Optimal Gut Health

Hello Golden Divas!

I hope you had a chance to read last week’s post on ‘GUT HEALTH‘ if not it’s never too late to catch up on some very pertinent information. This week I would like to continue to discuss gut health age 50+ only this time I will like to share the information on ‘OPTIMAL GUT HEALTH!’ 

STEP 1 TO OPTIMAL GUT HEALTH

Minimize Xenoestrogens

I bet you’re wondering what is ‘Xenoestrogens.’ Well, divas, our modern, industrialized society means we live in a very estrogenic environment. Xenoestrogens are anything that has an estrogenic effect on the body, which includes Estrogenic compounds in things like plastic and medication but also most of the toxins that also compromise your gut health. Minimizing Estrogens is one of the most powerful ways to improve Menopause symptoms and your hormonal health in general.

Ladies simply reducing your ‘toxic load’ and ‘eating better’ will go a long way here.

STEP 2 TO OPTIMAL GUT HEALTH – NEVER EAT:

Food to Avoid #1: Soy

As if xenoestrogens weren’t enough, many foods contain plant EstrXgens and should be avoided if you’re trying to reduce Estrogen. The main culprits are anything containing soy as well as legumes and flaxseed.

Food to Avoid #2: Coffee

While re-balancing hormones it’s advisable to limit caffeine as much as possible because it works by stimulating the adrenal gland – not what you want if you have adrenal fatigue. Coffee is also linked to increased Estrogen levels.

Food to Avoid #3: Alcohol

Limit foods that suppress gut bacteria such as spicy food and alcohol.

 STEP 3 TO OPTIMAL GUT HEALTH – HORMONES

Optimize your hormone levels

Estrogen dominance and adrenal fatigue often go hand in hand. This is because the adrenal gland is responsible for hormones that regulate inflammation, weight gain, stress, energy, and libido. Guess which hormone is used to create these hormones? Progesterone! Estrogen dominance is such a strain on progesterone production, helping the adrenal or thyroid gland can make a huge difference to all the issues discussed in this presentation.

HERE ARE 3 KEYS TO OPTIMIZING YOUR  HORMONES

Key #1 to optimal hormones: Reduce stress

Stress increases the demand for the hormone cortisol, which when constantly elevated contributes to that ‘frazzled’ feeling. Did you know that cortisol is one of the contributors to stubborn belly fat? Make reducing stress a priority and your hormonal balance plus your waistline will thank you. One simple way to reduce stress is to get enough sleep!

Key #2 to optimal hormones: Eat at least 3 eggs per day

The egg yolks are rich in progesterone aiding nutrients like Vitamin B6, Choline, and Zinc. Most women over 50 are deficient in these nutrients. The best way to prepare eggs is to soft boil them.

Key #3 to optimal hormones: Protein + Sea Salt

Eat a protein-rich breakfast, along with some salt. This helps combat the effects of Adrenal Fatigue, which often goes hand in hand with Estrogen Dominance. Adrenal Fatigue impacts both blood sugar and hormones responsible for monitoring salt levels, so eating the right breakfast will help both energy levels and hormonal balance. Make sure you use Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt or Celtic salt, as it contains none of the chemicals of processed table salt.

STEP 4 TO OPTIMAL GUT HEALTH- EAT DAILY

7 Foods for better gut health

Eat these 7 foods for optimal gut health. The fermented foods are especially good, but make sure to introduce them gradually, as too much may cause too much detox.

1. Kefir

Kefir is a delicious, fizzy fermented yogurt that hails from the Caucasus Mountains of Bulgaria. Kefir is a powerful probiotic which repopulates the gut and is actually digestible for many people with lactose intolerance. The bacteria in Kefir are particularly useful because they inhibit an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which stops Estrogen reabsorbing into the gut. You can buy Kefir from many health food stores and even order grains online to ferment yourself from milk or yogurt.

2. Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage from Germany and central Europe. It contains nothing more than salt and cabbage – bacteria ferment and ‘predigest’ the cabbage, releasing gut-healthy lactic acid as well as repopulating your gut. It has a wonderful tangy taste and goes well as a side dish with the main meal. Make sure the sauerkraut is unpasteurized – if it’s not refrigerated, it’s not unpasteurized.

3. Kimchi

Kimchi is Sauerkraut’s spicy Korean cousin. It’s made from cabbage, chili, and a variety of other vegetables and is easy to get from any Korean restaurant to take home as well as from any health food stores.

