Let’s break down the basics of a happy, healthy gut.
And uncover what your fatigue, brain fog, and mood might be telling you about your gut health.
One of the most common reasons women and moms come to see me is for various gut concerns - persistent gas, bloating, sugar cravings, crashing after meals, constipation (or diarrhea, or both!), and associated fatigue.
It’s believed that as many as 90% of women experience digestive issues!
90%!
Yet many new patients tell me their doctor had no solutions aside from medications or OTC things like antacids or laxatives to help their gut concerns. Or that they were brushed off during their visit.
That’s why I focus so much on gut health. It’s so important as it helps every body system AND many women are just not getting the help they need and deserve.
The gut houses the chemical messengers that control your mood and hormones, influence sugar cravings, boost your immunity, and much more. And that’s why looking at the gut can be an important place to start if there is an imbalance literally anywhere in the body.
Plus, it doesn’t help that terms like gut health, gut bacteria, and the microbiome have become buzzwords when most people don’t know what those terms actually mean. It’s easy to get confused and miss out on the fundamentals with so many terms and so much information available online.
So, let’s fix that by covering the basics of a happy, healthy gut.
The Basics of a Happy, Healthy Gut
Why is a healthy gut important?
The reality is that the gut is vital for *every single* organ system in the body and is a crucial component in our overall health and well-being. Recent research shows that our gut significantly impacts the body – from regulating hormones and minimizing inflammation to stabilizing our mental health and keeping our skin glowing and healthy. The gut is also at the frontlines fighting colds, flu, bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted invaders.
Let’s break down some of the gut’s vital roles (some might surprise you!).
- About 80% or more of our immune system is in our gut. Focusing on nourishing your gut can help if you often get sick.
- Most of the body’s serotonin is made in our gut by bacteria. Serotonin is the feel-good hormone that helps us feel happy, calm, and uplifted.
- When we have gut issues, we are more susceptible to mood changes. And likewise, when we have anxiety or depression, this can negatively impact our gut function. The gut-brain axis is a complex bi-directional messaging system between the gut and our brain.
- Our gut plays a HUGE role in metabolizing and processing hormones by helping to move excess hormones out of the body. If not functioning properly, we can experience symptoms of hormone imbalance, PMS, irregular or heavy periods, hormonal acne, and trouble conceiving/infertility, among others.
What does it mean to have a happy gut and proper digestion?
The simple answer is – a happy gut means your food is adequately digested and nutrients are properly absorbed to be used throughout the whole body.
But really, a happy gut starts with your first bite. Digestion begins in the mouth with an enzyme called amylase. Then the vagus nerve signals to the digestive organs – stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, intestines, and colon – to secrete digestive enzymes, bile, and other substances so we can properly digest and absorb our food and nutrients.
After nutrients are broken down and absorbed, they travel through the body in the blood to our cells. These nutrients help ensure your brain is functioning, your mood is stable, your immune system is strong, your thyroid is happy, and your hormones are balanced. Wow! That’s a lot of pressure on your digestion. If your nutrients are not broken down and assimilated correctly, this could explain why you feel tired, sluggish, moody, etc.
What is the role of the microbiome in gut health?
We can’t talk about a happy gut without mentioning the microbiome. Our gut has an ecosystem known as the microbiome. This consists of trillions of bacteria, yeast, viruses, and other cells. The microbiome is responsible for all of our gut’s functions and our whole health relies on a happy microbiome.
Our microbiome is unique to each of us, with different bacteria found in various areas of the body - gut, skin, vagina, lungs, etc. Each type of bacteria plays a different role in fighting inflammation, promoting digestion, regulating hormones, and building immunity. When the gut is healthy, all these organisms work together to keep each other balanced. When imbalanced, there is less diversity and increased levels of the bacteria types associated with disease.
What are the signs of a healthy gut?
Five things I look for to assess for a robust digestive system and happy microbiome:
- You feel hungry in the morning.
- You have minimal sugar cravings throughout the day.
- You feel energized and not depleted or nauseous after meals.
- You have minimal gas/bloating throughout the day.
- You poop at least once per day, and your poop is soft, formed, and easy to pass.
What can contribute to an unhappy gut?
An unhappy gut usually begins with diet and lifestyle choices. No shame or guilt here. The sugar industry and lack of nutrition education in medical schools are a huge part of the problem!
But that’s a topic for another day!
Here are a few things that can contribute to an unhappy gut:
- Processed foods
- Artificial sweeteners and food colorings
- Alcohol
- Not enough water and fiber
- Stress and trauma
- Poor sleep
- Lack of daily movement
- Antibiotics
- Environmental toxins and chemicals
These contributing factors cause three main things to happen in the gut – improper digestion, inadequate levels of digestive enzymes, and an imbalance of the microbes in the gut (your microbiome).
What are the symptoms of an unhappy gut?
Issues outside the gut can indicate an underlying issue inside the gut. Beyond gut specific issues like gas and bloating, the symptoms of an unhappy gut can include:
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Anxiety, depression, or mood changes
- Sugar or carb cravings
- Acne
- Bladder or vaginal infections, especially if recurrent
- PMS
- Painful, heavy, or irregular periods
- Fertility issues
- Insomnia
- Stress
When someone comes in with these issues, I always check in and assess gut health.
What steps can you take now to improve your gut health?
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms associated with an unhappy gut, you can take some easy steps to begin healing the protective lining of your digestive tract while helping your microbiome flourish.
- Eat a wide variety of plant-based foods and increase your daily fiber intake (I recommend at least 30g daily).
- Take a break from processed foods, sugar, and alcohol to allow your microbiome and “good” bacteria to flourish.
- Move your body every day for at least 20 minutes to help improve all aspects of digestion. Yes, your organs need to move and dance to digest your food!
- Water! Drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. This is especially important if you are not pooping every. single. day. No exceptions.
Ladies, our bodies are well-oiled machines, but we need to pay attention to them and treat them like the temple and goddesses they are. Our bodies constantly strive for balance, helping us feel our best. But, we have to help our body out and give it as much love as possible so that we can show up as the amazing women we are.
Learn how you can thrive in your day by scheduling a free discovery call and start your happy gut journey today.
For the mamas in the room…
After becoming a new mom, it is difficult to provide our bodies with the love and nourishment they deserve and require. But, I’m here to help you navigate the experience of motherhood and help you move from simply surviving to thriving in my Resilient Mothers group program.
This 6-week online group program will provide you with a set of tools to help you:
- Navigate the ever-changing and rewarding role of mother
- Find a little more balance in your day
- Help you carve out space to prioritize yourself
- Reclaim your energy and internal calm
- Understand and begin to balance your hormones postpartum
Limited spaces are open for our winter Resilient Mothers group program.
Save your spot for the Resilient Mothers program today!
References
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"Gut clock: implication of circadian rhythms in the gastrointestinal tract." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673361/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease - NCBI." 16 Jul. 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682904/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2022.
"High Intake of Sugar and the Balance between Pro - NCBI." 8 May. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7284805/. Accessed 18 Oct. 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.
"Sleep, circadian rhythm, and gut microbiota - PubMed." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32668369/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2022.
"Stress and the gut: pathophysiology, clinical consequences ...." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22314561/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
"That gut feeling - American Psychological Association." 1 Sep. 2012, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling. Accessed 18 Oct. 2022.
"The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System ...." 9 Mar. 2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2022.