Jul09
6 Foods That Can Devastate Your Gut
Everyone wants to know what to eat to cultivate a healthy gut these days.
And while many of my prior posts have laid a solid foundation for what to ADD to your diet to cultivate gut health, there is still one REALLY important topic we have to cover to ensure you get your world-class GUT...
What NOT to eat.
Because you can add gut-supportive foods all day long, but if you're still causing damage every day because your eating foods that harm your gut...you won't make much progress.
Not very quickly, anyway.
Therefore, as much as I hate to ask you to focus on removing foods from your diet, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
Gut healing is one of those times.
So without further adieu...
Here are 6 gut-damaging foods you need to ditch PRONTO...
1. GLUTEN
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains. Research by Dr. Alessio Fassano (one of the world's gut experts) has confirmed that gluten causes gut damage in everyone. Not just in people with Celiacs disease, like many people believe today, but EVERYONE. It's a bold statement, I know, but his research is airtight. Listen to our podcast with gluten expert, Dr. Tom O'Bryan for all the juicy details.
2. GMOs.
GMO's are foods that have been genetically modified or have had their genes altered. The most common GMO crops are corn, soy, sugar, alfalfa and they are found in approximately 97% of the processed foods adorning supermarket shelves. They are everywhere. Sadly, experts have discovered GMOs wreak havoc on gut health because they shut down something called the shikimate pathway. Getting into the details is beyond the scope of this bite-sized email, but if you'd like to learn more about it please check out our fascinating podcasts with MIT senior scientist Stephanie Seneff here and here.
3. Sugar & Processed Foods.
Sugar and processed foods promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria and reduce the levels of beneficial bacteria. This disrupts the bacterial balance in your gut which causes widespread damage like leaky gut, reduced nutrient absorption and production, and increased toxic load. I know it can be challenging to ditch the sugar (I was once a sugar JUNKIE), but after a few weeks you'll forget about it and feel better than ever! And if you'd like more info check out our podcast with JJ Virgin here.
4. Alcohol
I know I know. It's tragic, but the relationship between alcohol and gut function is not a love story. In fact, alcohol decreases your enzyme output which means you don't digest food as well. It's also linked to leaky gut and can reduce your body's ability to produce prostaglandins which reduce inflammation. So if you're having gut issues or just aren't feeling right, try getting rid of alcohol for 30-60 days to see how you feel. Yes, some of the best times in life DO involve alcohol, but it'll be right there waiting for you once you get your gut in order. Not to mention you'll feel AWESOME which just makes everything better.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners like Splenda have been found to decrease the levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut. They've also been found to promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria. They've also been linked empirically to weight gain and glucose intolerance. No Bueno. Avoid them and if you have to use a sweetener use organic green leaf stevia.
6. _____ (Your food intolerance!)
Many times inflammation in the gut is the result of an unidentified food allergy. Mine was garlic. For YEARS I had cystic acne that would not clear up no matter what I did. It wasn't until I had IgG testing, that I realized a super healthy food like garlic was the culprit. I eliminated it and life has never been so sweet. So if you've tried everything to no avail, this could be why. Find a local naturopath or functional medicine practitioner for the necessary testing. You can also order your own these days. If you're interested let me know and I'll fill you in on all the details.
So there you have it! 6 foods you need to ditch to get a beautiful, SHINY healthy gut quickly.
And if your knees are knocking just thinking of how hard it will be to eliminate sugar, processed foods, gluten, and alcohol, take it one bite at a time.
I hope you enjoyed these SUPER effective little tips and strategies for improving your gut health!
Until then, have a wonderful gluten, sugar, alcohol artificial sweetener and processed food-free day!
>>>>> P.S. Need some gut-healthy snacks for when you and your family are on-the-go? Be sure to check out our 100% Grass Fed Beef Sticks and our Pasture-Raised Turkey Sticks which contain 1 billion CFU of probiotics per stick!
That is some incredible gut healing benefits wrapped up in a deliciously tasty, award-winning snack stick! 😊
