Understand your GUT- Gastro unitary Tract
Each part of the body plays a significant role in how we function on a physical, mental and spiritual level. We hear aabout brains and hearts for instance. “Think with your brain,” and “Love with your heart” are common phrases we all know and perhaps say regularly. Sayings surrounding the gut are also common, but do you know why?
You’ve surely heard the phrase, “I’ve got a gut feeling” before, and undoubtedly there’s been a time in your life when nervousness has caused the sensation of butterflies in your stomach. This is because your gut, much like your brain, can affect your mood. Because of this, your overall wellbeing depends on treating it properly.
What Is Your Gut?
The “gut” is your gastrointestinal tract, which is a long tube that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. In charge of digestion, the gut is also home to the body’s second brain, known as the enteric nervous system. The ENS is complete with a matching number of nerve cells as the spinal cord in its entirety, and also like the brain, it both sends as well as receives nerve impulses, documents happenings that affect the body, and even reciprocates to emotional cues.
How The Gut Rules
While we used to believe that the brain worked to tell the ENS what to do, recent evidence has suggested that the gut is doing the majority of the outreach to keep the communication with the brain strong. In other words, the brain doesn’t just notice the bacteria of the gut, but it can actually have an impact on how we view our surroundings, and even on our mood.
This is why it is so important that your gut flora is as healthy as can be. But how can you know? There are a variety of indicators that can help you to understand if you need to be treating it better.
How To Know If Your Gut Needs A Health Boost
There are a variety of ways to tell if your gut health is not optimum. Here are four of the biggest ones:
1. Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, heartburn/acid reflux
This is probably the most apparent one, but before you reach for pills to alleviate the symptoms, consider getting to the root of the problem first, as these symptoms could be trying to inform you that your gut health is out of whack. The gut bacteria naturally produces gas, but when it becomes too excessive, it could be the result of the gut lacking proper acid needed to break down protein, since, when this happens, it ferments and decays.
2. A vitamin deficiency
In order for your digestive system to function properly, it needs the essential vitamins A, C, D and B. In most cases, you can simply get them through your diet. Find out which foods will give you the best source of each one, and perhaps you’ll quickly be able to pinpoint what you’re deficient in.
3. Mental health issues like anxiety, depression, mood swings, OCD
Because the gut microbiota has an impact on the body’s level of serotonin, your mental health can be at risk when your health is not at its best.
4. Skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea
It’s easy for us to play off skin conditions as something we just have to live with or get through during a period of our lives, but truly, our bodies work diligently to inform us that something’s up. There have been many studies linking gut health to skin issues, and as far back as 1930, there has been evidence linking how the health of the gut, the brain, and the skin are all related.
What You Can Do To Improve Your Gut Health
In order to maintain the correct balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, you’ll want to follow through with some things:
1. Avoid toxins
Because bad bacteria thrives on sugar, you’ll want to be mindful of your food choices. Steer clear of refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. You should also limit your consumption of starches, and you should be mindful of how you prepare your grains (think: soaking, sprouting, and fermenting).
2. Eliminate unhealthy oils
Because overconsumption of Omega-6 fatty acids can trigger inflammation and other digestive issues, a good place to start is avoiding yellow seed-based oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
3. Stay away from trans fats
Studies have found a link between gut diseases and trans fats, so avoid partially-hydrogenated oils and foods fried in the unhealthy oils discussed above.
4. Consume fermented foods
Aside from warding off bad bacteria, it’s important to promote good gut bacteria as well. This means incorporating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables, and non-pasteurized yogurt, cheese, and kefir into your diet.
5. Manage your stress
Long ago, Hippocrates said “all diseases begin in the gut,” and stress has been found to wreak havoc here. One study published in the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that stress causes negative effects on intestinal microflora, changes in gastrointestinal secretion, an increase in visceral perception, and more. And Harvard researchers noted that, “Psychology combines with physical factors to cause pain and other bowel symptoms. Psychosocial factors influence the actual physiology of the gut, as well as symptoms. In other words, stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect movement and contractions of the GI tract, cause inflammation, or make you more susceptible to infection.” more
You’ve surely heard the phrase, “I’ve got a gut feeling” before, and undoubtedly there’s been a time in your life when nervousness has caused the sensation of butterflies in your stomach. This is because your gut, much like your brain, can affect your mood. Because of this, your overall wellbeing depends on treating it properly.
What Is Your Gut?
The “gut” is your gastrointestinal tract, which is a long tube that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. In charge of digestion, the gut is also home to the body’s second brain, known as the enteric nervous system. The ENS is complete with a matching number of nerve cells as the spinal cord in its entirety, and also like the brain, it both sends as well as receives nerve impulses, documents happenings that affect the body, and even reciprocates to emotional cues.
