Two health products I never go without.

A happy gut leads to a happy life. Gut dysbiosis has been linked to depression, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, poor digestive health, bloating, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases and much more. Making sure our gut health is in optimal condition is now more important than ever because our health depends on it. The nutritional supplement industry, as of 2021, is an estimated $137 billion U.S. dollars capturing 31% of the market but not all are of the same quality nor are they made with the quantity of the nutrition they claim to possess. Vitamin supplements have been demonised for their non-effectiveness after examination across several studies that have been done, however, many Holistic practitioners agree that whole food supplements offer the users more absorbability. What happens when there is non-absorbability? Does it matter and is it something we ought to give any thought to? Is the food we eat also affected by lack of absorption and can it be rectified? Yes and Yes.

I have shared my own personal experiences with poor digestion and gut health and how it has affected my health, and those of my clients, and they have not been pleasant. I’ve also written a previous blog post offering steps to manage acid reflux but what happens when you’ve done all you can with your diet and the problem still persists? Sometimes even best efforts through diet changes may not shift the problem but that is still a foundational approach in addressing poor digestive and gut health. I have two products that I have relied on in both my practice and personal wellness strategies, with much success and I am never without them in my medicine cabinet and these are probiotics and digestive enzymes.

What are Digestive enzymes?

Aren’t our bodies supposed to produce enzymes on their own? The short answer is yes, however, because of poor dietary habits and the natural decline that can occur as we age. Enzymes are naturally produced, by the human body, to break down and increase the metabolism of foods (fats, carbohydrates and proteins) into nutrients for easier absorption. The process begins in the mouth as we chew our foods into the soft-ball it should be ready for the next step in the process but there are a number of reasons for the digestive changes and what should be a natural flow turns out to be an uncomfortable and sometimes painful swallow. When you are not producing as many enzymes as well as you should, there are over the counter preparations that can be used.

When to use digestive enzymes?

If you have ever experienced acid reflux, then you know the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies it, especially at night after having a full meal. I have stopped having late night dinners for the same reason. The burning on the chest, regurgitation of that sour taste, or difficulty swallowing, are all good grounds for wanting to give digestive enzymes supplements a go. All enzymes are not created equally so it may take some trial and error to find the one that works best for you. You can read more about the various types here.

Medicine’s approach to digestive issues has been using over the counter preparations or prescribing medication that either coat the stomach lining or suppresses the acid produced by the stomach making matters worse. The thing is, most times, by the time you’ve seen a doctor, symptoms have been progressing for quite a while, so ignoring early signs may not be a good idea.

What are Probiotics?

My other must-have supplement is my probiotics. This I have with me every day and in between. Probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial to your health and regulate how your body functions. Scientists link almost every disease, such as obesity, headaches, allergies, autoimmunity, hormonal imbalances, immune challenges, and even the way you feel pain – with gut health, particularly the 100 trillion bacteria or microbes (gut flora) living in your gut. Probiotics through foods or supplements are consumed to increase the populations of these helpful gut flora and this is why I never go without. I take probiotics in a supplement form while I continue to increase my intake of fibre and fermented foods. I have also been experimenting with gut-loving saurekraut and loving it. Read more about probiotic foods here.

Like the enzymes, they are not all the same as there are several strains or colony-forming units (CFUs) that make up a good probiotic and because our gut can host over 100 trillion gut microbiomes, singling out any particular strain may not be sufficient or as simple as that. The minute we enter into this world, assuming we have done so through vaginal birth, we are exposed to the trillions of microbiome needed to build our immune system and this continues all through our lives. Our environments have been changing though, as we have begun sanitizing the living daylights out of everything, and since 2020 that killing off of bacteria, good and the bad, have only gotten worse. We now have a generation that is now least exposed to bacteria we need to form a strong immune system as if the growing use of antibiotics wasn’t bad enough.

There is a growing mountain of evidence that shows that 70-80% of our immune system lives in the lining of our gut and Hippocrates, the father of medicine, has said all diseases begin in the gut so it baffles me why we don’t spend more time taking care of our gut health. I have worked with hundreds, guiding them through detoxification, gut and digestive issues, and these two supplements never failed to deliver. When stomach upsets arise, it is still a good idea to use tried and true home remedies to alleviate discomfort. Home remedies such as:

1. Ginger Tea

2. Mint Tea

3. Peppermint Tea

4. Chamomile tea

We will still need to follow proper digestive health like not eating late at night, slowing down the chewing, not eating and drinking at the same time, just to name a few. If you think something may be going on with your gut health but you aren’t sure, you can take this gut-health quiz here. If you would like to know what you can do now to build your immune system and protect your gut, you can grab my guide here. If you would like to chat with me about anything you’ve read, you can book a free chat with me here.

Yours in health,

Marcia Howard – Gut, Digestive and Detoxification Coach

#digestiveenzymes #guthealth #probiotics