When I began on this real food, holistic living journey, I didn’t realize it was my gut health that needed improvement. I have to admit that it all started from a superficial standpoint: my skin. I had struggled with adult acne for YEARS. This girl had tried it all: prescription facial cleanser, drug store products with benzoyl peroxide, and mail order facial product systems. So when I heard about a book called The Dietary Cure for Acne by Dr. Loren Cordain, I thought I’d give it a shot.
It was a thin book and a quick read. It was the first time I was introduced to the concept of “Paleo.” Being the enthusiastic person that I am, I jumped in feet first. That was back when white potatoes were not considered Paleo, and I think the drastic switch to low-carb was too much for me. I was always hungry and it was unsustainable, so I decided to be a little less zealous. In essence I started off being gluten-free and cutting down on sugar. I was already mostly dairy-free.
The start of my real food “Paleo” journey
Going gluten-free didn’t cure my acne, but it did something else for me. After just a weekend of being gluten-free, my stomach bloating went way down. I didn’t have trapped gas all day. (I guess I thought it was normal to feel like you had to “hold it in” all day at work. My mom and grandma later told me no, that’s not normal!) My hand joints didn’t ache as much, and my body felt lighter overall. In fact, I didn’t realize how horrible I had been feeling until I started feeling better.
That is how my real food story began. There have been many twists and turns in my journey, and at times it has felt like I’ve taken two steps forward and three steps back. But comparing my gut health now as a 31-year-old to what it was at 25 years old is like comparing day and night, to be cliche. I have done a complete 180 turn. (Sorry, another cliche!) This is important because our gut is the foundation of our health, both short and long-term. If our gut is sick – bloating, excessive flatulence, indigestion, heart burn, countless food intolerances, constipation, diarrhea, you name it – then we are not operating at optimal wellness. Symptoms like the above indicate that there is an imbalance in the body and it needs to be resolved.
Managing our gut health is foundational to wellness
What do I mean when I say “the gut”? I mean our entire digestive tract, although most of the time we focus on the intestines. But it does include the esophagus and how our stomach actually digests food, and also how that digested food comes out. (Yes, poop talk is not taboo here!) This blog post is not meant to be a treatise on how to heal your gut. Oftentimes that will entail working one-on-one with a professional. But today I want to give you some “hacks” if you will, some holistic ways to support your gut health. They aren’t a cure-all, but they are things that have helped me along the way. Disclaimer: some links below are affiliate links. Click here to learn what that means.
Drink apple cider vinegar in the morning
This is something I learned from reading Practical Paleo (first edition) by Diane Sanfilippo. (She’s a big name in the Paleo/real food world so go check her out if you’re not familiar with her already! Check out the new second edition of her book.) It might sound kind of gross, but drinking a little bit of raw apple cider vinegar before you eat anything can hep with digestion. It helps stimulate hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is stomach acid and NECESSARY for proper digestion. Because I had taken a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) at one point, my guess is that I wasn’t producing enough stomach acid. Drinking ACV in water helped tremendously!
It is such a habit now, and it’s weird if I don’t do it. (Though I can tolerate going a few days without it.) I do 1 tablespoon in a mug of lukewarm or room temperature water. You could do warm water if you wish, just avoid cold water first thing in the morning. If ACV grosses you out, drink a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in water to get your digestion going. My favorite ACV is Bragg’s. Whatever brand you choose, make sure it’s raw and “with the mother.” That’s where all the goodness is!
Try digestive enzymes, especially with higher protein meals
This isn’t necessarily something you need to do with every meal. However, if you feel like your digestion is still impaired even after drinking ACV, digestive enzymes could help. My functional medicine doctor recommended that I take them with a meal that is higher in protein, since it takes more effort for the body to digest meat. Two brands I like are doTERRA Terrazyme and Designs for Health Digestzymes. (The latter is available through a practitioner.) Take them at the beginning of the meal or even up to 30 minutes before eating, but if you forget it’s okay to take them right after your meal too. Just a disclaimer: consult your primary care practitioner before starting any new supplement regimen. (However, normal digestive enzymes are pretty safe. Just stay away from anything that contains actual HCl unless it’s under your doctor’s guidance.)
