The Good (Gut), the bad, the ugly

“Continually eating foods that don’t love you back is like staying in a toxic relationship and wondering why you are still miserable. But avoiding foods that don’t love you back isn’t restrictive. It’s self-respect.” – Will Cole

Why do we gain weight? Why do we get sick? Why do we age faster? It comes down to increased levels of inflammation in the body. You can eat well and workout everyday, but if you go into it with a sense of dread or obsession, you won’t achieve the feeling your searching for. You can’t heal a body you hate and you cannot shame your way into health.

A bit about ‘THE GUT’ and what impacts it’s health

Our gut is known as the ‘second brain’. The two are formed from the same foetal tissue and they are inextricably linked for the rest of our lives. The health of our gut is critically important for achieving optimal mental health.

• 95% of our body’s serotonin (our happy neurotransmitter) is made and stored in the gut.

• 50% of dopamine is made and stored in the gut.

• Most importantly, it’s home to 75% of the body’s immune system.

So if the health of our brains is impacted by the gut, what impacts the gut? A series of factors, but the biggest one… food. The foods we eat either turn inflammation on or work to turn it off. However inflammation isn’t all bad, but it needs to be kept in a zone. If we have too little inflammation, injuries take much longer to heal, or minor wounds can turn into infections as there is nothing to fight off ‘foreign invaders’. If we have too much inflammation, the body attacks itself even when there is nothing that ‘needs’ to be attacked. Many diseases begin in the gut, which means all healing begins in the gut.

How does inflammation play into all of this?

Inflammation is a product of the immune system attacking itself. One of the best pieces of information I’ve found in terms of inflammation is a term called “Shame-flammation”. A word created by Dr Will Cole which refers to - “a convergence of the mental, emotional and physical aspects of our wellbeing.”  It's most commonly seen and addressed with clients that (on a surface level) are doing all the things needed to achieve great health – eat really clean, work out every day, sauna, and limit alcohol, but still experience high levels of inflammation.

So why does this happen? There are physiological and psychological factors that are inhibiting an 'up level’ in health. Our thoughts and emotions are on one end - stress, shame, trauma. Non measurable influences that effect the measurable physiological factors – spikes in inflammation levels, how effectively our vagus nerve functions, and how our hormones are expressed. This is why we look at ‘shame-flammation’, as well as our relationship with food, our body, and our selves. We need to start shifting from “I have to workout like this” or “I have to eat like this” TO “I want to move/nourish my body in a way that feels good”. It’s a shift from self hate to self respect.

ANTI INFLAMMATORY FOODS

One of the best ways to reduce inflammation is not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator.

If you're looking for an eating plan that closely follows the guidelines of anti-inflammatory eating, consider the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils.

Food source examples; fatty fish, berries, avocados, cruciferous veggies, onions, garlic, citrus fruits, turmeric, cocoa, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds.

A final message from me…

We need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Encourage acts of stillness throughout the day. Show up for these moments of stillness like you would for your meals or a workout class. Feed your head and your heart just as much as you feed your body. To heal we have to deal with both sides of the coin – physiological and psychological. Create healthy boundaries, a better relationship with technology, prioritise sleep, and schedule self care practices that feed you on an emotional level.

Nourish your body from a place of empowerment. Your decisions around food should be based on respecting and loving your body.

Bella xo

*This article is written by myself based on my own research, the information provided in my Integrative Holistic Health Coaching course and also a variety of Dr Will Cole’s podcasts, books and interviews.