The more I read and learn about my health and how our bodies work, I’ve learned just how important the health of my gut is to my overall health. If your gut isn’t working properly, chances are other things aren’t at their best either. Not only does it control your digestion and absorption of nutrients, but it also plays a major part in our immune system. When things are off balance you can struggle from all kinds of things from breakouts, skin issues, bloating, weight gain, brain fog and more.
If you’re not feeling as good as you think you could, my suggestion is to start with your gut and chances are, you’ll start feeling better! It’s worked for me, and these things remain top priority for me!
6 Gut-Healing Tips to Boost your Health
Reduce Stress
We hold a lot of stress in our gut. If might notice that when you’re really stressed about something, your digestion gets wonky and your stomach hurts more. When stress is constant (which is sadly pretty common these days), it can be become so “normal” that you don’t even realize it anymore.
I’m someone who easily gets stressed out and it’s something I’m constantly having to work on. I wrote a whole post on how to reduce stress. I also find that spending time outside, away from technology and connecting with people in the flesh are all super helpful in keeping me less stressed.
Remove Foods You’re Sensitive To
Earlier this month, I took PinnerTest! PinnerTest is a food sensitivity test (not food allergies) that can help you pin point which food may be causing you discomfort. Removing those foods can optimize digestion and improve your overall health!
I was so excited to see what foods my body was intolerant to. I figured it was gluten, corn and dairy and I was surprised to see that those actually didn’t come back on my test. Instead, octopus, mustard seed, pine nuts and hazelnuts all came back as my food sensitivities.
That being said, just because you’re not intolerant to something doesn’t mean that it can’t adversely affect you. Listen to your body! I still eat low gluten, low corn and low dairy because I simply feel better, more alert and more clear when I’m not eating them!
Take a Probiotic
I’ve been taking a daily probiotic for months now, and it plays a huge part in keeping the good bacteria in balance. There are a bunch out there, but a lot of them aren’t that great. It’s worth it to splurge for a high-quality one that will actually work! I’m using a prescription probiotic now, but used to use Align and that really worked well! Years ago, my gastroenterologist said that Align was the only over the counter product worth buying, so there you go!
Drink Celery Juice
I first heard of this via Medical Medium’s Instagram. There were these crazy before and after pictures of people who started drinking 16oz. of celery juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I figured, why not try? So, I bought a cheap juicer and a bunch of celery and have been drinking it every morning for the past 3 weeks (minus when we’re traveling).
Celery juice is rich in vitamins A, K & C and can help kill off bad bacteria in your gut. It calms inflammation, improves digestion, helps to balance your body’s ph and can naturally help to reverse autoimmune disease (read more about it here, I’m obviously not a doctor). Lastly, celery is cheap. It’s $2.50 for a huge organic bunch at Whole Foods and if that can help heal my gut, it’s worth it!
In the past few weeks, my digestion has been better, my skin is majorly clearing up (also because I’ve been oil cleansing EVERY NIGHT since early August) and best of all I have more energy and feel more clear and less foggy throughout the day. I’m sharing a big post on this soon because I’ve been getting so many questions!
Optimize Your Diet
Duh, this one is probably the most obvious, but if you’re healing your gut, you better be feeding it the good stuff. Avoiding inflammatory foods like dairy, gluten, soy and corn can be a big help! I’ve been focusing on eating tons of healthy fats (I’m sharing my latest go-to smoothie later this month), lots of veggies and high-quality animal proteins like Vital Farms eggs and grass-fed pasture-raised beef, wild salmon and pasture-raised chicken. Yes, they’re definitely more expensive than the generic stuff, but I personally feel that it’s worth it. Not only for my body, but for the good of the earth!
I also make sure to get in a good dose of collagen everyday. Vital Proteins is my go-to for high-quality, responsibly-derived collagen. It’s not only good for your skin, hair and nails, but is essential to gut health! I use a scoop of the vanilla collagen in my smoothie (again, more on this later this week) and a scoop of their original collagen in my coffee as well!
Get Better Sleep
Our digestion takes a break during the night while we sleep, so getting good, quality sleep on a regular basis will do your body wonders! Easier said than done though. I used to sleep so well, then I had a baby and it’s been a struggle ever since. I just read Frank Lipman’s “How to Be Well” and I’ve been implementing his sleep tips this month—it was a little hard since we’ve had a lot of travel, but it’s been making a big difference.
I’m sharing my sleep tips later this month because they’re actually working and guys, it wasn’t as hard as I thought!! New moms and insomniacs alike, watch for that post!!
Making our health a priority can sometimes feel so daunting, especially if you really don’t feel good. But, it doesn’t require huge sweeping gestures. Starting with small steps here and there and build as you go. Once those things are routine for you, add a new step in and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to better health. I think the gut is the perfect place to start since it regulates so many other things in our bodies!
Have you tried any of these tips to heal your gut? What other tips or tricks do I need to try?!
BTW, 10 things healthy people don’t do before bed, and how to stock a healthy pantry.
