Trusting Your Gut

By Sephirah Oshkello, MS, RD, CD 

When our digestion system is out of whack, everything suffers. Having our intestines working well can help us hear the inner knowing that lives inside each of us.  Read on to understand the connections of feeling your best with ways to heal the gut and support a healthy microbiome. 

Gut - Brain Connection

There is a clear connection between the gut, the brain, and the rest of the body. Feeling bloated, constipated, or consistently running to the bathroom is a sure sign that things are out of balance. It is difficult to understand our own innate wisdom, when we have foggy thinking that develops from an imbalance in the microbiome. 

What does it mean to have a healthy microbiome? 

There is lots of talk about a healthy microbiome and how it affects many body systems. The microbiome has to do with the organisms that live inside a certain environment. The intestines are one such environment, and the soil in your garden is another. Having a healthy balance of organisms in our gut allows us to thrive, just like a healthy balance of organisms in the soil allows the plants to thrive. Healthy small and large intestines have many types of organisms that bring protection and optimal function. Sometimes bacteria that are beneficial in the large intestine leak into the small intestine, causing imbalance and a host of symptoms like gas, bloating, and chronic diarrhea or constipation. Because the intestines are constantly exposed to food, microbes, and toxins, it must work extra hard to maintain proper balance. 

Nutrients get absorbed in the intestines, bringing vital nourishment through many blood vessels  to the rest of the body. When imbalance (dysbiosis) develops the protective mechanisms in our gut break down and allow more toxins, bacteria, and viruses to get through the protective intestinal walls. Since the intestines link the outside world through the food we eat with the rest of the body, a variety of symptoms can develop across the spectrum such as bloating, fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, chronic headaches, and chronic diarrhea. 

What aggravates the gut?

When we are anxious or under a lot of stress, the digestive system does not work optimally, food ferments in our gut, an imbalance of bacteria erupts and our feelings of wellness subside. When our digestion is disturbed or delayed, this can wreak havoc on the microbiome. In addition the combination of pesticides and the overuse of antibiotics, not only as medicine for humans but also in our food supply causes the balance of organisms to get skewed. Diets high in processed foods and low in fiber can also be part of the culprit of dysbiosis. Unhealthy organisms begin to take over, contributing to sugar cravings and feelings of being off kilter. You may blame it on your discipline however these organisms can have a ‘mind’ of their own and cloud your own best judgment. 

How to balance the microbiome 

There are steps you can take toward supporting the healthy balance of your gut, allowing yourself to have more energy, clear thinking,
digestive ease, and a sharper intuitive sense. 

1. Eat fermented foods such as raw sauerkraut or kimchi, yogurt, miso, and kombucha. Small amounts regularly go a long way. 
   However, if you have been diagnosed with SIBO or IBS, you may need to destroy some of the harmful bacteria medicinally before
   adding in the healthy bacteria from fermented foods. 
   

2. Try an anti-inflammatory diet that helps identify food sensitivities which may be  causing damage to the intestinal lining,
   leaky gut syndrome and dysbiosis (imbalance).
   

3. Choose organic foods more of the time, in order to cut back on your exposure to pesticides and neurotoxins. 
   

4. Slow down & eat sitting down.  Digestion turns on when we are in a relaxed state. To support healthy digestion, eat sitting down
   in a calm environment. Properly digesting food will help promote a healthy microbiome. Try taking a break from your work,
   and making the space to eat in a calm and quiet environment without distraction to improve your overall digestion and gut health. 

Sephirah Oshkello, MS, RD, CD from Sephirah Nutrition & Wellness supports motivated people to transform digestive distress with a protocol that brings healing to your whole system and leads to more energy, fewer cravings, and greater ease….Get healthy from the inside out, schedule a free introductory consult with Sephirah, or sign up for the upcoming group anti-inflammatory program in mid August.

Allow your innate wisdom to shine by balancing your gut!

Sephirah Stacey Oshkello, MS, RD, CD
www.sephirahwellness.com

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