Gut health

Is it another trend?

Have you or are you considering your gut health? There is a lot of information out there on gut health, is it a trend or not? Well I can only tell you about my gut health journey.

I have suffered from migraines for over the last 2 decades and they were getting progressively worse and to top it off I started getting dreaded peri-menopausal symptoms ( I will do a whole other blog on the peri-menopause!) so I embarked on a journey of finding a solution to overcome my migraines not knowing it would lead me down the gut health journey. I consulted a nutritionist and after my first consultation was promptly told that my gut health is poor, why and how did he know this? well the bare bones is that I was not 'poo-ing' enough!

After I proudly stated that I have a bowel movement every morning I was told that one bowel movement a day is not enough. A healthy gut has at least two bowel movements a day. So before I dive into my solutions let me tell you about some of the benefits of having good gut health:-

Our gut is known as our third brain, first is the head, second the heart and then comes the gut. This is also where we store a lot of our emotions, we can hold a lifetime of emotions in our gut and a bowel movement does not only excrete toxins and waste but unwanted emotions held in our body. Our intestines are responsible for metabolising our emotions so gut health is vital for the health of our body as well as our emotions. If you have trouble letting go of a situation are feeling stuck you could have limiting core beliefs such as "I don't belong" "I will be rejected" " I don't have value". This sound like you? Well, all three resonated with me.

As well as this we have the function of excreting toxins and waste daily which is essential for your immune system. If you want to be healthier it will not matter how many vitamins, supplements, fruits you eat if your gut is not functioning correctly. A healthy gut is required to digest all the good stuff so that it flows into your blood stream, muscles and bones etc. If you are carrying stuck waste then your body will not receive the nutrition it requires.

Does it all seem like too much? Do you want to hear about how I healed my gut?

I took a two step approach. First I tackled my diet, I did a nutritional test that evaluated what my food sensitivities were. I did a 3 week detox eliminating all of the foods that I was sensitive too, one of which was dairy products and garam masala( being Indian and not able to eat wroti and masala was a kick in the guts) however, I committed. After 3 weeks or so I was able to slowly introduce some of these foods back into my diet, but to be honest I felt such a huge difference in my energy and vitality that I chose to permanently exclude some items (not my masala though, that would be too traumatising). I continue to drink warm water with lemon every morning, did some yoga asana's and pranayama which all encouraged my gut to detox and cleanse itself. I took magnesium tablets every day with a protein shake full of good fruit and green leafy veg. The results were amazing, my tummy bloating disappeared and I felt like I had an abundance of energy.

After this step I decided to tackle the core beliefs tied in with the gut. Using emotional freedom therapy and a whole bunch of biohacking techniques I did my best to reframe my belief systems around "I will be rejected and I do not have value". There is no magic remedy for this type of work and it takes courage to sit and feel these emotions but it made a difference in my life. These core beliefs still rear their head every now and again but I have the tools to address them and feel like a new woman. This all takes commitment and is a lifestyle change but once you see and feel the difference it is so worth it.

I will put some other wee ayurvedic tips here for you too:

Put a teaspoon of castor oil in warm water and drink this before bed.

Put a drop of castor oil into your belly button.

Try not to eat too late.

For any more tips or advice you can contact me.