It is estimated that over 60-70 million Americans are dealing with digestive diseases. (1) Many others have gut issues and may not know it. While some symptoms are pretty obvious, others are not. Gastrointestinal problems are so commonplace that many people dismiss them as expected, but nothing is normal about them. Any symptom you experience is a warning sign that something isn’t working right. The earlier you address the root cause of the issues, the better you can ward off potential problems down the road.
4 Ways to Spot an Unhealthy Gut:
1. You have significant gastrointestinal issues
Symptoms like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, gas, nausea, heartburn, reflux are all obvious warning signs that something is not right in your gut. You should be able to eat food comfortably and eliminate the waste products through your stool at least 2-3 times per day. It is not normal or natural to experience any of the above symptoms. Rather than treating the symptoms with over-the-counter or prescribed drugs, it is ideal to get to the root cause of the problem.
2. You have persistent skin issues
Conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea can also be red flags for underlying gut issues. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is very connected to your gut. Overgrowth of “bad bacteria” can result in inflammation that manifests as skin issues. Food intolerances can also disrupt the gut and ultimately cause skin disorders. Most people will go to a dermatologist to treat the skin issues, but unless the gut is addressed, the problems with the skin will persist.
3. You experience frequent anxiety, brain fog, or daytime fatigue
These types of symptoms can be multi-factorial, but your gut is also referred to as your “second brain” because neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are manufactured there. If these chemicals become dysregulated, it can result in mood swings, the inability to think clearly, anxiety, and lack of sleep leading to daytime fatigue.
4. You get sick a lot or take antibiotics frequently
The health of your gut dramatically impacts your immune system. When there are issues like leaky gut, dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, and inflammation, your immune system takes a hit. This leaves you susceptible to things like colds, flu, viruses, and even cancer. If you get sick a lot, it is an indication that your gut and immune system are not working correctly. After all, it is your gut that mounts an antibody defense when you encounter outside pathogens. If you take antibiotics (even one round can decimate the beneficial bacteria in your gut), you must rebuild the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Ways to Improve Gut Health
Get your spine and nervous system checked
MaxLiving doctors are doctors of cause—your brain and nervous system control every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. Any interference can affect how your body is functioning and healing. Even if you are eating healthy and organic food, if your body can’t properly absorb, digest, and assimilate it, you will never be functioning optimally. Dysfunction at this level can result in any or all of these gastrointestinal symptoms.
Eat a gut-health diet
Start by eliminating processed foods, sugar, processed carbohydrates, and high sugar fruits. Make the switch to only naturally raised animal products like grass-fed beef and dairy, free-range chicken, and wild-caught fish. Lastly, eat plenty of good fats, avoid pork and shellfish, and stay hydrated.
Add fermented foods
Adding probiotic-rich foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, unsweetened kefir, and kombucha can help rebuild your healthy gut bacteria. They also contain enzymes that help digest and assimilate food.
Avoid toxins
Toxins are prevalent in foods, personal care products, cleaning supplies, medications, and the environment. These toxins can be very troublesome to your gut and can cause problems as they accumulate over time. They are also fat-soluble and become encapsulated by fat and become problematic to remove.
Supplement
Check out MaxLiving’s Gut Health Bundle to support and repair your gut. The Gut Health Bundle consists of MaxGI and Probiotic 50B and has been used across the MaxLiving network with great success
MaxGI is a powerful blend of essential oils, digestive enzymes, and probiotics making it a great all around product to balance your gut flora, help relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, and maintain a healthy gut. Take 2 capsules per day on an empty stomach with water.
Probiotic 50B contains 10 of the most well-researched strains of probiotics. It is a broad-spectrum product that comes in a delayed-release capsule making it even more effective. Another unique feature is that it is shelf stable and need not be refrigerated. For best results, take 1 capsule a day with food.
Get Nutritional Testing
Talk to your MaxLivng Doctor about nutritional testing that can pinpoint gut issues.
About the Author
Kimberly Roberto is a wife, mother of three, author, and business owner. She and her husband Fred have owned and operated a chiropractic and wellness clinic for the last 25 years. Kimberly and Fred have been a part of MaxLiving for since it’s onset. She co-authored the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book in 2009 which sold over 10,000 copies and recently authored the MaxLiving’s Maximizing Your Pregnancy, Birth and Newborn book. She’s a holistic nutritionist and maintains a healthy cooking/recipe blog. She is passionate about natural health and helping people reach their potential for health and wellness. She resides in Marietta, GA and their three children are now grown and attending college.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480553/
