Slow the Aging Process Through Your Gut.
Everyone likes to appear younger than their actual age, but very few address it from the perspective of their gut health, which can affect the quality of your skin, belly bloat, headaches, arthritis, digestive issues, fighting off colds and so much more. Did you know that 70% of your immune system is actually in your gut?
We must give importance to the small intestine, as it is responsible for absorbing nutrients. If there is damage, such as leaky gut, then nutrients can’t be carried to your cells and transformed into energy. You may also experience dry skin, hormonal imbalances, bacterial or yeast infections, etc.
However, if your gut is healthy, you can keep bad bacteria out and prevent allergens from leaking through your intestinal barrier. This lowers inflammation and can help control your appetite and cravings. When bad bacteria thrive, we get sick and experience weakened immune systems, allergies, weight gain and depression. In fact, gastrointestinal disorders are responsible for many of the health problems today.
Unfortunately, due to our intake of antibiotics, prescription pills, high levels of stress, poor nutrition, increased intake of toxins and other factors, it is easy for bad bacteria to compromise your gut flora, leading to widespread inflammation and deteriorating health.
If your gut health is suffering, you can improve it with a few basic steps.
1) Taking a probiotic supplement or consuming probiotic-rich foods regularly. Either will help restore the good bacteria in your gut and slow down the bad bacteria from thriving.
2) Digestive Enzymes can help break down foods, especially if you are having a hard time digesting them – depending on your gut’s health, you can take 1- 2 capsules of a broad-spectrum plant based digestive enzyme with every meal, or just with the hard-to-digest meals.
3) Eliminate foods from your diet (for 6 weeks) that ferment and produce gas in your gut (beans, grains and all sugars, including artificial sweeteners, especially sugar alcohols). This will starve the bad bugs, and give the good bugs a chance to thrive.
The best natural sources of probiotics are food-based, like:
· Yogurt
· Kefir
· Sauerkraut
· Pickles
· Miso
· Tempeh
· Kimchi
· Kombucha (not for diabetics, or if troubled with yeast)
· Our Sunfoods Supergreens powder – contains enzymes and probiotics.
Some other trusted brands are:
· Bubbie’s cultured foods
· inner-eco probiotic drinks
· KeVita Sparkling water probiotics drinks
You can also make your own kefir, yogurt or kombucha with a starter package from culturesforhealth.com.
Or you can take a probiotic daily in pill form. Be cautious of ordering online in hot seasons (heat will deactivate strains and be a waste of money) – grocery stores are a safer bet. Here are some good ones:
· Prescript Assist is a soil-based organism and contains many strains. The most important are lactobacillus plantarum, which has been shown to reduce wall permeability in patients with leaky gut syndrome.
· Gut Pro is a fabulous probiotic for people who have an overly sensitive digestive system and tend to have a reaction to probiotics.
· Renew life 50 billion
If you have leaky gut, digestive issuers, inflammation or any other ailment mentioned above, then I recommend eliminating BEANS & GRAINS for a few weeks to see how much better you feel.
– One of the reasons some people don’t tolerate grains well (even gluten-free) is that all grains, nuts and beans contain phytic acid. Phytic acid is a compound that comes from the phosphorous found in plants. Too much phytic acid can inhibit the thyroid, hamper digestion and leach vital minerals from the body, such as zinc and iron.
Phytic acid also interferes with the natural enzymes your body needs to digest your food. If you are not digesting a certain food properly, it will disrupt your gastrointestinal system and damper the ability to function well.
Be sure to always soak & rinse your beans & grains, even if you are super busy. Your thyroid and digestive health will thank you.
Collagen is a healthy gut healing, joint repairing, age fighting powder. Just add to your morning beverage.
**If you crave sugar all day or are addicted to sugar, make sure you are eating enough protein throughout the day. (1 gram of protein for every 2.2 pounds of your total weight is minimum according to the Mayo Clinic). Divide your weight in half and that’s basically the “minimum” grams of protein your body needs daily, try to spread those out to 20-30 grams per meal/snack.
- Find a good probiotic as candida overgrowth in your digestive system can lead to sugar cravings.
Taken separately, apple cider vinegar, chromium-picolinate and fiber can also help to reduce sugar cravings and help to balance blood sugar.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.