Picture this – It is the long awaited weekend and you are off work ready to indulge in your favorite meal with your friends! You have been waiting all week for this meal and you could not stop thinking about it and craving it. Now you have it! It does not disappoint and your taste buds light up as you enjoy this delicious meal. Afterwards, you notice a strong feeling on fatigue hit you followed by an intense sense of fullness. You feel puffed up like a balloon and just uncomfortable and you think to yourself, “Gosh, I must have just overate tonight. This happens all the time when I go out to eat.” Little did you know that you are experiencing some intense signals from your body that something is not right with the food you ate and it is showing as a symptom of fatigue, bloating, and “puffy” feeling in the body.
Since you are not aware of these symptoms being a signal of a bigger issue, you continue doing this over and over and eventually you start to get a rash forming around your eyes and mouth, you can’t stop scratching your body, and due to the intense itching you struggle with falling and staying asleep. Your stress is off the charts and you stop recognizing yourself in the mirror. You go to your doctor for help and eventually get diagnosed with autoimmune conditions of eczema and dermatitis. You go to your therapist because you just have lost your vitality and passion for life and get diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Both specialist prescribe different medications like antibiotics, steroid creams, and antidepressants. You are told that you will deal with this for the rest of your life. Period.
Does this sound scenario sound familiar to you at all? Something you or someone you know may have experienced? Everyone has a unique story with their health and the one you just read was a version of my health before I found gut health and unlocked a new way of living and thinking.
So, what is gut health and why does it matter more than you may think?
To start off, the “gut” refers to the gut microbiome that is housed in your large intestine and colon. Your gut is your foundation for health and vitality when in balance and cared for. It is also what fights against you when it is in a state of imbalance or what is called “dysbiosis”. Gut health is very much related to your digestive health (your GI tract) and how you breakdown your food and absorb it to use in the body, and that is just the beginning. Gut health is linked to pretty much every aspect of your body and how you function! The gut microbiome is comprised of trillions of bacteria, archaea, viruses, yeast, and other microorganisms. There are more “bugs” in your gut than stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. The gut microbiome on average weights 3-5 pounds. Each of the bacteria in your gut have powerful influence over your digestion, immune health and response, metabolism, brain and mental health, hormones and that is just for starters.
The gut is referred to by many scientists as the “second brain” and this is due to the power of your gut bacteria over how you function. Gut bacteria are constantly signaling (communicating) to your brain and body through your nervous system. They are the source for many things from cravings to your mood. They have been a part of the human species since the beginning and therefore our bodies have learned to rely on them for many processes and functions. Hippocrates stated that “all disease begins in the gut” and he was not wrong! Most chronic disease seen today can be linked back to stress and inflammation. One of the biggest players in managing stress and inflammation is your gut microbiome. Wether you are struggling with weight, hormone balance, thyroid health, brain and mental health, food triggers or intolerances, autoimmune, or dry skin your gut is at the root of it all! Even more, your gut bacteria are able to influence what genes you have and how they express themselves. They can turn off or on genes of health. They can turn off or on genes of disease. This research comes through a branch of science called epigenetics, more on this later.
As you can see, there are many implications to gut health and how it impacts the way you live and function. So, how do you keep you gut happy so you can also be happy? It start by going back to the basic needs for health: balanced diet, proper hydration, stress management, quality sleep, and consistent movement/exercise. These are the 5 pillars of health and for 99% of people, when these are balanced, your gut will thank you tremendously by supporting your health and vitality! When you know how to care for your gut microbiome, it takes care of you and becomes your biggest support to fend off many of the leading chronic disease that are plaguing the human population today.
Another huge aspect to your gut health is personalizing how you approach the 5 pillars of health and make them work for you in your current life. Consistency and time are two big factors when taking on your gut health. It is not about the destination, but rather, the journey. As you lean into it you will discover so much about yourself and how you work as a unique individual.
After I started on my own gut health journey about 9 years ago I was able to learn so much about myself and truly heal. I said no to the medications my doctors wanted me to take, I dove into the research and eventually became certified in holistic nutrition and lifestyle coaching and as a gut health expert. I have not had any flare ups or relapses into my autoimmune and mental health struggles since fully embodying a gut-healthy lifestyle. I am able to eat out, travel, and live my life exactly how I want to because I have done the work to balance my gut health and make my gut microbiome happy and healthy to support my health and vitality!
And I want all of this for you too! I know that you can make the changes and find your groove. I know that you can take a complete 180 with your health in the next few months. I know that you too can unlock your truest form of vitality through learning to care for your gut.
My mission as an entrepreneur and health expert is to help you create the life that you dream of through your gut health. I want you to be empowered and confident in your health. I want you to be proud of yourself for doing the work and creating balance in your life through diet and lifestyle. I want this for you because I know how hard it is to live a life where you are struggling to find answers and solutions. You are one choice away from making the most impactful decision of your life! But you do not have to do it alone! Join our community at Viable Vitality and feel the support of likeminded people all striving to take charge of their life together!
You are not alone and if you need assistance, we are here to guide you and set you off on the right path to your vitality!
Until next time,
Christopher
P.S. You can grab a FREE health consultation below by clicking on the button. Let’s talk about your health goals and open your eyes to all thats possible!