- Yogurt – Especially those with probiotics. Most all yogurt is heat pasteurized, which kills any probiotic, so basically deems it useless. It also usually is full of sugar, so unless you are making your own, it’s not as healthy as you think! A 6 oz yogurt should have no more than 13 grams of sugar.
- Wheat Bread – Hopefully, this one isn’t a surprise. We are told wheat bread is best, but many are filled with harmful ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup and are full of chemicals. Thus. many are also sensitive to wheat gluten. All of the sugar/HFCS also cause you to store fat, among other harmful things.
- Cereal Bars – They have too much sugar, usually in the form of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
- Do you find yourself with lots of energy or sluggish?
- Do you need things like caffeine to get through the day?
Your gut health affects your metabolism, weight, clarity, brain function
~ Your ENTIRE body function!!
Do you experience:
- food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, etc.
- experience bloating
- excessive trips to the bathroom or constipation
- skin breakouts
- low libido or lack of performance
- gas
- bloating
- cramps
- bladder issues
- infections
- yeast aka candida
- depression
- brain fog
- allergy flare ups
- autoimmune disorders
If you answered ‘YES’ to any or all of these….your digestive system/gut health is off track!!
The Good News is, once you begin giving it the support it needs, you will very likely notice not just fat loss, but improvements in all of your other body issues, as well!
Let me tell you about 4 natural digestive system helpers… There are four because they each fight one of the enemies that cause poor digestion in the first place:
- Food preservatives – Did you ever see the story with the 14 year old Mc Donald’s hamburger that still looked the same as when it was bought? UGH!!
- Bad gut bacteria
- Overeating
- Slow Metabolism
Our food is PACKED with preservatives-
The big manufacturers do this to have a longer window to see you their products, and prevent bacteria from breaking down the food….Hence the problem when we eat it!!
The problem is, it also makes it VERY DIFFICULT for your digestive system to break it down, as well, or to even recognize that it is food at all!!!
The preservative form a barrier around the ‘food’….and remember what happens when the body encounters something foreign?
YEP! It stores it as fat!!! AND that ‘fat’ is full of toxins!!!
It can also just run straight through you body, undigested!!!
This is why preservatives are responsible for so many digestive issues!
Another thing that doesn’t help us, is how quickly we eat – we don’t take the time to chew our food up properly – we should ideally chew our food up to 40 times before swallowing!
THIS act alone could actually help AGAINST those preservatives blocking the digestion of nutrients in our foods that can put your body in a mode of fat storage!
As I said, the body in God’s perfect design, is made to hold on to the fat it has, just in case the nutrients stop coming.
It is an AMAZING protection mechanism, but it makes it almost impossible to lose weight!
So, when this happens as a result of man made chemicals and preservatives, instead of necessity, it is NOT in our favor.
If you have tried diet and exercising, but still could not lose those stubborn pounds, THIS is probably why!
Fortunately, again, God provides – He has given us natural solutions to fight this!!
Three of these powerful nutrients are:
- Amylase
- Bromelaine
- Lipase
If you include these in your daily routine, especially before you eat any processed food, these natural digestive enzymes and powerful extracts, can cut through these chemical preservatives and aid your body in the process of digestion.
HOWEVER, DO NOT JUST GO OUT AND GRAB ANY BOTTLE OF DIGESTIVE ENZYMES…
THEY ARE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL!!!
It is CRUCIAL that you get one that addresses these issues and you want to include these three nutrients, as each plays a different role.
In breaking down proteins, carbs, and fats, Bromelaine also has properties that fight inflammation and supports digestion of grains.
Bromelain is found in the fruit, skin and sweet juice of the pineapple plant and has been used for centuries by the indigenous people of Central and South America as a natural treatment for a number of ailments. Bromelain can also be used as a natural meat tenderizer.
Raw Honey, mangoes, and bananas all have the natural digestive enzyme amylase, while avocados, have lipase.
Just remember that raw honey can be dangerous for children under the age of one and pregnant women, so, use with caution.
All of these natural fat loss helpers help aid in digestion to allow you to get maximum nutrients out of everything you eat, including carbs, and are proven to also help with food intolerance, increase energy levels, promote better sleep, and overall appearance with a 90% success rate.
Ginger is well known for its anti- nausea effects, but the root also contains a digestive enzyme called zingibain. It’s a type of protease and breaks down protein in the foods you eat. Ginger is especially good for stimulating a stalled GI tract. Eating or drinking foods with ginger will promote contractions in the muscles that line the digestive organs. The root also happens to be good for your hair, skin, and nails.
ANOTHER GUT HEALTH PROHIBITOR IS A FORM OF YEAST, CALLED CANDIDA
Candida lives in your digestive tract, along with 25 trillion other bacteria, and while it’s ok to have a small amount of candida in your body, when candida overgrows, they begin to spill throughout your entire gastrointestinal tract and into your bloodstream!!
These yeast particles can wreak complete havoc and chaos throughout your entire body, depriving you of energy, slowing down your metabolism, creating brain fog, hindering your concentration, are the culprit of yeast infections, gas, bloating, etc.
Guess what candida feeds on?
You guessed it …….SUGAR!!!
We already know how much more sugar we are consuming in the U.S. every day…may times unknowingly!
Here’s the really scary part ~ because these bad bacteria are feasting on the sugar from something you ate, the bacteria also have been know to hijack hormones, and CREATE cravings you many not have had before!
YEP!! Candida and it’s ugly friends force you to start craving the foods THEY want!!
So, next time you find yourself craving carbs or sweets, know that it is likely those bad bacteria wanting more sugar…kind of like gremlins, huh?!?!
Put your hands on your stomach ~ if you feel more fat there than you’d like to, you may very likely have these bad bacteria.
Not only can these yeast clog up your system, slow your metabolism, and make you crave bad foods, they also make it much harder for your good bacteria to get the nutrients out of your food.
As if it wasn’t hard enough with all of the preservatives, now your good bacteria has to fight through all of this fungus, too….but once the fungus is address you’ll likely feel as though that fat is lifted right off of your stomach!
GOOD digestive enzymes and probiotics can help fight this bad bacteria and get your gut health back on track to the correct ratio and working properly again.
The ideal ratio is about 75% good bacteria vs 25% bad.
So, NOW you should understand why WHAT you eat for BREAK- FAST is even more important than you thought, and NOW you have the tools you need to start your day by activating your gut health the RIGHT way!!
Check back often for more health and wellness information and recipes to help you along the way!
Also, check out my Meal Prep Challenge to help make planning and prepping a BREEZE!!
My next challenge begins SOON!!
Love,
