"All disease begins in the gut." - Hippocrates

 

It does. And health begins there too!

 

We think of gut health as only isolated digestive symptoms, such as bloating, constipation, indigestion, diarrhoea, IBS, but it's so much more than that. Your gut health affects every part of your body.

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It affects your hormones and your skin. It affects how your immune system handles itself- yes, autoimmune disease is closely linked to your gut health. For those of your with endometriosis, new research suggests that it could be classified as an autoimmune condition. 

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Your gut health also affects your mood and can be a factor in anxiety and depression. The gut and the brain communicate directly through the 'gut-brain' axis and have a strong influence on each other. We make most of our serotonin (our happy hormone) in our gut, yet, we know it as an important brain neurotransmitter. 

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Basically, without good gut health, your health will suffer. Start improving your digestion with these tips.

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When I treat women for hormonal conditions or for eczema and acne, I always treat their gut. It's a must.

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The three areas of digestive health that I work on are:

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The Liver

Everything that goes into your gut with pass through your liver. Your liver is your most important organ of detoxification and if it's sluggish or overburdened then your gut health will suffer, your hormones will go loopy and your skin will let you know (acne and eczema are its signals of choice...). 

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The Gut Lining

The lining of your digestive tract is only one cell layer thick! This is where we are meant to digest and absorb food, and also keep out the nasties (bacteria, parasites). If there's damage to your gut lining you end up with a 'leaky gut' (or 'intestinal hyper-permeability'). A leaky gut lining allows particles to pass into your system that never should (food, bacteria, pesticide residues etc.). This activates your immune system creating a chronic inflammatory response. Inflammation is at the root of all chronic health conditions, including hormonal and skin issues. Continual inflammation (not just acute, which is necessary and helpful) imbalances hormones, damages body tissue and leads to disease. Not what we want. 

  

The Microbiome

The gut microbiome is just the collection of all the bacteria, fungi and viruses in your gut- your community of microbes. We are covered head to toe in microbes, and this is a good thing. They help us. We couldn't be who we are without them. 

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In the gut, your bacteria helps to break down food into nutrients for absorption. They also protect us by keeping our gut lining in tact and preventing parasites and bad bugs from sticking around. They also make vitamins, neurotransmitters and other helpful substances (like short chain fatty acids), that are necessary for our cells to function. 

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There are many difference species of bacteria, and for good gut health, you want a diverse range of bacterial species. Modern living (antibiotics, medications, alcohol, stress, environmental toxins) all impact your microbiome and can decrease the diversity of bugs in your gut. This can lead to many health issues as it can promote an inflammatory environment. 

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