5 Signs Your Gut Needs Help
Functioning Digestion is key to your entire health.
It is far more than just a process that we do when we eat food, that can be ignored or put to the side while we deal with more important issues.
Without addressing digestion, the rest of the body will struggle to heal.
Healing happens in layers, and digestion is the primary layer that must function in order for other parts and systems of the body to be addressed. Without digestion function the rest of the body does not work as it should. Here are five signs that your digestion needs help.
1. D I G E S T I V E I S S U E S
Battling constant bloating after meals?
This is not normal function. Just because so many people are suffering with bloated and sore tummy’s after meals we have normalised it so we now just suffer all together or in silence.
If this is you, I am here telling you now this is not your body functioning correctly. Your gut should not do this day in and day out, and there is something you can do.
What about reflux? Nausea? Constipation? Diarrhea?
None of these are things our bodies experience when functioning well. And they are not things that we should continually suffer from. They are all symptoms that stem from digestive dysfunction that needs to be addressed. Stop accepting these things are part of your life – there are ways to heal even the most chronic of symptoms.
2. T R O U B L E D S K I N
What’s my skin got to do with my digestion? The answer is a hell of a lot. The health of skin is often incredibly reflected in the health of the gut. Many skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis actually being in the digestive system.
Dry or flaky skin? it may be that your body is struggling with fat digestion. Puffy and uneven skin? You may have low levels of good bacteria in your gut that’s caused inflammation.
For the most part we focus on topical skin regimes and treatments, I mean there is a billon dollar industry founded on caring for and treating skin in this way, it’s not like they want to say ‘oh by the way what is going on in your gut ultimately is the cause of what happens on your skin’. That is not going to sell the latest magic cream.
Switching your focus to your digestion is about looking at where your skin issues are stemming from and working on cutting the problem off at the root, rather than continually to treat the symptom only for it to reoccur.
3. M O O D S W I N G S
Digestion is more than just the physical, our mental and emotional health are also easily affected by your digestive system.
We usually know what mood we are in at any given time. I ‘m Happy. Sad. Frustrated. Angry. Depressed. Anxious…
Sometimes we will easily be able to attribute that mood state to something.
While I am almost certain all of us have responded with, “I don’t know why” when asked why we feel a certain way, at one time or another. Ever considered the missing link in understanding the cause of mood disorders may lie in the health of your gut?
4. A U T O I M M U N E D I S E A S E
The first thing to know with autoimmune is that they are diseases of the immune system. Irrespective of what part of your body that is under attack (and it can be almost anything) the root of issue exists in your immune system. With 80% of your immune system housed in your gut, it is imperative you address the health of your gut and your digestion to heal and manage autoimmune.
If you have one (or multiple) autoimmune conditions, chances are you have heard of leaky gut. This is where the tight junctions of your intestinal wall become loosened allowing for substances that your gut lining should be protecting you from to flee into your bloodstream.
How does this happen? It is a direct result of modern living, inflammatory foods, medications, chemicals and of course the chronic stress so many of us live our lives with now.
Once you have particles that do not belong roaming freely in your bloodstream, your innately intelligent immune system quickly flags it as an invader and creates inflammation. As you can imagine eventually your body will become tired and stressed of this process, and start making mistakes (much as we do when in that state). These mistakes, see our body’s own tissues attacked instead of the invaders, leading to the development of autoimmunity.
Suffering with one of these conditions? Start working on the health of your Gut now!
5. A L L E R G I E S ( & I N T O L E R A N C E ' S )
Both Allergies and intolerance's can often stem from digestive problems, much like how autoimmunity can stem from the results of leaky gut, so too can food allergies and intolerance's. As the body instigates inflammation to protect itself it also marks the invaders and remembers them so that next time that presents itself they know what to do – attack. This is why food intolerance's and allergies to food are developed over our life time not always something we are born with.
Suffer seasonal allergies? Chances are if you do you have just accepted this is something you get and something to live with. An imbalance of your gut bacteria, when the bad overwhelm the good bugs inflammation and allergies are free to run riot. Addressing the health and terrain of your gut is important in reducing and managing allergies.