Feel Good Monday Post: Nourishing & Listening to Your Gut

Happy Monday All,

 Years ago, I was speaking with a friend who was quite knowledgeable about supplements.
He told me that the best thing I could do for my over all health would be to take a probiotic everyday.
I have resistance to taking any supplements daily, but because I really respected his opinion, over the years, I have taken a probiotic somewhat regularly.  This week, I have been doing some research on intestinal health and ant-inflammatory diets.  What I found, brought me back to my friend's recommendation and seemed important enough to share with you.

The reason why it's so important to take probiotics regularly is because 70-80% of our body's immune cells are in our gut.   Isn't that amazing?  Here is another interesting piece of info: 95% of the "feel good" hormone - seratonin is also produced in our gut.   Seratonin regulates important functions such as our appetite, mood, sexual behavior and sleep.

 Here are some ways to nourish your gut:

1. Eat lacto-fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kim chee, beets, etc (the bottle will need to specifically say "lacto-fermented").

2. Avoid sugar.  Yes, it almost always comes back to this, doesn't it?

3. Have as many organic foods as possible, pesticides  can cause intestinal inflammation.

4. Eat many vegetables as they are considered "prebiotics" because they feed the good bacteria in your system.

5. Eat a good source of yogurt/ kefir.  Many commercial brands do not contain effective cultures.

6. Take a good probiotic.  Try to get one that is not enteric coated, acid resistant, from a reputable manufacturer.  Many probiotics are actually ineffective.  Also, it is VERY important to take probiotics on an empty stomach.

7. Trust your gut!  Our gut is known by some as our "second brain".  Our gut sends signals to our brain when we are anxious.  Listen to what you are feeling inside. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't do something that scares you, but it does mean that you should pay attention to when you are feeling uneasy and question what it is about.

Below is a link to a DELICIOUS bread that my friend Lisa, gifted me with last week.  I haven't made it yet, but plan to.  If you use gluten free oats, it is a gluten free bread that is pleasurable and satiating.  Nice to have for breakfast with cocunut butter, goat/sheep cheese, nut butter or as a sweet treat later in the day with apple butter or jam.

http://mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/

Enjoy your week and remember to listen to your gut!