Your Gut Health - Steps 4 & 5...healing your gut and reducing stress

Step #4 Gut Health – Heal Your Gut

Chronic inflammation, if unchecked, is the precursor to most if not all disease! There’s a good chance you have some irritation and inflammation in your gut already. If you don’t take steps to reduce the inflammation, it can create real problems for you down the road. Take heart though; there are some easy ways to heal your gut. These include:

Getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids – Eat cold water fish several times a week or take an omega 3 supplement. Make sure the fish you eat is wild caught, not farmed. Omega 3s reduce inflammation throughout your body, and healthy fats are great for your organs and vital systems.
Get enough calcium, magnesium, glutamine and zinc – these nutrients have been shown to facilitate digestion and cellular repair as well as heal the lining of your digestive system. They can all be found in food sources. You can also supplement.
Cut back on unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol and smoking – both nicotine and alcohol cause inflammation throughout your body. If you are a drinker (more than two drinks a day) or a smoker, cut back to improve your digestive health and heal your gut.

Step #5 – Gut Health – Let’s talk about Reducing Stress

Not too long ago people believed that stress caused ulcers and many digestive disorders. They now know that this isn’t true. However, chronic stress does release the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol suppresses your immune system, and that allows inflammation to increase. It also changes how you digest and absorb foods. In fact, cortisol slows down the digestion process which can lead to constipation and bloating. It also causes an increase in stomach acid which can wear away at the lining of your stomach.

Stress causes significant damage to your digestive system. There are many ways to reduce stress including but not limited to:

Exercise
Meditation
Participating in activities that bring you joy
Biofeedback
Aromatherapy
Massage and touch therapy

Remember you don’t have to implement all of these steps at once. Identify one that you want to focus on and make it part of your life. Even something as simple as taking a daily probiotic and adding vegetables to every meal can make a significant difference in your digestive health.