The Gut healing steps you might be missing
“Where do I start to support my gut health” “What supplements should I be taking?” “Do I need to eliminate foods to heal my gut?”
These are just a few of the questions I get regularly. Have you had these questions before too?
I find that there are a few steps often overlooked or not talked about before we can even address these questions. The steps will sound simple but are some of the most important aspects of building a strong foundation of gut health.
Master these basics to start your holistic gut health journey:
Mindfulness while eating and getting present is first and foremost. How many times have you caught yourself inhaling your food? Do you find yourself eating in a rush or on the go? Slow it down, and allow your mind to connect with your body to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system. This state of being is the only way your body can rest and digest. Otherwise, your food is not digesting properly, leading to gas, indigestion, and bloating.
This one kinda ties in with the above point, but chew your food. The next time you eat, count how many times you chew before swallowing. The number should be anywhere from 20-30. Now I know this seems like a lot, but when you're gulping down big pieces of food, your stomach has to work harder to break it down. If you don't have a sufficient amount of stomach acid, you're going to have an even harder time! This can lead to bloating, upset stomach, and decreased nutrient absorption.
Get more in touch with your food and the gratitude you have for the nourishment it’s providing your body. This one may be a little “woo woo” for you but trust me on this one. When you are making a meal, notice the textures, the smells, the tastes, and how it looks, try to use all five senses. Then take a moment to feel gratitude for the food that is going to nourish and heal your body. There was a study performed where one orange had gratitude spoken to it, and the other did not. Each test subject got a slice from each orange without any additional information, and over 90% stated the orange that had gratitude tasted better!! It’s powerful because there is a connection between your body and mind, which affects how you digest and absorb nutrients.
Okay so now that I’ve shared some of the basics - there is one more thing I want to mention, but before I do, I need you to be open and get honest with yourself.
A few months ago I met a group of people and the topic of health came up. I shared that I was a holistic health coach and a little about how I view a sustainable approach to health. As we got deeper into the conversation, someone said “I know gluten hurts my stomach, but I just love too many things that have gluten”. Someone else shared she felt the same way about dairy.
Of course, two of the biggest triggers for most people dealing with gut imbalances and symptoms.
But this conversation had me thinking afterward, how many people are willing to suffer from the symptoms they know are being caused by food, because they simply enjoy the food too much to take a break from it?
I say that with empathy because I used to do the same thing. I knew drinking beer or eating gluten would leave me feeling heavy, sluggish, and bloated. I knew that a lot of dairies would leave me with breakouts. Yet, I continued to eat them because it was difficult for me to give them up or stay away from them without feeling restricted.
For me, it came to a point where the symptoms and the way I felt became far worse than making nutritional changes would feel.
So let me ask you, what foods do you know hurt your body more than help? What foods do you eat, that in the back of your mind you know aren’t a great choice?
You see, to heal your gut and take a holistic approach, I’m not saying you have to restrict yourself completely, but you do need to be 100% honest with yourself. Even when those answers aren’t what you want to hear or believe.
If you are lying to yourself about your relationship with food or with how food makes you feel mentally or physically, you’re making this journey so much harder on yourself.
I went gluten-free because my body reacted every single time I ate it, for so long I denied that it caused issues, but when I acknowledged yeah, it doesn’t make me feel good, everything shifted. I slowly started to crowd it out, finding alternatives, and experimenting with gluten-free options. I feel incredible, my thyroid health has improved immensely, and I enjoy supporting my body and mind to feel good, even if that means I opt for gluten-free pasta or a lettuce wrap on my burger.
After over a full year of living a gluten-free lifestyle, I have healed my gut and can now intentionally incorporate fermented sourdough when I get a strong craving! I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without being honest and having that level of self-reflection.
Here are a few questions to further explore:
What foods cause me to have symptoms or issues?
How often do I eat these foods? When do I enjoy these foods the most?
How do I feel mentally and physically after eating these foods?
If I were to explore changing the way I approached these foods, what would that look like?
On a scale of 1-10, how willing am I to change my relationship with these foods?
What would change in my life if I mastered these gut-supporting basics and became more self-aware of how foods make me feel?
Once you do that and understand more about your bio-individuality, we can start diving into supplements, holistic tools, and an empowered approach to gut healing.