Two weeks ago, Jodi Feinhor Dennis (aka Missy J), Founder of Missy J's Snacks + Treats and the Carobeaners Club came together with Heather McDonough, co-founder of eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R to talk about gut health. Heather is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, recipe developer, and chef who has worked in the health and wellness industry since 2011.
If you missed the presentation, you can watch the recording of it here. We’ve also highlighted some of the most important parts of this discussion below:
Why is gut health important?
The health of your gut largely determines the health and strength of your body, your immune system, and your brain. It affects literally everything in your body, from your nervous and immune systems to your body’s ability to take in nutrients. Needless to say, a healthy gut plays a pivotal role in your overall well-being.
Gut-Brain Connection
Often referred to as your second brain, your gut affects the way your brain works in a multitude of ways. For instance, you can feel butterflies in your belly when you’re feeling certain emotions, or when you receive bad news and feel sick to your stomach. These are sensations that occur because of your gut-brain connection. Kids with behavior disorders or on the autism spectrum can show incredible improvement with diet intervention because of this connection.
Nutrient absorption
It is your digestive system’s responsibility to absorb all the nutrients and get rid of the waste from the food that you take in. This is where the food gets turned into energy and nutrition for your body.
This process can go really well if the lining of your intestinal wall has really strong tight junctions
and good strength and integrity. Otherwise, it can lead to Leaky gut syndrome. It’s when the gaps in the intestinal walls allow bacteria and other toxins--and even larger food molecules--to pass into the bloodstream where they shouldn’t be. This leads your immune system to treat it as a foreign invader and goes into defense mode.
Helpful Germs & Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome is where the bacteria in your digestive tract reside. Here, they help you break down food and turn nutrients into things that are beneficial to your body. They stop growing when they run out of food, so you'll only have what you need.You have many bacteria in your body and a lot of them are good for you.
The importance of chewing thoroughly
We are supposed to chew our food 30 times per bite. Thirty! It may sound ridiculous, but it helps your stomach break down the food and nutrients. By chewing thoroughly, you make it easier on your digestive system to absorb the needed nutrients into your body.
Why you should be relaxed when eating
More often than we realize, our bodies may not be as relaxed as we think they are. For most of us, we are in a constant state of stress, or fight-or-flight mode. This is because of our evolutionary trait of protecting our own bodies, where the different systems work to protect you as best as they can, which results in regular processes like digestion to take a backseat as the body goes into defense mode. When in this state, your body may not be as good at absorbing nutrients as it does when it is relaxed and in a parasympathetic state.
Conclusion
In conclusion, your health and immunity are heavily influenced by the soundness and the strength of your gut. It has a significant impact on every system in your body. And you can help your gut absorb more nutrients by chewing more and relaxing while you eat. What’s more relaxing than having a healthy and delicious meal? Needless to say, having a healthy stomach is important for your overall wellness.
This is why eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R wanted to create products that everyone could love and eat without worrying about whether or not they were harming them or exacerbating their symptoms. We offer cake and cookie mixes for example. We released a banana bread mix and a pancake mix. We also have a new frosting mix coming, and we encourage everyone to give it a try. Even for those who aren’t on a healing diet, or a healing journey, you’re sure to have a delicious and guilt-free experience.
If you’d like to see eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R’s products, visit our site and check out our delicious store!
