Gut Health Made Simple - Your Essential Guide for Better Digestion
Are you struggling with bloating or indigestion? Ever wonder why your digestive health impacts your overall well-being? Are you looking for natural holistic ways to improve your digestion without medication? In this episode, we're demystifying gut health and making it simple for you to understand and improve.
Tune in and discover the easy steps you can take for a healthier gut.
Welcome to the Sparkling Life Coach Podcast.
Hey there Sparkling One, I'm Dee Diaz, your Host, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Here on this podcast, we explore ways to elevate our health and well-being holistically to live our most vibrant, sparkling lives.
In this series of episodes, we're discussing the Wellness Lifestyle Pyramid and how nutrition, digestion, movement, metabolism, sleep, stress management, and environmental exposures all intertwine to impact our health.
And today, we're focusing on one of the levels of that pyramid, a topic that's essential for our overall health, our digestive health, and the simple steps you can take to improve your gut health.
So, let's get started.
I'd like you to imagine your digestive system as a thriving garden. Like a garden, our digestive system needs the right care and attention to flourish. We'll explore how to nurture this vital ecosystem to support your health and vitality.
Let's kick things off by reviewing the Wellness Lifestyle Pyramid. Picture this as the blueprint for your health. For those who are new, this pyramid was created with foundational health principles in mind. Like a pyramid where each layer builds on the one below it, at the base we have nutrition and digestion.
We covered nutrition on our last episode, so our focus for today is digestion.
It's like stacking blocks. Remove the foundation and everything falls apart. Like the Jenga blocks game.
These foundational blocks are crucial because they support all other aspects of our health. And if our foundation is shaky or if we remove it, the whole structure topples. Nutrition, digestion,
Movement and metabolism are the bedrock of our well-being. Each of these impacts our overall health.
If you haven't yet listened to or watched our last episode, Constructing Your Health Routine, I encourage you to do so, and I'll leave the link in the show notes, because every system in our body needs adequate nourishment to function optimally. This means eating a diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
A balanced diet is key. But let's break it down a bit more. Imagine you're constructing a home. You wouldn't skimp on the materials, right? The same goes for your forever home, your body. Without the right nutrients, you're left with a weak structure. For example, proteins are the building blocks of muscles, enzymes, and hormones. Vitamins like A, C, and E play a crucial role in immune function, skin health, and cellular repair. Minerals like calcium and magnesium are essential for bone health and muscle function. So, nutrition and digestion are the cornerstones.
Much like the soil in our garden, right? Without good soil, our plants can't thrive. Similarly, without proper nutrition and digestion, our health can't flourish.
Now, let's focus on digestion. Our digestive system is the hub where all nutrients are processed, determining how they benefit our body. Poor digestive health can lead to issues like abdominal discomfort, bloating, and indigestion. It's like having weeds in your garden that choke out the good plants. We need to cultivate our gut health to avoid these problems.
Did you know that your gut health impacts nutrient absorption, immune system function, and even your mental wellness? I find it so fascinating how interconnected everything is. Another good example of how our digestive system works is thinking of it as a nutrient factory. When it's running smoothly, it's able to extract and distribute all the good stuff from your food.
But if there are issues, like insufficient hydration or poor dietary choices, the factory can't operate efficiently. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and a compromised immune system.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to support your digestive health is by drinking plenty of water. Think of water as the irrigation system for our garden. Without it, the soil dries out and the plants wilt. Similarly, without proper hydration, our digestive system struggles to function. Without it, you might experience constipation and dehydration, which can lead to a host of other issues.
A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.
So, for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 75 ounces of water daily. And honestly, aiming for a gallon a day isn't a bad idea. But I know, I know, that's a lot, and I'm working my way up there too. It's a good goal to have, because hydration is what keeps everything moving smoothly.
Now, achieving proper hydration requires a balance of electrolytes, which are essential minerals, to keep your bodily systems humming along smoothly.
As a hydration supplement, dōTERRA’s MetaPWR Recharge understands the delicate nature of the human body and offers the best balance of six key electrolytes in addition to four different types of magnesium. Now, I know for some of us, this is a difficult task, so I'm going to challenge you.
