Shifting Your Nutrition. Do You Have The Guts Episode 11
Do you have the guts to shift your nutrition from where it is now to something better?
The way we eat and the foods we eat are a way of life, and a way of living. Your lifestyle might be killing you or it might be creating longevity and a strong body for you.
Did you know that according to recent studies, the average American eat a 70-80% ultra processed diet. That means that 70-80% of the food they eat does not resemble its original form and it is so infused with chemicals and preservatives that there is very little nutrition.
What we are eating on a regular, habitual basis is the foundation for how our bodies regenerate on a cellular level, how our bodies look, how they feel, and how our bodies operate on a daily basis.
If you’re consuming 80% junk…or even 50% junk…this contributes to how you look, feel and function on a daily basis. The food we eat also contributes to the condition of our gut and THAT determines how your body absorbs and burns calories! WHUT! Yes, recent studies have shown that individuals with an imbalance in certain microbes absorb more calories from the food they ingest compared to individuals with a healthy, balanced microbiome. The science is rolling in on this more and more.
By the end of this episode, you will be ready to make a shift in your nutrition. It might be a small shift that you build upon, or you might create a landslide of a shift…which isn’t as easy as small steps but it is doable once you’ve made a decision to do it!
Welcome to Episode 11 of Do You Have The Guts!
All of that said, Welcome to Episode 11 of Do You Have The Guts? Today is all about Nutrition, what to remove from our every day foods, what to add, changing up our environment to support better food habits, meal planning & prepping & why, social eating, and the fallacy of calorie counting!
If any or all of these topics are ideas you shy away from, or you feel you have no time or talent for them…or maybe you have zero desire to let go of certain foods…if you’re having any of these thoughts, my hope is that you’ll be a bit more open to at least the idea after what you hear today.
What happens when our gut is not healthy?
Let’s start here since we are all about the guts. Well, not only do we begin to feel unwell, fatigued, scattered, nauseous, constipated, and a laundry list of other lackluster traits…our gut is not absorbing nutrients, key hormones are not triggered to offer that full, satisfied feeling. The list goes on.
Our bodies begin having trouble balancing our blood sugar because they have no idea how to process the foods we are pouring in…our liver is flooded with glucose and its jobs related to blood sugar balance and metabolism become lackluster…and we begin to experience systemic inflammation. At first only the gut is inflamed, but the inflammation spreads.
There are more microbes in us and on our skin than we have human cells. Isn’t that a mind blowing statistic? Our gut microbiome refers to the microorganisms living in our intestines. Each person has about 200 different species of bacteria and fungi in their digestive track – up to 2 pounds of microbes living the good life in your guts. And truth be told, this is a good thing! We couldn’t live without the little guys. When everything is in balance, the relationship works both ways and life is good. It’s when one type outnumbers others that issues arise.
Now these microbes live off of the food we eat. Microbes that do not serve us and cause an imbalance feed off of sugar and processed foods. They also love fried foods. If you are only feeding the bad guys, or you are feeding them 80% of the time, you are creating an environment in your gut that leads to sugar cravings, fatigue, and a long list of auto-immune disorders because guess what?
72% of all disease – including auto-immune illness -begins with inflammation. An inflamed gut is ground zero. When your gut microbiota is unbalanced, your gut becomes inflamed. You absorb fewer and fewer nutrients. Digestive symptoms pop up.
It is clear with research available today that your gut health plays a serious role in your health and well being. We get gut flora at birth from our mothers, and after that the health of our gut is heavily influenced by lifestyle and eating habits. Yes. It’s not hereditary. It’s not genetic. It’s lifestyle.
Gut health affects
immune system
mental health
endocrine disorders
gastrointestinal disorders
There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases in which the body turns on itself. In response to an unknown trigger, the immune system begins producing antibodies that instead of fighting infections, attack the body’s own tissues. I’d like to offer the idea that the trigger isn’t so unknown these days. We know that illness begins with systemic inflammation 72% of the time or more! What is causing all that inflammation? Food and an inflamed gut are both major players in systemic inflammation.
