Our gut health influences everything from our weight, to our mood, to our cognitive ability. It can be the reason for our back pain, the root of our depression, and of course, the cause of our digestive issues. That’s why testing the health of our gut and then healing our gut is absolutely essential for improving our mental and physical health.
Why I Want to Help You Heal Your Gut
I never thought much about my gut. I’m a psychologist and well-being expert so I focus mostly on what you can do to boost well-being. But this all changed when my gut completely gave out on me. In the blink of an eye, I started getting nauseous, bloated, and belchy anytime I ate anything. I quickly dropped 15 pounds, became exhausted, and developed intense anxiety.
Had I thought more about my gut health, I could have seen the signs and prevented this nightmare. My gut had been screaming, “Pay attention to me!” for years by giving me new food allergies, migraines, and tummy troubles. These were all signs that my gut was unhealthy… I just didn’t realize it yet.
Why You Want to Heal the Gut Before You Get Sick
When my gut got mad at me, I had no idea what the problem was. It took me months to figure it out. Eventually, I took the GI-MAP stool test and learned that I had a parasite called blastocystis hominis (Blasto The Gut Bug), which I likely picked up in Mexico a few years back. I also ate dairy (despite knowing I was sensitive to it) and lived in a moldy apartment—all things that contribute to poor gut health.
Because I ignored the signs, my gut problems snowballed—I developed Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Estrogen dominance, and an intolerance to dairy, gluten, eggs, and almonds. In addition, I couldn’t eat anything that was difficult to digest (e.g., raw veggies, nuts, popcorn) or anything that fed mold (e.g., mushrooms, grains, even vitamins cased in cellulose capsules).
