The hallmark of most “cleanses” or “detoxes” out there is…restriction. Juice cleansing, where you drink nothing but juice, fits perfectly into this. Although the word “detox” has been co-opted in many cases simply to sell ways of dieting, your body actually does have very real detoxification pathways. Ironically, these pathways actually need MORE nutrients to…
All posts tagged gut health tips
Tips to Prevent Travel Constipation
Digestion thrives off of routine, so travel can throw anyone’s gut out of whack. Below you’ll find food and lifestyle tips to prevent travel-related constipation. There are several supplement-related strategies as well, but those are usually a bit more personalized. Also, if you haven’t already picked up my 10 Tips for Gluten-Free Travel guide, it’s…
How changes in season can affect digestion
Have you ever felt like your digestion fluctuates based on the seasons? Some of my clients report feeling better in the summer compared to the winter, or vice versa. If you can relate, know there are many legitimate reasons why this could be the case. The following are some of the most common factors that…
How to lower stress and prime your digestion before a meal
Life is busy. And stressful. Stress effects the entire physical body, and if you’re someone prone to digestive issues, you know how much it can mess with your gut. The scientific literature, too, continues to confirm that the relationship between the gut and brain, often called the gut-brain axis, is an extremely intimate one. …
5 Fall Foods for Gut Health
Fall gives us so much more than pumpkin spice lattes. It delivers a bounty of delicious, gut-healthy fruits and vegetables! Here are five that are in season now and are excellent for your gut. Leeks Leeks are an incredibly rich source of prebiotics, which are the types of fiber that feed the beneficial bacteria in…
The Ultimate Guide to Fiber & How it Affects Gut Health
Did you know that we aren’t able to break down or directly use fiber? That’s right, fiber is entirely food for the trillions of microbes in our gut, called our gut microbiome! They eat the fiber, and make by-products called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that, among many benefits, are incredibly anti-inflammatory and immune-supportive. That…
When your labs are “normal”… but you don’t feel normal
Have you ever been to the doctor and gotten your labs run, just to be told everything is “normal”? Maybe it was on in your journey toward getting a diagnosis when doctors were testing for everything BUT celiac (ask me how I know!). Or maybe you’ve been gluten-free for awhile now but have lingering digestive…
What is leaky gut and why does it matter?
What is leaky gut? Our gut is one of our first lines of defense and acts as a barrier between the inside and outside world. Leaky gut, otherwise known as intestinal permeability, is essentially when your gut barrier is breached. Normally, the gut lining is one of the body’s first lines of defense, and the…
How Probiotics Work (and a tip to optimize probiotic use!)
Did you know that in most cases probiotics don’t take up permanent residence in our gut? That’s right, they act more like house guests that come and go. That means the benefits of probiotics only last as long as we’re actually using them! If this isn’t how you pictured it working, hopefully the little visual…
Stress and Gut Health: How it Works and How to Check-In
This year has been a historically stressful one, to say the least. Many of us have felt it in our gut. Literally. That’s because stress has a significant impact on gut health. The medical literature continues to confirm that the gut-brain axis is very real. Chemical messengers are traveling back and forth all day long…