[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/","headline":"The Secret to Good Health Lies in Your Gut","name":"The Secret to Good Health Lies in Your Gut","description":"Reading Time: 7 minutesLast summer, Kathleen Stoeger was so weak because of two back-to-back urinary tract infections she couldn\u2019t stand up. She was put on two different antibiotics because the first one didn\u2019t work, but she kept waking up coughing. \u201cOne night, it got so bad I couldn\u2019t breathe. I thought I was literally going to die. I thought it ... <div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>","datePublished":"2018-02-26","dateModified":"2019-07-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/author\/gunnyyouveda-com\/#Person","name":"Gunny Sodhi","url":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/author\/gunnyyouveda-com\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/fcde1a09301807b463d767e26f868b8e-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/fcde1a09301807b463d767e26f868b8e-1.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"YouVeda","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/youveda_logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/youveda_logo.png","width":190,"height":51}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/img-secret-good-health-lies-gut.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/img-secret-good-health-lies-gut.jpg","height":700,"width":700},"url":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/","commentCount":"4","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2018-07-20 15:09:26","description":"Thank you for sharing this with her! We appreciate this :)","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Gunny Sodhi","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2018-03-25 19:59:36","description":"Dear Elizabeth,\n\nWe are so glad you enjoyed this article and found it very helpful! What we recommend is to start with small steps and then build in so that it is no so overwhelming all at once. For drinking water, invest in buying a water bottle which when filled makes you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. And then have a daily goal to try to drink one of those a day, then one and a half, then two.\n\nFor a wake\/bed time routine, audit what it is that gets in the way of you falling asleep or waking up at your desired time and try to make changes around that. It is so great that you have meditation in your daily routine. And meditation can be in the form of anything, prayer, seated meditation, dancing, laughing, painting, anything that gets you in the moment; feeling at peace, happy, joyful.\n\nAnd yes, unprocessed food, start to cut back on that as well, this will make a dramatic difference.\n\nWay to go Elizabeth! We salute you and encourage you to pursue your wellness goals and we are right here when you need us. \n\nWishing you the best of health!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Gunny Sodhi","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2018-03-25 19:04:04","description":"I need to follow more of the healthy points you listed; especially the drinking water and finding a awake\/bed time routine.   I think meditation, one way or another, is essential for psychological health too. My meditation is in prayer.  This helps me focus on what is God's will for my life and I can release my negative emotions (anxiety) and give it up to Him.  I definitely agree with eating unprocessed foods too.  It has made a substantial difference in my health. Thanks for these health tips.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Elizabeth Baracani","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#Comment4","dateCreated":"2018-03-24 15:25:53","description":"Thank you for reading out article.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Gunny Sodhi","url":""}}],"about":["Digestion","Product Articles"],"wordCount":1829,"articleBody":"Reading Time:  7 minutesLast summer, Kathleen Stoeger was so weak because of two back-to-back urinary tract infections she couldn\u2019t stand up. She was put on two different antibiotics because the first one didn\u2019t work, but she kept waking up coughing.\u201cOne night, it got so bad I couldn\u2019t breathe. I thought I was literally going to die. I thought it was my heart, but it wasn\u2019t\u2014it turned out to be acid reflux caused by the antibiotics.\u201dStoeger is a very healthy, fit woman who regularly practices clean eating, yoga and looks much younger than her years, but she got an important lesson in digestion she will never forget that summer, because the antibiotics that healed her UTI quickly wiped out all the good bacteria in her gastrointestinal tract along with the bad. That led to an imbalance that produced so much gas it allowed stomach acid to rush back into her esophagus.\u201cI\u2019m glad it happened now because it forced me to take a really good look at gut health,\u201d said Stoeger. \u00a0\u201cMy experience is, the gut is No.1. It\u2019s everything.