Populate your gut with beneficial bacteria
Not all bacteria is bad! We need friendly bacteria in our guts to ensure proper intestinal function and nutrient absorption. People used to eat a lot of probiotic-rich foods, like fermented foods. Different cultures have their “thing,” like sauerkraut in Germany and kimchi in Korea. Other fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, and kombucha (a beverage). With things like sauerkraut (from the refrigerated section!) and kombucha, it’s important to start small and build up. You don’t want to flood your gut with good bacteria when it hasn’t had much for awhile! It could lead to uncomfortable bloating. When purchasing yogurt products (including kefir), make sure they are plain and made from organic, whole milk – grassfed is even better. In the US, I like the brands Maple Hill Creamery and Organic Valley.
Taking probiotic supplements is also a popular practice. While again I have to put out the disclaimer that you should consult your doctor first, they are very safe. You do want to make sure to be getting a quality brand that will not be killed by your stomach acid. I have been taking doTERRA’s PB Assist+ for years. I love it because of its double-layered, time-release capsule. This ensures that the probiotics get to the proper place in your digestive tract!
Eat more collagen
Collagen is an amazing substance that helps with regeneration and strengthening of our hair, skin, nails, and gut. But as a westernized society, we do not get enough collagen in our diets. It used to be that we ate “nose to tail,” meaning the entire animal, including the skin, bones, marrow, cartilage, and organ meats. Now, we mostly eat muscle meat, which is actually NOT the most nutritious part of an animal. (Though still an important part of our diet especially when obtained from high-quality animals.)
If eating actual cartilage and marrow grosses you out, an easy way to consume collagen is to make bone broth. It’s fairly simple: just simmer the carcass of a roasted organic, free-range chicken or beef bones in a slow cooker for 24 hours with some salt, pepper, and spices. You will then have a nutrient-dense, collagen-rich broth. You can use it for soups, stews, and even for sipping from a mug like coffee.
An even easier way to consume collagen daily, without even realizing it, is to use collage peptides. It is a tasteless protein powder made from pure collagen. It dissolves in water, hot or cold, and I use two tablespoons in my morning coffee or tea. I also use it in smoothies and sometimes in baked goods and soups. A couple reputable brands in the US are Vital Proteins (the gold standard in my opinion) and Great Lakes.
Use gut-friendly essential oils
Essential oils are ESSENTIAL in my natural solution cabinet. They were a game-changer for my stomach, especially for when little flare-ups happen. They don’t happen nearly as often as they used to, because my gut has healed thanks to the many things I have done over the years. (I haven’t even touched on everything in this post!) But when they do happen, I’m so thankful for my essential oils. The blend called DigestZen can be used topically or internally for stomach upset or discomfort. One caveat: if you have sensitive skin like I do, you may not be able to use DigestZen topically. So I like using plain cardamom essential oil on my belly, rubbing in a circular motion.
Gut health is more than “health hacks”
While these tips are definitely helpful for troubleshooting, optimal health is not rooted in “health hacking.” If you are having some major digestive issues, like chronic constipation or diarrhea (or swinging between the two), food intolerances, bloating, excessive and/or smelly flatulence, heartburn, chronic nausea, and even inflammatory disorders, these tips won’t fix all your problems. Like I mentioned above, working one-on-one with a professional is probably your next step. If you are having chronic skin problems, that points to a gut issue as well.
However, because of our fast-paced, westernized society, adding in some “boosters” to our life is usually a good idea. No one can maintain a perfect diet 100% of the time. It’s also empowering to have simple, safe solutions at our fingertips.
If you have any questions or feedback regarding any of these techniques, let me know in the comments! Also, if you want more tailored, personalized guidance on your health journey, sign up on the waiting list for my Group Health Coaching program! You will be the first to know when enrollment is open.