Make it a game. Start where you are and increase an additional glass every day, or every other day, until you reach your recommended daily requirement based on your weight. Try that for the next 30 days, and then I'd love to hear from you. Leave us a message on our fan list page at fanlist. com slash SparklingLifeCoach and let us know how you feel with the additional hydration.
Next, let's talk about diet. Eating a diverse range of whole foods Fruits, vegetables, whole grains. These are packed with essential nutrients and natural enzymes that aid digestion. So, let's talk specifics. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are excellent sources of fiber and essential vitamins.
Berries are rich in antioxidants. Adding fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut to your diet can further boost your gut health by introducing beneficial probiotics.
Remember, a diet rich in whole foods supports a balanced microbial ecology in your gut, which is crucial for optimal digestion and overall health. These foods are like the compost that enriches our garden soil and act as beneficial microbes that help our gut ecosystem to thrive.
Did you know that 70 percent of your body's immune system resides in your digestive tract? Yes, maintaining good digestive health is essential for a strong immune response. Certain gut microbes stimulate immune cells supporting a healthy immune system. Consider this. Different gut microbes can synthesize vitamins and amino acids including B vitamins and vitamin K, which are crucial for various bodily functions.
For instance, the enzymes needed to form vitamin B12 are only found in bacteria, not plants or animals. So having a diverse gut microbiome is essential for optimal health. It's like the natural pest control in our garden, keeping harmful invaders at bay. A diverse and healthy gut microbiome supports a robust immune system, synthesizing vital vitamins and amino acids that we need.
Our bodies are home to about 10 trillion cells, and only half of them are human. The rest make up our microbiome. It's a complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in and on our bodies. These microorganisms are essential for human development, immune system strength, and nutrition utilization.
Think of your gut as a bustling city. The more diverse its inhabitants, the more vibrant and efficient the city becomes. Factors like movement, stress management, and sleep all play a role in maintaining this balance. We'll talk more about that in later episodes.
Now let's talk about enzymes. These specialized proteins act as catalysts for cellular functions, including digestion. Fresh foods, raw foods, naturally contain these enzymes, but cooking and processing can destroy them. And so that's where whole food enzyme supplements can help ensure you're getting enough for proper digestion.
Supplementing your diet with probiotics and prebiotics is also a great way to support your gut health. Enzymes are crucial for digestion, acting like the garden tools that break down nutrients, making them accessible for absorption.
So, in addition to lifestyle changes, supplements can replenish your reserves of enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics. And that's why I love using dōTERRA’s PB Restore, PB Assist Plus, and their Fiber powder to provide a blend of probiotic microorganisms and prebiotic fiber that support a healthy gut microbiome.
These are like adding beneficial insects and compost to enrich our garden ecosystem that support a healthy digestive and immune system. Taking a daily probiotic and prebiotic supplement is one of the best ways to support your whole body microbiome. dōTERRA PB Restore assists your microbiome by providing prebiotic fiber, 30 active cultures, and 24 strains of probiotic microorganisms in a unique double layer vegetable capsule. The formula is enhanced with bacterial phages, which target harmful bacteria and cause them to burst.
Phages have a unique ability to hone in on specific bacterial species or strains, supporting the immune system and enhancing the effectiveness of the probiotic. The time release double layer capsule protects the probiotic cultures as they pass through the stomach, ensuring they reach the digestive and immune systems to provide the support they need.
Probiotic and prebiotic supplements can encourage healthy activity in your intestinal microbiome. Some key components to look for in a quality microbiome supplement are prebiotics. These are the fuel for probiotics. Prebiotic carbohydrates or fiber nourish probiotics, making them stronger. It should have probiotics.
These beneficial bacteria help maintain a healthy balance by crowding out harmful bacteria. They aid in digestion and the breakdown of fats and proteins. Postbiotics. These are the beneficial by-products of probiotics. They create health promoting metabolites that influence our DNA and overall cellular health.
And phages, also known as bacteriophages, these are viruses that target and kill harmful bacteria, enhancing the effectiveness of probiotics. Then, there's the PB Assist Plus Probiome Gut Complex. While dōTERRA PB Restore supports your overall microbiome, PB Assist Plus ProBiome Gut Complex targets gut and digestive health specifically. PB Assist Plus contains a proprietary blend of 13 probiotic strains and 1 prebiotic. All in a convenient stick pack for the whole family.