\u201dThe traditional Hindu system of medicine called Ayurveda got it right over 5,000 years ago: healthy digestion is the cornerstone of health. In Ayurveda, it\u2019s said that a man is only as old as his digestive fire. If he digests food well, he will never really age. But the moment the digestive system starts to falter, he begins aging and accumulating digestive, health and emotional issues.Now, science is starting to back up that age-old wisdom with the discovery of a second \u201cbrain\u201d called the enteric nervous system (ENS) hidden in the walls of the digestive system. The ENS is connected to the central nervous system like an informational superhighway dubbed the brain-gut axis that includes hundreds of millions of neurons busily \u00a0communicating back and forth 24 hours a day. \u201cThe brain is tied to the gut like no other organ,\u201d said Gastroenterologist Emeran Mayer in his book, \u201cThe Mind-Gut Connection.\u201dAll the bacteria that lies in our gut is wired into that brain-gut axis, begging the question: is that sudden craving for ice cream our idea, or a seed planted by our gut microbes? It\u2019s not a crazy question, because more than 100 trillion microbes live in the dark ecosystem of the human gut, and that gut community contains several million genes\u2014far outnumbering the human genes in our cells and weirdly making us more microbial than human, Dr. Mayer explains.Since 2007, when scientists announced plans for a Human Microbiome Project to catalog the micro-organisms living in our bodies, international interest in gut bacteria has grown by leaps and bounds. Scientists know those microbes produce vitamins, break down food, and secrete important neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin that regulate mood. In fact, some scientists report as much as 95 percent of serotonin is warehoused in the gut. Now on-going research may tie disturbances in the gut microbiome to a wide variety of both physical and mental illnesses, like anxiety, depression, autism and Parkinson\u2019s. Interestingly, researchers have noted that the majority of people with autism and schizophrenia also grapple with significant gastrointestinal \u00a0issues, and that their micro-biomes are very different from control groups.If you are still doubting the powerful mind-gut connection, here\u2019s a frightening little experiment that suggests those little bugs in your gut could even affect personality, mood and behavior. A few years ago, 12 Canadian scientists swapped the intestinal contents of a breed of anxious, timid \u00a0mice with a breed of adventurous, exploratory mice. Let\u2019s call them the Woody Allen mice vs. the Lindsey Vonn mice. The anxious breed took forever to jump off an elevated platform, over-analyzing and hesitating for a long time before they finally took the leap. The adventurous breed leapt off immediately. But after the fecal transplant, the Woody Allen mice jumped off the platform much quicker than before, and the Lindsey Vonn mice took longer than they ever had before.All this research suggests you really are what you eat, or at least what you poop.\u201cEvery chemical in our bodies, every enzyme, all of it, comes from the food we are able to absorb,\u201d said Dr. Anup Mulakaluri, a doctor of naturopathic medicine and Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor. \u201cIt\u2019s a miracle to think that an apple comes into our bodies, and part of it becomes muscle, part of it supports brain tissue. It\u2019s what makes us US.\u201dIf you think you don\u2019t have to worry about digestion if your bowel movements are normal, think again, Dr Mulakaluri says. Fatigue, anxiety, mental fog, and getting sick a lot are clues digestion is going awry. That last clue shouldn\u2019t be a surprise, since there are more \u00a0immune cells living in the gut wall than circulating in the blood or residing in bone marrow, scientists now know.\u201cEverybody can benefit from optimal digestion,\u201d Mulakaluri said. \u00a0\u201cThe fate of your bodies\u201d system is being decided.Katy, a 30-year-old Seattle graphic designer who finally cured the anxiety, depression and constipation she battled since the 8th grade knows this all too well. After more than 7 years on antidepressants, she \u00a0wanted to try a different approach. \u201cI just decided, \u2018This is not how I want to live.\u201dShe did it by taking several of the paths suggested by Ayurvedic medicine for healthy digestion thousands of years ago: healthy eating, daily meditation, practicing mindfulness in her nature walks every day. \u201cI am anxiety-free now, and most of the time depression free, and I want the world to know,\u201d she said. \u201cI really do.\u201dTaking the following simple Ayurvedic steps might make the difference between living a healthy life into old age, or battling one health crisis after another.#1-Eat your largest meal between 12 and 2 pm. Studies have found that\u2019s when our digestive system secretes the highest concentration of digestive juices.#2-Move your body. A 15-minute walk after each meal helps control blood sugar spikes. A short walk just before eating also helps process what you are about to eat.#3-Eat simple, healthy, unprocessed meals.Because processed foods and sugar hamper the growth of good bacteria and promote growth of the bad. Adding cultured ghee to food, eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchee and unsweetened yogurt, and adding a probiotic also beefs up that army of good bacteria you need.