It’s estimated that at least 23 million Americans have these chronic and sometimes life-threatening diseases.
In a recent studyTrusted Source funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, researchers from the Mayo Clinic and University of Iowa concluded that the human gut microbe may help treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). I’ve linked that article in the show notes!
It's incredible what science is showing us today with regards to the connection of gut health to disease. And the good news is that if you’ve noticed signs of poor gut health, lifestyle factors like the food you eat will improve your gut microbiome AND benefit your overall health.
Now our microbiome is also the ultimate foundation of our metabolism. It’s the home of a gigantic microbial community and it is the first place that decides what your body will actually do with the calories you consume. According to Shawn Stevenson, Nutrition and Fitness Expert, and author of Eat Smarter.
Washington University School of Medicine scientists discovered in a study of identical twins that if one twin had a higher ratio of the bacteria firmicutes and a lower ration of bacteriodetes, they absorbed more calories than the other twin and were more apt to gain fat while eating the exact same diet.
Yep. Mind blown when I read that in Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson.
Building a strong microbiome foundation is critical in maintaining a healthy metabolism. Shut the front door. He goes on to explain in the simplest of terms – so easy to understand – that when your gut bacteria ratios are off, you’re at a metabolic disadvantage.
THE Gut Health Solution You Need
Ok, right here right now. I am coming in hot with a gut health solution. Of course I am going to plug my gut health system here. The gut health solution that I found was so simple it’s silly. When I found Plexus I had two auto-immune issues, I was 25lbs overweight (STILL after working out steady for a year and clean eating), and I was a scatterbrain. Today just a few years later I am medication free, my thyroid is functioning GREAT, I’ve lost that irritating weight, and my brain is WORKING again! Those were my symptoms and your’s might be similar or a little different. Leveling up your gut health is the best place to begin if you want to see changes you have not seen before.
The system includes one drink per day that tastes wonderful and two supplements designed to weed and feed the gut. Talk about letting go of cravings and finding energy and brain power. And it is not just me! Get in touch and I will invite you into our community and you can see story after story after story of incredible outcomes. I am just one of thousands. Ok – commercial over. More info in the show notes.
I will also share some of my nutrition wins pre-Plexus because nutrition is KEY. Plexus helps by making different nutrition choices easier.
With clean nutrition and little to zero processed foods, I was able to overcome daily pain that I felt from my knees to toes. Every morning I had to warm up when I got out of bed to make my ankles bend without pain-that disappeared over the span of 3 months of eating clean (no processed food and no sugar).
I was able to lose some weight and quite a few inches before I plateaued.
I did create great sleep habits with good nutrition and exercise.
I let go of quite a bit of inflammation, but I had an imbalance in the gut that required more than food. I was stuck in weight loss, my hormones were better but not great, and fatigue was overwhelming at times. There was a lot that my body was hanging on to from the gut imbalance and having lived a life of big stress for a few decades.
I made big strides in my well being and gut health with wise food choices and dense nutrition. Eliminating my gut imbalance took my energy and brain power to the next level. I made even better and better food choices more often because those pesky cravings were gone.
Letting Go in Your Nutrition Shift
Believe it or not, some of the most key nutrition shifts are in letting go of specific foods. It took a decade, but I very rarely eat fast food. Very, very rarely. I even pack ice chests of food on road trips and I do not eat fast food on the road. I will straight up fast first. Give up the drive through diet. My ankles swell like you would not believe when I eat fast food in the car on the road. It’s insane the reaction my body feels these days.
Letting go of diet soda also took about a decade. Studies are back and forth on this, but I am in the camp that diet sodas are not good for the gut. I love plain soda water or even some flavored soda water like LaCroix, but I do not drink sugar or fake sugar. It wreaks havoc on the microbiome.
So do you have the guts to try letting go?
