic” health advice?
Take boatloads of supplements, fast until noon, and eat a gluten-free, Low FODMAP, low histamine, autoimmune paleo, ketogenic diet of course!
However, did you know that long term restrictive diets are just as bad for your gut health as processed foods?
I lost 20 unwanted pounds in a matter of months—not because I wanted to be a size negative zero, but because I was limited to 5 to 10 foods—it’s all my gut could handle.
Sweet potatoes gave me brain fog…Spinach gave me IBS…almonds made me short of breath…I felt stuck!
Perhaps like many of you have felt when you’re “doing all the things” to be healthy but, for some reason, it isn’t working.
Why does this happen? Why does “clean eating” not always work?
Answer: You’re not addressing or fixing or doing something amazing to heal your gut health.
Health is an inside job. When you heal your gut, you change everything.
How Bad Gut Health Happens
Let me ask you a question: Why is it our great grandparents ate fried chicken, Wonder Bread and lemon ice box pie; they did not workout a day in their lives; and they lived into their 90’s without knowing the names of any of the chronic diseases or diet culture jargon we know today?
Meanwhile, in our generation, we have 24-hour access to gyms, low carb food options galore and green juice readily available, but we still don’t feel amazing? Today more people are sick than well, along with 3 out of 4 people are struggling with their weight— kids included?!
In my personal experience and, later, in my work with my patients, I’ve discovered that answer boils down to three words: BAD GUT HEALTH.
Or really: BAD GUT BRAIN HEALTH.
Code words for stress (that disrupts total body balance).
You need to heal your gut.
Your gut is the gateway to your health—again, your immune system, your hormones, your metabolism and weight, your cravings and appetite, your brain and your thoughts.
In fact, 90% of all signals, thoughts and commands that operate your entire body come from the nervous system and bacteria inside your gut.
Additionally, your body is an amazing, powerful self-healing organism on its own!
When given the RIGHT tools, the body—your second brain— innately wants to heal itself. It wants to be totally healthy (without any specific diet protocol, supplement or pill necessary).
Break a bone, slap a cast on it, and, naturally, it regenerates itself in 6 to 8 weeks!
Catch a cold, and a little chicken noodle soup, a Gilmore Girls marathon and sleep does a body good.
However, there’s one small caveat we often forget: Our body’s amazing self-healing superpowers ONLY fully work when our second brain (our nervous system) is relaxed. Not stressed.
Unfortunately, if our nervous system is in fight or flight mode, it CANNOT tell the difference between “May Day! May Day! I’m getting chased by a bear!” versus “Oh my gosh, I’m 10 grams of carbs over my limit!”
The body sees all sources of stress the same—releasing the same amount of inflammatory cytokines and stress hormone, cortisol—suppressing health and healing.
The Stress-Gut Connection: The Milkshake Study
The milkshake study is a perfect example of how stress (in the second brain) can impact how you feel and why taking steps to heal your gut could be the secret to overcoming all sorts of health challenges—including a slow metabolism and insatiable sugar cravings.
In the study, researchers at the University of Texas gave 2 groups a milkshake—one group got the “Sensishake”—a 140 calorie nutritional shake to drink; the other group got the “Indulgent” shake—a 600 calorie milkshake. In actuality…BOTH groups received the same milkshake—a 300 calorie shake. Nothing else changed in their regular diets.
After a week on their new milkshake supplement diet, what do you think happened?
The Sensishake group became increasingly more hungry. Dissatisfied. They felt deprived and wanted more food and ate more accordingly.
The Indulgent shake group on the other hand experienced a 3x decrease in their leptin levels—their fullness hormone. They felt more nourished and satisfied.
Less stressed.
Stress changes our physiology—how our second brain (and consequently, our total body) optimally function.
And I am not just talking about stress over milkshakes. Gut health stress is both mental and physical.
Some examples of stressors that totally disrupt your gut health include:
Physical Stressors
- Living in a home with toxic mold
- Low fiber diet
- Chronic dieting and restriction
- Overtraining or sedentary lifestyle
- Under-sleeping
- Drinking too much caffeine
- Antibiotics
- SSRI drugs, birth control pills and NSAIDs (Tylenol)
- Artificial sweeteners and high sugar intake
- Staring a blue lights all day (screens)
Mental & Emotional Stressors
- Working 12 hours per day
- Not feeling good enough (poor self concept)
- Relationship struggles
- Hating your job
- Burning a candle at both ends
- Overcommitting yourself
(Just to name a few things).
While stress is inevitable, feeling the effects of stress doesn’t have to be—especially when you mind your gut health and want to heal your gut.
Soooo…how do you heal your gut?
Look no further than these 3 Daily Habits for Optimal Gut Health.
Small Changes, Big Impact: 3 Daily Habits to Heal Your Gut
I call these 3 daily habits your “3 Gut Love Rituals”—3 simple rituals to easily incorporate into your day to heal your gut physically, mentally and emotionally.
All you need? 5 minutes, three times per day, to make them happen and heal your gut!
Let’s review ‘em.
Ritual 1: Breakfast
Every morning begins with your first heal your gut ritual. Each ritual block is comprised of 3 categories—Fuel, Boost, Mind.
Fuel
Hydrate with 16 oz of warm lemon water and a pinch of sea salt to cleanse your digestive system and get your lymph moving, and consume 20 to 40 grams of protein in your first meal of the day to set the tone for blood sugar and cortisol for the whole day— preferably within the first 2 to 3 hours of waking.
Boost
Get into your body. Move your body in some way—whether you have 7 minutes or 60. Take a walk. Do some sun salutations. Get a morning lift or run in to heal your gut. Whatever moves you.
Mind
80% of results and success is driven by psychology. Pause to put something good in and release any intentions and prayers up! So as we think, therefore we will become.
Read or listen to something positive—a podcast, my favorite devotional or 10 pages from a growth mindset book. Then pray and set your intentions for the day—list any worries, stresses, cares or hopes up mine, then make a “sticky note” to do list of the top 1 to 3 things you’d love to focus on or accomplish that day. You can write these out, bullet journal them or keep a daily note on your phone.
Ritual 2: Break
Take a mid-day break for Gut Love Ritual #2: Break.
Fuel
Balance your plate to heal your gut. Consume a protein, healthy fat and fiber with 3 meals each day. Add in digestive enzymes and/or apple cider vinegar shots with meals to support digestion.
Boost
Just breathe. Take a “breath break” away from screens to reset your body and brain—move your body, change scenery, grab a tea with a colleague or friend, hop into a yoga class. Something to break up your mid-day.
Mind
Set a daily alarm or notification on your phone that reminds you of a daily “mantra” or positive thought (ie. “Just breathe,” “Pray,” “You’ve got this,” “Where energy goes, energy flows,” etc.).
Ritual 3: Bed
Fuel
Sip a cup of herbal tea, cacao, bone broth or warm water before bed.
Boost
Candle down. Cut the bright overhead lights, or use amber and/or red light or tinted glasses at night. Do something away from screens — read, play guitar, hot shower, sauna, yoga flow, meditation, journal, connect with your partner.
Mind
Reflect on down 2 to 3 cool things that happened that day or that you’re grateful for, along with a life lesson you learned from that day.
Boom! That’s it: 3 daily Gut Love Rituals-Breakfast, Break and Bed = an optimized you from the inside out and easy way to heal your gut.
P.S.
Want support in getting to the root cause and best ways to heal your gut?
Book a 20 Minute Health Strategy call today to learn how we can help you heal from the inside out.