Does gut health, intestinal bacteria drive obesity and metabolic disease?

Health, fitness and quality of lifestyle…what does this all mean to you?

You probably already know the answer…

The bacteria within your intestines are key to a good digestive health.

Is gut health key?

Do healthy bowels (intestines) plays a major role in overall health and detoxification?

Dear Friend,

Recent studies have shown bad bacteria causes inflammation in the gut, which causes metabolic abnormalities, people need to eat more and this develops insulin resistance.

Intestines neutralize and break down toxins ingested with foods (good intestinal bacteria)

Even if your goal is just to become aware with understanding the basics, it becomes very clear at least why gut health affects your overall health (both physical and mental)…

Gut health provides three crucial functions for normal health:

• Gut breaks food down to nutrients
• Gut facilitates absorption of nutrients into blood through intestinal walls
• Gut prevents foreign and toxic molecules from entering bloodstream

Studies have shown changes in gut flora can increase the rate at which you absorb fatty acids and carbohydrates.

And this includes how foods are stored in calories as fat…

Yes, it means a woman with bad gut flora could eat same amount of foods as a woman with a healthy gut, extract more calories and still gain more weight.

Bad gut flora can even directly contribute to metabolic syndrome by increasing production of insulin (leading to insulin resistance)…

And by causing inflammation of the hypothalamus (leading to leptin resistance).

You can choose to eat quality organic foods, make sure you have low exposure to toxins and work at being healthy with the most positive attitude…

Still if your gut health, which includes digestion, nutrient absorption and gut-detoxification are not functioning properly, your overall health deteriorates.

How many times have you heard…you are what you eat?

More accurate would be you are what you absorb and assimilate…

You see, over two-thirds of neurotransmitters are made in your gut.

Why is the gut your second brain?

Because the majority of serotonin (90-95 percent) is made in your gut…

What if your gut is inflamed or not functioning optimally?

Production of serotonin is significantly lowered and end result could be depression.

Bear in mind that an inflamed gut effects the brain which can mean increased risk of depression and dementia.

Do you think poor gut health may be the root cause of most of your current health problems?

Do you suffer from type 2 diabetes, weight gain or struggle to lose weight?

May be its insulin resistance and obesity?

What about poor digestion, food cravings, poor immune system?

One possible mechanism for how changes in the gut flora are linked to different species of bacteria which seem to have different effects on appetite and metabolism.

Candida, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue…the list is endless, right?

Point is this…your immune system revolves around the gut…

Poor gut health can mean different ailments with horrendous symptoms.

Poor gut health may be linked to symptoms like:

• IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)
• Diffuse or localised abdominal pain (contractions, spasms, heartburn)
• Bloating and gas
• Changes in digestive transit, bouts of constipation or diarrhoea (or both alternately).

There are so many different factors and reasons which can have short term or long term effects which are condition related to the digestive system.

Some may not last long and could be symptomatic to other factors.

Some food types as such can result in constipation and diarrhoea.

You want to become aware when changes happen in terms of some are long lasting, life changing and need proper care with professional support to help manage the condition.

Conditions related to poor gut health can be:

• Acute Diarrhoea
• Allergies
• Bad breath
• Bloating
• Candida
• Changes in brain function
• Coeliac Disease
• Constipation
• Crohn’s Disease
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue (chronic fatigue syndrome)
• Fibromyalgia
• Food intolerances (sensitivity to grains and dairy)
• Foul smelling excretion
• Headaches
• Gallstones
• Haemorrhoids (piles)
• Heartburn (acid reflux)
• Indigestion
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Leaky gut syndrome
• Skin problems (rashes)
• Ulcerative Colitis

Digested food should take between 24-36 hours from eating to elimination.

What causes gut health problems?

There are hormones and lots of other factors which can play their part in your gut health.

Non-steroidal or anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen relieve pain and inflammation by actually blocking an enzyme called cyclo-oxygenase.

The problem is cyclo-oxygenase enzyme performs important functions in protecting the stomach from corrosive effects from its own acid…

And is responsible for strengthening the activity of immune system.

Poor gut heath or a malfunctioning gut can cause intestinal inflammation, damaging the lining of intestine causing intestinal permeability.

This process can turn on an autoimmune response in the body…

Research shows women with long term or chronic use of NSAIDs, 65% develop intestinal inflammation and up to 30% develop ulcers.

Frequent use of antibiotics may decrease beneficial, protective gut bacteria (good flora).

Gut health is your body’s first line of natural defense, yet frequent or over use of antibiotics may be damaging your gut’s lining.

And without regular tests and monitoring (or own healthy intervention), your body’s unique diversity of trillions of beneficial bacteria won’t automatically be recovered after it’s lost.

Chronic and persistent stress levels weaken your immune system’s response to infection.

