Just kidding these two topics are very related and I will explain more!
Rainforests:
A rainforest is a beautiful dynamic ecosystem with a variety of plants and species living in it. What if we pollute and deforest our gorgeous rainforests like we are? Well, the effect is colossal, as many species and ecosystems and organisms can be wiped out or damaged. The gut is very similar and here’s how.
Our GUT:
Our gut is VERY similar, as it has a microbiome with a variety of different organisms dwelling in it. Much of our immune system is actually living in our gut and most diseases and health issues have been linked or traced back to the gut. This makes it all the more important to keep our gut bacteria and organisms happy and balanced.
Keep the crap out:
This is why I say, we shouldn’t crap all over our rainforest eg. pollute it with unhealthy foods, lifestyle habits, and drugs. We have to be careful of what we put into our gut as it is a delicate ecosystem with a sensitive balance which then affects our overall health.
For example when we take a round of antibiotics, this can wipe out not only the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria. We hope that the gut re populates its bacteria balance, but what can often happen, is that the bacteria repopulate at the wrong ratio and the bad bacteria have the opportunity to take over.
Eg: weeds in the garden growing out of control! (Similar to candida)
Your gut is a rainforest, so don’t crap all over it.
Gut issues:
When I think of gut issues I am often referring to constipation, diarrhea, bloating, IBS, leaky gut and gut imbalances such as candida, SIBO, plus inflammatory gut issues such as Chrons and colitis. It has been suggested that many autoimmune disease are connected to gut health as well. Even our mental health can be closely connected to our gut health.
The main point that I want to drive home is that our GUT health is vital to our health. Take care of your gut.
Nourish the rainforest:
Our goal is to reduce inflammation and support gut health.
Here are some suggestions to keep your gut (rainforest) healthy and happy:
Foods to avoid:
- Fast food and processed foods (inflammatory and can affect our gut bacteria)
- Processed fats, trans fats (often found in fried processed food)
- Conventional factory farmed animal products ie: sad animals (dairy, eggs, poultry, beef) (common allergens for people, high in inflammatory chemicals as well as hormones)
- High sugar junk food (not good for our gut health and “bad bacteria” tend to feed on simple sugars)
- Gluten and processed grains (gluten has an inflammatory effect on our gut lining)
Foods to eat:
- Bone broth (very healing for gut lining)
- Healthy fats eg. Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, cold water fresh fish
- Fibre eg. hemp, flax, chia which not only contain healthy fats, but have fantastic fibre to help clean the colon and move waste out.
- Fruit: Dark rich coloured fruit low in sugar is a fantastic choice eg. blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
- Vegetables – rich in phytonutrients and helpful for our whole body and inflammation reduction. Choose rich coloured veggies eg. carrots, kale, spinach, beets, chard etc.
- Fermented foods eg. sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented coconut water, kefir
- High quality sources of animal products: eg. farm raised poultry, eggs, meat in moderation (choose ethical!)
- Sprouted grains and legumes
- Herbs/spices eg. turmeric, ginger, peppermint, cinnamon
Lifestyle tips:
- Manage stress levels (as stress can actually have an effect on our gut health too)
- Exercise regularly to stay healthy and manage stress levels
- Avoid antibiotics if you can (only take if really needed as they can wipe out the gut bacteria balance)
Bonus tips:
To support gut health its important to include a couple of these in your routine as well:
- High quality probiotics
- L-glutamine
- Collagen
- Aloe vera
Let me know….
What will you implement in order to support your gut health? Please share!
Till next time,
Keep your gut rainforest healthy and happy!
Resources:
The Human Microbiome: How It Works + a Diet for Gut Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844414
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293/
Picture by: Monica Silva
