Functional Medicine and Gut Health: Is it the Secret to Optimal Health?
Feeling tired, zapped out of energy all the time, and dealing with daily nagging symptoms? You’re doing everything right but still feeling unhealthy?
What if I were to tell you that functional medicine and gut health optimization could be the answer to your health problems?
Unlike conventional medicine, which focuses on treating symptoms after they occur (hello, laxatives, anti-anxiety meds, and Advil), functional medicine takes a holistic approach to health, seeking to identify and address the root causes of illness.
One of the main root causes of a number of symptoms you may be experiencing is gut health issues. Keep reading and then take the gut health quiz at the end to find out more.
What Harms Your Gut?
Unfortunately, the world we live in today is full of gut-wrecking threats. And I’m not just talking about poor food choices, even though that’s a big one! As a health coach, I use functional medicine and gut health optimization to fix a plethora of symptoms that my clients are experiencing.
Stressful Lifestyles
From keeping up with work demands to embracing a go, go, go schedule, the environment most of us live in today is stressful. We hardly have time to breathe! Stress impairs your gut-brain axis, leads to imbalanced hormones, and leads to leaky gut and SIBO.
2. Inflammatory Foods/ Diet
Fast food, processed food, excess sugar, and inflammatory oils that are hidden in everything are known to damage the gut. While they taste good and may elevate your mood in the moment, in the long run, they leave your stomach and intestines disheveled.
3. Hidden Environmental Toxins
Our environment is filled with hidden toxins like microplastics, pesticides, toxic fragrances, mold exposures, and other chemicals from our beauty products and household cleaners. Unfortunately, these toxins can cause imbalances in your gut microbiome and contribute to a leaky gut.
4. Staying Up, Working (or Binging TikToks + Netflix)
Sleep is needed for optimal gut health. Not getting enough sleep can be contributing to your annoying symptoms. Sleep deprivation (from staying up until 11 pm, 12 am, or later) can cause increased amounts of stress on the body and slow down digestion. This can lead to inflammation, stomach pains, food sensitivities, and changes to the gut microbiome.
5. Excessively Working Out
If you think working out 7 days a week will fix your health, think again!. Intense workout routines without adequate rest lead to high levels of cortisol which can negatively impact gut health along with leading hormones to go haywire.
Warning Signs That Your Gut is “Off”
So, what are some signs of poor gut health? You might experience:
Bloating
Diarrhea
Constipation
Low mood or depression
Irritation
Insomnia
Lack of concentration
Memory problems
Autoimmune problems
Why do we care so much about gut health?
Gut Problems
Having problems in your gastrointestinal tract may first manifest as stomach issues like bloating, stomach pains, and irregular bowel movements. If unaddressed, unhealthy lifestyle choices can lead to GI issues like:
GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn. It mostly occurs due to bad eating habits like eating right before sleeping and eating processed food. But the root issue may be low stomach acid and gut imbalances.
IBS - irritable bowel syndrome is another common problem, especially common among people with anxiety and depression. Small irritants or allergens may cause painful bouts of diarrhea or constipation. But remember, there is always a roto cause of your IBS.
SIBO - small intestinal bacterial overgrowth presents with altered gut habits. For example, pain after eating food, bloating, flatulence, and indigestion.
Leaky gut -This is when your gut lining becomes more permeability to toxins, allowing toxins from the gut into the bloodstream. This causes systemic issues, in other places in the body, other than just the gut.
Mental Health and Gut Health
Your gut produces numerous amounts of neurotransmitters. The gut-brain axis is a term used to describe the communication between your gut and your brain. Neurotransmitters are tiny molecules circulating in the brain making us experience an array of emotions. If you think about your favorite food, your gut will release the happy hormone serotonin and tell your brain to smile. Conversely, the days you have a tummy ache, your supply of happy neurotransmitters reduces, leading to low mood and apathy. If your gut is off, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health symptoms. And vice versa..your thoughts and stress can alter your gut health.
Gut and Auto-Immunity
Your gut holds 70% of your immune system. If your body is dealing with threats or stressors constantly (think toxins, food sensitivities, viruses, parasites, etc) it can cause your immune system to go wonky. Instead of attacking just the harmful invaders, your immune system can begin to attack different organs of your body, like your thyroid, joints, and even the immune system.
Functional Medicine and Gut Health Help Your Symptoms
A functional medicine health coach will help you identify gut triggers and remove them from your daily routine. Functional medicine, as described earlier, is the way to find the root causes of any disease. It takes into account that everyone’s body is different. A protocol that works for someone may not work for someone else. However, simple lifestyle changes can help improve the majority of people’s gut.
Eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles
Eating plenty of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits
Avoiding processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and refined sugars that can lead to inflammation and dysbiosis.
Considering probiotics or other supplements
Having a sleep and wake-up routine
Getting in daily movement
Making these simple changes in your diet can have a significant impact on gut health. And when you have a healthy gut, you're more likely to be healthy overall! So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring functional medicine and gut health to achieve new levels of physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Take the Gut Health Quiz Now!
Are you struggling with gas, bloating, skin issues, and even anxiety and depression? The first step on your gut health journey is identifying what may be impacting your gut. Let’s find out where you rank by taking the gut health quiz today and learn how functional medicine and gut health is the key to overcoming your nagging symptoms.