Your brain and intestines are controlled by many of the same crucial hormones (which is why gut is referred to as second brain).

This connection is referred to as the gut-brain axis…

Communications between gut-microbiota and gut-brain axis in stress response.

Overuse of alcohol has a negative impact on just about every system in your body.

Alcohol can irritate liver, stomach and intestines and suppress hormones which protect against inflammation which may contribute to leaky gut syndrome.

Research on grains and the negative impacts of gluten is well documented now…

Gluten-free grains have an abundance of amylose sugars, which may cause inflammation.

The anti-nutrients in gluten-free grains (lectins and phytates) bind to intestines and make nutrients inactive in the body,

Grains may cause a wide variety of inflammation with low grade damage to gut and health.

Different combinations of macronutrients in different ratios can have dramatic effects.

Bottom line: Your body needs carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water for nutrition, healing and to build, restore, repair body tissues and structures. 

How to repair and restore gut health…

It’s difficult to be told you must avoid all the bad foods…

Your goal (if possible) is to become aware of what negatively affects GI tract such as inflammatory foods, infections and gastric irritants like alcohol, caffeine or medication.

Inflammatory foods: gluten, dairy, corn, soy and sugar may lead to food sensitivities.

Infections may be a result from parasites, yeast or bacteria.

Some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp can cause disease directly, while other organisms can cause disease by the toxins that they produce. 

To get to bottom of the cause (no pun intended) comprehensive stool analysis is key to determining the levels of good bacteria as well as any infections that may be present.

Removing infections may require treatment with herbs, anti-parasite medication, anti-fungal medication or even antibiotics.

Is it as easy and straight forward as replacing “bad” foods with “good” foods?

You’d need to know which foods are beneficial to your overall gut health, right?

You’d need to be able to identify which macronutrients have been depleted by medication (anti-acid medications), diseases or aging…

And be able to add back essential ingredients for proper digestion and correct absorption in order to restore an optimal level of good gut bacteria with correct digestive enzymes.

Probiotics and l-glutamine require proper digestion…

Consuming foods high in soluble fiber is also very important.

Other key nutrients include zinc, omega-3 fish oils, vitamin A, C and E…

Your gut is home to approximately:100,000,000,000,000 (100 trillion) microorganisms.

Your gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all cells in your entire body which includes over 400 known diverse bacterial species.

Organisms living in your gut determines how your body stores food you eat, how easy or difficult it is to lose weight and how effective is your metabolism functions…

If you’d I’d like to go into more detail on gut health, feel free to check out other articles…

Gut Health

Would You Believe It’s All About Fiber?

Want a surprisingly simple, yet healthy tip which gets results? Great, you cannot overlook the simplicity and importance of fiber…

Fiber is a natural substance found in plants.

And fiber can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol…

Keep reading for facts about fiber you probably already know about, yet aren’t using daily.

Dear Friend,

Dietary fiber adds bulk to your stomach and because it is light, fiber makes you feel full faster.

And can help with weight control (we’ll talk about the benefits in a minute)…

Fiber aids digestion and helps avoid constipation.

Dietary fiber is the type of fiber you can eat which is found in fruits, vegetables and grains.

Dietary fiber or roughage is the indigestible portion of food derived from plants.

Fiber has two main components:

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and fermented in colon as gases and physiologically active byproducts.

Soluble fiber can be prebiotic and viscous…

The main benefits you’ll readily get from dietary fiber includes improvements in the cardiovascular and digestive system along with providing a high degree of satiety.

Unfortunately, in today’s world of fast foods and over eating of processed foods.

Fiber is often overlooked or just plain hard to come by so do any of these sound familiar:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Embarrassing gas
• Painful bloating
• Stomach cramps
• Painful bowel movements
• Hemorrhoids from pushing
• Excessively bad smelling stool
• Burning acid reflux
• Excessive visits to bathroom

Fiber may be able to safely eliminate your problems and keep them away.

And even if you’re not currently suffering from any of those issues, fiber can help keep your colon healthy and free of toxins.

Want a healthy digestive system?

Fiber’s primary role in the body is going to be to help promote a healthy digestive system.

Fiber does this by helping to keep intestines in proper working order and slows down the accumulation of cholesterol along intestinal lining.

Do you really want to lower your bad cholesterol levels?

Another benefit to high fiber foods is they help decrease the level of LDL cholesterol.

You might be surprised at the scientific evidence with healthy effects achieved on reduced heart disease, diabetes and hypertension that’s seen in blood tests.

Fiber does this by binding with dietary cholesterol you eat and while it’s in the small intestine it’s doing it’s magic by removing it from your body.

Who knew a high fiber diet can actually be a very good defense against heart disease?

Fiber and weight loss for women…what is the connection?

Women which consume high fiber on a regular basis generally maintain a much lower weight than those who don’t.

