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How much do you know about your gut?

To be honest before I started working as a nutritionist I gave no thought to gut health. It wasn't something that entered into my consideration. Turns out many people are exactly the same way. 

Two years ago I dove into gut health though. I've been living with an autoimmune condition since 2014. I had done everything I could to get my health to a more stable place. But I hit a plateau. Then I stumbled on research between gut health and autoimmune conditions. Let's just say the rest is history.

What's the gut got to do with it?

All disease begins in your gut, including autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately the standard Western diet does a number on your gut health. Compromised gut health affects your immune health because 70% of your immune system lives in your gut. Change your diet, change your gut microbiome, improve your immune health.

Poor immune health makes your susceptible not only for COVID-19 but also to any other viruses or bugs that...

Is eating organic all the time a MUST?

As a nutritionist and health coach I strive to get as much organic food into my body as I can. However there are times when it's very challenging to get all organic. It helps to know which foods to always get organic and which foods it's okay if I can't find organic. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non partisan, non profit organization that compiles a list every year of the cleanest and dirtiest fruits and vegetables that are grown. It's good to check out their website every year to get a better handle on which foods you absolutely want to get organic. 

If you go to farmer's markets get to know the farmers in your area. For small farms getting the full certification to become organic may be cost prohibitive. From speaking with the farmer you may learn they use organic growing methods. It helps to get to know the people who are growing your food. 

What's the big whoop about pesticides anyway?

Many of the pesticides and...

You're eating healthy but still feel like crap. Why?

Nutrient absorption. A few months ago a client of mine was on an elimination diet. She was eating 100% plant based, mostly organic and still she wasn't feeling great. 

Turned out her gut was severely messed up. Micro-plastics and glyphosate in her gut was making it so that all the nutritious foods she was eating weren't getting absorbed. 

When it comes to creating health it isn't just about the types of foods you're eating. It's also about whether or not those foods are actually getting absorbed into your body. When your gut health is compromised then your body isn't going to be absorbing everything you're eating.

We're at a point now in human history that there is NO way that 100% of humanity isn't impacted by glyphosate. If you're not familiar with glyphosate, or haven't read some of my previous blogs, here's the run down. Glyphosate is a water soluble toxin that's found in Roundup. Right now 4 billion pounds of...

Did you know that your gut is your second brain? Some researchers even think that your gut is more important than your brain.

Fact: 70% of your immune system is housed in your gut. There’s more serotonin in your gut than your brain. If your gut bacteria is out of balance, the rest of your body will also be out of balance and you may find yourself getting sick more often.

All disease begins in the gut. Making gut health your top priority will reward you with great health. It'll also make it easier for your body to fight against any foreign invaders. 

What gets your gut out of whack?

The #1 suspects are poor food choices. Especially highly processed foods, fried foods, and sugar. They feed the bad bacteria and drown out the good bacteria living in your gut microbiome. Red meat, farmed fish, dairy and eggs are also not ideal for gut health. 

You may find your mood is affected if you’re ingesting a lot of processed sugars. If you're getting moody highs and lows...

When I first learned about glyphosate I wanted to ignore it. The word isn't so easy to pronounce and it's easier to want to ignore it.

Thankfully I kept learning about glyphosate and now I'm grateful that I didn't ignore this very real problem in our modern diet. 

Let's get the pronunciation out of the way and then I'll fill you in on why this isn't something you want to ignore.

The word is pronounced Gly-PHO-Sate. 

So what exactly is glyphosate and why should you care? Glyphosate is a water soluble toxin that can be found in the herbicide Roundup. It's used mostly in farming and sprayed onto crops like oats, corn, soy and many others. Due to the fact that it's water soluble, it has the ability to travel anywhere in the environment. Since we live on a planet that's made up of mostly water, glyphosate is in the soil, air and water.

And there lies the rub.

Unlike other toxins that might be fat soluble, because glyphosate is water soluble it can go anywhere there's...