Ok, we’ve covered letting go of fast food – especially if you indulge more than once a week. The more you cut back, the bigger a difference you will see. We know this! It’s just so dang easy and convenient to drive through! I get it! Listen, if you have to cut back on the fries first and keep the convenience of the burger, that’s a fantastic first step. Then maybe you begin eliminating different franchises. “I’m not going to eat at XX” anymore.
Overtime, you can let it all go. I know you can because I did and I was a fast food loving, McDonald’s working teenager…and I ate fast food on the regular in college and into my 20’s. McDonald’s was a ritual road food for me as I drove back and forth from Central Texas to East Texas to visit family and friends regularly for decades. If I can get past the comfort and convenience of fast food, anyone can! I eat food at Starbucks these days and very, very occasionally from Chic fil A. So I have a few exceptions to keep life convenient – as we all can! I’m just like you but choosier!
Letting go of alcohol
As much as I hate to say it, for me, letting go of drinking wine is essential to weight loss. There is simply too much sugar in the average bottle of wine – of any type – and our bodies do not burn fat while they are metabolizing alcohol. If you are a person with a sluggish liver like me (I know this because I have a gene variation called MTHFR and it affects how I process toxins), and it takes a minute for your body to process the alcohol, your metabolism and fat burning opportunities can be interrupted. This is why even cutting calories doesn’t work for me when I am drinking regularly. Believe me, I’ve tested and tested this scenario. Everyone is certainly different, but letting go of alcohol will assist in eliminating inflammation – and inflammation blocks weight loss as well. I’ll even share that I have a friend who is very keto and when she went off plan and had wine for a weekend, it took her 2 weeks to get back into ketosis and fat burning mode. Again, everyone is different, but alcohol is not generally a weight loss friend.
Adding in to your nutrition
So what the heck do you eat when you throw out your convenience or fast food diet? Or your processed food premade and frozen lunches…well…I like to keep it simple. Especially for breakfast and lunch. Even dinner these days.
The key in all this is that I prioritize time to think about and plan what I’ll be eating and what the fam will be eating for the week every week. If I don’t take 15-30 minutes to think through the week’s schedule, look through the fridge to see what we did and did not eat the week before, I’m toast. Just those two steps make for a different week of food.
Take time to think over your week ahead of food.
What foods do you add into your diet? Anything whole – like where the food is in it’s original form or cooked form when you eat it is optimal. Fiber rich foods are essential for gut health and pre-biotics that feed our gut flora. Proteins like chicken, fish and beef are awesome. A diverse diet rich in protein and whole foods is a delicious way to cultivate a thriving microbiome. Taking in different veggies every day/week and several different kinds of fruit and grains is smart eating. Check out the show notes for a link to fiber and protein rich foods and I’ll share recipes all the time on instagram. OMG!! Don’t forget the healthy fats! They are also essential to gut health and overall health and well being. You know your hormones are made out of fat right!? Don’t skimp on the healthy fats. The topic deserves it’s own show so we will save that one.
Definitely add this to your routine when you are seeking a nutrition shift. Clean out your fridge
I also clean out the fridge most weekends. This shows me what we have left over, what I have left to cook and exactly what we need for the plan I came up with.
A step past planning, meal prep for you and your family seems daunting at first but it offers the biggest payoff. Time during the week is freed up and you end up feeling empowered when you make good food choice after good food choice through the week.
Start small small with one meal for the week. This habit takes time and dedication and consistency to create. It takes creating new habits – like planning and setting time aside… and letting go of old habits. Or combining habits…I used to watch whatever show on my ipad while I cooked.
It’s not up yet, but I will link my weekly menu in the show notes this week! It’s simple because that makes prep on weekends and during the week easy – and I need it to be easy to stay consistent.
Now you might already be having thoughts about how you cannot do this, you do not have time or you hate to cook. C’mon now. Check yourself! Let’s find some thoughts that support becoming! Can’t change if you stay the same. Stay curious and look for work arounds that fit you. Be willing to be wrong about yourself. I think you can do it. If you cannot prep meals, what can you do to level up what is at the end of your fork? Get curious and stay curious for at least a solid week before you give up trying. Yes, it might take a week of curiosity for possibility to settle in over you. It will though.
