As a naturopath with a special intertest in women’s health, hormones and fertility, you may think my interest in gut health may be minimal. That’s where you’d be wrong! Regardless of why you walk through my door, I’m already wondering about your gut health. You’ll be excited to learn why!
As I approach wellness with a ‘whole-body’ understanding, I am mindful each system in the body is connected in some way. For us to feel good and stay healthy, each system needs to work well alone, and work well together. While this requires a team approach, the gut is quite the ‘heavy-lifter’. The gut houses your microbiome, a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses and their genes, which carry out roles that are critical to your health and wellness.
Research into the microbiome is extensive. To date, microbiome influences on food digestion, nutrient absorption, metabolism and body weight, immune regulation and brain function are well established. Naturopaths have long understood that the health of the gut underpins the health of the entire body. Evolving research has helped to concrete our understanding, and assist collaboration with other health professionals.
How you ever had a gut feeling? Or noticed butterflies in your stomach? It’s likely these sensations originated from very real communication processes associated with the gut-brain axis. This amazing process is made up of millions of nerve cells connecting the nervous system to the gut and microbiome.
Often referred to as our ‘second brain’, strong links between digestion and gut disorders, mood, stress, and even our thought processes have been well established. When a client tells me, anxiety makes their bloating and IBS symptoms worse, I know I need to start with the gut.
As a women’s health naturopath, I am often focused on hormone health. Our hormone journey starts at a young age, and evolves and changes over many, many years. While hormone balance is a natural process that happens in the body every day, we don’t think about it until the body alerts us to imbalance. These alerts are messages – usually in the form of uncomfortable symptoms!
What’s gut health got to do with this? We rely on daily gut detoxification and regular hormone elimination from the bowel to support natural hormone balance. States such as gut dysbiosis and constipation can negatively influence these processes and drive conditions such as heavy, painful periods and acne.
How about endometriosis? Researchers have highlighted microbiome influences, specifically gut dysbiosis contributing to immune dysfunction driving elements of this condition. It’s long been established that well over half of our immune tissue is located in the gut. When we tie all of this together, gut health becomes a core focus.
In my experience, gut symptoms can be confusing and vague. Which is why I often use functional gut assessments to guide decision-making in clinic. These investigations provide a comprehensive overview of the function of your gut and microbiome. It removes the guess work.
Gut health and the microbiome are exquisite and complicated. It takes a considered, experienced approach to undercover the causes of imbalance, and understand the areas requiring further investigation. It can be a long game, but a rewarding one. So, start your journey the right way. Reach out for professional advice, be wary of products or programs promising a quick fix, and invest in your future health!
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