We say it all the time, "Trust your gut." But, do you actually listen to your gut? Your gut is trying to tell you something...so listen up!!

Think of your gut as a forest. Whatever soil you place there (whatever you choose to eat) can either create disease among your forest, eventually deteriorating and weakening the habitat. Or, it can create a thriving and growing habitat.

It is scientifically proven that the food you eat, the air you breathe, the products you use on your skin, all have a major impact on YOUR habitat; your own ecosystem if you will. We are all uniquely coded with our own individual cells. Not one person has the same genetic code make up! What you like or dislike is different than what your kids like and dislike. What you are sensitive and allergic to is different than what your parents are sensitive and allergic to. Knowing your own limits, sensitivities, allergies, and deficiencies assist you in becoming a thriving individual, inside and out!

Do these questions sound familiar:

Why can I not lose weight?

Why am I constantly exhausted?

Why can't I sleep?

Why do I always feel unmotivated?

Why do I go through extreme high to low mood swings?

Why can't I remember why I came in this room?

Why do I feel super bloated sometimes?

I can write out at least 20 more questions that people ask all the time. (Or make statements about all the time). The truth...Your more than likely feeding your gut "poison".

The Gut

I can't inform you of what a leaky gut is, or how your gut affects your mental health without getting kinda scientific on you for a minute. The Gut is the all inclusive system of your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, colon, and anus. The entire system is hard at work, from start to finish, every time you eat or breathe. The Gut plays a vital role in vitamin and nutrient absorption in the body. Needless to say, if there is a disruption in this process, many things can, and will, go wrong.

Leaky Gut

You may have heard of "leaky Gut syndrome" or "increased intestinal permeability". But, for easier comprehensive purposes, I'll stick to Leaky Gut!

So, what is Leaky Gut? Without getting too sciency, Leaky Gut happens when little spaces called "tight junctions" in your digestive tract loosen and create openings for bacteria and other substances to pass into our bloodstream. Somewhat like a crack in a sewage line; toxins escape and pollute the environment. In other words, your gut is the sewer line and you are leaking toxins into your body! How does that even happen? Well, any physical damage inflicted, harsh chemical ingestion, illnesses, food sensitivities, and allergic reactions can all cause Leaky Gut. This is why it is so important to be extremely aware of your environment, food sensitivities and allergies, as well as taking the safety precautions when performing any physical activity. You need to protect your gut! Your gut controls the balance of nutrients in and out of your body.

When the gut is damaged it can lead to:

Food Allergies & Asthma

Cardiovascular Diseases

Metabolic Disruptions

Depression, Anxiety, or Mood Disorders

Excessive Fatigue

Brain Fog

Joint Pain

The Causes of A Leaky Gut

When symptoms begin to appear, there are quite a few things to look at before pin pointing the exact cause for each individual. Many doctors have blood panels done, food journals filled out, and physical check ups. Many things can cause a leaky gut as I listed above. In some cases genetics can play a role as well. What goes in, doesn't necessarily come out.

My triggers just happen to be foods that I thought were healthy. Bananas, eggs, cauliflower, and then the items I already knew were bad for me, gluten and dairy. If I ingest a smoothie that contains bananas, a breakfast with scrambled eggs, or cauliflower rice, I don't have an instant reaction, but the next day I feel seriously exhausted, bloated, and yup, gassy! If I'm being honest, dairy is the worst! It usually takes me a few days to feel "back on track". Before I knew my "triggers", or sensitivities, I ate bread, cheese, bananas, all of it, all of the time. No wonder I felt like I was constantly running out of steam. I was way off the tracks with no coal, wood, or oil!! Or in my case no hormone balance.

Take Control of Your Gut

Getting a diagnosis of a Leaky Gut can be a bit confusing and daunting. Some doctors are amazing in guiding you through the healing of your gut. Others leave you to figure it out on your own. Some write up a prescription automatically (which in my personal opinion is a step backwards in the healing process). So what can you do? And, are there things at home you can put into motion to start the healing process? Of course! I had an amazing doctor help me on the beginning of my journey, and I also did quite a bit of my own research.

