Give Your Gut Some LOVE

Did you know you have two brains? Yup, you've got one brain in your head and another brain in your gut.

Gut instinct. Go with your gut. These are examples of how we use our second brain. If you've ever gotten a bad feeling (or a good feeling!) about a person, a place, or a situation, you know what I'm talking about.

We now know that most of our immune system is contained in the gut. Taking care of your gut means fighting off infections, resisting illness, coping better with allergies, avoiding or even curing autoimmune diseases, having more energy, and just feeling better in general.

How can you give your gut more LOVE? I'm glad you asked!

1) Probiotics. Your gut houses loads (up to 5 POUNDS!) of bacteria working to help digest the food you eat. There are good bacteria (the ones we want to nurture) and there are less desirable bacteria. When you take an antibiotic, all the bacteria are killed, not just the bad ones. Probiotics can help re-establish a healthy gut biome. Probiotics can be purchased as a supplement, but are also found in fermented foods which have not been heated. Yogurt, kefir, raw sour kraut, kim chi, and kombucha are some examples of fermented foods which contain good bacteria for your gut.

2) Prebiotics. This is a type of fiber which passes through the small intestine and feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotic fiber is found in many plants. For example, bananas, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, and sweet potatoes all contain prebiotic fiber. You don't need to take a prebiotic supplement because fiber is found in so many foods. Eating a wide variety of plant foods will assure that your gut's good bacteria are receiving plenty of prebiotics.

3) Deep breathing. You know that feeling when your gut is tied up in knots? Deep belly breaths can help to loosen and release tension in the gut. If you are worried about something in particular, take steps to deal with the fear and anxiety. But if the worry is habitual and chronic, make it a daily practice to breathe deeply. Even a few minutes per day can help.

4) Massage. We rarely think of massaging the gut. But this is an area that can benefit greatly from regular massage and stretching. You can pay a massage therapist to do this for you, but it's much easier and cheaper to do it yourself. A foam roller or a large ball of some kind (like a volley ball) can work. Lie face down with the ball under your pelvis. Relax all your weight onto the ball and take deep, slow breaths. You will massage and gently stretch the core muscles, the abs, and the diaphragm this way. Spend at least 5-10 minutes once a week massaging the belly.

5) Unconditional positive regard. In other words, love. Give your belly some love, literally. Both men and women are usually very hard on themselves in terms of this area of the body. We love to hate on the gut. We think the only good belly is a rock-hard 6-pack. But most of us will never achieve sculpted abs with zero body fat. We need to let go of that unrealistic goal and learn to love our bellies now, exactly as they are. This doesn't mean giving up the goal of weight loss or fitness. Just give up the hatred and the loathing. Love your belly and care for it with kindness!

If you need some support in learning to love and care for your gut, please get in touch. I work with clients one-on-one or in small groups on issues like weight loss, holistic personal training, yoga, Pilates, body sculpting, and more.