How to Recognize the Signs of Gut Dysbiosis and Begin Balancing Your Gut Health
Hey, mama! Let’s get you from surviving off of your kids’ leftovers to thriving off of power foods to nourish that beautiful body of yours ;)
It’s common for new moms to end up eating whatever is easy, whenever we can squeeze it in. We find ourselves eating during or in-between nursing sessions or shoving food in our faces before we get our whole crew out the door. We’re in survival mode! Especially if no one else is cooking.
These eating habits from the early newborn stage become our ongoing habits. We eat our toddler’s leftover food, chips, crackers, or cheese and call it lunch. Anything to simply survive these early stages of motherhood!
No shame, mama! You are not to blame for these habits. This motherhood stuff is hard and oftentimes we are trying to be the whole village raising our kids.
However, these eating habits can take a toll on your body, leaving you with an unhappy gut, contributing to hormonal imbalance and insulin sensitivity down the road. It’s time to take a stand and treat our bodies (and our gut) as a temple and a goddess – because they are.
So mamas, stop eating your kiddo's leftover mac n’ cheese!
Instead, let’s dive into how you can bring awareness to what contributes to an unhappy gut and focus on digestion as the centerpiece to health, healing, wellness, and vitality.
Why Gut Health Is So Important
You might think, “I don’t have any digestive issues or abdominal pain. I feel fine.” But the reality is when women come to me with fatigue, hormonal issues, or skin problems, one of the first things we work on is their gut health.
Because everything starts in the gut.
Let’s quickly review. When an imbalance occurs in the body, digestion and gut repair can be an essential place to start. Gut health is vital for every organ system in the body and impacts our overall health – from hormone issues to inflammation to mental health to skin concerns.
I can confidently say that there will be healing in the body when there is healing in the gut.
Read more about the basics of a happy, healthy gut and uncover what your symptoms might tell you about your gut health in my previous blog, The Basics of a Happy, Healthy Gut.
Common Signs of an Unhappy Gut
Your gut houses the majority of your immune system, and the health of your gut inevitably impacts everything from your menstrual cycles to your sleep to your mood to your skin. But, the surprising impacts on the body from your gut don’t stop there. Various symptoms throughout the body can be associated with an unhealthy gut, including:
- Fatigue or insomnia
- Food cravings
- Brain fog
- Painful, heavy, or irregular periods
- PMS
- Fertility issues
- Allergies
- Autoimmune conditions
- Mood issues including anxiety and depression
- Skin concerns - acne, chronic rashes, hives
- Migraines and headaches
- Bladder or vaginal infections
- Pelvic pain
- Endometriosis
- Stress
Do any of these surprise you?! It’s all connected, mama!
What contributes to an unhappy gut?
Our gut thrives when we properly digest food, have adequate levels of digestive enzymes, and have a good balance of microbes in our gut, aka our microbiome.
For example, a diet including processed foods and sugars promotes the growth of harmful bacteria and yeast in the gut leading to what we call “dysbiosis” leading to symptoms in our gut and body. These include gas, bloating, bowel changes, crashing after meals, sugar and carb cravings, general fatigue, insomnia, and irritability.
While nutrition is vital for a happy gut, it isn’t the only thing that matters. The main factors in our diet and life that can contribute to an unhappy gut include:
- Processed foods
- Artificial sweeteners and food colorings
- Alcohol
- Inadequate amounts of water and fiber
- Food sensitivities - the most common being gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy
- Stress and trauma
- Poor sleep
- Lack of regular movement
- Certain medications (antibiotics and long term antacids are big ones!)
- Environmental toxins
Gut Dysbiosis
Our gut is home to our microbiome, consisting of millions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Together, these microorganisms keep our gut healthy and are essential for digestion, immune function, and hormone balance. Gut dysbiosis occurs when these microorganisms are out of balance - too few of the “good” and too many of the “bad” types of bacteria.
Gut dysbiosis can present in several ways. And when left unchecked, gut dysbiosis can contribute to health conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, autism, PMDD, endometriosis, arthritis, eczema, and more.