Again, start simple with prepping just a few meals a week if that’s what you need to do. Starting is the key. It doesn’t have to be fancy either. This can be a can of tuna and a small mayo packed for lunch a few days. It can be your left overs. It can be making spaghetti on Sunday for Wednesday night because you’re running around that day.
Change your thoughts to change your results
Changing your thinking is what will change this whole, entire journey you are on though. Until you regard your food as a means of health and the building blocks of your body, your shift will be temporary. It might last a year or two, but if you are will powering your way through eating way too little food it will eventually catch up with you. I remember when the shift happened for me. I ended up by sheer luck at a DeepakChopra seminar in Austin TX years ago. He explained in depth how our bodies regenerate and how they utilize nutrients from the food we eat to do so…it was simply a connection I had not made before. The new thinking allowed me to easily make different choices more and more over time.
And YES! Food planning and prepping is difficult at first. It’s not a priority. It’s not fun if you don’t enjoy cooking. It takes time to plan and prepare and cook. It took time to build up my food prep dishes. It takes commitment to eat what you’ve made daily! It gets easier and easier and easier though. By the time you’ve really got the hang of it you are so motivated by the time you’ve freed up during the week and the changes you feel and see in yourself that it's not so bad. Then it’s pretty easy. And because you’ve gotten so good at it, one day you realize you are the type of person who plans and preps a large portion of their food every week! You are intentional about what you are eating! It feels good. It’s a mindset and it’s doable. My planning might not look like yours, but the plan itself is so helpful in letting go of less than food and adding in whole foods. If you are eating nourishing nutrient dense food 80%+ of the time, you’re going to see lasting change.
Have a plan for going off track.
I might mess up one day, but I won’t fall down twice. What compassionate thing are you going to say to yourself to get back to doing what you want to do for yourself over what you feel like doing? Something like ok, we are off course here. I’m starting over right now and we’re back on track. Next time I’m craving a snack I’ll have full glass of water first…I still do this…
If you’re out and about and social eating
on vacation or at lunch with coworkers, set out with a plan. Look up the restarurant’s menu and decide what you will order ahead of time. This way you do not give in to decision fatigue or cravings as everyone around you orders. It’s also smart to order first if that is possible. Stick to foods without sauces and foods you know will not trigger you. Having a plan makes it so much easier.
Calorie Counting Fallacy
Now if you’ve been counting calories and seeing less than return on your investment, I invite you to let go of counting calories. I am a BIG believer in macro counting, but it’s different in that counting macros takes into consideration the ratios of types of food on your plate. Anyone can eat 1500 calories a day. If you’re eating 1500 calories of donuts and lean cuisines that is different from 1500 calories consisting of whole and nutrient dense food. All calories are not created equal and based on your microbiome, you might absorb more of the calories you consume depending on who you’ve got working for ya in your digestive track. I think the most helpful awareness we can create around our food comes from tracking food in a food journal that shows you your food at a week’s glance. So at the end of the week you can look at your food journal and see each day in one picture. This helps you identify patterns and choices you really may not be aware of. It will help narrow down what is and is not working so much more than counting calories.
Do you have the guts to shift your nutrition into a space that supports you? Do you have the guts to let go of processed and fast food!? Literally, you might not! This can be a struggle and you know I’ve got that gut health system that makes it so much dang easier.
With or without my amazing supplements, you can start by starting today. Let go of one sugary drink, let go of one fast food place, commit to eating real food once or twice a week. Take time each week to think through what you will eat over the next 4-5 days and how to make that happen. What is one nutrition component of your weekend that you can improve?
Make a decision and unleash your potential. Putting the decision off only traps your power. Once you’ve decided, take action. Dive into one or two suggestions from today and commit for 7 days. You will feel a difference.
Thank you thank you thank you for tuning in. Until next time, stay curious!
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/gut-flora-treatment-for-autoimmune-diseases
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682904/ - studies
