Gut Health - Dietitian Andrea
Get your pencils sharpened and notepads ready! You’re not going to want to miss out on what this little lady has to say!
Andrea is a dietitian & lifestyle design coach, bringing together the science of functional nutrition & wellness, the art of intuitive eating & honoring the body's wisdom, and the framework of design thinking to shift people's relationships with food, their bodies, and how they approach taking care of themselves.
Over the last few months, Dietitian Andrea has been helping me convert to a vegan diet while managing my macros, ensuring I reach my goals around movement, and helping me recognize my bodies stressors. She has been an absolute joy to work with and does a phenomenal job of putting things into perspective intelligently and directly.
I have valued our time together and wanted to bring you some fascinating insight I’ve learned around our guts. It has helped open my eyes to quite a bit around illness and energy, and is my ultimate goal to share back with you so that you can have a little piece of knowledge to help you live a happier and healthier life. Oh and ladies, she is not afraid of carbs and is all about loving you body! So with that, get ready to soak up Andrea’s insight and save this one as a favorite. It’s a goodie!
The Gut
You may have heard the saying “All disease begins in the gut.” And we’re finding that ancient Greek physician Hippocrates may have not been too far off. Afterall, 60-80% of our immune system is housed in our gut! That’s amazing. And the best part is, through our lifestyle choices, we can give our immune system the nutrients and environment it needs to thrive. However, on the flip side, because the condition of our digestive system is so dependent on our lifestyle – nutrition, stress, physical activity, antibiotic use, environment, etc. – if we are not intentional about supporting it, things can get a little wonky.
Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to heal your gut aaaand keep it intact. Check out the strategies below and choose a couple to get started with today, ideally working from the top down to the bottom.
1
Identify food sensitivities
For many, a good place to start is with gluten, dairy, soy, and/or corn. An elimination protocol followed by a systematic and careful reintroduction can help to really shed light on foods that your body does not appreciate. Healing relationships with food and our bodies is central to the work I do. So when I talk to my clients about this part of the process, we spend a lot of time framing up what this protocol means. It means to strategically eliminate and reintroduce various foods. We also discuss what it is NOT. It’s not a diet, as defined by modern society. The intention is not to lose weight, tone up, or lean down. The intention is to give your body space to breathe, to have some quiet, to begin to heal, to clear the distractions so that when we reintroduce we can tune into its wisdom.
2
Be mindful of intake of other common gut irritants
Like caffeine, alcohol and sugar. This doesn’t need to be an all-or-none approach. What this looks like can vary greatly across individuals. What you get to do is tune into your body and decide what is right for you and what is an alignment with your physical, energetic, mental, and emotional needs. In the words of Brene Brown, “boundaries are cool.” What boundaries serve you?
3
Introduce quality bacteria into your GI system
By adding in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt (non-dairy if you have a sensitivity), kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, other fermented veggies. Even if you are eating these probiotic-rich foods on a frequent basis, you may still benefit from a quality probiotic supplement. Talk to a practitioner to see if this is right for you.
4
Add in other gut healing foods
Coconut oil, bone broth, wild caught fatty fish (salmon, tuna, or mackerel), collagen, avocado, olive oil...to name a few.
5
You may consider a strategic supplementation regime
If you have an autoimmune or GI related-disorder: a quality probiotic (as mentioned above), collagen, fish oil, L-glutamine, and digestive enzymes to help further the healing of the gut. Talk to your practitioner before engaging in a supplement regime to determine what is right for you.
6
Create a self-care routine to build stress resilience
Taking time to check-in with yourself, to care for yourself, or to simply allow yourself to be is absolutely necessary to achieving and maintaining gut health. Determine what brings you joy, both big and small, and schedule time for it. Pleasure is an essential part of the human experience...ask yourself what brings you pleasure and give yourself permission to create space for it.
7
Lighten the load of toxic build-up by swapping out products
Cleaning, personal-care, make-up, etc. – for more natural options or options with fewer ingredients. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s website called Skin Deep that rates personal products according to the toxicity of ingredients and environmental impact.
8
Limit antibiotic use to when it’s truly needed
Talk to your doctor about other treatment options first.
9
Get at the root cause of your inflammation
To require less anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs and other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can deplete the lining of the stomach and digestive tract over time with frequent use. If possible (based on your pain level and condition) work to discover the root cause of your inflammation and heal from there. You may find that your pain naturally dissipates as you take steps 1-7 to heal your leaky gut.
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This list is not exhaustive. Nor is it prescriptive. These are general guidelines to provide direction on places to start or where you may need to be honest with yourself, or get curious and ask more questions. Everyone has bio individuality - a unique set of genetics and factors - which require a unique recipe of support through food, movement, mind-body practices, environment, sleep, etc. It is essential that you find what works for YOU and your body.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have about steps you can take to heal your gut at hello@dietitianandrea.com. And for more gut-health, functional nutrition, body confidence, and life design related info and conversation...head on over to my blog and follow me on Instagram @dietitianandrea.
Sincerely,
Andrea
Real estate investor, landlord and DIYer, Realtor, Business consultant, Globe trotter & Converting vegan.