How The Gut Rules
While we used to believe that the brain worked to tell the ENS what to do, recent evidence has suggested that the gut is doing the majority of the outreach to keep the communication with the brain strong. In other words, the brain doesn’t just notice the bacteria of the gut, but it can actually have an impact on how we view our surroundings, and even on our mood.
This is why it is so important that your gut flora is as healthy as can be. But how can you know? There are a variety of indicators that can help you to understand if you need to be treating it better.
How To Know If Your Gut Needs A Health Boost
There are a variety of ways to tell if your gut health is not optimum. Here are four of the biggest ones:
1. Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, heartburn/acid reflux
This is probably the most apparent one, but before you reach for pills to alleviate the symptoms, consider getting to the root of the problem first, as these symptoms could be trying to inform you that your gut health is out of whack. The gut bacteria naturally produces gas, but when it becomes too excessive, it could be the result of the gut lacking proper acid needed to break down protein, since, when this happens, it ferments and decays.
2. A vitamin deficiency
In order for your digestive system to function properly, it needs the essential vitamins A, C, D and B. In most cases, you can simply get them through your diet. Find out which foods will give you the best source of each one, and perhaps you’ll quickly be able to pinpoint what you’re deficient in.
3. Mental health issues like anxiety, depression, mood swings, OCD
Because the gut microbiota has an impact on the body’s level of serotonin, your mental health can be at risk when your health is not at its best.
4. Skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea
It’s easy for us to play off skin conditions as something we just have to live with or get through during a period of our lives, but truly, our bodies work diligently to inform us that something’s up. There have been many studies linking gut health to skin issues, and as far back as 1930, there has been evidence linking how the health of the gut, the brain, and the skin are all related.
What You Can Do To Improve Your Gut Health
In order to maintain the correct balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, you’ll want to follow through with some things:
1. Avoid toxins
Because bad bacteria thrives on sugar, you’ll want to be mindful of your food choices. Steer clear of refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. You should also limit your consumption of starches, and you should be mindful of how you prepare your grains (think: soaking, sprouting, and fermenting).
2. Eliminate unhealthy oils
Because overconsumption of Omega-6 fatty acids can trigger inflammation and other digestive issues, a good place to start is avoiding yellow seed-based oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
3. Stay away from trans fats
Studies have found a link between gut diseases and trans fats, so avoid partially-hydrogenated oils and foods fried in the unhealthy oils discussed above.
4. Consume fermented foods
Aside from warding off bad bacteria, it’s important to promote good gut bacteria as well. This means incorporating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables, and non-pasteurized yogurt, cheese, and kefir into your diet.
5. Manage your stress
Long ago, Hippocrates said “all diseases begin in the gut,” and stress has been found to wreak havoc here. One study published in the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that stress causes negative effects on intestinal microflora, changes in gastrointestinal secretion, an increase in visceral perception, and more. And Harvard researchers noted that, “Psychology combines with physical factors to cause pain and other bowel symptoms. Psychosocial factors influence the actual physiology of the gut, as well as symptoms. In other words, stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect movement and contractions of the GI tract, cause inflammation, or make you more susceptible to infection.” more
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Thanks Dr. Puneet Chandna for very useful information. With your permission I would like to add few points. Ayurveda and Naturoapathy says that good GUT health is primary health requirement for the body. Any infection, disease, changes in flora and fauna of GUT give rise to many other diseases. Thus GUT bad health is starting point of other diseases. There are few more basic facts to keep GUT healthy as under. 1. Do not overeat. 2. Keep time almost fixed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 3. Reduce food as per your natural sense of food hunger. There is no need to keep quantity and quality of food fixed/static. 4. Bad bacteria thrive on more acidic food. Try to keep your food as alkaline as possible. Fresh sweet fruits, green vegetables and salads, fresh natural curd (not sour) are few alkaline foods. 5. Increase to increase intake of your fruits, green vegetables and salads gradually to about 50% of your total diet. 6. Gap between fruits and meals and between salads and meals should be minimum 30 minutes. 