Remember walking along the beach, and looking for that 1 precious shell to take home as your holiday memorabilia...
And when you do find it, it feels just right, like the shell you didn't know you wanted, but when you found it, you felt like doing the macarena...?
Only then, we arrive home and shove it in the holiday vase of shell collections...gone and lovingly forgotten!"
This is how I feel about gut health in today's society.
Many of us are strolling through life not knowing exactly what we need for our guts or even why, then wondering aimlessly asking...how do I improve my gut health?
Yes it's not a seemingly sexy topic, but if there’s anything that can zap our precious vital life force energy alongside our monsoon list of to-do’s in Mum life (and for us all) it’s not knowing how to care and love THY GUT!
I value my gut health literally as much as I shouted get this baby out of me.
And did he ever, 3.57kg of loveable squishyness.
Infact, now that I think about it.
I value them the same…child birth…gut health..some similarities perhaps?!
We're told time and again our gut health is the gateway to long term mental clarity and life force energy.
And there's no denying that the food system has changed, our lifetsyles are busier, stressors are higher and the signs of poor gut health are on the rise...including the mental health and gut health link...
So arming ourselves with the knowledge to live gut happy.... gives us an opportunity to give back to ourselves and our kids:)
So....
Think of your gut like a switchboard. It needs different tools, lights, input and outputs, instructions and environments to function at optimum levels so we as human beings can function the way we need to.
The gut is the gateway to brain health - happy gut, happy well fed brain (or so it seems), aka “why is parenting easier today?” Less brain fog, mental fatigue, unnecessary mood swings.
The gut is the creator of 60% of our hormones - we need these hormones for all the shit ton of things we do or don’t do. Like craving less sugar, more quality sleep, motivations for ourselves, monthly cycles.
The gut is responsible for much of our energy…need I say more. Mum life we need atomic bombs worth of energy some days.
The gut digests all that we digest! Skincare, H20, food, sunshine, alcohol and all. If we get the balance right we feel more balanced in return.
It’s the part of us we listen to when we’re making tough decisions! I don’t know about you but I prefer to listen to my gut if I'm playing decision making limbo.
Great gut health can improve our emotional reactions to our kids...it means our brains, digestive and emotional centres have a greater capacity to deal with the challenges we face as mums everyday.
So in simple terms.
Love and give back to your guts…and your kidz too!
So what’s the road to a happy gut?
How can improving my gut health give me more energy and mental clarity as we're doing the do in Mum life, and how can it benefit my kids?
I’m not an expert, but I'd say I'm well aware, like after my morning coffee and yoga class..and honestly I’ve just learned from trial and error, listening to and learning from my body, and also a past love/hate relationship with my plate.
So my best tip to start the road to more energy, less fatigue and a happy gut is education on grass roots eating and how that interplays with our humanness.
So I’ve got a snazzy growing spinach like list of resources for you to pick for your liking.
From stress management, reducing chemical exposure and choosing gut happy foods you’ll find some great well sourced reads, and I’ve even included a couple of my favourite podcasts and insta channels to follow, plus my simple tips for implementing day to day a happier gut.
I can also highly highly recommend checking out happy mammoth here: they are backed and made by the experts with thousands of amazing reviews...I've personally used their products a few times and had better than expected results, from helping my eostrogen dominace, to balancing the gut bacteria, improved bloating and fatigue symptoms I hands up recommend them!
ONLINE READS AND RESOURCES ON ALL THINGS GUT HEALTH
How to Improve and Reset Gut Health (healthline.com)
From how to’s and a general overview, and what to look out for to improve your gut health this is a great basic website for some fundamentals around gut health. (10 min read)
6 Steps to Good Gut Health - The Gut Foundation
A simple natural approach to food and gut health. (10 min read)
Gut health - Better Health Channel
This site has a great list of more specific insights if you're trying to pinpoint gut questions.
