.THE IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH

The winter holidays are just around the corner and we will soon encounter temptations of sweets, alcoholic beverages and carb delights, followed by creative excuses to skip the gym “just this once”. And like clockwork, this all-too-familiar pattern leads to the “January Panic” when we resolve never to overindulge again as we sign up for the latest fad diet and gym membership. For many, the motivation is to make the next year a heart-healthy one.

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However, few are aware of just how this binge lifestyle can wreak havoc on their digestive tract.

To dive deeper, we spoke with Karina Liz, a Health Practitioner and owner of Blooming Waters, a natural wellness clinic in Los Angeles specializing in digestive cleansing. She explains that “the human body is home to communities of diverse bacterial colonies, collectively known as the microbiome, with the highest concentrations found in the colon”.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The composition of our own microbiome plays a pivotal role in our health by controlling what gets absorbed into our bloodstream through our intestinal walls. When in balance, our microbiome aids in digestion, energy recovery, hormonal regulation, sexual function and sleep quality. 

However, poor diet, stress, antibiotics or other environmental factors, can lead to altered gut bacteria, called dysbiosis. This can result in a condition called “leaky gut” where the intestinal walls develop microscopic cracks that allow partially digested food and bacteria to penetrate the tissue, triggering inflammation. Over time, persistent intestinal inflammation has been linked to conditions such as IBS, obesity, diabetes and various cancers.

According to a new survey by Abbvie News, 74% of Americans are living with common symptoms of gut dysbiosis such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal pain. These symptoms are often the result of a fiber-poor, sugar-rich diet, like the one in which we typically indulge during the winter holiday season.

Karina can’t stress enough the importance of keeping the good-to-bad ratio of microbiomes in check, especially during the festivities

HOW TO GET THERE

While it’s always best to . .

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