What does Gut Health Have to do with Immunity?
With the holidays approaching, we will be getting out of our regular routines. This often includes our healthy eating and self care habits. So let’s explore the importance of gut health and how it can impact every system in your body.
Sometimes the gut is called the second brain and there’s good reason for that – it contains the enteric nervous system, a two layer network of 500 million neuron cells that communicate with the brain but are also capable of operating independently of the brain and spinal cord.
On a chemical level, 90% of the serotonin produced in the body is from the gut. It helps to regulate your mood and improve mental function. In addition to this, the majority of the immune system lies in the gut.
Research has found that the ability to maintain basic health, as well as fight infection, inflammation, autoimmune disease, endocrine disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even extending longevity lies within the gut.
How can we recognize when our gut is unhealthy?
Some basic signs of an unhealthy gut are what you might expect:
- Digestive issues (ie gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, and unintentional weight changes.)
- Fatigue
- Inflammation
- Headaches
- Skin issues
- Cardiovascular disease
- Kidney disease
- Hormone imbalance
- Food sensitivities or cravings
- Brain fog and changes in mental health
How to improve your gut health
Now that we’ve ascertained that there is an issue in the gut, what are the best ways to improve it?
ELIMINATE:
- Processed food
- Antibiotics
- Foods with high levels of sugars
- Alcohol
- Stress
ADD:
- Probiotics (make sure to get a refrigerated one)
- Prebiotics
- Fermented foods
- Exercise
How will one know if their gut health has improved?
For starters, look no further than your bathroom. A well functioning gut will process food effectively, neither too fast or too slow.
Depending on what you are eating and each individual, this can vary a lot but it should work out to be a regular rhythm for each person from ingestion to elimination.
You should also have effortless elimination.
Your energy level should be consistent without the highs and crashes that might indicate that more energy is being required to assist in digestion.
Mental clarity and mood can also be noticeably more balanced as well as the ability to handle stress without physical symptoms of upset.
Now is the perfect time to work on your gut health because this time of year also tends to be a peak time for developing colds and the flu. Maintaining a healthy gut can be the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season.