7. Keep your body and GUT properly hydrated by taking minimum 2-3 litres of water every day. However minimum gap in breakfast and meals should be 30 minutes for proper digestion of food. In case of solid and dry food or in extreme hot weather one cup of water/lukewarm water can be taken along with food. 8. Avoid very cold water particularly with or after food. Warm water is better after food for easy digestion of oily foods. 9. Apple cider vinegar or jamun vinegar and natural sweet curd is good for GUT health. 10. Keep a minimum gap of 3 hours between last food and sleep for proper digestion of food. 11. Avoid/reduce very oily, sugary, spicy, canned, semi-cooked food from market. 12. Wash fruits, vegetables, salads, grains, daals etc. with water before further preparation or eating.Better if washed by vinegars after water wash. 13. Fruits, vegetables and salads may be minimally peeled before next preparation/eating to reduce effects of carcinogenic chemicals (cancer related) of pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, preservatives, coatings to elongate their self life and appearance. 14. Walk minimum 40 minutes a day for proper functioning of your GUT and digestion of food. Few exercises, yoga, pranayama will be of further great help. 15. Fruits have best effects on health and GUT if taken in breakfast and not in full stomach. 16. Avoid/Alleviate constipation. Few foods like Guava, papaya, pears, apples, aonla, figs, broccoli, isabgole bhusi are good. 17. Avoid maida (fine flour). The husk from flour should not be removed. 18. Intake of germinated foods like gram, moong, wheat, soya etc. are good for GUT and general health. 19. Add ginger, onion, garlic, aonla, cucumber, broccoli, cabbage, sprouted foods, lemon juice etc. in your salads. Salt should be minimum for taste. 20. The fruits, vegetables, salads should be consumed as soon as possible after cutting. Eating them late reduce their good properties after some time due to oxidation. Preferably avoid cut fruits, cut salads, curd items, cold vegetables, cold daals, fried items in parties. 21. Do not keep cooked food in fridge as far as possible. Thus cook food for one time serving. If the same is not possible for some reason, try to finish them in next serving. If heating is required, heat only that portion of food which is required for immediate consumption. Multiple heating destroys major qualities of foods. 22. Clean potable water is essential for GUT and general health. Drink filtered water. R.O. is not necessary. If costly filters and their costly annual rate contracts are not affordable, purchase simple and economical filters of few good brands. Do not drink water from unknown source. Either purchase filter water outside or carry your bottle of water with you in outdoors. 23. General hygiene and cleanliness is also necessary for good GUT and general health. Regular bathing and bearing clean clothes is also a part of it. 24. Avoid/reduce stress. Keep your ambitions/aspirations/ requirements to minimum/optimum level. Keep good company and keep yourself busy in urgent/useful/interesting works/hobbies/ interests. 25. A minimum 7-8 hours sleep is also essential for good GUT and general health. Early to bed and early to rise, an old saying, further helps. 26.For a good and general health keep your body mass index (weight in KG divided by height in Meters square)below 23. Accumulation of extra fat in waist has very bad effect on GUT and general health. Preferably keep your waist size less by 4 inches of chest size, but certainly not more than chest size. 27. Heath of your teeth also effect your GUT and general health. Not cleaning them daily will take food with bad bacteria to your GUT. 28. Do not hold your natural urges like urine, motion, yawning, mucous in your nose, throat, ear, eyes, pee, thirst, hunger, perspiration etc. Do not apply any cream to reduce/stop perspiration. 29. Cut your nails periodically and avoid any deposits in them. Please clean your hand after urination, motion, food and before eating any thing by clean water and preferably with good soap. 30. Never purchase and eat/take partially rotten/with fungus foods like fruits, vegetables, salads, grains, pulses, medicines/tablets/ capsules with foils open, expiry dates over foods and medicines. 31. Preferably avoid use of non-stick pans and vessels/utensils and microwave oven for cooking and heating foods. 32. Store water in glass bottles and not in plastic bottles from cold drinks, fruit juices, pickles, jams, syrups, medicines, filtered water. 32. Avoid aluminium/brass/copper utensils for cooking and storage. 33. Optimum cooking oils ghee, butter should be used for single cooking. Cooling and heating multiple times from same oil is harmful to GUT and general health. more
Jan 14
Canola is good. I suggested later in the post that Olive oil is better. From: Rajan Jain Reply-To: "Cardiology and Heart Care in Delhi/..." www.send_post_comment++iyiygxaebbvvtr++bbmqaefdlkiy@localcirclesmail.com> Date: Tuesday, 12 January 2016 at 7:11 AM To: Puneet Chandna Subject: Commented on "Understand your GUT- Gast..." in [Cardiology and Heart Care in Delhi/...] more
Jan 12
You mentioned to avoid canola oil but that was recommended by many doctors. Can you suggest an alternative more
Jan 12
I think in olive oil pomace could be used for frying, while extra rich virgin for salads etc. more
Jan 11
Olive oil is thr best so far given any ill effects if any are lest among the list of variety abialble at a local store more
Jan 11