4. Bone Broth

Gut health is about more than just repopulating it with healthy bacteria. If the gut is not completely sealed, low-level infection is a guarantee, and when this is the case healing bacterial cultures becomes very difficult. By far the most effective way to heal the gut wall is with bone broth. Bone broth improves the breakdown of food, absorbs more protein but most importantly contains gelatin. Gelatin therapy has long been used to heal the fragile mucus of the gut lining, which seals and heals the gut. One easy way to quickly make gelatin-rich broth is to add bovine tracheal cartilage.

5. Seafood

Seafood, in general, is superb for progesterone production because it contains large amounts of absorbable zinc and B vitamins, and also contains plenty of trace minerals that are vital for hormone regulation. Try having some smoked salmon with your eggs for breakfast for a great start to the day.

6. Grass-fed or Pastured Butter

Eaten in small amounts, real, grass-fed butter is a fantastic food that reduces inflammation and increases insulin sensitivity, both of which are important for gut health and hormone regulation. What makes butter especially useful for treating Estrogen dominance is that it’s an extremely absorbable source of fat-soluble vitamins, in particular, vitamin E, which is used as a treatment for hot flashes, and the hormone Vitamin D which acts to regulate hormone balance in general.

7. Organic Berries, Figs & Cherries

Whole fruit is a great source of fiber that helps carry toxins out of the bowel and is also very easy to digest, allowing the gut to take a rest and heal. The fruit is also a great source of resistant starch, which not only binds to Estrogen but actually feeds good bacteria in the gut. Go for low sugar fruits such as berries, cherries, figs, grapefruit, and apples. It’s worth buying organic with apples and berries in particular as they receive more pesticides than almost any fruit!

GUT BACTERIA & CRAVINGS:

Are your gut bugs making you crave sugar?

When bad bacteria become dominant, they are able to literally hijack your brain and create cravings for the foods that they thrive on – processed carbohydrates. The problem is that not only does this make those bad bacteria become even more dominant, they also make you eat more of the foods that damage your health and make you gain weight.

Bad bacteria have a number of ways to keep you addicted to junk food and compromise your health.

Bad bacteria use the Vagus nerve, which connects the gut to the brain to produce craving-signaling chemicals and send them to your brain within moments. There are almost as many nerve endings in the brain as there are in the brain, so all they have to do is create a chemical when they are hungry and the brain tells you to seek out processed carbohydrates.

Although all bacteria do this, the sugar cravings from bad bacteria can be particularly strong – and when you eat these foods, the bacteria actually reward you by making you feel better. That may sound familiar if you’ve ever had an urge to eat bread or ice cream, for example, and then suddenly feel a boost in mood and energy.

Trying to break out of this vicious cycle can be difficult as starving bad bacteria of the processed carbohydrates they thrive on often creates withdrawal symptoms; robbing you of energy and making you feel sluggish and irritable. This may be a deliberate move by the bad gut bugs, or it may be the fact that bad bacteria release toxins when they die.

It’s important to recognize that these gut bacteria hijack our brains and that feeling cravings are not a sign that you have low willpower. These bacteria even change the taste receptors on your tongue, which is why the foods that are worst for us often taste delicious! Fortunately, using the right methods it’s possible to reprogram your taste buds and break out of the vicious cycle that many women over 50 unknowingly suffer from.

Yes, I’m saying that it’s possible for healthy food to actually taste good and to lose the desire to eat junk food.

GUT HEALTH TIPS

Tip #1 to fight cravings: Know which foods to buy organic

Eating organic fruit and vegetables will help develop your good bacteria. Some foods are more important to eat organic than others because contamination varies between fruit and veg. Always eat Apples, Tomatoes, and Berries Organic if you can. On the other hand, Avocado, Coconut, Asparagus, Onions, Cabbage don’t make that much of a difference when they aren’t organic, which makes them good choices if you are on a budget

Tip #2 to fight craving: the right snack

Eat a high-fat, high protein snack when you experience cravings. Low blood sugar is linked to cravings and also makes its symptoms – like crankiness and low energy – worse. When you have a craving for junk food, have a healthy, filling snack nearby to fill you up and keep your blood sugar stable. Nuts, eggs, a spoonful of coconut oil, and jerky are all great options.

