Do you have a healthy gut?
Are you looking for ways to reduce the inflammation in your gut?
Or am I talking about something you are not even familiar with . . . gut health?
I totally understand how you feel. As a woman who personal trains and tries to eat healthy (most of the time) and take good care of her body; I was not that educated in the gut health world, until I met a wonderful nurse practitioner. Luann is her name, and she has helped me tremendously in understanding the importance of a happy and heathy gut. I still have so much to learn, but I am getting a much clearer understanding of why and how I can keep my gut healthy. So, I want to share with you the importance of this topic; compliments of Luann’s knowledge. Also, there will be more blog posting and emails on a variety of gut health topics; so make sure you subscribe to my blog so you do not miss a thing!
I sat down and interviewed Luann about how we can better treat our guts; plus, what it means to have a healthy gut and why that is so important. So, I do not mis-inform you, as she is very well educated in this area; it is her exact words from the interview below. I am sure you will find this information as helpful as I did, and hopefully some answers to why your gut might be feeling the way it is. You must understand the gut is the lifeline to the rest of our body, and when we keep it healthy and strong, we will reap the benefits! Things like hormones, bloated belly, indigestion, bad skin, etc. all start with your gut. So, read below to better understand and how to improve your gut health.
✼Interview with Luann about Gut Health
Building Your Microbiome & What is it?
Your Microbiome is the 5 pounds of amazing bacteria that live within the area called your gut, and spans from the opening of your mouth to the end of your colon. If you need to get up to speed with Microbiome research I encourage you to Google ‘The Human Biome Project’, which is a famous study completed by the National Institute of Health. From this study, we learned many things, but most importantly we learned about the relationship of our own human DNA cells to the DNA cells of the bacteria in our gut. We now know that our gut bacteria DNA cells far out number our human DNA cells and the thought that our gut bacteria is controlling us, instead of us controlling our gut bacteria, is now reality. We really are what we eat!
How to build a healthy gut/Microbiome.
You build a healthy gut/Microbiome quite naturally from our food and environment. Eating live organic foods, whole grains and proteins that are loaded with bacteria. As I tell many of my patients . . . food from farms and fields, rather than food from bags and boxes. Additionally, we need an environment with a good pH level for the bacteria to thrive. Certain foods and beverages, emotions like stress/anxiety, and medications such as antacids/antiobiotics can alter the pH of our gut and kill many colonies of essential bacteria.
How do we keep our good gut bacteria growing and happy?
Well of course we have to feed them! Food from our bacteria is often termed Pre-biotics. The best food for your gut bacteria are dietary fibers that humans cannot digest so they travel into your colon; where they are the best type of food for your bacteria to eat. Here are some common Pre-biotics: onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, chicory, legumes, spinach Jerusalem artichoke, and green bananas. Additional foods containing Pre-biotics include oats, flaxseed, chia seeds & roasted almonds with the skins on. Also, look for words in other products to determine if a food contains Pre-biotics like: Acacia gum, Arabinose, Fructooligosaccharides, Galactooligosaccharides, Inulin, Maltodextrin, Wheat dextrin & Psyllium.
How to get more Pre-biotics in your diet.
Enjoy a Pre-biotic rich breakfast with a bowl of oatmeal or fortified cereal, topped with blueberries or slice banana. Sprinkle your spinach salad with roasted almonds with the skin on. Make a lentil soup with onions and garlic, or incorporate them into your stir fry. Try a brand of pasta enriched with inulin from Jerusalem artichoke or saute the artichoke and put in the sauce. As with any fiber, make sure your are drinking plenty of water when you increase your intake of Pre-biotic foods to avoid bloating and gas.
A great Pre-biotic recipe for your gut health.
Here is a Pre-biotic rich recipe gathering the pectin from apples, which is a great Microbiome. This is a stewed apple recipe, otherwise known as applesauce – without the sugar! Read below why you should limit sugars!
4 organic apples diced with skin on
Add filtered water into a pot about 1/3 up
Boil the apples for 5 – 8 minutes until the skins of the apples turn shiny, drain the water.
Place contents in a high powered blender and blend until it turns into a sauce. Add cinnamon if desired.
Drink it in your favorite martini glass and make all your friends jealous!
🔆 RECIPE TIP: I drained the water from the apples and saved it in a glass and then drank it. It was such a delicious tasting homemade apple juice! Seriously, this applesauce is so fresh tasting with a bit of tart + sweetness. Plus, it was so easy to make; you, your husband, kids & grandkids will all love it! As you can see below, this is how I diced my apples and how much water I put in my pot, and then how much applesauce it made. ⤵
Sugar and it’s effects.
Did you ever notice that when you eat a significant amount of sugar that the next day your eyes are puffy? The sugar that you ate was actually from the food for a certain type of bacteria in your gut. Quite frequently sugar dependent bacteria causes inflammation in our body. Many other bacteria can be colonized in our gut that fight inflammation, but it is up to us and our diet to develop and maintain those bacteria and feed them in our body.
Christie’s Gut
My advice is everyone needs to know about their gut health and how it might be effecting their body. After I talked with Luann and had some testing of my own gut, I found that there were certain foods that was causing inflammation (digestion issues, bloating, etc.) in my own gut. Now, I try to limit these certain foods (for me it’s wheat, tomatoes & peanuts) that cause my gut to be unhappy, which makes me feel “rumbly in my tummy”! Also, I do take a probiotic every morning and I am learning more ways to introduce prebiotics into my diet. I am so appreciative for Luann’s knowledge and have found a new interest in educating myself even more; with her help plus by reading books about gut health. See below.
Luann Lavin is a Certified Nurse Practioner
Luann is in Family Medicine who studies traditional medicine and Functional Medicine, which is getting at the “root cause” of disease. She has been writing and practicing since 2009 when she became a nurse practioner after practicing as a nurse for 25 years. Luann received her Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and practiced as a Nurse Manager at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. Upon moving to Columbus, Ohio; Luann continued her post-master’s education as a Nurse Practioner, while constantly studying advanced testing and the prevention of chronic disease. She is proud to be a resident of Scottsdale, AZ since 2015 and values the Southwestern way of life and stress-free living! You can reach Luann for consultation at Lavinconsult@gmail.com. Her goal is the share her continued education and practice with all who may benefit.
🔆“All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates.
Additional Education about Gut Health, The Microbiome Diet Book
P.S. For additional information and another way to supplement your education about gut health; here is a book that I am reading that goes into gut health detail. The book is called, The Microbiome Diet.
Christie, “Your personal trainer to help you Get Fit & Stay Fit”
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Peggy says
Great post. I have been following Dr. Weil for many years and he is big on this as well!😘
christie@fitfabforever.com says
Thanks Peggy! I have heard that about Dr. Weil and will start reading his books too, thank you! 😘
Carol Baldwin says
Just ordered 2 of the nature wise probiotic for women as it is on sale. Good news for all of us and am going to cook up some apples.
christie@fitfabforever.com says
Great idea, probiotics are so good too! I just love the applesauce and I know you will too! 💗
Lisa says
I love all the information in this post. I have had issues with my gut and finding that balance in eating the correct food is so important. Thanks for sharing the interview and the wealth of information she shared 💕
christie@fitfabforever.com says
Lisa, you are so right, it is so important to find the correct balance for our guts! I am so glad that you found the information so helpful! 💗