Getting Your Gut in Shape

Our GI systems are quite remarkable organs. Technically your GI system begins in the mouth and ends in the rectum/anus area. My favorite part is the small intestine. It is like it's own little ecosystem. Each section processes a specific set of nutrients from the foods we eat. And in those areas are a delicate balance of microflora (healthy gut bacteria) and yeast that helps promote the breakdown and utilization of the foods we eat.

If you can, imagine a long tube. Inside this tube are millions of little hairs. The tube is the lumen of the small intestine and those little hairs are actually called microvilli. See below:










(Image from the Encyclopedia of Science)
After years of improper nutrition, taking antibiotics and other medications, and not trusting our bodies to tell us when we are hungry and satisfied, the little ecosystem that sustains us gets out of balance and loses its focus.

Many of you have health goals of gaining more energy, feeling less fatigued, and realizing what peace with food looks like. Part of your journey to achieving these goals is to get your gut into shape.

Here are a few tips to start the balancing act:
1. Balance the Yeast: When it comes to sugar, go o'natural by choosing succanat, maple syrup, honey, molasses, or brown rice sugar in place of refined or brown sugars-even in baking.
2. Improve the function of those microvilli by choosing whole grains, following the plate model at each meal, and reducing the amount of wheat you eat. Try different grains like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat (kasha).
3. Balance the Bacteria by taking 1-2 probiotics each day (separately) for at least 3 months or longer. Don't settle on any probiotic at the store. Look for one that has 4+ different TYPES of bacteria, not just a large number of one or 2 types.