6 Ways to know if you struggle with Poor Gut Health
Our gut microbiome consists of bacterial species that help with digestion, destroy harmful bacteria, and help to control our immune system.
Good bacteria eg: Probiotics, Vitamins, Short-chain fatty acids, Amino Acids
Bad bacteria eg: Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus
What causes poor gut health?
Poor gut health is caused when there is more bad bacteria in our G.I. tract than good bacteria. This can happen from many things, either we stop taking care of our health, or perhaps there are medical issues that can lead to poor health that may be out of our control. I am not a doctor, therefore I am going to focus on the causes that are in our control. To sum it up in bullet points, poor gut health can be caused by:
Lack of sleep
Ultra-processed foods
Heavy alcohol consumption
Lack of physical activity
When I was at my heaviest weight, my lowest energy, un-healthiest eating habits, my gut health was extremely poor. At this time I was eating way past my fullness cues, I was eating simply because I was bored, I was eating because I thought that every activity I did required me to eat even if I wasn’t hungry. I was eating very poorly, consuming fast food, highly processed and industrialized food, and drinking heavily. I had no energy during the day, I was constantly fatigued and I never wanted to leave my bed. This put me in an even bigger state of depression than what I was already in because I felt useless and I felt incompetent in completing basic daily activities.
I took small steps in my gut healing journey to eventually overcome my struggles, and live a healthy life where I can eat guilt-free and feel confident and happy with myself!
I began adding certain things to my daily diet, my favorite and something I cannot live without is tea! Tea; hot or iced can have amazing benefits and really aid with digestion and anti-inflammatory properties.
This is just a brief overview of what I experienced with my bad gut health, the long story consists of every detail of bloating, sicknesses, weight gain, and eventually affecting my social relationships.
If you are struggling with gut health or you are questioning if your gut needs healing and you want to start getting your eating habits on track, then together let’s look at some of the most common signs that you may be struggling with poor gut health:
Constant bloating
Low energy/mood swings
Bad breath
Skin irritations
Persistent infections
Unhealthy cravings
1. Constant bloating:
Everyone bloats, there are times when bloating is going to occur and it is out of our control. For example if we eat an entire greasy pizza, or for my women out there, when we are in certain phases during our menstrual cycle; we are going to bloat, and that is okay.
However, if you are constantly bloated, everyday, no matter if you’ve eaten healthy/unhealthy, or if you’ve eaten at all. That is a clear sign that you have poor gut health, no one should be bloated 24/7.
If this continues for a long time, and you struggled with other gastrointestinal symptoms as well, please contact your doctor, you could be dealing with serious medical issues.
2. Low energy/Mood Swings:
Under poor gut health conditions, certain proinflammatory molecules called “cytokines'' begin to travel around our bloodstream. The rise of inflammation creates an ongoing stressor which disrupts our homeostasis.
This stressor uses up most of our energy and leaves us feeling drained and groggy.
There are many serotonin receptors located in the gut, ultra-processed foods can lower these receptors and trigger certain emotional parts of our brain.
3. Bad breath:
A build up of the “bad bacteria” in our gut can lead to certain diseases and infections.
Certain build-ups can allow the stomach acid to reach the lower end of our esophagus and in turn give us bad breath.
4. Skin irritations:
Similar to the inflammation that can cause us to have low energy and mood swings. The rise in inflammatory molecules can lead to physical responses: acne, eczema, dermatitis, etc.
5. Persistent infections:
Poor gut health can lead to serious damaging infections and illnesses.
One example is SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) which is when the breakage of food or digestion is slowed down severely. It can cause inflammation, stomach acidity to reach the esophagus, constipation and more.
6. Unhealthy Cravings
A decline in “good bacteria” in our gut does not allow our hunger or satiety cues to fully respond well.
We do not feel satisfied with what we have eaten and we crave more of the unhealthy food we have put into our body.
On the flip side: fueling our body with the proper macro/micro nutrients allows us to feel satisfied and we are able to listen to our hunger cues more clearly.
If you are struggling with poor gut health and you want to get your eating habits on track, one of my favorite things to drink for better gut health and for a delicious refreshing treat is tea!
Once I learned that the root cause of my problems was in my gut, I began my healing journey and recovered. I was able to lose the unnecessary weight I gained, debloat, gain back my energy levels, I managed my stress, and I am now the healthiest, happies, and most confident I have felt and looked in my whole life!
I want this for you too! Adagio Teas is an amazing place to find the best loose leaf teas that you can buy in all different flavors for hot or iced teas. They also offer starter sets, teaware, gifts, and extra pantry treats!
Adagio Teas is a healthy, quality place to start your gut healing journey!
You can join now and for a limited time receive a FREE sample of their Rooibos Bonita Iced Tea packages with a purchase of $29 or more!
As soon as you enter their website you can sign up for $5 off any product!
