The Basics of Gut Health

In the final episode of Season One of Follow Your Gut, we are going back to basics. Let's celebrate 50 episodes by covering the basics of why it is important to nurture your gut as well as the simple yet powerful ways you can prioritize gut health. We are all chronically lacking in good bacteria from our environment, making nurturing balance incredibly important. If you are new to gut health or if you are on the edge about committing to a full rebalance, this episode is for you. Tune in today to learn about the basics of gut health and how becoming the leader of your family's wellness is the most powerful thing you can do for the foundation of health. See you in May for Season Two!

Transcript

Welcome to Follow Your Gut,  the podcast where women like you are empowered to take charge of your family's health and happiness. I'm your host, Sarah Bennett, founder and CEO of ōNLē ORGANICS. As a mama of four, I have personally gone through the ups and downs of navigating the sea of misinformation and the runaround from our medical system, while caring for my family's health and wellbeing. This podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering you on the significance of gut health and how it affects everything from your family’s sleep to their mood and everything in between. By understanding the foundation of your wellness and the causes of common, yet preventable symptoms, you can achieve a deeper level of health and happiness for your family. Join me as we explore the world of gut health and enhance our lives from the core of our well-being, all while honoring our powerful intuitions. I am so happy you are here! Let's dive into today's episode. 

Welcome to episode 50; The Basics of Gut Health

I can’t believe it! 50 episodes! Who knew there was so much to talk about in regards to gut health. Just kidding. That’s why I decided to create this podcast - because everything in your life and world is connected to your gut. Before we know it we will be on episode 2700 because literally every part of our existence is connected. From our sleep, mood and behavior to the way we learn, think, show up in the world and interpret our relationships with others and everything in between. 

I wanted to wrap this season up by coming back home to the basics. We all need to return to the basics with everything in life from time to time. It’s really a refresh to remind ourselves of what we may have forgotten. It helps us realize areas where we have gotten off track without really noticing. This episode is for you if you are brand new to the world of gut health and even for myself who has been deeply emerged for years.

We are going to talk briefly about why it’s so important to nurture your gut health. Then we are going to cover exactly how to jump into nurturing your gut no matter if you or your child has a significant imbalance, minor imbalance or even if you are currently living in a blissful state of balance. 

So let’s go over some of the different areas of your health that are directly connected to your gut.

 First - Your gut is responsible for producing various hormones that control your appetite, metabolism, sex drive, focus and much more. When your gut microbiome is imbalanced, it can lead to hormonal imbalances, which can have a significant impact on your health.

Similarly, your gut is also responsible for your immune system's. In fact, 70% of your immune system is located in your gut. When your gut microbiome is in good health, it helps to keep your immune system strong and healthy, protecting you from illness and disease. You can probably hear a little congestion in my voice. I’m not surprised I have a little cold right now. My family and I have been going through a lot of stress lately between fighting for my dads health to visiting other family in the city where everything from the air to the water is very different than we are used to. Stress and change directly impact your gut health. A shift in your microbiome means a shift in your immune system. Of course we are still nurturing our gut bacteria while we are here in the city and I can see it working for us. A few family members have this same cold except they were knocked out for a week in bed and out of school. My family is weathering the same symptoms but in a much lighter scale. In a day or two it’ll be gone. 

Your gut also plays a vital role in your sleep and mood. Your gut produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are essential for regulating your mood and sleep-wake cycles. When your gut microbiome is imbalanced, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Cognitive function is another area that is influenced by your gut health. Your gut is connected to your brain through the gut-brain axis, which allows your gut to communicate with your brain. When your gut microbiome is in good health, it helps to keep your brain functioning optimally.

Fertility and reproduction are also affected by your gut health. Studies have shown that imbalances in the gut microbiome can lead to infertility and complications during pregnancy.

Aging is another area that is influenced by your gut health. Your gut microbiome changes as you age, and an imbalanced gut has been linked to various age-related diseases.

Also your skin. Your skin is a beautiful map of your gut health. If you are experiencing any skin issue, balancing your gut is the first step to truly healing. 

Whenever life feels off take a few notes. Ask yourself if you or your child’s mood or behavior, sleep patterns, skin health and digestion seem off in anyway? Typically a gut imbalance will present itself with a disruption in three or more of the areas we just went over. 

Now that we have covered the importance of gut health, let's look at how to jump into nurturing your gut, no matter your current situation.

The first and most powerful thing you can do is avoid GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, which are foods that have been modified to withstand being drenched in glyphosate. This chemical is deemed “safe” but how can that be if it kills everything it comes in contact with? Let me repeat that. Glyphosate is also known as Roundup. Roundup is very effective at killing everything it comes in contact with except the plant that has been genetically modified to withstand it. This means that when you consume GMO foods, you are consuming round up and this chemical not only kills the delicate good bacteria in your gut but actually feeds the bad bacteria!

