Gut health has a direct relation to what you eat and drink!
Processed foods, added sugars, seed oils, alcohol, etc all cause inflammation in the gut and can lead to an imbalance in gut bacteria.
Signs and symptoms of an imbalanced gut microbiome may include:
Persistent fatigue
Digestive issues
Frequent infections
Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
Sugar cravings (yes, those insatiable sweet tooth moments!)
Skin issues like rashes or eczema
Joint and Muscle Pain
Weakened Immune System
Foods to focus on for gut healing and overall gut health:
✔️ High quality meats/proteins – pasture raised, grass fed, wild caught,
organic, uncured
✔️ Load up on low glycemic fruits like berries
>> Dates are known for high sugar content and it might seem weird to
suggest them for candida(yeast) die off but they actually have a cool role in removing waste from the gut while giving nutrients back. Good sweet treat for potential sugar cravings as well. Try some medjool dates, 3-6/day is the sweet spot
✔️Load up on cooked vegetables
✔️ Use herbs/spices when cooking – so much nutrition in herbs!
✔️Use herbal teas like nettle (anytime) or dandelion (morning only, great for
liver)
✔️Drink lots of water!! Use electrolytes like: Cure brand, Ultima, Redmond’s
Relyte, LMNT…etc
>> In between meals is best
✔️Limit caffeine, you can still have it but I find more success if we begin to
reduce
>> Mold free coffee brands: Purity, Bulletproof, Kion, and Organo King
coffee (reishi coffee blend, used as anti-parasitic)
Foods to Avoid:
❌Added sugars/processed carbohydrates – nothing fake or overly processed
>> Can try dates, Honey Mama’s, or dark chocolate for sweet tooth
❌ Alcohol, now is not the time
❌ Grains – wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, quinoa, millet (for now, not forever)
❌ Cured or processed meats
❌ Farm raised fish
❌ Additives and preservatives
❌ Inflammatory oils
❌ Condiments with added sugars or junk
What CAN I eat? Still so many delicious and nutritious meals! Check out some nourishing, gut-healthy recipes put together by our functional nutritionist, Megan!
If you are experiencing health issues, the gut is the first place we should look for answers and solutions.
When your gut health is out of whack, it affects each and every system in your body and can impact your health negatively in many ways.
The good news is that with proper guidance and diet and lifestyle changes your gut can restore itself and heal.
Some simple changes you can start right now can have a big impact.
Begin by replacing the bad with the good:
Eat clean, whole foods full of healthy fats, nutrients, and fiber to feed the good bacteria.
Consider adding probiotics and consume probiotic-rich foods
Identify food intolerances and triggers
Avoid or severely limit alcohol consumption
Move your body! Even just a 30 minute walk every day can make a huge difference if you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle. This is also great for your mental health!
Sweat! Sweating helps your body detox toxins from heavy metals, medications, illness, and mold.
Drink more water! This is huge. Your body systems need hydration to function as well as to help flush out toxins.
Prioritize rest and peaceful sleep
Not sure what’s going on and need some answers? Consider working with a functional medicine provider and our functional nutritionists. We may recommend a series of testing to find out exactly what’s going on and once we can see the whole picture, we will then develop an individualized plan to help you restore your gut health and feel your best!
