Gut feeling? All health (and disease) begins in the gut.

Hippocrates said "All disease begins in the gut" 2,000 years ago, but we're only now beginning to understand just how right he was!

The Gut- Your Healthy Soil
This is a metaphor I like since we are now beginning "organic farmers" and have learned this VERY well in the past couple of years. The key to organic farming is a healthy soil.  Bugs, pests and weeds

are not attracted to plants growing in healthy, mineral rich soils.  However, with conventional farming, you grow plants wherever and whenever, and pests LOVE these dirty soils, so just spray herbicides, pesticides and fertilize the heck out of them to keep the bugs away and help them grow.  The result? well yes, a tomato.... but flavorless, with less nutrients, and pretty toxic for human consumption (not to mention, the environment).

Now think about it.... Our gut is like the soil. An unhealthy gut attracts disease, just like an unhealthy soil attracts weeds and bugs.  And just like the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides you will need drugs to cure and maintain your body alive.

But keep it healthy and feed it whole foods made by nature, and you get a healthy body and mind!

Gut Bacteria??

I mentioned last week how abut 70% of our immune system is in the gut. Not only that but basically, we are a walking bacterial colony. There are more genes in the flora of the intestinal system than the rest of our body- so much more that they are now being called a "second genome." The health of your body and mind is largely tied to the health of your gut. 

The gut flora functions by:

• promoting normal gastrointestinal function
• providing protection from infection
• regulating metabolism
• stimulating the immune system 
• synthesizing and excreting vitamins 
• helping metabolize drugs
• stimulating the production of natural antibodies and help maintain a healthy gut lining

An unhealthy gut flora has been linked to diseases ranging from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes.

The Gatekeeper and The Leaky Gut

Have you ever considered the fact that the contents of the gut are technically outside the body?  The gut is a hollow tube that passes from the mouth to the anus. Anything that goes in the mouth and isn’t digested will pass right out the other end. This is, in fact, one of the most important functions of the gut: to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.

When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable (“leaky gut syndrome”), large protein molecules escape into the bloodstream. Since these proteins don’t belong outside of the gut, the body mounts an immune response and attacks them. 

The tricky part is: you don’t have to have gut symptoms to have a leaky gut. Leaky gut can manifest as skin problems like eczema or psoriasis, heart failure, autoimmune conditions affecting the thyroid (Hashimoto’s) or joints (rheumatoid arthritis), mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, depression and more.

What Alters Gut Bacteria or Causes Leaky Gut?

• Zonulin, Gliadin and Wheat- Researchers have identified a protein called zonulin that increases intestinal permeability in humans and other animals. Zonulin opens up the spaces between the cells of the intestinal lining.  Gliadin is a type of gluten (a protein) in wheat that causes zonulin levels to increase both in those people who have celiac disease and many who do not. This is why you hear so much of the "gluten-free" rage! (although this is not very straight forward, and I will write about that in a future post).
• Antibiotics and other medications like NSAIDs, antacids, and acid-blockers, among others.
• Diets HIGH in refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods.
• Diets LOW in fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Chronic stress.
• Chronic infections.

12 Steps to Maintain a Healthy Gut.

1. Do an Elimination Diet. For 7 to 10 days eliminate the top food allergens and reintroduce one by one. Pay attention and see if you notice effects or reactions of any in your body.  If so, like so many people with gluten or dairy, eliminate from diet.
2. Remove or avoid toxins. By avoiding processed foods, sugar and genetically modified (GMO) foods from the diet. Also trying to buy dairy and animal products and the dirtiest produce items ORGANIC.
3. Avoid processed soy. Soy milk, soy protein, soy flour, etc. For more on this, click here.
4. Eat fermented foods.  These include good quality organic kefir and yogurt, sauerkraut, miso,
   
   kim chi, etc. Even a teaspoon a day of sauerkraut would go a long way!!!
5. Eat fermentable fibers. Like sweet potato, yam, yucca, chicory root, dandelion greens.
6. Eat prebiotic rich foods. Prebiotics such as Inulin and FOS (fructooligosacharides) assist in the growth and activity of probioitcs. Foods such as bananas, garlic, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, honey, leeks and onions are rich in inulin and FOS.
7. Eat more fiber through fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  The ACTUAL whole grains (not Cheerios!!) like oats, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, wheat berries, etc.. Consuming enough fiber to maintain a daily bowel movement is important. A slow bowel transit time leads to increased exposure of your body to toxic bowel contents.
8. Limit animal protein. especially conventional for the use of hormones and antibiotics in their growing.
9. Stay Hydrated. Get enough fluids from beverages and foods you eat. Healthy digestion requires adequate fluid intake. Many factors such as exercise, weather, weight and health affect how much water is right for you. Read this post for more information and tips on staying hydrated.
10. Eat Mindfully. How you eat can be as important as what you eat. Eat slowly and CHEW your food.  Chewing helps release salivary amylase, an enzyme in the mouth that starts the process of digestion.  Stop eating when you feel full, and avoid eating just before bedtime.
11. Take steps to manage your stress. Stress has a direct effect on digestive health. Depending on the way an individual's body reacts, stress can cause the passage of food through the digestive system to slow down or to speed up, which can cause digestive upset. Digestive muscles may exert less effort and digestive enzymes may be secreted in smaller amounts when you are under stress. Stress can also worsen symptoms of conditions such as peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. Your body and mind need time to rejuvenate and relax.
12. Move!! Exercise is essential for regular bowel movements, help strengthen abdominal muscles surrounding our GI tract, in addition to helping with stress management!

If you have more serious conditions, like an autoimmune disease, your gut may actually need repair, which is more involved than these steps.  In that case, I recommend you see a naturopath, nutritionist, or holistic doctor to guide you in your specific situation.

Now go ahead and keep your soil healthy!!!