Is Your Gut Making You Sick?
Emotions out of balance? Weight out of control? Nutrition coach Lee Holmes shares her tips on how to heal your health from the inside out..
Have you ever noticed that when your emotions are out of balance, you can lose or gain weight in what seems like a blink of an eye? There’s no doubt that the mind and body are intrinsically linked and current nutritional research is revealing an intricate connection between your emotional state and the foods you choose to eat.
Given so many people are suffering from some form of digestive disturbance, it’s important to look at our unique mind-body connection as well as what we eat, where we eat, how we eat and choosing the right supplements. To begin to eat right and heal your gut, your digestive system will periodically need a little rest in order to function and perform at its best.
Here are my top tips on how to live healthy, inside and out:
Love Your Liver
If you’re looking to clear your skin, improve digestion or combat fatigue, you need to first look at how healthy your liver is. The liver’s main function is to naturally detox the body. Its job is to filter the array of toxins we’re exposed to every day from our blood so they can be eliminated from the body. If your liver is in need of a detox, you should consider taking a high potency natural supplement such as Milk Thistle. SOUTHERNATURE’S Milk Thistle contains a high concentration of Silybum Marianum extract. It’s specifically formulated as a liver tonic to aid liver detoxification. It supports healthy digestive function and assists in the maintenance of general wellbeing.
Try Oil Pulling
As we get older it can become harder to ignite digestive fire and reduce the accumulation of toxins in our gut. Oil pulling is an age-old technique that can help eliminate toxins and support gut health. We all know that a build-up of germs and toxins can cause inflammation leading to diseases, illness and poor gut health. Many of these problems can begin by a contamination in the mouth and which is why oil pulling is essential to gut health because you want to killing the bacteria and germs before they can reach the gut.
TIP: Every morning, place one tablespoon of extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil in your mouth upon rising, before you’ve eaten or drunken anything. Swish the oil around your mouth for 10 minutes, then spit it out. This will release all the toxins and bad bacteria in the mouth.
DID YOU KNOW: Hollywood model and Instagram It Girl Hailey Baldwin revealed this week she swears by oil pulling. In Australia this week to launch her Hailey Baldwin For ModelCo cosmetics range, she revealed many of her products contain coconut oil, which she also uses for "oil pulling".
Eat At The Right Time
I’m a firm believer that the biggest meal of the day should be in the middle of the day. When you do this, your stomach will be less congested and overloaded when you go to bed, so that you can enjoy a restful and healing sleep. The body’s metabolic rate picks up between 10am and 2pm, and your digestion will be at its most powerful during this time. Eating a large meal at the end of the day will overwork your stomach and you’ll wake up tired and lacking in energy.
TIP: Remember to not drink too much water during meals as it dilutes the gastric juices that break down your food. You should always try to eat only until you’re three-quarters full so your gut can digest, cleanse and heal without being put under too much pressure.
