The Critical Importance Of Gut Health

Who knew that the gastrointestinal tract affects the health of a person?  Gut Health matters.

Gut health is a volatile thing.  Have you ever heard of leaky gut syndrome?  Leaky Gut Syndrome has symptoms including intestinal bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities and aches and pains. But it’s something of a medical mystery in that it is not an official diagnosis.  As a person with Celiac Disease, I suffer from poor gut health.  It has been a constant battle my whole life.

“From an MD’s standpoint, it’s a very gray area,” says gastroenterologist Donald Kirby, MD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic. “Physicians don’t know enough about the gut, which is our biggest immune system organ.”

“Leaky Gut Syndrome” isn’t a diagnosis taught in medical school. Instead, “leaky gut really means you’ve got a diagnosis that still needs to be made,” Kirby says. “You hope that your doctor is a good-enough Sherlock Holmes, but sometimes it is very hard to make a diagnosis.”

Gut health is all the rage now. We must proceed with caution because we do not have conclusive research.  The medical community is getting there but it takes time.   We do know this though, the gut is part of our immune system and if there is a problem with the immune system then it often shows up in the intestinal tract first.

Root Causes And The Critical Importance Of Gut Health

1. Bacterial Infections
2. Food Allergies
3. Absorption Issues
4. Exercise
5. Low Vitamin D (I take THESE and absolutely could not function without them!)
6. Pesticides
7. Stress
8. Antibiotics

Ok, so basically everything can affect your gut health, don’t give up hope!

10 Things To Improve Gut Health

1. Fermented Food     My favorite fermented food is Kombucha!
2. No Sugar    Substitute sugar with honey, maple syrup, or coconut crystals.
3. Eat More Veggies     Have a salad or vegetable soup every day for lunch to up your daily vegetable intake.
4. Sleep 8-10 Hours     Diffuse lavender essential oil for a deep sleep!
5. Probiotic     Take an allergy-free probiotic like PB Assist or try DigesZen to soothe the symptoms.
6. Eat Mediterranean     Proven to be the best diet for all people.
7. Exercise     Take a 20-minute walk every day.
8. No Hand Sanitizer     Make your own hand sanitizer using essential oils.
9. Remove Food Allergies     Get tested for food allergies, have blood work, use an elimination diet, or have a scratch test.
10. Go Dairy Free or Drink Raw Milk     Find a source for raw milk or substitute with almond milk, non-GMO soymilk or rice milk.  Make sure there is no carrageenan gum in the non-dairy substitute.

The National  Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases report that 60 to 70 million people a year are affected by digestive diseases in the United States.  That is an alarming statistic!

CHALLENGE

Try implementing one of the 10 things mentioned above every week for the next 10 weeks.

YOUR TURN…

What do you do to maintain a healthy gut?

Blessings,

*This post may contain affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting The Peaceful Haven!

*These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Essential Oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Pregnant or lactating women and persons with known medical conditions should consult a physician prior to the use of any essential oil.