If your skin is bad, you have allergies, have recurring headaches, or colds,flus or infections, have trouble losing weight, hormonal issues, autoimmune disease, arthritis, depression…the real reason may be that your gut is unhealthy. This may be true even if you never have any digestive complaints…

The digestive system is the root of good health. It’s where you get nutrition for every cell in your body including support for your immune system. So, if it is irritated, inflamed or constipated it can’t do its job, and your health can be at risk.

Most of us have at some time have dealt with bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation or difficulty with digestion and that is just our bodies way of saying you haven’t been treating your body so well – overeating, viral infections, a night on the tiles…But if any of these symptoms occur frequently then you are most likely setting yourself up for more serious health complaints, over time, such as:

·         Poor absorption of nutrients, which affects overall natural body function and health such as reduced energy levels and anaemia.

·         Compromised immune function which means you probably catch whatever bug is going around and take longer to recover, suffer from chronic infections. Long term this may trigger autoimmune diseases such as lupus, coeliacs disease, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroid disease.

·         Increased likelihood of food sensitivities or allergies. You may have noticed your gut reacts to more foods the older you get.

·         Progressive deterioration of the gut wall which can lead to leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis and Crohns disease.

·         Inflammation which contributes to heart disease, arthritis, joint pain and muscle stiffness and skin disorders such as dry skin, acne, psoriasis.

How many people do you know with digestive problems? Heaps I would guess. Literally thousands of New Zealanders are affected by these disorders, and although there are plenty of drug therapies that can treat the symptoms, from antacids to inflammatories, the key to preventing or improving gut problems is treating the cause.

Getting to the bottom of digestive health.

Why such an epidemic of gut problems? The underlying cause is normally poor nutrition – a diet of high carbs, heavy on the sugar and processed foods, which leads to imbalances in the intestinal flora of the gut – those 750 trillion good guys – bacteria, yeast and other microorganisms – in our system.  Flora imbalances make us more susceptible to digestive problems, allergies, asthma, hormonal imbalance and obesity to name but a few.

Disgusting as it may sound many of us may have also picked up a few intestinal parasites along the way which may also lead to digestive problems.

Often we forget the importance of emotions on our health – stress and depression can play a big part in digestive imbalances

You can rebuild

So what can you do to heal your digestive tract and have the healthiest gut ever?

·         We need to be eating restorative and cleansing foods for healing and to rebalance your bodies acid-alkaline biochemistry. Sort out your nutrition: eat a balanced varied diet with a heap of fruit and vegetables, lean meats, fish, nuts, pulses and legumes and lashings of fish or flax oil, and cut down on those takeaways and sugary biscuits, cakes, soft drinks alchol and caffeine. Don’t forget to drink gallons of water and chew your food well. Unsweetened acidophilus yogurt is also great for your gut and try juicing – fabulous for gut health.
·     .  If you have allergies or intolerances then an elimination diet – taking away foods that potentially cause inflammation (alongside this we support your body with supplements and herbs) will help give your body a rest and time to heal. If you are thinking you would like to do an elimination diet then it is best to work with a nutrition professional because an elimination diet may not be the best for you

·         Boost your fibre: Go for wholegrain and brown cereals every time and remember to add beans such as kidney or cannelini beans to your food whenever you can, as well as eating loads of fruit and veggies

·         Well known gut repair, healers, and cleansers include probiotics such as acidophilus, aloe vera, fibre powders, ginger, gentian, wormwood, licorice, goldenseal and other herbs, magnesium, bile salts, glutamine, rice protein powders essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes. Stress and depression can also be supported with the right health supplements too. Do get advice from a health professional before going down this track as some foods and supplements may not be right for your gut issue.

·         Rebalance the body – Find a way to manage your stress levels or talk to someone who can help (see NLP). Improve sleep habits and ensure you are exercising regularly.

Of course, we all have different health symptoms, so it might pay to visit a nutritionist, naturopath or doctor to sort out your individual issues – identifying where the problem is (stomach, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, small intestine, colon and so forth) and get tested for intestinal parasites and food allergies or sensitivities.

Contact me for more information or to make an appointment