5 TIPS FOR GUT HEALTH BY DR. CARLY MONSON

Sep 8

1. CHEW YOUR FOOD

Ensure to chew your food thoroughly and slowly. This helps the body release the enzymes necessary to digest the food, and therefore aids the body in proper food digestion.

2. AVOID WORKING WHILE YOU EAT

Working or hurrying through your meal leads to improper digestion. If you release the stress hormone Cortisol during your meal, you will put digestion on the backburner, while it carries out the stress response. This can lead to bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and gas.

3. FOLLOW THE DIRTY DOZEN / CLEAN 15

Pesticides such as glyphosate are known to wreak havoc on the intestinal lining. Limit exposure to these toxins by following the Environmental Working Group’s guidelines on which produce to buy organic. The dirty dozen should definitely be bought organic as they have the highest known exposure to pesticides. The clean 15 are generally safe to be bought non-organic, as they have low exposure to pesticides or have a protective barrier such as a rind or peel that does not get eaten.

Clean 15: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

Dirty Dozen: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

4. EAT THE RAINBOW

Incorporating fruits and vegetables with different colors will help you get a wide range of nutrients that are necessary for not only proper digestion and gut health, but also for all of the other body systems. Subsequently, eating the same foods over and over again without variety can cause nutrient deficiencies.

5. TRIAL AN ELIMINATION DIET OF “THE BIG 8”

If you are experiencing any gastrointestinal symptoms OR extraintestinal symptoms such as acne, eczema, headaches, anxiety, or joint pain - it can be beneficial to trial an elimination diet of the most common inflammatory foods. These are dairy, gluten, eggs, corn, soy, tree nuts/peanuts, and shellfish. If you have tried this and still don’t notice an improvement, it may be time to set up an appointment with a qualified health professional to do a personalized food sensitivity test.

6. BONUS! - TEST, DON’T GUESS

Did you notice that I didn’t mention probiotics or probiotic rich foods here? That is because they are not appropriate for everyone, and in some cases, can make people feel worse. When in doubt, always test to make sure you are taking what is appropriate for your own body.

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