The simple reason is these women typically eat fewer total calories as a result.

Eating fiber from various sources like seeds and nuts adds bulk to you digestive process.

You already know fiber takes a long time to be digested by your body, right?

And that means you’ll stay feeling fuller longer than if you would have done without fiber.

Bottom line, at the end of the day, total calorie intake determines weight gain or weight loss, so fiber is absolutely essential for weight loss.

Are you getting enough fiber?

It’s suggested, when it comes to being sure you’re getting enough fiber, see if you can add on average 14 grams per 1000 calories you eat…

Most women can tolerate between 1500 and 2000 calories, depending on your body weight and daily activity levels, so this translates to 21-28 grams of fiber total.

Tip: Increase your intake slowly…

There can be too much of a good thing, right?

Ddon’t go overboard with fiber because the results can move food through the intestines too quickly, which means fewer minerals get absorbed from foods you eat

Too much fiber can also produce in gas, bloating and cramping, especially when fiber intake is dramatically increased overnight…

Make sure if you have not been eating much fiber in your nutrition plan at all in the past few months, increase your daily intake slowly over time (spread it over 1-3 months). Why?

Because if you go from eating very little fiber a day to getting a very high dose, you most likely will suffer from extreme digestive upset and that doesn’t feel good at all.

Try and increase consumption over the period of a few weeks to ease into this process.

Soluble fiber is the type that plays the more predominant role in the lowering of bad cholesterol levels and is fully broken down the by the body.

It’s good to eat oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley and fruits.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand is not digested by the body, still it helps to slow down gastric emptying, causing a satisfying increased feeling of fullness as mentioned above.

This is what provides the biggest health benefit when it comes to weight control for you.

Good sources of this fiber include whole-wheat breads, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and apples.

So, be sure you do not overlook the importance of fiber in your nutrition plan.

The best high-fiber foods?

Tip: The amount of fiber in these foods can vary slightly between the raw and cooked versions.

Split Peas
Fiber: 16.3 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Spinach and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Staple in Indian cooking, split peas form a terrific, protein-rich base for soups, stews and dhals.

South Asian is the best kind of comfort food: healthy, satisfying and super filling.

Lentils
Fiber: 15.6 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Lentil Quinoa Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms

Lentils are kitchen all-stars, take less time to cook, are more versatile than other legumes.

This takes advantage of their slightly meatier taste and turns them into a juicy patty that’s held together with lemon juice, cilantro and walnuts.

Black Beans
Fiber: 15 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Sweet potato pairs perfectly with smokiness of chipotle peppers, adds even more fiber to this hearty bean dish.

Loaded with complex carbs, protein, great cold-weather stew is perfect post-workout meal

Lima Beans
Fiber: 13.2 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Leek and Lima Bean Soup with Bacon

Lima beans might sound unappetizing, yet when cooked in bacon fat, paired with leeks, puréed into a soup and topped with sour cream, they’re pretty darn delicious.

Artichokes
Fiber: 10.3 grams per medium vegetable, cooked.
Suggest: Roasted Artichokes

Packing more fiber per serving than any other vegetable, artichokes are curiously underused in most kitchens (perhaps because they look a bit prickly).

Get creative and try this simple recipe with lime, garlic and black pepper.

Peas
Fiber: 8.8 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Scallops on Minted Pea Purée with Prosciutto

Puréeing veggies is a great way to squeeze extra nutrients into any meal.

This comes together lightning-fast, is filled with protein, omega-3s and plenty of fiber.

Broccoli
Fiber: 5.1 grams per cup, boiled.
Suggest: Broccoli Fritters

This is a family-friendly dish and is pretty simple.

To make the fritters, just combine onion, garlic, broccoli, eggs and almond meal.

Once they hit the table, you’ll be surprised how much broccoli gets finished in one sitting.

Brussels Sprouts
Fiber: 4.1 grams per cup, boiled.
Suggest: Hoisin Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Try this Asian twist on the old standard as this meal carries tones of ginger, sesame and peanut which really helps keep you coming back for seconds and maybe thirds.

Raspberries
Fiber: 8 grams per cup, raw.
Suggest: Raspberry, Coconut and Oat Macaroons

Raspberries aren’t a hard sell, they’re basically nature’s delightful candy.

Simply add coconut, oatmeal and vanilla for a healthy dessert that pleases any palate.

Blackberries
Fiber: 7.6 grams per cup, raw.
Suggest: Blackberry Lemon Salad

This salad successfully mixes sweet and savory and makes use of blackberries, lemon, scallions and dill to great effect.

Avocados
Fiber: 6.7 grams per half, raw.
Suggest: Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado and Radish Salad

Very few foods deserve the title of “super food” more than the humble avocado.

Jam-packed with vitamins, fiber and healthy fats.

Pile it on top of this low-carb, Mexican-inspired salad to add some creamy goodness.

