April 24, 2016
Think of your gut as the control center of your health
We are moving on this week to my fifth takeaway from the Equinox High Performance Living Symposium. If you have not heard someone talk about your gut health or gut microbiome in the last year, then it’s time for you to get up close and personal with what is living in your intestines! There is so much research coming out that links gut health to many inflammatory diseases. Think of your gut as the control center of your health.
Your gut microbiome is incredibly important. You want it to be rich in diversity as that leads to greater health. A healthy gut barrier is the best protection against systemic inflammation. What can you do to help cultivate a healthy gut barrier? Eat a variety of vegetables and lots of them, especially asparagus, onions, dandelion greens, garlic, bananas, broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts. Try not to take antibiotics unless you absolutely need them. Avoid GMO foods and try to buy organic as much as possible as Roundup is an antibiotic sprayed on GMO foods and is killing our gut microbiomes. Don’t worry about the “3 second rule” when you drop things on the floor, as our over sanitized lifestyle is not good for our guts. Also, fermented foods such as kombucha and kimchi are great, a good quality probiotic supplement is also recommended. And last but not least, breathe lots of fresh air!
If you would like more information, here is an article from Christiane Northrup, MD with suggestions for improving your gut health.
http://www.drnorthrup.com/how-
And more from Dr. Mark Hyman – http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/
If you would like help improving your diet and lifestyle choices to help improve your gut health, please let me know.
Stella Bergan, MEd, NASM CPT
Health and Human Performance Coach
Perfectly Fit