If you’ve followed me for some time you already know that my main focus when it comes to maintaining a healthy body and mind is really the GUT.
Your gut sits at the core of your physical and mental health and is responsible for your overall well-being. It directly impacts your mood, energy and even weight.
Like Hippocrates said “All disease begins in the gut”.
And I don’t take this quote lightly. Time and time again studies show the connection between the gut and many other diseases that don’t seem to be connected at first, such as hypothyroid, depression, skin disorders, diabetes and other autoimmune disorders. While most of these diseases at first sight have nothing to do with the gut, more and more studies show that an unhealthy gut (or leaky-gut) might be at the root cause of these diseases and many other digestive issues.
When your Gut is out of balance, not only is your digestion compromised, but it triggers inflammation in your body, which in turn brings upon a multitude of inflammation-related health problems. These include, but are not limited to, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or other digestive ailments, depression, weight gain, migraines, autoimmune diseases, fatigue, fogginess, food allergies and sensitivities, all the way to cancers.
I am actually a living example of the devastating effects an unbalanced gut could have on one’s well-being. For years I struggled with digestive issues, followed by the diagnosis of hypothyroid (Hashimoto’s disease, which is an auto-immune disorder where the body is attacking its own cells) and later on the development of colon cancer.
At the time I didn’t make the connection between all these problems and the gut, but as part of my healing journey I worked with integrative doctors and ended up immersing myself in the study of integrative nutrition. With every change I made in my diet and lifestyle I came to understand the importance of a balanced gut for a healthy mind and body and pin-point the root cause for all my suffering.
My story was what inspired me to create a ripple effect and help others achieve vibrant health by healing the gut first. That’s why healing the gut sits at the foundation of my one-on-one coaching programs and is the focus of my book “Your Healthy Zesty Life“.
Aside from making gradual nutritional and lifestyle changes for healing your gut and achieving vibrant health I also recommend supplementing with gut healing herbs and supplements. This is something I cover in more detail in my book.
Here are the top 3 supplements I recommend for healing your gut:
1. Probiotics
A well-balanced Gut helps us fully digest food, properly absorb nutrients from food, and keeps infections and viruses at bay. For that, we need to increase the intake of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotic, through our diet or/and probiotic supplements (always check with your doctor before starting a new supplement regimen).
When choosing a probiotic supplement look for a good quality probiotic that has at least 5 strains of microorganisms and 5 billion or more CFU (colony forming units).
Alternatively, get in the habit of adding more probiotic rich foods to your diet, such as:
- Fermented foods, such as vegetables in brine (e.g. sauerkraut, pickles)
- Kefir
- Yogurt (unsweetened)
- Umeboshi (pickled ume fruits found in Japan, translated into English as “Japanese salt plums)
- Miso soup
- Tempeh
- Kimchi (traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables, mainly cabbage with a variety of seasonings)
- Kombucha tea/drink (a type of fermented tea you can find typically in health stores)
2. L-Glutamine
L-glutamine is a supplement known to help with the healing of the gut’s lining. When our gut is out of balance an inflammatory process takes place in the gut. As a result, the lining of our gut could be weakened, leading to compromised digestion. This process is known as the leaky gut syndrome. When this occurs, gastrointestinal issues set in, malabsorption, tiredness, depression and any other inflammatory issues start developing in the body leading to an overall state of not feeling well.
Take L-glutamine 30 minutes before each meal for a period of 30 to 90 days and feed your body healing foods, while minimizing any irritating foods (especially sugar and gluten).
According to Dr. Axe, here are some of the foods rich in L-glutamine:
- bone broth
- spirulina
- collagen
- broccoli
- cottage cheese
- wild salmon
- wild cod
- wild tuna
- asparagus
3. Vitamin D3
The importance of vitamin D has been long ignored until recently when multiple studies have shown the link between vitamin D deficiency and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. I for one, dealt with vitamin deficiency for years before I was diagnosed with colon cancer. And sure enough, my GI doctor put me on high dose of vitamin D shots immediately after my colon resection surgery. I have since made it a habit to keep my vitamin D levels in check and take a vitamin D supplement on and off (at least during the winter months when we don’t get enough sun, which is the only natural source of vitamin D).
So I suggest you get your vitamin D levels checked and discuss the results with your doctor before starting a supplement regimen. That is what I learned to do after my own experience.
You can find more information on healing your gut, including step by step instructions for making gradual nutritional and lifestyle changes and gut healing recipes, in my book “Your Healthy Zesty Life: 6 Steps for Overcoming Exhaustion and Achieving Vibran
t Health“. It is now available on Amazon.