Symptoms of Gut Dysbiosis
The symptoms of gut dysbiosis are different for everyone. Common symptoms include diarrhea or constipation (sometimes both), gas, bloating, nausea, reflux, and abdominal discomfort. Additional symptoms of gut dysbiosis can consist of:
- Chronic fatigue and “brain fog”
- Insomnia
- Joint pain
- Food intolerances and sensitivities
- Chronic acne, eczema, hives, skin rashes, or skin irritations
- Chronic UTIs or chronic vaginal infections (including HPV)
- Anxiety or depression
8 Ways You Can Begin Healing your Gut
The good news is that just like there are a lot of things that can contribute to an unhappy gut (like that leftover mac n’ cheese), there are many things you can do to begin healing your gut. Here are eight things you can do today that will improve your gut microbiome and the health of your gut and your whole body. You don’t have to do all eight - just try one or two and go from there.
1. Take a break from sugar and alcohol.
I know this one doesn’t sound that fun. But, sugar and alcohol contribute to an imbalance of good/bad gut bacteria, making it more challenging for your microbiome to do their many jobs in your body.
2. Eliminate common food sensitivities.
If you’re not pregnant or nursing, you might consider eliminating one or more common food sensitivities for a few weeks to a few months. These include gluten, dairy, corn, eggs, or soy. These can contribute to inflammation in the gut, and eliminating them can give the gut some space to heal. And a lot of the time, we can add these foods back in when the gut is feeling happier. But remember, it’s best to not eliminate them if you don’t need to! Talk with a knowledgeable practitioner about it.
Note: I do not recommend food elimination for anyone with a history of an eating disorder. Work with an experienced practitioner before you dive into food elimination.
3. Eat more energetically warming foods.
According to ancient traditions, eating warm and energetically warming foods will help support digestion. These foods promote proper nerve signaling to the gut organs, encouraging adequate digestive enzyme secretion, enabling your food to break down properly into nutrients used throughout the body. These foods include soups, broths, ginger, cinnamon, root vegetables, congee, and kitchari. Hello, fall harvest!!
4. Eat slowly.
This one can be hard for moms, but aim for slowing down and chewing your food adequately during meals. Carve out some space and time for meals with limited distractions. These meal practices alone can significantly improve digestion overall.
5. Move your body daily.
Movement helps with all aspects of digestion, insulin response, and hormone production. Your gut organs need to move and dance to digest your food, absorb nutrients and process your hormones. Try for moving your body at least 20 minutes per day, especially after meals.
6. Increase your fiber.
Try to get 30 grams of fiber daily through whole grains and vegetables like flax and chia seeds, beans, quinoa, brown rice, oats, avocadoes, carrots, beets, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli.
7. Hydrate.
Drink your water! Try drinking half of your body weight in ounces per day. Staying hydrated is especially important for those who don’t poop daily. If you struggle with this one, get yourself a new, fancy water bottle you’re excited to drink from and set reminders. This works!
8. Increase your magnesium.
Focus on increasing your magnesium by incorporating more root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, etc), and supplement, if necessary. Magnesium is especially beneficial if you aren’t pooping daily or have any associated hormonal issues - PMS, irregular, painful or heavy periods, infertility, etc.
Don’t worry; you don’t need to try all eight of these tips and don’t need to do them forever. Try picking one or two things from the list for just one month and see how you feel.
And once your gut begins to heal, it will be less reactive to the occasional glass of wine or basket of fries.
Healing an Unhappy Gut
Mamas, if we don’t have healthy digestion, a healthy microbiome, and proper signaling to and from our gut, then all the beautiful, delicious, healthy food in the world is essentially wasted.
So, stop eating your kiddo's mac n’ cheese and instead focus on your gut's health, healing, wellness, and vitality.
Heal your unhappy gut and start feeling energized again. Start your gut healing journey by scheduling a free discovery call today.
Building Resilient Mothers
For more support with your gut and overall body vitality, my Resilient Mothers group program is here to help you move from simply surviving to thriving in your motherhood!
This 6-week online group program will provide you with a set of tools to help you:
- Navigate the ever-changing and rewarding role as a mother
- Find a little more balance in your day
- Help you carve out space to prioritize yourself
- Reclaim your energy and internal calm
- Start to balance your hormones postpartum
Limited spaces are available for our winter Resilient Mothers group program.
Save your spot for the Resilient Mothers program today!
References
"Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in disease - PMC - NCBI." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4315779/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"Gut clock: implication of circadian rhythms in the gastrointestinal tract." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673361/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Immunometabolism: New Frontiers ...." 9 Dec. 2018, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2018/2037838/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2022.
"Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases - PMC - NCBI." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425030/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"Stress and the gut: pathophysiology, clinical consequences ...." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22314561/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"The role of gut dysbiosis in Parkinson's disease - PubMed." 22 Oct. 2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33856024/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.