If there was a part of your body that was responsible for 80% of your immune response, that generated it’s own vitamins (some B’s & K), that helped detox, aided hormonal balancing, could make you happy, would you nurture & love it more knowing that it did these things without you having to think about it?
Well, great news, there is! THE GUT
It is the only organ that can work independently of the brain. It doesn’t need the brain’s input to work and it contains it’s own set of neurons & nervous system. 90% of the flow of information between the gut and the brain along the vagus nerve is upwards, from the gut up to the brain. Think about that for a moment. Maybe the gut is the real brain of the body?!?
95% of the feel good hormone serotonin is manufactured in the gut.
It’s such a key part of the body that we often fill with junk and still expect to work.
There are <2kg of bacteria in our gut making up the microbiome, containing more than 10 times the number of cells in our actual body. These different strains of biota perform all the tasks above and so much more. Their population size, health and function are all determined by the food & drink we consume, which feeds us & them.
2 SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOST YOUR GUT POWER
💛Eat food that encourages good bacteria to thrive
💛Take a probiotic
If we are eating rubbish food then the more undesirable bacteria will enjoy this feast and start to dominate, negatively affecting your health. Your balance of different strains of gut flora is as unique as your finger print.
We can hugely influence this vital area of the body with how we nourish our self. Its more important than EVER to keep this area strong, vibrant and working properly. Not just because it’s a vital cog in our immune response but because it also helps keep our mood buoyant in amongst the roller coaster of life we are on at the moment. Luckily the gut responds very quickly to positive changes, so it’s never too late to alter your diet.
💛There are prebiotic foods that the good bacteria LOVE – onions, garlic, chicory, artichoke, leeks, asparagus, bananas, barley, oats, apples, flaxseed, & seaweed. By having one or more of these foods a day you will be encouraging your own good bacteria to increase in numbers.
💛Probiotics are also a fabulous way to encourage your good bacteria to increase in population size. Probiotics should contain a few different strains of Bifidobacterium & Lactobacillus (two key strains of gut biota) with at least 4 Billion of these good guys in each capsules. They must be taken for 28 days in a row as they don’t linger in the gut, they act as cheerleaders to our own good bacteria encouraging our in-house residents to swell in population size.
That’s why looking after your gut and strengthening this important part of our being is integral to all my work, especially the 4 week Immune Boost Programme running again in August. If you’d like to explore if this is something that may help you please get in touch either by commenting below, sending an email to contact@carolinewestoll or calling 0787 6757339.
💜💙💚💛🧡❤️ Love your tummy ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Caroline Westoll Nourish & Nurture 