Last week I had the worst stomach pain/ache that I have had in a really long time. I have a sensitive stomach and some mild food allergies/sensitivities. So when I was feeling so bloated and full even when I was hungry I had no idea what was going on, but suspected it was what I was eating (processed food) and not eating (veggies). It would come and go and I really wasn't eating a lot because of the pain that I was in. Friday night was the worst, we went to lunch at a place we frequent and I had soup and a salad, for the rest of the night my stomach was so bloated and I was in pain anytime I moved. I had my hubby stop and get me some kombucha, which is a fermented pro-biotic drink (more on that in a minute). He said if I was still in pain in the morning I should go to the urgent care. Well, if you have read any of my previous posts you know that I believe in healing naturally with food and lifestyle as opposed as going to the doctor for everything ( I know going to doctor when needed is important). Saturday morning I was still in some pain but not as bad. I struggled with the decision to go to the urgent care, but my thought was they would tell me I had a stomach bug and give me an anti-biotic. I hate taking anti-biotics, they kill ALL the bacteria in your gut...good and bad! Did you know that your gut health is directly linked to your immunity! So I didn't want to wipe out all the bacteria in my gut (if that was even the problem). So I decided to stick with the kombucha and cut out the foods I know are inflammatory to me, dairy, grains and sugar. I made sure to eat lots of whole foods and made a few green smoothies to get some vegetables in too. I also drank 1.5 more bottles of kombucha. By the evening I was feeling almost 100%! By Sunday I was back to normal and even ate a full meal (something I really hadn't done all week). I was so ecstatic to have found a natural healthy way to get by gut health working properly again. Kombucha to the rescue!!
The reason the kombucha helped so much is that it is a cultured, fermented pro-biotic drink. I chose the GT's kombucha line because of the high pro-biotic count it has and the fact that they are live cultures means they helped right away. I had had a few in the past here and there when I thought I was getting a cold and it always helped. The link between gut health and immunity is not something that is new to me. I have worked hard to get my gut health to where I wanted it to be in the past. However lately, it was taking a backseat and I wasn't eating enough whole foods let alone veggies. So enter the stomach ache. I feel like my body was telling me something was wrong. It was up to me to listen and figure out how to make it better. I am happy I went the route of the pro-biotic and whole foods. Had I gone to the doctor I most likely would have been given and anti-biotic and taken it I would have been left off with no healthy gut flora. I am thankful that my past experience as a nutrition coach at Lifetime gave me the education to follow the path of natural healing. Here is an awesome article by Dr. Mark Hyman on how to take care of your gut health. Read it and learn how you can take charge of your own health by making your gut a healthy place.
I think this was my reminder that I need to pay more attention to what I am putting in my body. I wasn't eating fast food or junk food. However I was eating more processed food than normal and wasn't cooking enough of my own food. I also know that I was not eating enough veggies. So that is a priority for me going forward...for me and my whole family. I have made the decision to go back on Paleo for at least 30 days. I know this will be a great re-set for my gut and overall health. For me this means focusing on whole foods and avoiding the ones I know cause me the stomach pain. I will keep you posted with my second journey with Paleo. I remember how awesome I felt the last time I was paleo for 8 weeks. All my sugar cravings were gone, my energy levels soared and I lost weight too! So stay tuned! Have you tried and elimination diet to re-set your gut health? If so what is your favorite one? I think that most Americans have some sort of allergy/sensitivity to the food they eat, but aren't connecting the dots to why they feel so terrible and are gaining an alarming amount of weight! Whole foods is the way to go!!
Lastly, I wanted to share a smoothie I made last night that tasted like chocolate and had greens! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Chocolatey Green Smoothie
1 scoop Vega Sport Chocolate Protein
2 tbsp. Spectrum Decadent Blend Chocolate + Coconut
1 apple
1 banana
2 kale leaves (no stems)
1 cup spinach
1.5 cups water
Ice
Blend until smooth and enjoy!
