Trust Your Gut Instinct (For a Healthy Gut, Healthy Brain and Healthy Body)

Trust your gut instinct! Did you ever wonder why the digestive system – the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, and supporting organs (liver, pancreas, gall bladder) – is regarded in such a way? It must be pretty significant if you’re relying on it to make important decisions. In functional medicine, every part of your body is connected to every other part of your body. Organ systems “talk” to each other through the nervous system. Blood carries nutrients and toxins throughout the body. An illness in one part of your body is likely caused by a problem somewhere else. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food you consume so that you can obtain the nutrients your body needs to survive. Food is broken down in the stomach by hydrochloric acid and then passed into the small intestines, where vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids are absorbed into the blood stream. The blood then carries the nutrients to all of the other parts of the body. Undigested food remnants then leave the small intestine for the large intestine (a.k.a., colon) where bacteria feed upon it and any remaining water is pulled out and returned to the body. http://www.imfaceplate.com/kyleleonreviewscamm/protein-will-give-you-energy

 If the diet is lacking proper nutrients or the digestive system is not properly working, then nutrient deficiencies can occur and a whole host of inflammatory and immune responses can result. When the digestive system is not functioning properly it is likely due to a condition known as “leaky gut syndrome.” This is a state of intestinal permeability, where the mucosal lining of the intestines is compromised. This causes toxins and waste material to “leak” out of the gut and into the blood stream which affects other parts of the body and causes chronic gut T-cell mediated inflammation. There are a number of things that can cause a leaky gut. Excess alcohol consumption, chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, cytotoxic drugs and radiation, dysbiosis, and vitamin D deficiency are all connected with leaky gut syndrome. Taking antibiotics can also affect your gut by wiping out all of the good, (as well as the bad bacteria), which will compromise your immunity and make one quite susceptible to both local as well as systemic infections. THE GUT-BRAIN-BODY CONNECTION It is well known that there is a direct connection between gut health and body health. With 70% of your immune system residing in and around your gut, a healthy intestinal tract makes for a healthy immune system. In leaky gut syndrome, nutrients are not being properly absorbed and toxins and waste products are traveling through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Common brain symptoms – brain fog, attention deficit, depression, anxiety, and fatigue – and physical symptoms – bloating, gas, cramps, fatigue, joint pain (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia), symptoms of Crohn’s and Celiac disease, asthma, skin rashes, and autism - are all linked to a leaky gut. There is a large body of evidence demonstrating improvement in these conditions when the health of the intestines is improved. IS YOUR GUT HEALTHY? If you are suffering from any of the above-mentioned conditions, it’s probably a good idea to check out the health of your gut. There are a number of urine, stool, breath, and blood tests that can be run to look for markers of a leaky gut. http://teslio.com/blog/post/kyleleonreviewscam/protein-will-give-you-energy-5096

Blood tests for food sensitivities (IgG), Celiac disease, and vitamin D deficiency (25-hyroxyvitaminD) are a great starting point. Vitamin D deficiency may compromise the mucosal barrier of the intestines, leading to increased susceptibility to mucosal damage and increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Another important piece to a healthy gut is making sure that the number of healthy bacteria outweighs the unhealthy bacteria. It is estimated that approximately 1 kilogram of bacteria inhabit your intestines. A healthy diet that focuses on whole, real, unprocessed foods and limits sugar, refined foods, animal fats, and alcohol, helps to promote the growth of healthy bacteria. It’s also a smart idea to supplement with a probiotic that contains a broad spectrum of beneficial bacteria. Probiotics are products that contain healthful bacteria that normally inhabit the digestive tract. These bacteria help with digestive processes and boost the immune system. Certain foods – yogurt with live and active cultures, acidophilus milk, kefir, sauerkraut, and natural pickles – are dietary sources of probiotics. But diet alone cannot add sufficient amounts of probiotics and supplementation is recommended. Choose one that is refrigerated (keeps the bacteria alive). A good list of reliable brands can be found at Consumer Labs (www.consumerlab.com). STEPS TO A HEALTHY GUT When you eat, you’re not just feeding your body; you’re also feeding the bacteria in your gut. Happy, good bacteria make for a healthy brain and body. The great news is that what you put in your body (and what you avoid) can and will make a tremendous difference in your overall health.
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