Improve Your Gut Health With Easy Detox Tips
Toxins are everywhere in this world but that doesn’t mean that they have to accumulate in your body.
Photo©Josep Suria/123rf
You may hear the term “gut health” a lot these days trending with topics like probiotics, kombucha, and coffee laced with collagen. What we’re really talking about is the gut microbiome, a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and microbes located in the large intestine, which is also home to our immune system and the place where many of our neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, are produced. This beautiful balance of bacteria along with all of its co-workers in the colon are responsible for…well, most of your well-being. If the bacteria becomes unbalanced, then so do you.
And how do you know if your gut health isn’t optimal? It’s more than just bloating. Think: depression, anxiety, skin issues, sleep issues, brain fog, nausea, autism, PMS, fatigue, body aches, weight gain, and the list goes on and on. In fact, most of your disease conditions and symptoms can be traced back to abnormal gut flora! Here’s why. Your intestinal wall is composed of bonds, called tight junctions, between cells that create your gut lining. These bonds keep the good guys and the bad guys within the GI tract where they belong. Abnormal gut flora can damage the gut wall lining, causing spaces to develop between these bonds. This allows toxins and undigested food particles to travel from the GI tract out into the bloodstream and even cross the blood brain barrier. This is a very important concept to understand.
And how do you get abnormal gut flora? A child can be born with abnormal gut flora or adults can inconveniently acquire it at some point in their life. Things like frequent antibiotic use, mycotoxins (aka mold exposure), traumatic brain injuries, excessive alcohol, stress and poor diet can all negatively impact the gut microbiome as an adult. Imagine holes in your gut wall and a constant source of toxins streaming into the body. These toxins are now circulating through your bloodstream, causing various symptoms and pushing the body into a state of dysfunction.
You can improve this situation and start healing your gut by reducing your exposure to toxins. Toxins can be found in conventional produce that has been sprayed with glyphosate, commercial cleaning products and laundry detergents, cheap clothing, conventional beauty care products, medications, unfiltered tap water used for drinking or bathing. This is not a complete list but rather a starting point of some common sources.
You can learn how to reduce your overall exposure to toxins. Begin to look deeply at your daily habits. Become conscious of what’s in your cosmetics and personal care products. Focus on organic unprocessed foods. Fall in love with cooking and creativity. Creativity helps the body process emotions (trauma), while giving you a sense of purpose and social connection. Show your liver some love by giving up alcohol, eating a lot of beets and bitter greens. Heal your gut by drinking meat stock and bone broth regularly. Buy a bunch of mason jars and start fermenting your own foods. Sweat in an infrared sauna. Take Epsom salt baths and get massages. Incorporate movement and exercises that excite you. Develop a routine that focuses on supporting your body’s natural ability to detox and heal. Start slow and build these healthy habits day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. Rebalance your routine. Toxins are everywhere in this world but that doesn’t mean that they have to accumulate in your body.
Jessica Liggero, HHP, CGC is a board certified holistic health practitioner, certified GAPS coach and a SIBO practitioner. She is the founder of Rebalance Your Routine™, a holistic health coaching service that focuses on improving gut health and detoxification. Visit RebalanceYourRoutine.com for more information or meet Jessica in person at the Rebalance Your Routine booth#30 at the Natural Living Expo, Nov 11-12, 2023 in Marlboro, MA.