Tip #3 to fight cravings: Awareness

Recognize cravings for what they are and don’t beat yourself up about it. Cravings often come because you are in need of a certain nutrient, but for most people, that mechanism has been hijacked! If you feel cranky, low energy and find it hard to concentrate when you have a desire for a certain food, know that it’s probably not in your best interest to eat it and that the craving will die away over time.

GUT BACTERIA AND HAVING A HARD A HARD TIME LOSING WEIGHT

Why it’s so hard to lose weight after the age of 50

Your metabolism is what drives weight loss – but many people don’t realize that their metabolisms are being compromised by bad gut bacteria. A damaged metabolism is an inefficient one, and is bad at regulating where energy from food goes, whether that’s fat, muscle, or more energy. This is bad news because the relationship between what you do – whether that’s diet or exercise – and the results you get doesn’t seem to work anymore.

When you have an unhealthy gut, bad bacteria produce toxins that make you feel sluggish and make it much harder for the body to burn fat. A body dominated by toxins controlling bacteria means it’s incredibly hard to prevent weight gain. These bacteria actually increase inflammation which inhibits the fat-regulating hormone insulin, which is a key to maintaining a healthy weight.

THE SCARY EXPERIMENT

Bad bacteria are so influential on weight gain that when scientists gave healthy mice a fecal transplant from mice with unhealthy gut flora, they gained weight, suffered heightened inflammation, and developed a host of metabolic issues. Another study also found that 100% of obese individuals had abnormal gut flora. These bacteria have even been shown to switch off fat-burning genes!

Most women over 50 have compromised gut health – and it’s very hard to lose weight when your gut isn’t optimal just by eating less and moving more. Let’s talk about how you can create the right environment for good bacteria, fight bad gut bugs, and grow your internal ecosystem so it works with you, not against you. When this is the case, vibrant energy and fat burning often seem to work on autopilot.

AVOID THESE FOODS & TOXINS

BPA

BPA stands for Bisphenol A and is a very nasty chemical that is everywhere in our environment, from the lining of tin cans to plastic food containers, plastic bottles, receipts and even recycled toilet paper!

BPA is one of the major sources of Estrogen-like chemicals called Xenoestrogens. This results in excessive Estrogen in our bodies, damaging our hormonal balance, our gut health, and making it very hard to lose weight, especially if you’re a woman over 50. To avoid BPA and other Xenoestrogens, limit your exposure to plastic, and if that’s not possible, make sure to NEVER eat food that’s come into contact with warm plastic, which leaks these toxic chemicals into our food and can be difficult to remove.

Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride is added to kill tooth decay-causing bacteria in the mouth. It’s literally poison and translates as ‘anti-life’. It kills pretty much any micro-organisms in the gut, good or bad, and also damages thyroid function, which makes it even harder to burn fat. There are lots of effective fluoride-free toothpaste on the market that work just as well.

Gluten

Grains like wheat and oats contain Gluten, which increases cravings because chemicals in wheat actually bond to the morphine receptors in the brain!

It also damages the tendrils of the gut, called the villi, which affects the ability of the body to absorb nutrients. This means you crave more food because you’re not getting enough nutrients. Unfortunately, your body still absorbs calories just fine! When the walls of the gut are damaged it also leads to unbalanced hormones, inflammation, and an over-active immune system, both of which lead to weight gain.

Omega-6

You’ve probably heard of the essential oils Omega 3 and Omega 6. Often these oils are sold together in a supplement because they can’t be produced by the body.

However – while Omega 3 reduces inflammation, too much Omega 6 actually promotes it. And if like most people, you have 20-60 times too much Omega 6 in your diet, you’re going to be experiencing Chronic Inflammation.

Chronic Inflammation makes whatever health issues you have worse and makes healing much more difficult for the body. It damages the immune system, increases the likelihood of degenerative disease, and also causes serious issues for gut health, creating holes in the gut wall and negatively affecting good bacteria.

Omega 6 is found in most processed food – which as you know is also exactly what bad bacteria want. Minimize the junk and having a healthy gut suddenly becomes much, much easier.

Processed dairy

Modern commercial dairy has very little in common with what our ancestors ate. It’s made harder to digest due to the fact that it’s Pasteurized and Homogenized, typically contains Bovine growth hormone, various steroids, antibiotics, and vaccines. More than 90% of all commercial milk cows also have infected udders due to high production, meaning the milk is full of pus. In fact, the udder infection is so common the FDA has to put a limit of 1.5 million pus cells per milliliter of milk.

