Your GUT is a GARDEN!

Your Gut is a Garden... Learning how to tend it is the missing link to achieving health and happiness!   Of all the newsletters I have published in the last 2 years I think this one is by far the most important one.  This much I can promise you: if you do not have a healthy digestive foundation (and most of us don't) nothing else you do for your health will matter. This month's issue is devoted to gut health, particularly in the colon and next month we will talk about your liver. Have you ever noticed that you are happier when your gut is functioning properly and miserable in every way when it is not?  When things aren't "moving as they should" you are depressed.  Listless.  Bloated.  When your digestion is at its best, you have more energy and less pain. You don't get sick as easily. Your general outlook on life is brighter.  Why is this? The answer may surprise you. A quick look at your microscopic story. The cells within your body are actually outnumbered by the microbes that live inside of you. Yup.  You read that right. It is a staggering truth.  So I will say it again. For every ONE cell that makes up your body, there are TEN bacteria, parasites, or fungi vying for space. In other words, you are outnumbered by your little microscopic guests 10:1. Not all of these microbes are a threat.  In fact some of them are vital for your health. And nowhere is this more true than in your large intestine.  Think of your colon as a garden.  As with a garden, both helpful and UNhelpful things grow there. As the gardener, it is up to you to decide what your colon will produce and in what amounts. If you were born via a normal delivery (ie not a C Section), your good bacteria (referred to as probiotics) were actually bequeathed to you by your mother at the moment you entered the world.  They stay with you throughout your life and keep the walls of your colon healthy. Your body depends on them to break down the food you eat into compounds it can use for other functions such as healthy immunity and mood stabilization.  Your probiotic garden depends on you to take care of it... to feed it what it needs and get plenty of exercise and rest so it can thrive.  It is a mutually beneficial relationship. On the other side of the spectrum, an overgrowth of bad microbes erodes your intestinal wall, overwhelms your immune system, and whittles away at your Seratonin supply.  When this happens, your physical, mental and emotional health will suffer.   FACT:  Seratonin is a vital chemical in your body that regulates your brain's emotional health. Anti depressant medications artificially increase your Seratonin levels, but they cause many unwanted side effects. I90% of this chemical is produced by the healthy bacteria in your colon. Heal your colon, heal your emotions! Your brain's relationship with your belly is a powerful one.  Your microbes (both good and bad) know this. They don't just hang out in your colon and wait for you to feed them.  They actually send out chemical messages to your brain that ASK for the nutrients they need.  And they actively compete for space in your garden just like weeds compete with peas and carrots.  Your brain is highly sensitive to their microscopic messages and creates cravings within you that drive you to feed whichever strains of microbes are present in the greatest numbers.  As you might expect, the "good bugs" thrive on fruits, vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats. "Bad bugs" thrive on bad foods such as sugars and unhealthy fats. But remember.  YOU are the higher being.  You have free will!  You can make conscious choices about the kind of microbes you will nurture in your belly.  The group that you choose to feed will come to dominate your belly space just as their craving messages will dominate your thoughts.  This issue is about your Gut Garden and how you can tend and nurture it.  As with most things in holistic health, the key to your success is finding natural ways to achieve a healthy balance.   So read on... and...   Happy GARDENING!  ~Juli Anne   Prebiotics...  Foods that Feed the Good  "Prebiotic" is a fancy word for nutrients that feed the helpful bacteria (probiotics) in your garden.   Think of prebiotics as your daily shot of nutrient-rich mulch. Prebiotic foods contain high levels of soluable fiber, partially digesting into a gel-like substance that coats, soothes, and repairs the lining of your colon and creates a soft "substrate" that feeds healthy bacteria and allows them to gain a stronger foothold.  Next time you are craving sweets or starches, reach for something on this list instead.  As you do this consistently you will see your cravings for bad foods drastically diminish over time! Garlic, leeks, and onions Asparagus Wheat bran, oatmeal Bananas, oranges, apricots Oranges Squash and carrots Flax seed Benefiber Activia Yogurt Dark Chocolate (at least 70% Cacao... read the labels...go for low sugar!)  Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) Fructooligosaccharides or FOS (Added to doTERRA's Probiotic formula...see below)  You can look up the fiber content of almost any food by {going here}.  Healthy bacteria also love fermented foods.  Here is a good list:  Dairy (yogurt, Kefir, raw unpasteurized cheeses)  Pickled vegetables (cucumbers, carrots and cauliflower, beets, Sauerkraut) Fermented Soy Products (Miso, Tofu,Tempeh)  Getting these items into your routine isn't hard.  Take a probiotic supplement with FOS with meals.  (See the spotlight on doTERRA supplements in this newsletter.)  Mix a delicious prebiotic smoothie (Think "Miracle-Gro".) for breakfast.  (See recipes below.) Add some Sauerkraut to your lunch sandwich.  Ditch the mashed potatoes and eat some butternut squash with dinner.  Skip the commercial salad dressing and dress your dinner salad with olive oil and fresh minced garlic instead.  Sprinkle ground flax seed on your salad instead of croutons.   Add a spoonful of Benefiber and a drop or two of doTERRA peppermint or spearmint oil to your ice water every day.  The Benefiber provides soluable fiber and the oils curb sugar cravings.   When making food choices, think nutrient-rich mulch.  A little bit here and there every day goes a long way!  Education Corner:   Spotlighting doTERRA's PB Assist+ (Probiotic Defense Formula)  PB Assist+ is doTERRA's proprietary probiotic formula.  Its special double layered capsules deliver 6 billion CFUs of active probiotic cultures AND soluble pre-biotic FOS (fructooligosaccharides) to your colon with every dose.  Take one capsule in the morning and one at bedtime for just two weeks out of every month to "reseed" your gut garden continually! Prebiotic Smoothie Heaven... SO Good!  You'll love them! Take your morning PB Assist with one of these delicious prebiotic breakfast smoothies and GET YOUR GUT GARDENING ON!  At night consider taking a prebiotic powder  in a cup of almond milk with your evening PB Assist.  If things still aren't "moving" you can also take 2-4 capsules of Magnesium 200 mg with Amino Acids by Solar Ray.  (Warning:  If you are chronically constipated, you may experience flatulence or bloating for the first few days with this approach.  If you do, make slight adjustments but stick with it!  Things will settle down after a few days and you will feel amazing!)  *To explore other prebiotic smoothie recipes {go here}.

Peaches and Cream Smoothie 2 peaches (ripe, pitted, cut up or 2 cups frozen peaches) 1 frozen banana (remove skin before freezing) 1/2 cup almond milk 1/4 cup quick oats 1/4 cup fresh orange juice OR 3 cutie tangerines, peeled* 1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional) 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon Prebiotic Powder OR Benefiber Healthy Shape (optional) Orange Carrot Smoothie 1 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup greek yogurt or Kefir 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 frozen bananas (ripe) 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup pineapple chunks 1-2 drops doTERRA Wild Orange oil 1 teaspoon Prebiotic FiberOR Benefiber Healthy Shape (optional)  Blueberry Muffin Smoothie 1 1/2 cups orange juiceOR 3 Cutie tangerines, peeled* 2/3 cup frozen blueberries (or fresh) 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon OR 2 drops doTERRA Cinnamon Bark oil 1 cup ice cubes 1 teaspoon Prebiotic FiberOR Benefiber Healthy Shape (optional)