Have you ever thought about why you crave specific foods sometimes? Did you know that the not so good bacteria in your gut can trigger your cravings for sweet treats. They love to feed on sugar and want you to eat more of it! So think about how difficult this is when you’re trying your best to lose weight but continually have cravings. When it comes to losing weight, you want to make sure your gut is healthy and working in your favor.
A Healthy Gut and Fat Loss
Most of your gut microbiome lives in your intestines and includes a mix of good, bad and neutral bacteria. Its main purpose is to protect the gut lining and have your immune system flourish. Your gut also contains many different strains of bacteria which is a good thing and the more strains you have, the better your chance of having lower body fat.
What has Changed?
The food you eat plays a big role in the health of your gut. The food industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Added sugars, artificial sugars, processed foods, anti-nutrient foods all play a part in your gut health and weight loss.
We are more stressed than ever these days and this can wreak havoc in your gut. Antibiotics and medications can also compromise your gut. We have come so far because of these inventions but today it seems we are over medicating.
Just like there is the 80/20 rule for food, the rule for a healthy gut is an average mix of 85% good/neutral bacteria and 15% not so good bacteria. It’s when this balance gets compromised and the not so good bacteria take over. If the bad bacteria start to overpopulate, they can really cause a lot of problems in your gut. Trying to lose weight with a compromised gut will seem like an uphill battle.
You Are Not Just What You Eat!
You are what you:
Digest – what your body breaks down after eating carbs, proteins and fat
Absorb – taking these food components into your bloodstream to feed your cells
Assimilate – this is where nutrients actually get into the cell
Eliminate – removing metabolic waste and by products from your body
If any one of these processes is compromised, this can make losing weight more difficult. It’s going to be harder to break down food and get the nutrients and energy from it. Waste can build up and cause you to retain water and become bloated. This does not sound very appealing!
What Does a Compromised Gut Mean?
With a compromised gut you may start to crave more sugar, feel tired all the time, develop food sensitivities or end up with something called leaky gut. A compromised gut can lead to a whole host of unpleasant issues which is why having a healthy gut is so important.
The 5 R’s to a Healthy Digestion
If you think your gut may be compromised there is a solution – the 5 R’s of healthy digestion protocol. The 5 R’s focuses on healing your gut, reducing inflammation and helping you digest better.
The 5 R’s includes:
1. Remove
2. Replace
3. Rebalance
4. Reseal
5. Rejuvenate
Remove
You want to remove foods that may be causing an issue or sensitivity in your gut. These would include processed foods, sugar, genetically modified foods, wheat, artificial sweeteners and commercial cow’s milk. You also want to remove any parasites or balance any overgrowth of bacteria such as candida. Once you remove these from your body, the healing process can begin while lowering inflammation.
Replace
Your gut will have some relief once you eliminate the offending foods from your diet. Now it’s time to nourish your body. Start to incorporate more whole foods, fiber, healthy fats, organic meat and wild caught fish.
Rebalance
It’s time to rebalance your gut flora with beneficial bacteria. More of these good bacteria will help keep the bad bacteria in line so they don’t overpopulate. You can eat foods that contain probiotics or take a probiotic supplement. Some examples of fermented foods that naturally contain probiotics include sauerkraut, tempeh, pickles in brine and coconut kefir.
Reseal
You want to help reseal your gut lining and repair any damage that was done. Many people have leaky gut and don’t even know they do. Leaky gut basically means your gut wall is damaged. Some causes of leaky gut include long term stress, eating processed foods or wheat and taking medications.
A few foods and supplements that can help repair that leaky gut include:
- Probiotics
- Bone broth
- L-Glutamine
- Slippery Elm
Rejuvenate
It’s time to release any stress you may be feeling which will help benefit your digestive health. This could include taking a relaxing walk in nature, getting a massage, writing in your journal or even something simple as laughing. The better you are at de-stressing the more your gut will thank you.
If you think you might have a compromised gut than it may be time to make a few adjustments with your lifestyle and nutrition habits. The happier and healthier your gut is, the easier it will be to get you closer to your weight loss goals!
Your friend and strategist,
.
