This title could really be used for many posts. I’ve choose to use it for one that I feel plays more of a role in the success of our progress with nutrition and exercise then any other topic. When we recognize that we are ready to clean things up and start working towards loosing a couple pounds or have symptoms that our guts might be a little “off” we often resort to “I’m just going to eat clean”. Now don’t get me wrong we absolutely need to clean up our diet but some things definitely need more attention then simply switching from pizza to chicken.
So let’s talk about some causes! First and foremost the North American diet is all about convenience. High calorie diets full of high sugar, low fiber, lack of nutrients causing an over growth of yeast and wrong bacteria to grow! Have you gone through a round of antibiotics, steroids or other hormones? Do you live with chronic pain and keep popping anti-inflammatory medication? Do you have known or suspect you have food sensitive to gluten, dairy, eggs and corn but continue to eat them because the symptoms aren’t “that bad” Are you packing around plastic water bottles, plastic food storage containers? Cleaning you house with cleaners full of toxins? Are you applying cosmetics and skincare products full of toxins? Have you had an exposure to toxic mold? Do you feel constantly stressed? All of these things on their own don’t seem so bad however when you pile them one on top of the next we are creating a really harmful environment for our most powerful system!
So how do you know if your guts need a little house keeping? Well here are some symptoms your may suffer from!
- Digestive Issues, Bloating, Gas and/or Diarrhea
- Sugar Cravings
- Bad Breath
- Food Allergies
- Mood Swings, Depression and Anxiety
- Skin Problems: Eczema
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune Disease and Suppressed Immunity
If your someone who is relating to any of these issues the good news is many of these symptoms can be fixed with your diet! Start by focusing on eating whole foods, and staying away from processed foods. Ensure your choices have plenty of fiber! Eating a variety of vegetables, beans, nuts/seeds and whole grains. Try removing some common foods that have proven to create food sensitivities. The elimination diet is a great resource to try! Take a break from gluten, dairy, eggs and corn, and slowly bringing them back in while paying attention to whether or not your symptoms are coming back or your feeling better! Work towards healing your gut by talking to your Doctor or Pharmacist about dosages on some natural supplements. I personally have found great results using Omegas and apple cider vinegar. Try using a probiotic! Work towards getting a full nights sleep and eliminating some stress, or working towards stress management. Switch out those nasty plastics, and toxins!
Now! That is all great in theory right, but does it work. YES! I am here to tell you I have proof! MYSELF! Three years ago when I did my food sensitivity tests I was eating some foods that I was sensitive to and not knowing it! EGGS! I loved them! I would eat like 3-5 a day! They were my go to! I always knew I had troubles with dairy and gluten but eggs was heart breaking! For the past three years I eliminated them, but didn’t really focus on FIXING the damage that I had done. Again I thought by JUST eliminating the problem the solution would come. It wasn’t until I took my hormone specialist course that I truly began to grasp how my lifestyle was still causing gut issues and not allowing healing. Since August I had been taking apple cider off the spoon after lunch and supper and was noticing great results. I did try eggs one afternoon and suffered big time! I would look 6 months pregnant and be in severe pain! Since January I have removed all toxins from the house and my cosmetics, laundry detergent, skin care and ditched the plastics! I also decided to double the amount of omegas I was taking to combat some inflammation I was dealing with from my training. Two weeks ago I tried eating eggs and NOTHING happened! I literally could have cried! These sounds like hippy dippy stressful changes but I am so happy I bit the bullet and went all in! I ate eggs for a full week with zero issues! Right now where I am with my nutrition and training they aren’t something Ill be going over board on again but it sure is nice to know that my body is healing. All of the hard work and saying no thank you’s and eating chicken for breakfast has paid off big time. Don’t get me wrong I know I still have some work to do and I know its important to keep up with whats been working for me but I truly encourage you all to take the leap and try to make some better choices in your daily life and take control of your gut health. It does seem overwhelming and you feel a bit like a crazy person but the reward out weighs it all! I can’t imagine going the rest of my life being so restricted and being convinced I’m doing it right by just clean eating. You really do need to take some time and investigate what’s actually going to fix your problem. Remember it is always our goal to get off medication and supplements however we all know sometimes we do need to use some of these awesome supplements to heal!
The bottom line is inflammation in your guts, will ABSOLUTELY cause inflammation throughout the rest of your body, you won’t be able to hide from it forever.