When your digestive system is causing you problems, nothing can really take your mind off of it except for relief! Whether its indigestion, constipation or anything in between, digestion issues don’t just magically appear unless your digestive system has been disturbed. This week, I will explain to you the common causes of digestive disorders and how to improve them.

Low Quality Food

Low-quality foods, or “faux foods” are everywhere. In today’s busy world, prepackaged, shelf-stable, and convenience have become the norms considering the average fast-paced lifestyle. Faux foods are devoid of nutrients leaving the body unsatisfied and hungry for more nutrients. The result of eating these faux foods is that your clients end up overeating, disrupting the digestive system, hormonal signaling, and mood. People are not getting the nutrients they need to keep the gut lining healthy and produce enough of the digestive juices needed to properly break down and absorb the nutrients. Faux foods are also more likely to result in food intolerances.

Gut Inflammation and Damage

Sugar and refined ingredients, as well as several food additives and preservatives, have been shown to cause inflammation and damage in the gut – especially when exposure is chronic. Gluten is one of them and is found in many “faux” foods where flours or wheat-derived ingredients are used. Gluten causes damage inside the gut and not just in those with celiac disease. Processed and refined vegetable oils rich in omega-6 fats and trans fats cause inflammation and damage throughout your body, including your gut. Residues of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones found in conventionally grown produce and conventionally raised animals also interfere with digestive health.

Gut Dysbiosis

Low-quality foods are likely to lead to imbalances in your gut flora causing further inflammation and damage, interfering with digestion and trapping your clients in a cycle of unpleasant digestive symptoms. Try improving your diet by swapping your unhealthy favorites with health alternatives and see if your digestion issues will resolve themselves.

Antibiotics

Anything that upsets the delicate balance of your gut flora should not be a decision that is taken lightly considering how critical our gut flora is for our digestion and overall health. It’s important to note that antibiotics are not “bad”. However, there is a time and a place for them and they have been overused in the past and are still overprescribed today. Studies show that antibiotics cause long-term negative changes to the diversity of gut flora, and it is not an easy task to restore it. If you have to take antibiotics, make sure you replenish your microbiome afterwards by supplementing with probiotics and pre-biotics which can help combat the negative affects of antibiotics.

Stress

Stress affects each and every organ of our body and is the number one factor when it comes to health issues. Stress reduces stomach acid levels, reduces blood flow to the gut, prevents the rest-and-digest nervous system response from occurring, and contributes to leaky gut. To help reduce your stress, try working with a health coach who can work with you to created a personalized lifestyle plan to help manage your stress and resolve your digestion issues.

For more tips to reduce stress, check out these blog posts:

How to Manage Your Chronic Stress & Mood Swings

How to Manage Stress and Avoid Burnout by Building this 1 Important Mental Skill

 

Leaky Gut

With leaky gut, sometimes called intestinal hyperpermeability, large pieces of incompletely digested foods, inflammatory compounds, and toxins enter the body. Stress, faux foods and gluten are big contributors, as well as certain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), gastrointestinal infections, and exposure to heavy metals. Working with a specialist can help resolve your issues with leaky gut for good, but if you want to do it solo, then Designs for Health has great supplemental protocols that can help you resolve your leaky gut for good. If you are interested to learn more, then I can give you protocol suggestions if you schedule a call with me or submit a request to learn more about the Designs for Health Leaky Gut Protocol by going to contact page and submitting a request.

Chronic Toxic Exposures

Heavy metals are known to cause inflammation when in contact with the intestines. And because they contribute to leaky gut, these heavy metals can easily make their way into the bloodstream and anywhere else in the body. They’re in the polluted air we breathe; the water we drink; the cosmetics we apply directly on our skin; the cookware we use to prepare our food; and even things like cleaning products, deodorants, and dental fillings as well as the paint and dust in our homes and offices! The most common and dangerous heavy metals are mercury, arsenic, aluminum, and lead.

Environmental toxins are also troubling. These include both synthetic and naturally occurring compounds that disrupt metabolic processes. Examples are BPA, phthalates, formaldehyde, chlorine, GMOs, and pesticide residues. I offer wonderful supplemental protocols for individuals who are looking to detox heavy metals or toxins from their body. For more information, just submit a request.

 

For more info about toxins, read the blog post below:

This One Substance Slows Down Fat Loss and Here is How to Prevent it from Happening to Sculpt Your Body Goals

 

Genetics

Digestive issues are likely to run in the family. However, the line between genetics and environmental influences is blurry, as environmental influences can cause certain genes to turn “on” or “off.”

For more information on how genetics plays a role with digestion issues, click here.

Need help improving your digestion issues?

If you need help improving your digestion issues, it may help by starting off with an elimination diet to get to the culprit behind what foods could be contributing to your digestion issues. Elimination diets can last between 21-60 days depending on your symptoms. During that time it would be ideal to work on clearing out any harsh chemicals or toxic substances in your home environment that could also be contributing to your digestion issues. If you need assistance, then you can work with me on my STEW project app. 

I build custom weekly plans for you and coach you through it 5 days a week. Plans start as little as $3/day so you won’t even have to worry about breaking the bank.  Get to the root of your issues so you can resolve them for good. Ready to find relief once and for all? Click here to schedule a call to get started. I hope this helps!

In Good Health,
Amber Stew BS,
Holistic Nutritionist
Certified Master Life Coach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist,
CTNC Mental Health Specialist
TBMM Corrective Exercise Specialist