Listen to your gut (part 1)
Updated: Dec 4, 2018
So I must start this by sharing with you that some years ago (back when I could care less about my health), my husband had several aunts that were OBSESSED with their bowel movements (I am not joking). It was totally table conversation for them. They would openly and freely brag about how many times that day or week their bowels moved. I just didn’t grow up like that. Lol. I teased my husband often about it and just didn’t get it. Well, fast forward to my 40s and baby...it totally makes sense. A few bouts of constipation, chronic stomachaches or some serious bloating is all you need to experience to understand why good bowels are something worth bragging about!
Hippocrates stated, “All disease begins in the gut”. How healthy is your gut? Do you suffer with stomach aches, constipation or other gut issues? I don’t get a ton of stomach aches, but constipation is something I’ve struggled with off and on. It led me to become OBSESSED with my gut. To the point where when I did a lot of business travel I always carried herbs with me to help me move my bowels. It’s imperative that your bowels move every….single….day. Twice a day is ideal. Why? Because what goes in, must come out. Well, most of it anyway.
You see there are 4 things your body absolutely MUST do everyday to keep you alive….want to know what they are?
Digest
Absorb
Utilize
Evacuate
In order for you to live your body must be able to digest what you eat, absorb it to deliver nutrients to your cells, your cells then utilize the nutrients in order to stay healthy, then the excess is shipped out via the colon (evacuation). Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing information on each stage. This week’s focus is on digestion. Digestion is the process by which your body breaks down the food you eat and works to make best use of it and feed your cells.
Depending on your diet, your body may not be able to properly digest everything you may be eating. If your body can’t digest it well it can cause a literal back-up in your system similar to how the plumbing in your home gets backed up if you put things down the drain the system wasn't built to handle! This can lead to constipation, chronic stomach pain, bloating and a general feeling of unwellness because all of the toxins that need to get out are STUCK.
This is particularly true for many who consume the standard American diet of meat, excessive wheat, sugar and dairy. These foods are highly acidic and inflamming to the system. Inflammation is the body’s reaction to an overabundance of acid. Your body is working hard to put out the internal “fire” created by acidic foods and continuing to eating a heavy amount of acidic foods causes the fire to increase to the point where you eventually feel unwell.
Want to learn more about gut health and start taking your seriously? RSVP to a new series starting tonight (December 4th) at 7 p.m. eastern time on my Coach K's FB page. Keep scrolling for an easy smoothie recipe that will help!
Now, how can I fix it Coach K? I hear you. Not everyone is ready to go cold turkey giving up their favorite foods. Start with the gut healing smoothie below, go meatless, sugar and dairy-free just one meal per day to cut some of the acid in your system. Can you do that? I guarantee your body will thank you. Go one step further and RSVP here to my nightly series this week on gut health. Submitting an RSVP will give you a notification reminder so you don’t miss it! I’d also like to gift you with a 6 day meal plan and a one pager each night during the live teaching to help guide your understanding. Subscribe here if you'd like to receive that.
In the meantime, try this Gut Healing Smoothie. Be sure to let me know what you think!
Ingredients:
1 banana
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango
Small handful fresh kale
3 pitted dates
Small piece ginger root
1 TB hemp seeds
1 cup water
Blend until VERY smooth, add ice if desired and enjoy! Want the rest of the 6 day plan? Click here to sign up for the gut health series and receive the immediate download in your email.