As many of you know, I have been struggling with a systemic candida infection that was diagnosed in February of 2017, after nearly a year of symptoms that really affected my quality of life.
I am so enthusiastic about my progress and happy to report that while my body is still healing, I am feeling SO much better and returning to a bit more normalcy in my life. After many days, weeks and months of research, I learned a tremendous amount about gut health and the keys to an optimal and vibrant gut: a balanced microbiome with beneficial bacteria. Today I wanted to share with my reader’s three steps that I took in order to repair my gut and revamp my life! 1. REMOVE First on my to do list was to remove anything from my life that could be working againstthe beneficial bacteria in my gut as well as possibly feeding the candida albican that lived there. I learned that many things that the average person today consumes (daily) are to blame for depleting the beneficial probiotics in our gut. So my first step was to eliminate all possible things that could be negatively affecting my microbiome. This list consisted of:
2. REPAIR In a healthy gut, around 85 percent of the bacteria are the good guys, and they stand guard against the bad guys (viruses, harmful bacteria, and parasites) that we often encounter from the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe. Beneficial bacteria work to protect our gut barrier, which is the official "entrance" from the outside world into our internal environment. A gut barrier without probiotics is like a prison without guards, locks, or even doors; anything can get in or out. When probiotics are plentiful though, they produce antimicrobial substances and acids that kill unfriendly microbes, increase antibody levels, strengthen and close gaps between gut barrier cells, and crowd out harmful invaders by competing for space. When beginning to repair my gut, I knew I needed to shift the balance of my microbiome so that I had more good guys. I took probiotic supplements (I really liked the Metagenic Ultra Spectrum Probiotic and I doubled down on the dose giving me 60 billion good guys a day! I also loaded up on fermented probiotic foods like kombucha and kefir—all in an effort to replenish my gut with life-supporting bacteria. I also relied on bone broth, high in glutamine, to help repair my gut lining, which—when gut health is compromised—can create what is commonly known as, “leaky gut”. This is when there are holes in the lining of your gut and all sorts of unnecessary and harmful particles can enter the bloodstream, ultimately leading to inflammation as the immune systems stages a response. I tried Dr.Axe’s Bone Broth protein powder and fell in love. The pure flavor goes well in any smoothie, smoothie bowl, juice and even in recipes for an added protein punch! I also developed two (fast) morning rituals that helped me to repair my gut health. I did both of these things in the morning upon waking up while my stomach was empty. First, I would take 1 tbsp. of organic apple cider vinegar with the mother and dilute in a little bit of cold water. Next, I would drink that down and grab the aloe vera juice from the fridge and pour 8 oz. into a cup. While I would get ready for the day I drink the aloe vera. Both aloe vera and apple cider vinegar have a lengthy list of health benefits they provide… which I will have to include in another blog post soon! For now… let’s stay on track. 3. RESTORE Okay so then it became time to restore. I needed to find a way to nourish my beneficial bacteria on a daily basis and restore my gut diversity to its optimal state. This meant incorporating some prebiotics as well. Probiotics seem to get all the attention, but the beneficial bacteria in our gut that feed on indigestible (at least to us) fibers in plant-based foods called prebiotics. Without enough of them in our diet, it's very difficult for the good bacteria to settle in and really thrive. Fun fact that I am sure many of you didn’t know (I sure didn’t) - the foods we eat cause major changes to our microbiome (both good and bad) in mere hours, can you believe it? So, I committed to completely overhauling my diet so that it better served both my microbes and me. After all… food is fuel! In addition to continuing with the dietary changes mentioned previously, I increased my daily intake of plant-based prebiotic foods and other nourishing gut-restoring staples, including:
I also realized that it is nearly impossible to get as much fiber as our bodies need in our diets. So I found a great product made by Amazing Grass, Green Superfood Detox and Digest, which provides me with daily greens, superfoods, probiotic and prebiotics as well as extra fiber. I also add psyllium husk to my smoothies for more fiber! To further support my microbial health, I focused on my favorite stress-reduction techniques like meditation and yoga and made it a point to prioritize spending more time doing these things. At the time, back in February when all of this was becoming my “new” life, the changes felt overwhelming and sometimes too extreme. Now when I take a moment to step back from the pressures and norms of our modern world, they actually feel incredibly intuitive. I feel as if my relationship with my body has improved drastically and that I have a better idea of what it means to listen to your body. Most importantly, I am the healthiest I have ever been and now have the habits and tools to keep it that way. Yay! xoxo Kat
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