Poor gut health is a sign of poor overall health. More correctly, if you have poor gut health, your overall health is suffering as a result. You have more bacteria cells in your gut than you have human cells in your entire body. If your gut is unhealthy, those bacteria are unhealthy, and you’re unhealthy by default. Experts say about 90% of our health problems are caused by poor gut health!
Poor gut health isn’t only caused by unhealthy bacteria, but they are a major cause. Consider that many autoimmune issues and irritable bowel syndrome are linked to an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy bacteria.
Since your calories and nutrients pass through your gut before they become available to you, the health of your gut influences the health of every part of your body.
These issues are all related to poor gut health:
- Addiction to simple carbohydrates. Sugar is so bad for your body. Eating simple sugars helps the bad bacteria in your gut to grow. And, what do those bacteria like to eat? That’s right, more sugar. If you have regular cravings for foods with a high sugar content, it might be a sign of poor gut health.
- Difficulty concentrating. A reduced ability to concentrate is a common complaint among those with poor gut health. It’s believed that the inflammation caused by poor gut health affects the brain’s ability to focus and block out excess stimuli. When I have too much sugar, I can’t think straight.
- Gastrointestinal distress. Diarrhea, bloating, constipation, gas, heartburn, or other gastrointestinal discomfort can be a sign of poor gut health. A healthy gut is able to process and eliminate waste with minimal difficulties. Regular gastrointestinal distress can be a sign of a serious issue.
- Fatigue. Fatigue is another common symptom found in those suffering from poor gut health. If you’re frequently tired without explanation, your gut may be to blame.
● If you frequently suffer from fatigue, consider how much sleep you’ve been getting. If you’re getting plenty of sleep and you’re still tired, you might want to consider the possibility that your gut is to blame.
- Unexplained changes in weight. It’s possible that poor gut health can lead to either weight gain or weight loss. If your diet and exercise are unchanged and your weight is changing significantly, you might have an issue in your gut. Gut issues can affect your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients.
- Autoimmune disorders. There are numerous autoimmune disorders that can either be caused by, or exacerbated by, poor gut health. The bad bacteria in your gut are able to travel around the body and create inflammation in various tissues and organs. This inflammation is a major cause of many diseases. Some medical experts believe this type of inflammation might possibly be responsible for nearly all diseases.
- Skin ailments. Skin difficulties, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, and rosacea can all be caused by gut-related issues. Enhancing your gut health can often eliminate these annoying conditions. One of my co-workers could tell when I’ve had cake because the eczema on my calf would be in full bloom!
- Poor sleep. Between the gastrointestinal distress, inflammation, skin issues, and autoimmune disorders, it’s no wonder that sleep quality can become an issue. It’s odd to think that an issue in your gut could be disrupting your sleep, but it happens.
Gut health is a serious issue. You can’t be healthy if your gut is unhealthy. If you consistently have symptoms of poor gut health, it’s time to see your doctor.
Some ways to treat your gut right — take a high quality probiotic and digestive enzyme!
doTERRA has both and they are amazing.
- Promotes a positive balance and proliferation of beneficial bacteria
- Maintains healthy intestinal microflora balance
- Supports healthy functioning of the digestive and immune systems
- Supports the health of the GI tract, particularly the intestines and colon
- Helps support optimal metabolism and absorption of food
- Supports healthy digestion and metabolism of enzyme-deficient, processed foods
- Supports conversion of food nutrients to cellular energy
- Supports healthy production of metabolic enzymes*
- Proprietary blend of 10 active whole-food enzymes
- Contains the doTERRA tummy tamer blend of Peppermint, Ginger, and Caraway Seed
Reducing stress is another way to improve your gut health.
Also eating more fermented foods like Kimchi or yogurt. You might want to increase your cruciferous vegetables intake, too.
I have a recipe on this blog for cauliflower that is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Treat your gut properly, and you’ll be well rewarded.
