In Part 1 of this Digestive Health 101 series I discussed how digestive issues could contribute to other health issues. Like weight gain, obesity, hormonal issues, skin issues, mental wellness, poor blood sugar control, thyroid disfunction…and the list goes on ditty dum (if you know, you know).
In Part 2 – The Cause: I talked about what caused these problems in the first place.
Now in Part 3 – The Cure. I will talk about how you can create a healthy GI tract and balanced, robust microbiota so you can have brilliant, vibrant health and feel amazing!
When I am helping my clients heal and restore Gut health, I use a systemic framework called the 5 Rs.
The 5Rs of Gut Health
Remove
Remove what could be causing damage to your microbiota and your GI tract cells: food, toxins, and medications (if possible).
Replace
Replace what may be missing—focusing on a healthy diet That is nutrient-dense and high in fiber (Prebiotics). Sometimes it’s helpful to add some digestive enzymes, but I start with the lowest hanging fruit first, the diet, and build from there.
Reinoculate
Reintroduce some healthy bacteria using probiotics and fermented foods to help rebalance the types of bacteria in the gut.
Repair
Use targeted supplements that help to repair the lining of the GI tract.
Rebalance
Mind/body rebalance. Stress and Anxiety play a massive role in Gut health and microbiota balance, so this HAS to be part of your holistic approach to gut health.
Now, for the fun and practical part, how to put these ideas into practice!
Action steps:
Diet:
Eat a plant-based diet.
No, this is not a meatless diet; it is a plant-rich diet.
When I say plant-based diet, I mean a diet that is mainly plants, you can eat meat too (preferably seafood and lean meat), but the majority of your diet should be high fiber, high nutrient-dense plants. This gives the bacteria all the food, fiber, and nutrients it needs to thrive and help us thrive.
Making a very symbiotic and happy union.
Add:
- Vegetables like leafy greens, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, starchy vegetables (white potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, peas) ..etc. The more Colorful, the better
- Fruits like apples, bananas, berries, pears, peaches..etc
- Whole grains – brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley…etc.
- Legumes and beans – black beans, chickpeas, navy beans…etc. Beans may be a little TOO fibrous for people with a damaged GI tract, so take it easy on these is they give you LOTS of gas and bloating. Hold off and retry them after a few weeks.
- Nuts and Seeds
- Add Fermented foods – yogurt, kefir, Kombucha, kimchi, pickles (more extensive article to come)
- Healthy Fats like olive oil and avocados
Remove:
- Food Sensitives – any food that you may be sensitive to like wheat, dairy, eggs (common sensitivities)
- Toxins – Clean up your environment as much as possible. Always clean your produce before you eat it. Buy organic when you can, like at the EWG’s dirty dozen and clean 15 to know what to prioritize. This is what I do. Do what you can! 😉
- Chemicals- Stop using Roundup and other chemicals around your house. Use natural solutions where you can, and Google has a lot of ideas!
- Beauty products – Many people don’t think about the possible toxins in the products we put on our bodies. Look at your products, check them on the EWG’s website, and make substitutions where you can! Here is a good article about this.
- Junk Food – Overly processed, high sugar, low nutrient foods – This food will feed the less helpful bacteria, making it harder to rebalance your microbiota.
Supplementation
- Probiotics – It’s hard to make a broad recommendation for this. Try to get a probiotic with multiple bacteria strains and a high number of CFUs (colony forming units.)
- L- glutamine – an amino acid that repairs the lining of the GI tract
- DigestZen – An Essential oil mix. I love this mixture both personally and professionally.
- Fiber – Depending on the current health of your GI tract, I would recommend either an insoluble fiber like Metamucil and Ground Flax seeds or Soluble Fiber which is gentler.
- Other nutrients – if you have impaired GI tract, you likely have impaired nutrient absorption, but this is so individualized that I can’t give broad recommendations. Still, a multivitamin, Mg, and Omega 3 are things I recommend to most people.
Movement:
Move your body daily.
Maybe it’s a 20min walk; perhaps it’s an hour-long boot camp. Whatevs, just move daily.
You get bonus points for moving outside. So could the improvement in diversity in bacteria among people who exercise be from exposure the nature while walking, hiking, running, or riding bikes? Not sure. Sounds reasonable to me!
Mindset: Rebalance
The goal is to create moments of peace and calm in your life and body to reset your sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) and engage your parasympathetic nervous system (relax and rest). How do you engage and rebalance your nervous system? There are many ways, here are my favorites
- Meditation – could be 5-10minutes
- Journalling – as little as ten minus
- Mindfully walking
- Breathwork
- Walking in the nature
- Sauna – 20 minutes
The goal is to do something daily to help you calm and rebalance. Don’t skip this step! It’s one of the things people often skip this step because it doesn’t feel as immediately impactful. Still, over time it’s transformative not only for your digestive health but also for your life and relationships in general! 
Ok, that was a lot! Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. Start with 1 or 2 things you can do and build from there.
Everyone is different, but if you are starting from square 1, these are the steps 1 and 2 I would recommend:
- Move daily. – this starts the practice of caring for yourself. It helps manage stress and naturally begins to rebalance the microbiota. Movement is a Keystone habit!
- Eat more fruits and vegetables – Shoot for adding one serving to 1 meal, with the goal of having high nutrient plant food at every meal and snack.
Now I want to hear from you! Where are you going to start transforming your Digestive Health? Let me know over on Instagram.
Want more information? Join my Mailing list and Download my Eat Well, Be Well Healthy Living guide!