#4-Don\u2019t overeat. Cup your hands together in the shape of a bowl. Eat no more than two of these handfuls at every meal.#5-Eat slowly and mindfully.Leave 4 to 6 hours between meals to digest.#6-Don\u2019t eat when you\u2019re sad or angry, and don\u2019t eat on-the-go.\u201cThe parasympathetic nervous system needs to be able to activate,\u201d Mulakeluri explained. Breathing deeply helps activate it too.#7-Drink effectively. Try drinking at least a cup or two of warm water upon waking, and a large glass of warm or room temperature water about 20 minutes before meals. Sip on ginger tea through the day. It has been used for more than 2000 years to treat digestive issues. Just add one teaspoon of grated ginger root to a cup of hot water, or prepare a larger batch to sip from a thermos throughout the day. Mulakaluri also suggests drinking a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a quarter cup of warm water 10 minutes before every meal to stimulate stomach acids.#8-Focus on releasing negative emotions. Research has shown stress can lead to chronic digestive issues, and after reading the research on the powerful mind-gut connection, it\u2019s no wonder. For Karri Bruntz, author and Ayurvedic devotee, that can be as simple as learning basic nostril breathing techniques, not pushing yourself too hard when you don\u2019t feel your best, and communicating how you feel. \u201cPart of awareness is to speak your truth,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t hold that stuff in.\u201d#9-Meditate on a daily basis. Genetic changes can occur with regular meditation, including the processes controlling digestion. Even a few minutes can help, but 20 minutes in the morning and evening is best, according to The Chopra Center. \u201cMeditation is key whether that is sitting quietly or even just being aware and present when doing the dishes,\u201d said Bruntz. \u201dJust being mindful and aware during the day helps to lower stress and settle the system.\u201d#10-Follow a healthy and consistent daily routine&#8230;Such as waking up at about the same time every day, going to bed at the same time, and eating your meals at the same time.It\u2019s not about perfection. \u00a0Bruntz, author of the best-selling book, \u201cHide &amp; Seek, Discover the Awe of Being You,\u201d credits Ayurvedic practices with saving her health when her liver enzymes kept rising. She feels strongly that digestion is the very foundation of good health. \u201cThis has never been more clear to me than it is today. Eating foods that I know are nutrient dense, healthy, clean and unprocessed is best for my body. As I have tried to eat or add other foods that don\u2019t fit that criteria, my digestion is immediately upset and I deal with bloating, cramping and lethargy.\u201dBut she adds, \u201cWhen I was first learning 15 years ago, I followed all the rules to the letter, like skin brushing. And oh my God, it was so exhausting!\u201d Now she eats healthy, teaches yoga, meditates, and follows most of the principles, but she doesn\u2019t slavishly adhere to each one all of the time. \u00a0\u201cThey are all good for me, but I do them as I need them,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cI listen to my body.\u201dAs for Kathleen Stoeger, she healed her acid reflux in three months using only natural measures. She stopped eating four or five hours before bed, and made a real effort to eat foods rich in probiotics daily to re-populate her gut with healthy bacteria\u2014she drank kombucha, raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, and ate fresh sauerkraut and unsweetened Greek yogurt. She also cut out sugar, tomatoes and oranges\u2014which aggravated acid production\u2014slept with her head elevated, and added alfalfa supplements and aloe vera juice to her diet.\u201cI was religious about it, because it really frightened me,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I love about the Ayurveda approach is that it deals with the body as a whole\u2014it doesn\u2019t just treat one thing.\u201dAuthor: Diana WoodinYouVeda Wellness ContributorReferences:&gt;Bercik, P., Denou, E. Collins, J., Jackson W., Lu, J., Jury, J., Deng, Y, Blennerhasset, P, Macri, J, McCoy, K.D., Verdu, E. F., Collins, S. The Intestinal microbiota affect central levels of brain-derived neurotropic factor and behavior in mice, Gastroenterology, 141: \u00a0599-609 (2011)The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer, MD (2016)\u201cCan the Bacteria in your Gut explain your mood?\u201d New York Times Magazine by Peter Andrey Smith (June 23, 2015)\u201cWhen Gut Bacteria Change Brain Function,\u201d The Atlantic, (June 24, 2015)\u201cGastroenterology Issues in Schizophrenia: Why the Gut Matters\u201d PMC, US National \u00a0Library of Medicine, National Institutes of\u00a0Health, citing a study in \u00a0Curr Psychiatry Rep, May 2015"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"The Secret to Good Health Lies in Your Gut","item":"https:\/\/www.youveda.com\/secret-good-health-lies-gut\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]