Fortitude, Fitness, and Food: Healthy Gut = Healthy Body

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Our guts are the gateways to heaven, or quite the opposite, depending on how we treat them, and what we feed them. Did you know that between 60-80% of our immune system lives in our guts? Having a healthy gut will help us stay healthy! Now, in order to get a healthy gut, we first have to know what we are doing to damage it, and then how we can fix it and keep it healthy.

Our guts are comprised of good and bad bacteria. There should normally be a balance of about 80% good stuff to about 20% bad bacteria in there at any given time. As I had stated in a couple of my previous posts, (Damaged Intestines and What's Been Happening?) my gut bacteria have been in an epic war for the last 7 months. There have been many painful and uncomfortable battles, but I am happy to report that I think I am finally restored to normal (or pretty close) bacteria balance! So, what was causing all of my bad bacteria to take over? Here is a short run down.

The first mistake I was making was sugar intake. Now, of course there are healthy, natural sugars that are in fruits and things, but I am talking about the added sugars and junk pumped into foods. Thinking I was being healthy, and eating foods that I thought were good for me, turned out to be a false dream sold to me by the processed food industry. Even things like yogurt, that you think are great for you, usually hide more than 15g of sugar in one little container! YIKES! Sugar is not good for your health for so many reasons.

"Eating sugar actually nourishes the bad or pathogenic bacteria yeast and fungi in your gut, which may actually harm you more than its impact on insulin resistance. One of the major results of eating a healthy diet is that you cause your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real "magic" of restoring your health."

Click the link above to see the full article! It is full of amazing information!

So, I needed to cut out the sugar. All those processed foods were horrible for my overall health. I noticed a difference in my stomach when I changed my sugar intake. I didn't feel as sluggish, and my stomach wasn't bothering me as often. Now when I have sugar, my body does not appreciate it. My intestines make it a point to remind me that it was not a wise decision to put those yucky sugar guys into my body. Steering clear is the best choice.

Another big thing that I have cut out, is meat with injected antibiotics and hormones. Growing up, we never really paid too much attention to the meat we were eating. As I started changing my diet, I started realizing that my body was so much happier when I ate meats that were free of those chemicals. Antibiotics kills bacteria....both good and bad. When the chemicals go in and kill all bacteria, it makes it pretty hard to have a large stash of healthy guys in your tummy army. The poor fellas are being destroyed when you eat meat dripping in antibiotics. I want, and need, those buggers strong and ready to fight bad stuff!

Now, how do we get the good guys some strength and some back up buddies? We supplement with good probiotics that can be found in supplement form, or in foods. CLICK HERE to see some foods that have pre and/or probiotics in them naturally. Below is also a graphic that gives you a few examples.

Most of us don't really realize just how important our gut health is. I certainly didn't understand the importance of a healthy tummy until I came to the realization that I was not supposed to be feeling so sick and icky every day. Balanced good vs. bad guy bacteria makes a huge difference! It not only helps me absorb the good stuff in food, it helps block fat, and also keeps me from getting sick. Watch the video below for a quick explanation of why a good probiotic is important.

Now, I needed some good guys, and fast. I needed them to be ready to go into battle, and I also needed them to have some major reinforcements. I had messed up my gastrointestinal system pretty bad. I knew I needed a GOOD probiotic, but where to start? CLICK HERE for four key points when choosing a good probiotic. As everything, they are not created equal! I was referred to visit Dr. Osborne's page at www.glutenfreesociety.org and check out his high quality products. They are all gluten free, and not pumped with fillers. I take the one pictured below. It has helped speed my gut health along in the right direction. There are also a lot of other great products and information on that site. Check it out!