Pears
Fiber: 5.5 grams per medium fruit, raw.
Suggest: Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pears

Simple and inexpensive way to experiment with an unusual flavor combination.

Pork works well with sweeter flavors and high sugar content of pears makes them easy to caramelize.

Bran Flakes
Fiber: 7 grams per cup, raw.
Suggest: Vanilla, Honey, and Yogurt Smoothie with Bran Flakes

Short on time? Whip up a nutritious smoothie and take breakfast to go.

This shake is a healthy and delicious way to get plenty of fiber and a hefty amount of protein, all in one glass.

Whole-Wheat Pasta
Fiber: 6.3 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Avocado Pesto Pasta with Peas and Spinach

Use the right sauce, whole-wheat pasta is indistinguishable from its high G.I., white-flour cousin. Mix in avocado to add a wonderful creaminess to your pasta without using dairy.

Pearled barley
Fiber: 6 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Pearl Barley Risotto with Roasted Squash, Red Peppers and Rocket

Barley is a chewy, nutritious grain which contains more fiber than oatmeal and brown rice.

Barley can be used in soup, salad or tea, try tasty risotto with seasonal fall vegetables.

Oatmeal
Fiber: 4 grams per cup, cooked.
Suggest: Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Use one tablespoon of maple syrup per serving for a guilt-free way to indulge in breakfast and great start to the morning.

Plus this is packed with fiber-friendly oats, carrots and coconut.

If you do get your fiber consumption levels in line, you will most definitely notice a change in how you feel and more than likely a change in how you look as well.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest.

When you eat carbohydrates, most of the carbs are broken down into sugar molecules, fiber cannot be broken down into sugar molecules.

And instead it passes through your body undigested, (fiber acts like a digestive tract broom, sweeping and moping up at the same time).

Fiber helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

Fiber along with adequate fluid intake moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract, so knowing what you know are you going to add more fiber to your diet?

Fiber

Why Exercising Pelvic Floor Muscles Goes Way Beyond Toning and Strengthening Of Muscles?

 

Do you imagine high bulging biceps, washboard abs and tree like shaped legs? Well, I didn’t think so either…okay, so there’s a far more important group of muscles in regards to women’s health…

Yes! Your pelvic floor muscles are way too often overlooked. This crucial group of muscles, (stretches from public bone to base of spine) supports vital organs bladder and bowel movements (to controlling opening & closing of anus and urethra).

Discover Specific Enjoyable Abdominal Exercises For The Benefit Of Enhancing Sexual Pleasures While Increasing Your Healthy Core Muscles…

The pelvic floor also helps control the uterus and vagina in women. Incontinence, uterine prolapse in women, and erectile dysfunction in men can all be caused by feeble pelvic floor muscles. Try the following exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

Kegels are popular exercises reduce the likelihood of incontinence by strengthening pelvic floor muscles. Kegels can be done throughout the day whenever you feel inclined. To complete this exercise, simply contract your muscles as if you are attempting to halt the flow of urine.

For the best results, focus on tightening your muscles for five seconds, then rest for five seconds. Slowly increase the time you are constricting your muscles until you can maintain pressure for 10 seconds at a time. Perform five set of five reps during the day. Experience elevator Kegels as your workout will further tone your pelvic floor.

Tighten your muscles, then constrict even more for two counts: imagine drawing your muscles deeper into your body like an elevator ascending multiple levels, then relax. Your goal is to complete five sets of 10 each day.

The pelvic floor can also be strengthened with a variety of abdominal exercises. If executed properly, abdominal exercises can reach deep in the core, stimulating the entire abdominal region along with pelvic floor. Pulling your belly button back towards your spine while abdominal training helps to engage deep core muscles.

The single leg plank is an excellent exercise to strengthen your pelvic floor. Recline on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet solidly on the floor. Extend one leg, maintaining contact between your knees. Slowly raise you hips off the ground, engaging your abdominals, until your torso is in a straight line with your thighs.

Now, slowly relax, moving down and repeating with your other leg straightened. This is one full rep. Your goal is to complete two sets of 12-15 reps, three times a week (or progressing to this level).

Pilates is designed to focus on toning the muscles of your core. Many Pilates activities entail allowing the arms and legs to move about as the torso remains steady. Such movements require engagement of core muscles, including pelvic floor muscles.

To receive optimal pelvic floor strengthening benefits of Pilates, engage in Pilates at least three times a week. The double straight leg is an easy Pilates exercise you can perform at home. Lie on your back, place your hands under your head, and raise your legs straight up to form a 90 degree angle with your torso.

Lower the legs as a single unit to a 45 degree angle, then slowly draw them back upward to the 90 degree angle to complete one rep, perform 10 reps to complete your set. Women’s Health – Exercising Pelvic Floor Muscles