The prebiotic includes FOS inulin, which research suggests promotes a healthy digestive system, digestive comfort, healthy lipid metabolism, a healthy cardiovascular system, a healthy nervous system, and a healthy immune system. Plus, they're tasty and a great way to encourage healthy habits in kids from an early age. Another excellent supplement for gut health is dōTERRA TerraZyme. This proprietary blend contains 10 active whole food enzymes that are often deficient in cooked, processed, and preservative laden foods. TerraZyme helps digest proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and other nutrients. It promotes optimal health by providing nutrient digestion and reducing the body's need to produce digestive enzymes.
This frees up resources for metabolic enzyme production and activity. Just take one to three vegetable capsules with meals throughout the day. If your meal includes lots of fresh raw foods, you just need one capsule. For highly processed or cooked foods, or those that cause gastrointestinal discomfort, take 2 to 3 capsules. Some may experience initial changes in their digestive schedule, but this should normalize within a few days. TerraZyme can also provide targeted support for food intolerances involving proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, such as lactose. Different prebiotics benefit various classes of gut microbes, so a broader blend of prebiotics support a wider range of microbes. dōTERRA Fiber offers an excellent prebiotic blend. Interestingly, humans may lack the digestive enzymes to break down these prebiotics, but the microbes in our gut can. This allows the prebiotics to bypass regular digestion and directly nourish gut microbes, supporting a healthy microbiome and immune system. Interestingly, microbiome researchers suggest that short-chain fatty acids in the gut create a link between the brain and the gut. Studies show that gut health can affect mood, cognition, mental health, and pain sensitivity. A high fiber diet influences the type and amount of microbiota in the intestines.
Beneficial bacteria perform crucial gastrointestinal functions such as digesting fiber, enhancing metabolism, and regulating bowel movements. When gut microorganisms break down dietary fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids, which impact nearly every aspect of our health.
And it's so easy to use. Just mix one scoop of dōTERRA Fiber with 10 ounces of water and drink it immediately for a delicious and nourishing experience. It tastes so yummy, you're gonna love it. Other products I use as digestive support are essential oils, like the DigestZen blend. This blend contains Peppermint, Ginger, and Fennel essential oils that can offer digestive support. Think of these oils like the natural fertilizers that enhance our garden's growth. In addition, products like dōTERRA’s Peppermint Soft Gels and Digest Tab are designed to provide natural targeted digestive relief and support when it's needed.
Remember, your digestive health is foundational to your overall well-being. Maintaining a good digestive health is all about making informed lifestyle choices. Drink plenty of water. Eat a diverse range of whole foods. Consider supplementing your diet with enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics to give your gut the support it needs.
By nurturing your gut, you're cultivating a thriving, balanced ecosystem within your body.
Let's keep our gut gardens flourishing. So, to help you with that, if you're ready to take the next step and you want to try any of the products I mentioned in this episode, check out the link in the show notes, which will provide you with a 25 percent discount on any of dōTERRA’s products when purchasing through the provided affiliate link.
And don't forget to download the Gut and Digestive Health Guide. But there are other lifestyle factors that support our gut health. Things like movement, stress management, and adequate sleep are essential for maintaining a healthy gut.
Exercise, for example, increases blood flow to digestive muscles, much like aerating the soil in our garden. Managing stress prevents harmful bacteria from taking over. It's akin to keeping pests under control. And getting enough sleep ensures our gut flora stays balanced and healthy. So, I hope you're subscribed, and stay tuned as we'll be discussing these lifestyle factors in our upcoming episodes.
Make sure to join me in our next one, where we'll explore more about the importance of movement and its impact on our health. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Sparkling Life Coach Podcast. I hope you found today's discussion helpful and inspiring. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe and share it with your family and friends.
Let's continue this journey toward a vibrant, healthy life.
Until next time, Sparkle On, and Don't Forget to Sprinkle a Little Sparkle Everywhere You Go. Ciao!