First things first: Take a look at your nutrition. Cut inflammatory food from your diet. Dairy, Gluten, Food Additives, Sugar, and Saturated Fats all contribute to severe increase of toxins in your body. If it comes from a box, chances are it is an inflammatory food. Go for more veggies and fruit. So many people have found tremendous improvements eating a Mediterranean diet high in veggies, nuts, fruits, certain grains, and good fats (i.e. olive oil). I find lots of delicious recipes on Pinterest if you need inspiration.

I actually went on a 6 week cleanse. No processed foods, dairy, gluten (obviously), citrus, basically any foods that can cause inflammation. After my cleanse I underwent a blood panel...on literally everything. Food sensitivities, thyroid, and all the other exciting blood drawing tests! I believe I had at least 12 blood vials taken, but it could have been more! Ha!

Get dirty sometimes. I know this goes against the typical "wash your hands", "rub antibacterial all over yourself after you leave a place", but it is important to your immune system for some amount of exposure to microbes. Not having enough exposure can lead to allergies and autoimmune diseases. Now, I'm not saying never wash your hands, please do! Especially post bathroom use, but relax a little with your wipes!! You do not have to wipe down every single grocery cart you come into contact with. You also don't have to wipe your kiddos down from head to toe when they get home from school. Not all germs are bad, a lot actually assist you in becoming a stronger warrior when it comes to battling virus' and illnesses.

The obvious culprits: Stay away from alcohol & drugs. This includes those pills in your medicine cabinet at home like Aspirin and Ibuprofen (these actually cause inflammation). Now I have a glass of red wine every now and then, but if you are finding yourself have 2-3 glasses every night...I'm going to raise the red flag on ya right now!!

Chronic stress is another obvious, but tough one, to control. Steer clear of situations (or sometimes people) that can stir up stress in your life. Stress produces certain chemicals that awaken proteins that cause leaky gut. So learn to find time to meditate, take a break, or even nap if you need to during the day. There are so many great apps out there that can guide you through a meditation too! But, if laying down in silence for 5 minutes works for you, go on with your relaxation!!

Take a Probiotic and eat lots of Prebiotics. These work as side kicks for your gut to keep producing the good bacteria. I have my probiotics on subscribe and save on Amazon...I don't even have to think about it anymore. I fill my vitamin containers every two weeks so I just have to pop them out of their container in the morning, and take them with my oats! I always try to eat my prebiotics either in smoothies or steam up some veggies for dinner. I also love me some Kambucha!!

Wear protective gear when working with heavy machinery, or partaking in a high intensity physical events. I know this sounds odd, but harsh physical blows can cause severe damage in your body and mind. Just do as mom asks, and put your helmet on!

Affects of Leaky Gut

Leaky Gut can lead to the following:

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (including Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes

Autoimmune Conditions (including Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Thyroid Conditions (including Hashimoto's Disease)

Allergies & Asthma

Celiac Disease & Gluten Sensitivities

Autism

Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders

Parkinson's Disease

This list is scary for me to read through. Not to mention, scientific studies are discovering even more diseases and disorders being caused by a leaky gut. There are millions of people battling these ailments and diseases every day. And more and more individuals get diagnosis every day.

Take charge of your gut! Your gut is the dictator of your ultimate health. Observe everything about your lifestyle from food, to environment, to the lotion and make up you wear. You are in charge of how healthy, or how sick you are. No doctor will be able to guide you every single step of the way. It's your responsibility to truly CARE for yourself, and it's our responsibility to teach our children to take care of themselves.

I invite you to educate yourself on exactly who you are. What foods make you feel fabulous? What foods make you feel terrible? Do I have itchy skin when I wear a particular lotion of perfume? Ask as many questions as possible, and see if YOU can solve the problem. It is the best studying you will ever encounter...studying YOU!