6 Signs Your Gut Health Needs Some TLC

 
 

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6 Signs Your Gut Health Needs Some TLC

A healthy digestive system is the foundation of your overall wellbeing. So how can you tell when it’s time to give your gut a little extra support?

You might think about the obvious symptoms like bloating, reflux, changes to your bowel movements or abdominal pain. But there are other less obvious signs to look out for as well.

Unhappy skin

Do you constantly struggle with your skin? If so, your gut may be playing a part in the problem.

Although your skin is the surface of your body, it still relies on your digestive system to provide it with nourishment. So when your gut isn’t getting enough nutrients out of the food you eat, your skin can start to suffer.

There is also a close link between inflammation in the gut and skin concerns. There are multiple theories around why this happens, but they all agree that if your digestive tract is inflamed, it can lead to skin inflammation.

Skin symptoms that are linked to digestive health concerns include:

  • Frequent breakouts and acne

  • Dryness, redness and irritation

  • Rashes, eczema and psoriasis

  • Premature ageing of the skin

Want to nourish your skin back to health? Start with these skin-loving ingredients.

Nutrient deficiencies

Have you been diagnosed with any nutrient deficiencies? Many people assume that they aren’t eating enough of that particular nutrient, but that’s only one potential cause of deficiency.

Another common cause is poor absorption from the digestive tract into the body. If you are constantly trying to improve your intake of a nutrient but continue to have low levels, there’s a good chance that poor absorption is involved.

Some of the common deficiencies that have been linked to impaired digestive function include:

Nutrient deficiencies can have serious health consequences long-term. Make sure you work with your healthcare practitioner to identify and address the causes of low nutrient levels.

Chronic fatigue

We all get tired from time to time. But if you’re feeling constantly exhausted – even when you’ve had a decent sleep or haven’t done much – it could stem back to the state of your gut.

Along with other roles, your digestive tract is responsible for absorbing the nutrients used for energy production. This includes iron, vitamin B12, magnesium and of course energy (in the form of macronutrients). So if your digestion is impaired, you might not get enough of these nutrients and your energy production declines.

And that’s not all! Your gut produces brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine that influence your mental energy levels. Then there are also links between the gut and sleep quality, so an unhappy gut could be draining you of vital rest.

Need to give yourself an energy boost ASAP? Make sure you give this a read.

Frequent illness

Do you find yourself getting sick every time someone near you gets a cold or flu? If so, your gut may be impairing your immune function.

The gut and immune system are closely linked, as we know a good portion of the immune system lives in the gut. There’s also plenty of evidence to show that the microbes in your gut can support or hinder your immune response.

You may experience:

  • Frequent infections (multiple times per year)

  • Taking 2+ weeks to recover from illness

  • Lingering symptoms for weeks or months after recovering

  • Multiple infections occurring at once (e.g. falling ill with both sinusitis and tonsillitis)

Autoimmune conditions

On the other side of the immunity coin, we have autoimmunity – when the immune system attacks its own tissues.

Now it’s important to know that these conditions can be incredibly complex and have a lot of contributing factors. But a lot of research suggests that a big component is the state of your digestive health.

Autoimmune conditions include:

  • Hashimoto’s disease and Graves’ disease (thyroid disease)

  • Coeliac disease

  • Type 1 diabetes

  • Lupus

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

So if you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition or one runs in your family, you’ll want to prioritise a healthy gut.

Hormone imbalances

If your hormones are all over the place, you might want to take a closer look at your gut function.

When we think about the gut, we think about what goes in. But the digestive tract also plays a critical role in what goes out – including the excretion of detoxified hormones.

If your gut isn’t working properly, this can lead to the build-up of hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. And because there is a careful balance between hormones, this can lead to other hormones such as progesterone to drop.

This detoxification process is also needed to remove any chemicals that can interfere with hormone balance. You can reduce this concern by using more natural products, but we can’t avoid them completely.

Concerns linked to hormonal imbalances include:

If any of these apply to you, you can start working on your gut health today using these simple tips.

Want to feel healthy and happy in both body and mind?

If you’re sick of feeling unmotivated, discouraged and unsure where to start, now is the time to take action.

Together, we can overhaul not only your nutrition and exercise, but also boost your motivation and master your mindset – learn more about my 1:1 coaching here.

 

Hey there, I’m Rachel!

NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH

Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.

Check out my free guide to healthy eating to design your own version of a healthy lifestyle so that you can feel energised and vibrant, or hire me to work my magic on your health through mindset, nutrition, and movement.

 

While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.

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