MBG HEALTH – Too often in our fast-paced culture, we are tempted to grab the pain relievers for our headaches, the heating pad for our period cramps, or the caffeine for our zapped energy, without ever stepping back and asking the million-dollar question: What is my body trying to tell me?
Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract doesn’t have words to tell you that it is overtaxed, imbalanced, or inflamed, so it sends you symptoms like bloating, belching, and gas instead. When you can read these symptoms as signals, you gain the opportunity to truly nourish and support your unique body, without judgment.
What your bloating is trying to tell you
As a holistic health coach, I often work with clients who see bloating as a sign of failure, as if it makes them “broken.”
One client, let’s call her Clara, used to stress over her bloating every single day after lunch. When we zoomed out, we could see that she was eating her lunch in just 3-4 minutes while answering emails; she was routinely eating foods that her body wasn’t responding well to; and her gut was pretty inflamed.
Clara didn’t need to uproot her life and eat “perfectly” to banish her bloat, she simply needed to listen to her body and compassionately give it what it was asking for: rest, balance, and nutrition.
If you, too, are struggling with bloating, it’s time to look at the 800 lb elephant in the room: your gut microbiome.
Your gut microbiome is the collection of microbes, bacteria, and fungi hanging out in your GI tract. These billions of strains of bacteria are responsible for absorbing nutrients from your food and breaking it down. Contrary to what your mother may have told you, you are not what you eat; you are what your gut microbiome can absorb.
Contrary to what your mother may have told you, you are not what you eat; you are what your gut microbiome can absorb.
It’s estimated that only 9% of your gut microbiome is influenced by your genetics, and the other 91% rests in your hands, constantly adapting to your lifestyle and what’s on your plate.
Research shows that stress, environmental toxins, antibiotics, inflammation, and highly processed foods can reshape the bacteria in your gut and decrease your microbial variety, leading to chronic bloat3, increased inflammation, and compromised immunity.
The good news is that the composition of your gut can change within just 24 hours … read more.
Image: Marco Verch Professional | original photo and license.