Diet Shakes

The irony of the health food industry is that anytime something says anything like ‘low fat’ or ‘sugar-free’ it’s actually best to completely avoid it. ‘Diet foods’ like this are filled with all sorts of toxic additives to make them healthy on paper but on in practice. ‘Low fat’ foods usually have a lot of the unhealthiest fat there is -inflammation causing Trans-fat – and ‘low sugar’ foods tend to be filled with large amounts of gut-damaging artificial sweeteners.

HOW TO HEAL YOUR GUT

Eat Healthy Fats to Lose Fat

Eating healthy fats can actually make you LOSE fat. High blood sugar causes the body to store fat and also increases gut-damaging inflammation.

They also help the gallbladder, pancreas, and liver produce toxin removing Bile, and allow you to absorb Vitamin A – which nourishes the protective mucus lining the gut.

THERE ARE LOTS OF DELICIOUS OPTIONS FOR HEALTHY FATS!

Healthy Fat #1: Avocado

The humble Avocado is a great gut health food. Not only is it very high in healthy, raw fats but is one of the best sources of natural fiber, which prevents constipation and pulls toxins out of the gut without damaging the mucus, like conventional ‘roughage’ fibers like All-Bran.

Healthy Fat #2: Salmon

Salmon and other oily fish are the best natural source of absorbable omega-3, which is the simplest way to combat high levels of one of the biggest causes of inflammation – too much Omega-6. It’s also delicious.

Healthy Fat #3: Raw Nuts

A handful or two of raw nuts a day is a powerful weight-loss tool. They are extremely satisfying and keep you full for a long time, and Almonds have even been shown to be a very effective prebiotic, meaning they feed the good bacteria in the gut. There’s an easy and simple way to increase the nutrient content of nuts and to make them more absorbable: just soak them in water overnight.

Healthy Fat #4: Dark Chocolate

Not all chocolate is created equal – dark chocolate, in small amounts, has some serious health benefits, and actually is a great way to have something sweet in your diet that you can eat regularly. Some of the most important gut bacteria actually ferment Cocoa and turn it into anti-inflammatory compounds. Cocoa is also well known to reduce blood pressure, so go ahead and have a few squares after lunch or dinner. Just be sure to go for high-quality chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa.

GUT HEALING FOODS

Gut-Healing Food #1: Berries

Berries are a great low sugar fruit – but did you know they actually have specific gut health benefits as well? They contain insoluble fiber which is great for feeding healthy bacteria and contains tannins that have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect while inhibiting bad bacteria.

Gut-Healing Food #2: Turmeric

Turmeric is finally getting the attention it deserves in the nutrition world right now, and for good reason. The property of Curcumin, its active ingredient, reads like who’s who of health benefits. It’s one of the most powerful plants anti-inflammatory foods, combats menstrual cramping, stimulates bile production, is an antibacterial, and even heals the liver. It’s especially good for the mucous membrane which is key to not only maintaining good gut health but also healing it. Go for the whole Turmeric where you can find it for much higher concentrations of absorbable Curcumin.

Gut-Healing Food #3: Ginger

Ginger helps fight nausea and improves the ability of the stomach to empty itself more quickly. It also helps the body to release the proper digestive enzymes and is very good at getting rid of gas and bloating. It even cleans the lymphatic system of toxins, which is vital when you’re trying to improve gut health

Gut-Healing Food #3: Apple Cider Vinegar

Part of why good gut health is so vital for managing weight loss is because it makes the body better at absorbing nutrition, which means fewer calories are needed as well as less stress for the body so it can focus on other tasks. Apple Cider vinegar does this in a number of ways, especially by stimulating digestive enzymes.

To get the full benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, which include its function as a powerful detox and anti-candida tool, find an organic, unpasteurized brand and drink it first thing in the morning. If you suffer from heartburn just dilute it with some water.

4 POWERFUL HERBS

Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, and Thyme

These herbs have a number of functions for improving gut health, but what they all have in common is the way they break down bad bacteria because of the natural chemicals they contain.

Bad bacteria attach to the gut wall and protect themselves by producing a thin film that is hard to penetrate. Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, and Thyme have all been shown to be effective at stopping the bacteria from producing this film, which makes it much easier for good bacteria to remove them.

Ladies, I have a gut feeling that we are about to do better. Much better regarding our Gut Health!

Sources

susan@healthqueens.com