Some of the dirtiest GMOs to avoid include corn, soy, canola, sugar beets (so this means all refined sugar like cane sugar, brown sugar and table sugar). Berries, potatoes, apples, grapes and peaches. These should always be purchased in organic. If something is organic this means it is also non-GMO. Not all GMO foods and products are organic but all organic foods and products are non-gmo. So when you are grocery shopping you want to look for either organic or non-gmo. 

Really Quick, Are you or your child struggling with symptoms like eczema, restless sleep, unhealthy or sour smelling poop, mood fluctuations, or behavioral issues? My Women's and Children's Gut Rebalance Kits are here to help. This comprehensive kit includes all the supplements you need for a 64-day gut rebalancing cycle, and as a bonus, you'll receive free access to my incredibly valuable course; The Essentials of Gut Health. Say goodbye to gut-related symptoms and hello to feeling like the absolute best version of yourself. Lastly, I have to mention - even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, there really isn't anyone who wouldn’t benefit from restoring balance in their gut. You can go to https://onleorganics.com/collections/rebalance or simply follow the link in the show notes to purchase your Rebalance Kit today. 

Another way to nurture your gut and promote overall health is drinking celery juice daily. Celery juice contains compounds called polysaccharides, which have been shown to significantly decrease stomach ulcers, support stomach lining health, and improve the efficiency of the digestive system. Additionally, celery's high water content also improves the digestive process through hydration.

Which leads perfectly into this simple, yet powerful tip. Drinking abundant amounts of filtered, alkaline water (you want to make sure you aren’t drinking chlorinated tap water. Chlorine is put in treated water to kill bacteria and pathogens which is great except that chlorine kill all bacteria and it’s not like the chlorine stops working when it enters your body. Instead it kills your bodies microbiome. A Berkey water filter is a great option for you if you need a filtration system that requires zero installation as it sits in your counter and costs a few hundred dollars compared to a professionally installed system that costs thousands. Another benefit of a Berkey filter is there is no wasted water. Did you know that reverse osmosis systems create FIVE gallons of reject water for every gallon of filtered water! When I learned that it blew my mind!

Another really powerful thing you can do for your gut is to Rebalance your microbiome on a regular basis. My family does this twice a year with the Women’s and Children’s Gut Rebalance Kits. And yes - men can totally use the Women’s Kit. I just call it this because the majority of my community are women and I know how to speak to women best. But your partner will thrive with doing regular rebalances with you.  Full on Rebalancing your gut means supplementing while avoiding the foods that feed bad bacteria and yeast. When you purchase the rebalance kit you will get free access to my course The Essentials of Gut Health where you will learn more about exactly what to do to get the most out of your rebalance. Regular rebalancing is proactively caring for your family’s health and well-being. 

Rebalancing when things get off track is also important. This is for when you or your child are struggling with symptoms like weakened immune system, skin rashes, acne, anxiety and/or depression, mood instability or behavioral issues, brain fog, trouble with sleep or digestive issues. Taking responsibility for your body during these times is the most powerful thing you can do. Rebalancing your gut heals your body from the foundation instead of simply masking your symptoms. This is called reactive rebalancing and it is a gift you and your child’s body will thank you for forever and ever. Because you will truly heal. 

If your gut is already balanced, maintaining balance is something that doesn’t just happen. It takes intention to nurture balance in this time that we are living in. It involves continuing to eat a healthy growing foods diet, avoiding GMO’s, drinking chlorine free water, supplementing with small doses of supplements like Cleanse and Nourish that keep the bad bacteria away and nurture the good, participating in practices that help you manage stress such as exercise, walking, mediation and yoga and making sure you are getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night. 

Cleanse and Nourish are two of the balancing supplements I share in my gut health shop. Another one that is incredibly supportive to gut health and balance is, Balance CBD. CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation in the gut and promote the growth of good bacteria. CBD works by supporting your endocannabinoid system. This system's job is to help all of your other bodily systems find balance. If your endocannabinoid system is depleted, which 78% of Americans are, it can't do its job optimally. Meaning your other bodily systems such as your digestive system doesn’t have the support it needs. 

Okay! To wrap this episode up, nurturing your gut health is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being. In this episode I shared several things you can do to nurture your gut microbiome and therefore your whole body's health and well-being. Avoid GMOs, drink celery juice, rebalance your gut  proactively and reactively, avoid foods that disrupt the gut microbiome like highly processed foods, and incorporate supplements like Cleanse, Nourish and CBD to maintain balance. All of this will promote gut health and improve your overall health and well-being.

Thanks so much for being here today. This is the last episode in season one of the Follow Your Gut Podcast! I will be back on May 23rd for season 2!! Until then please peruse through the last 50 episodes, listen to the ones that resonate and join me in The Gutsy Woman Community. This is a free community where over 200 women have come together in less than 10 days to ask gut health questions, share their experiences and find friendship with like minded natural women. I’ll attach a link to the community in the show notes. Goodbye for now, my friend.