(5 min read)
How Your Gut Health Affects Your Whole Body (webmd.com)
A deeper biological look at the facts around gut health and our bodies.
(15 min read)
https://time.com/5556071/gut-health-diet/
From the why to the what Time magazine have all things gut covered in this article.
(15 min read)
10 great Instagram ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW FOR A HAPPIER GUT
Dr Mark Hyman - The go to for anything body and bio related. This man is health machine and someone I’ve learned from for a few years now, if you're looking for a 'how to reset your gut health plan' then look no further Dr Hyman will show you the way:)
TheGutHealthdoctor - From nutrition, to gut health, to recipes to empowerment to better food and happier days, you’ll love this feed:)
Zoe. - For all things great gut food. You’ll be inspired by a plethora of different ways to get inspired towards a healthy gut using food.
The.gut.goddess - A great feed for facts, myth busters, more focused gut related advice.
Emmaclaire_nutrition - For more focused tips on hormone balancing for women, A great feed for education and inspiration.
HolisticGuthealth - Practical tips and how’ to’s for all things biology and education on gut health.
The.healthy.gut - a A great feed for food, facts, fixing and addressing gut health.
Gutlove - Has a focus towards disease prevention and gut health. Addressing root causes and shifting the awareness around gut health issues.
Drdarylgioffre - Covers inflammation, gut health tips, expert panels, root causes and what to avoid.
Kristennicolenourished - Wanna beat the bloat? Follow kristen she’ll show you how:)
PODCASTS
Dr Mark Hyman - The doctors Pharmacy - By far will teach you everything you need to know on how to have a healthy gut.
Dhru Phroit Podcast - Has all things health and wellness, especially gut stuff!
MY TRIED AND TESTED TOP TIPS FOR THE ROAD TO A HAPPY GUT
1. Eat fresh wholefoods - avoid processed, sugary, inflammatory foods, over-consumption of alcohol and stay away from refined oils…they are in everything.
Sunflower, canola oil, vegetable oil, rapeseed oil. Instead good quality, nut oils, olive oils, coconut, avocado…they have a natural higher fat content and do not require heavy chemical extraction like refined oils do…which lead to gut and brain inflammation.
2. Reduce stress - Over working, alcohol, life stress, emotional stress can impact and lead to poor gut health...take little steps to reduce stress over the long term. Try nature walks, dance in your lounge, have D&M's and share what's on your mind through journalling and meditate!
3. Get a good sleep - There's a multitude of research on the impact of stress and anxiety on sleep, getting my 8 hours is about as restful as kid free day in the bahamas!
4. Eat slowly - Man, being ADHD symptomatic this has been the hardest part of regaining my gut health. Eating slowly allows our bodies to digest and absorb properly. If you can pause between bites, appreciate with feeling what's on your plate, your training the gut to release the proper digestive juices and signal the process ofdigestion adequately. Resulting in a much more comfortable less gassy bloating after meals:)
5. Reduce chemical exposure - From microplastics, to makeup, to chemicals in the home, reducing chemical exposure can improve the way our gut functions. This in turn can have dramatic improvements in hormone secretion, metabolism and gut function..leading to a more balanced inner us overall!
6. Eat more fermented foods - Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, which help balance gut bacteria, improve digestion, and support overall gut health. Haven't tried sauerkraut for gut health yet? Maybe it's a chance to try something new!
YOUR GOOD GUT FRIDGE COMPANION
For a complete list of foods to have in the pantry and at home to help keep you and your kids on track when shopping, cooking, snacking and enjoying this wonderful gift that food should be, I've created a fridge list of pre and probiotic foods to help guide you shop for good gut foods.
Just click here for your free download:)
Yes, we still eat corn chips and gluten occasionally, but in my humble opinion, it's the long term little changes that make the biggest difference! I hope you can enjoy the journey to re-claiming your gut health, and don't be shy, head over to my recipes for simple budget friendly ways to enjoy a happy gut with food at home:)
Keep Rising!
Steph XX
