Tag: acid reflux

5 Things Your Gut is Trying to Tell You

The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Gut

It’s surprising how much you can tell about your overall health from the condition of your gut. The state of your gut has been known to have a direct correlation between overall health and wellness and can even indicate problems in other parts of the body. Because research indicates that 70 percent of the immune system may be found in the gut, paying attention to your gut health is incredibly important because problems with the gut can be the first signs of problems elsewhere in the body. If you are experiencing gastrointestinal problems, your gut may be trying to indicate a mild or serious problem. Here are a few of the ways that gut health and overall health are connected

1. The Link Between Gut Health and Depression

The gut is sometimes referred to as “the second brain,” thanks to a multitude of studies indicating a strong link between gut health and brain health. From depression and anxiety to brain fog and fatigue, your bathroom habits and the presence of other gut-related conditions like the rapid onset of nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea can tell you quite a lot about your mental health.

How Gut Health Affects the Brain

The link between gut health and brain health indicates the state of our brains and our stomachs have a direct connection. Numerous research studies have indicated that individuals with chronic depression experience frequent bouts of constipation, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. This is believed to be caused by the bacteria in your gut since evidence suggests those with depression tend to have higher chances of having gut biomes that contain a large amount of “bad bacteria” or inadequate amounts of “good bacteria.” An imbalance of gut bacteria can lead to many additional side effects, including:

  • Acid Reflux
  • Delayed Digestion
  • Delayed Gastric Emptying
  • Flatulence
  • Heartburn
  • Nausea
  • Upset Stomach
  • Vomiting

2. The Link Between Anxiety and Gut Health

As with depression, there’s evidence to suggest a direct link exists between anxiety and gut health. This is again believed to be the result of an imbalance of bacteria, and it makes sense. When you don’t feel well, you can become more agitated, restless, and anxious, so if there’s a chronic or permanent problem in the stomach, the lining of the intestines, or other digestive areas, it’s easy to see how anxiety can become a chronic problem.  

3. Celiac Disease and Gastrointestinal Problems

Gastrointestinal problems are the biggest signs and symptoms of food-related autoimmune disorders like celiac disease. Celiac disease is a serious condition in which an individual’s small intestine is unable to ingest gluten, a common ingredient found naturally in wheat, barley, and rye but also as a thickening agent in salad dressings, packaged foods. In individuals with celiac disease, the immune system triggers a response to gluten, and in addition to stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, this can also lead to physical symptoms elsewhere, including fatigue, headaches, joint pain and inflammation, and even seizures. Over time, the small intestine can even sustain permanent damage from the ingestion of gluten.

4. Vitamin Deficiencies and Gut Health

If you’re experiencing gastrointestinal issues and food allergies and sensitivities have already been ruled out, it’s possible your symptoms are related to a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D and it is anti-inflammatory and immune system regulating effects can boost your mood and your overall health. Studies have shown a vitamin D deficiency, however, may be linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colon and rectal cancer, breast cancer, and other serious health concerns.

5. Hormonal Imbalances and Gut Health

The human body produces around 50 different hormones that are essential to the proper function of essential organs and processes. When too little or too much of these hormones are secreted, the result can be a decrease in vitality, focus, and overall health and wellness. One of the ways hormonal imbalances can manifest is through gastrointestinal problems. When the endocrine system (which is in charge of the organs that secrete hormones) isn’t functioning properly, this can also mean the digestive system, circulatory system, and other parts of the body can malfunction. Through a hormone test, your wellness provider can determine whether or not a hormone deficiency or imbalance can be the cause of your gut health concerns.

Ready to change your gut health for the better?

Contact us today to get your body back on track or feeling better than ever before because at New Leaf Wellness, our mission is for our patients to ‘live their best life’. Get started with a totally free consultation or call us at 888-728-7555.

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Is Your Food Making You Sick?

Are you suffering from a stubborn health problem that will not go away no matter what you try? Have you left the doctor’s office feeling like are not any closer to relief? Or perhaps the medications and treatments you are taking are not actually getting at the root cause of your illness but addressing the symptoms you are experiencing? Bottomline, is your food making you sick?

What You Need To Know

If you feel this way, or know someone that does, consider some important facts:

  • Medical research has shown that sensitivities to food and food-chemicals can be involved in a wide array of painful symptoms and chronic health problems.
  • Sensitivities are a type of inflammatory reactions that is entirely different than food allergy and most doctors are unaware they are different.
  • If foods and additives in your diet are contributing to your illness, whatever medications you take will ultimately fail because they only mask the symptoms. They don’t treat the underlying cause of the symptoms – hidden inflammation caused by sensitivity reactions to foods and food-chemicals.
  • And as is too often the case, many medications have side effects that can lead to other health problems.
If food sensitivities are causing your illness, and you do not properly address them, you could easily end up suffering for many years, spending thousands of dollars for treatments that will never work the way you want. You are not alone. Unfortunately, this is the experience of millions of Americans who have mis-diagnosed or neglected food sensitivities.

Questions To Ask Yourself

  • Are you not feeling the full effects of Natural Hormone Therapy?
  • Do you have low energy and fatigue?
  • Do you have joint pain and achiness (including headaches)?
  • Are you seeing an increase in weight gain?
  • Are you suffering from impaired memory or brain fog?
The above are all signs of INFLAMMATION.
“Now, let me tell you about the New Leaf Food Sensitivity Test. I lost weight on the New Leaf Weight Loss programs, but some of the pounds had inched back on and I couldn’t figure out why. That’s when I took the Food Sensitivity Test and found out there were 35 foods I shouldn’t be eating. I’ve lost 15 pounds since making the change…1 pound per week!”
– Bonnie Lucas, WHO Radio Host & New Leaf Wellness Patient, see more
We may be ingesting foods that cause low to severe levels of inflammation. Actually, food sensitivities lead to imbalances in the gut, these sensitivities may or may not manifest a symptom right away (some reactions can be delayed up to 7 days after consumption, making it very hard to pinpoint what the sensitivity is to). Therefore, food is medicine and you can start to heal your endocrine system through nutrition. You first have to identify and remove any barriers that are preventing your body from healing and creating balance.
A good place to start is with a food sensitivity test to see what foods are causing inflammation in your body.

Follow Up Treatment:

Follow the Dr’s recommendation on the elimination diet. Test yearly for the latest information on what is causing inflammation in your body. Be sure you are getting your follow up tests completed and you will not have chronic health problems due to inflammation caused by sensitivities of food.