Gut health has been the centre of heated debates in the last few years, and for good reason! Not only have studies found that a healthy gut is essential to a healthy body, but new research suggests that gut health can in fact impact almost every other aspect of your human health.
The connection is so clear that I’m going to go as far as saying that if you can change your gut, you can change your life! But how can you identify that that your gut bacteria is out of whack, and more importantly, what can you do to improve it? Well. you’ve come to the right place because I’ve got all you need to know!
What is gut bacteria?
Gut bacteria, which number more than 100 trillion cells, have more of an impact on your health than medical experts previously realized. “Good” gut bacteria can improve digestion, strengthen your immune system and manufacture the vitamins your body needs to function as it’s optimum. “Bad” bacteria, on the other hand, can cause serious digestive issues, mental problems, and some more serious health problems such as autoimmune diseases.
Contrary to popular belief, a healthy gut isn’t made by riding your body of gut bacteria – it’s about balancing the bacteria in your gut. The goal is to limit the bad bacteria while growing and strengthening the good bacteria in order to create a healthy environment. And once your gut is balanced, the benefits will start rolling in. Trust me.
Six signs your gut bacteria is unbalanced:
Even though your gut health plays such a vital role in your overall health, it can be quite tricky to identify whether or not your gut bacteria is out of whack. To help you identify whether or not you have a gut health problem, here are some common warning signs that something is up. It’s time to listen to your gut.
Digestive issues
Digestive problems such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, IBS and heartburn/ acid reflux are all common signs of poor gut health.
Many doctors will prescribe generic antacids to help people struggling with these types of issues, but sadly, those medications only treat the surface level symptoms. In some cases, those medications can actually aggravate the problem.
Mental issues
Did you know that the health of your gut has the power to affect the health of your brain? It’s a little mind blowing, I know. Scientists have discovered that mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, and OCD can all be linked to poor gut health.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
A healthy gut also plays an important role when it comes to helping your body produce and synthesize vitamins and minerals. When your gut bacteria is out of balance, your body has a harder time getting enough of the following essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12 and B7 and magnesium
Skin conditions
There’s been a lot of debate about skin conditions over the years. For skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema, some suggest at the problem isn’t with the skin, it’s with an unhealthy gut.
Weight gain
It is true that what you eat can affect your gut bacteria, for better and for worse, and changes in your gut bacteria or microbiome cause weight gain. Indeed, some studies show that high-fat diets can adversely affect your gut flora and promote inflammation and weight gain. However, bear in mind that it depends on the type of fats you are including in your diet.
Autoimmune diseases
Autoimmune diseases are difficult to deal with because the body is literally turning against itself. But more research is emerging linking autoimmune diseases to unhealthy guts. If you’re dealing with autoimmune diseases such as hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, you might be able to improve your symptoms by improving your gut health.
Change your gut, change your life
More evidence is emerging every day connecting issues with the gut to issues throughout the body and mind. That’s good news for you! With knowledge and dedication, you can quite literally heal yourself from the inside out.
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