You know how they say that the eyes are the window to your soul? Well, your gut microbiome might be one of the most powerful windows giving a glimpse of your overall health.
We know that might sound silly, and it isn’t exactly the kind of saying you would frame and hang on your wall. But the truth is, your body’s culinary engine is your gut (and when we say gut, we mean everything from where the food goes in to where it goes out). And just like your car needs gas, you not only need fuel–you need a system that is optimized to process it correctly.
So what’s the big deal? You might be thinking. So I get stomach aches once in a while. Or sure, I suffer from belly bloat. But other than my jeans feeling a bit too snug every once in a while, what’s the concern?
The truth is, an unhealthy gut has been linked to everything from autoimmune conditions to skin disorders (and even to cancer).
Yikes!
So how can you know that your system needs a bit of a reset? Well, there are several ways to tell, but some of the biggest include:
- Skin conditions
- Upset stomach (everything from belly bloat to heartburn counts here)
- Sugar cravings
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Food intolerances (which might be caused by not having enough good bacteria in the gut)
The good news is you can reset your gut health reasonably easily.
How To Reset Your Gut Health
To help heal your gut, we recommend the 5R protocol. The specific “R“ word might differ depending on the nutritionist or medical advisor you follow, but the idea is the same. We like to say remove, replace, re-inoculate, repair, and re-balance.
- Remove
You can’t begin to tackle a problem until you stop what is causing it in its tracks. So the first phase of resetting your gut health is to remove problematic foods from your diet. But this can be more complicated than you think.
Of course, one of the first foods you should reduce is sugar. You already know that added sugars are one of the worst things you can be eating, so we won’t drill that in anymore.
But some other foods you want to watch out for include inflammatory foods or even foods that you might not realize you have an intolerance to. An elimination diet might be a good place to start! It helps identify what foods might be making you sick.
- Replace
Next, you’ll want to get your digestion up and running again. Getting all the good digestive juices and enzymes going again can be vital to helping your body digest food easier and absorb nutrients better. A few ways to get your stomach acids churning (in a good way!) include eating foods such as fermented vegetables, ginger, honey, and bananas. Check out this article for a full list of foods that naturally contain digestive enzymes.
- Reinoculate
During this phase, you introduce the foods and nutrients that will help support your efforts. One of the most important things is a good probiotic–but not all probiotics are the same. Check out a reputable guide on probiotics like this one from WebMD.
Introducing healthy forms of fiber to your diet can be another great addition during this phase of your gut health reset.
- Repair
By now, your gut is probably already well on its way to healing. But if you want to help it along, you need to repair the damage that has already been done. Again, you can accomplish this through what you eat. Collagen powder and L-glutamine are thought to help restore gut lining.
- Rebalance
Resetting your gut health isn’t just about getting rid of the bad guys but about eating more of the good guys! Make sure your meals are chock full of nutrients. Increase the diversity of your plate.
Eating well can help you stay healthy and happy!
You’ll find that “common” ingredients become something magical when cooked right. If you live in Miami or the surrounding area, we can help you re-think your relationship with food. Discover the possibilities!
