{"id":863,"date":"2019-01-15T15:13:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T13:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dazzlepop.net\/site\/?p=863"},"modified":"2019-01-15T15:13:40","modified_gmt":"2019-01-15T13:13:40","slug":"7-things-destroying-your-gut-health-5-ways-to-heal-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dazzlepop.net\/site\/7-things-destroying-your-gut-health-5-ways-to-heal-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Things Destroying your Gut Health & 5 Ways to Heal. {Partner}"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article is offered in partnership with\u00a0Silver Fern<\/a>\u2014they\u2019re dedicated to improving your life by improving your health, and we\u2019re honored to share their work with you. ~ ed.<\/em><\/p>\n

I had\u00a0no idea\u00a0<\/em>how many of us suffer from gut issues.<\/h2>\n

Even as a qualified nutritionist, it was a total eye-opener for me when I started really diving into the area of gut health.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the main reason I founded\u00a0Silver Fern<\/a>: to help as many people as possible to live their best lives by becoming their healthiest selves\u2026and the more I learn, the more I am convinced that it all begins in the gut.<\/p>\n

The gut is a huge part of our immune system (roughly 80 percent) and is incredibly interconnected with the brain\u2014so it\u2019s affects so much more than just our digestive health. But our modern lifestyle (food choices, chemicals, sanitation, lack of being outdoors\u2026) is destroying our microbiome and this has created a critical imbalance in many of us.<\/p>\n

The truth is, even if you think you don\u2019t have a gut problem, chances are you do. Many of our health issues\u2014physical, and even mental\u2014can be traced back to not having enough of the right bacteria in our bodies; and a lot of these issues can be resolved by simply rebalancing our microflora.<\/p>\n

At which point most of us are reaching for the probiotics, right? Well, here\u2019s another eye-opening truth for ya:<\/p>\n

Although probiotics\u00a0can<\/em>\u00a0help, the\u00a0majority<\/em>\u00a0of the probiotics on the market simply\u00a0do not work<\/em>. (1)<\/h3>\n

Why? Because they\u2019re dead before they hit your gut.\u00a0In fact, according to microbiologist, Kiran Kirshnan, \u201cAmericans spend about $36 billion a year on dead bacteria.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is because\u00a0only certain strains<\/em>\u00a0of probiotics are clinically proven to survive the gastric acids of the stomach and all the way down to the large intestines where they can colonize. Read on for how to identify a good quality probiotic, and more solutions to better gut (and overall) health\u2026<\/p>\n

Read on for 7\u00a0things destroying your gut health (and 5 ways to heal):<\/h3>\n

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1. Antibiotics\u2026in our food<\/h4>\n

Many of us are aware that antibiotics kill\u00a0all<\/em>\u00a0gut bacteria\u2014good and bad. In 2015 alone, approximately 269 million antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed from pharmacies in the United States. (2, 3) This would be enough for five out of every six people to receive one antibiotic prescription each year.<\/p>\n

These statistics alone show the potential damage done to gut, but unfortunately that\u2019s not the worst of it. Antibiotics are now being served on our plates.<\/p>\n

According to an analysis of U.S. Food and Drug Administration data by the Johns Hopkins University\u2019s Center for a Livable Future, 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in 2009 were for use on livestock and poultry, and only 20 percent was for human medical use. (4)<\/p>\n

This means that while we may be successful avoiding the over-the-counter drug, we now need to be even more vigilant with our food choices. Factory farmed meat, chicken, and fish are the biggest culprits, so if we\u2019re going to keep eating meat, it\u2019s yet another reason to spend our money on organic, and to make the effort to find out exactly where our meat is coming from.<\/p>\n

2. Glyphosate<\/h4>\n

This is a chemical agent found in Roundup and, due to national farming practices, it is destroying our microbiome. This was originally approved by the FDA because the manufacturers showed that glyphosate kills plant cells and not human cells (through something called the shikimate pathway; watch the video below for more on that). This is true, but we now know that glyphosate also kills bacterial cells. And since humans have 10 times more bacteria cells than human cells, glyphosate is wreaking havoc on the gut.<\/p>\n

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3. Toxins in our water, and in our homes<\/h4>\n

Chlorine\u00a0can kill our microflora just like antibiotics.<\/i>\u00a0This harmful chemical is added to water because it is a highly efficient disinfectant\u00a0that kills harmful organisms or\u00a0pathogenic bacteria. Unfortunately, this could be bad news for your gut.\u00a0Cleaning supplies, shampoos, laundry detergent, and deodorant can all contain harmful compounds<\/p>\n

4. Diets high in fat and low in fiber<\/h4>\n

Fiber essentially acts as a fertilizer for the microbiome. Without it your gut will suffer. (5)\u00a0The types of fat you eat can also affect the health of your gut. Research has shown that a diet high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 leads to a significant increase of bad bacteria that can trigger inflammation. Consumption of trans fatty acids can also damage the gut.<\/p>\n

Get the best quality natural prebiotic fiber supplement on the market >><\/a><\/em><\/h5>\n
*Elephant readers get<\/b>\u00a025% site-wide via this link or using code\u00a0EJOURNAL25<\/b><\/em><\/h5>\n

5. Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners<\/h4>\n

Just like healthy bacteria need fiber and prebiotics to thrive and proliferate, pathenogenic or \u201cbad bacteria\u201d also look for nutrients to aid in their survival. These harmful bacteria tend to thrive on junk food and sugar. Hence, uncontrollable sugar cravings may be an indicator of dysbiosis, or a microbial imbalance, in the gut. And it\u2019s not just sugar; artificial sweeteners play havoc with our gut bacteria, too. (6) Studies suggest that the microflora in our gastrointestinal tract may also influence our eating behavior. These microbes may be able to affect reward center of the brains, alter mood, and even change taste receptors, making it even harder to resist the stuff that\u2019s actually killing us slowly.\u00a0(7)<\/p>\n

6. Prolonged birth control use<\/h4>\n

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Another shocker! Many women are unaware of the fact that oral contraceptives can kill beneficial bacteria, promote candida overgrowth, or exacerbate constipation. (8) While some may have no severe side effects on some people, years and years of taking birth control pills can create an imbalanced inner ecosystem (with an overgrowth of bad bacteria and yeast) that can make women more susceptible to disease. Those taking birth control pills for a reason other than contraception, such as for acne or PCOS, may want to reconsider the choice.<\/p>\n

A recent study led by Harvard University gastroenterologist Dr. Hamed Khalili, found a link between oral contraceptives and Crohn\u2019s disease. \u201cIf you took oral contraceptives for more than five years, you have a three-fold increased risk of Crohn\u2019s disease,\u201d Khalili explained, as reported by\u00a0Health News.\u00a0<\/i>(9)<\/p>\n

7. Your active lifestyle<\/h4>\n

Yep, it\u2019s true. Strenuous exercise makes athletes more susceptible to gut issues. During a workout the blood is pulled out of the intestine and into the working muscles groups. This, along with increased core temperature,\u00a0can<\/span>\u00a0cause disruption to the healthy bacteria in the gut. And if you\u2019re training for a city marathon, say, you\u2019re even more susceptible, because exposure to pollution is another risk factor for\u00a0dysbiosis.<\/p>\n

Time for the good news\u2013here are 5 things you can do to heal:<\/h3>\n

Many gut issues,\u00a0including gluten intolerance\u00a0can be healed.\u00a0<\/em>And many of the above risk factors can be managed, with the right support for your good bacteria. Read on to find out more\u2026<\/p>\n

1. Avoid processed foods and refined sugars<\/h4>\n

Look for food your grandmother would recognize. Rule of thumb: if there are more than five ingredients on the label, it\u2019s probably too processed. Generally, try to avoid food with labels in the first place. Shop round the peripheries of the supermarket; avoid the middle. Even better, avoid the supermarket and shop local, organic whole foods at your nearest farmer\u2019s market.<\/p>\n

2. Get the minimum fiber intake<\/h4>\n

This is\u00a025 grams for females and 35 grams for males\u2014a tricky target for many people to achieve.\u00a0Fiber is incredibly important to maintaining healthy bacteria in the body,\u00a0so if we\u2019re serious about improving our gut health, we need to find a good fiber supplement to ensure we\u2019re getting the minimum daily.<\/p>\n

But most supplements on the market only contain 2-4 grams of fiber per serving, which means they\u2019re barely helping. This is just one of the reasons\u00a0Silver Fern Tino<\/a>\u00a0is a great option: it contains\u00a03 times more fiber per serving than any other fiber supplement available, amongst many other unique benefits.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Silver Fern\u2019s unique natural prebiotic fiber >><\/a><\/em><\/h5>\n
*Elephant readers get<\/b>\u00a025% site-wide via this link or using code\u00a0EJOURNAL25<\/b><\/em><\/h5>\n

This will not only affect your inner landscape, but your physical appearance, too. Weight loss also has a strong connection to the gut. When we have the right bacteria in our large intestine, and a diet high in fiber, a key metabolic process takes place. The bacteria feed off of the fiber (through fermentation) and create short-chain fatty acids. These are key in communicating with the fat cells and signaling to turn them on or off.<\/p>\n

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3. Use your budget wisely<\/h4>\n

We choose how to spend our money and time, and we can choose to spend more money on quality food and less on processed calories and lifestyle extras. Sure, you may have to adjust your shopping list\u2014and maybe other parts of your lifestyle, too. Things like eating meatless meals more often, buying whole or bone-in organic meat to eat less often, cooking up soups and casseroles that\u2019ll stretch for more than one meal, buying organic, in-season produce\u2026<\/p>\n

Eating organic is totally possible on a budget, if we\u2019re smart about it. There are also plenty of articles on Elephant Journal that offer more helpful tips to live healthier on a budget.<\/p>\n

4. Take a good quality probiotic<\/h4>\n

Most probiotics on the market have been deemed useless, but that doesn\u2019t mean all probiotics don\u2019t work. The right probiotics can benefit more than just your gut health\u2014depression, anxiety, ADHD, addiction, and many other problems\u00a0can be helped tremendously.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to understand here is that not all probiotics are created equal; it\u2019s important to know what to look for in a good quality probiotic. The key is to look for strains like those found in the\u00a0Silver Fern Ultimate Probiotic<\/a>\u00a0that have been proven to colonize the gut:<\/p>\n