What is Gut Health?
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Do you really know what gut health is?
I mean, does it mean if you don’t have gas, heartburn or an upset stomach, your gut is fine? What REALLY is gut health?
Behind all of that, our gut is responsible for putting our body into working order. As it breaks down the foods we eat, our gut absorbs nutrients that support our body’s functions — from energy production to hormone balance, skin health to mental health, and even toxin and waste elimination. SO I guess you could say it’s way more than gas!!
Your gut pretty much starts from your mouth on down to the “poop shoot”! Yep, I went there. Your gut is a group of organs that includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. If any of these is NOT working correctly, not only is your gut health off but many other health issues may come into play.
Unfortunately, many people actually suffer with their gut health and have no clue. At least 70 million people in the U.S. suffer from some sort of digestive illness (not including heartburn). YIKES!
What does your gut do?
A proper working gut allows nutrients and water to enter the body while preventing the entry of toxins/antigens. It’s a barrier between “us” and the outside world. But a distressed gut can’t act in our defense. Instead, it allows dangerous compounds to enter the body. If your gut is compromised, it won’t perform well and your health may start to suffer.
Your gut health can be affected by many things such as the foods you eat, the medicines you take, stress levels, and environmental toxins.
How do you know if you have a gut health issue?
So how does one know if there is an underlying gut health issue since it doesn’t always show up as gas, heartburn or upset stomach? Wha are the signs that you may have a gut health issue (AKA LEAKY GUT)?
Let me just dive into a FEW of the signs and symptoms that you may have an unhealthy gut:
- Digestive issues like bloating, gas or diarrhea. YEP, these will be the first telltale signs.
- Sugar cravings.
- Bad breath.
- Food allergies or sensitivities.
- Constant illnesses needing antibiotics
- Moodiness, Anxiety, and Depression.
- Skin problems like eczema.
- Diabetes.
- Autoimmune disease and suppressed immunity.
These are just a few symptoms. There are so many signs that you may have a leaky gut and we will dive deeper into them in my next lesson of this series…stay tuned to find out Signs and symptoms that you may have a leaky gut.
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