Gutology - all about the gut

/

Healthy Gut = improved nutrient absorption  = more energy = boost in overall health

We've heard the expression you are what you eat.  True enough.  There's more truth in you are what you absorb.  Most of us at some point have some experience of digestive problems such as  irritable bowel, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn, reflux, gas to name a few.  These digestive problems play havoc on our overall health and can lead to allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disease, rashes, acne, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, dementia, cancer and more....

With this in mind, let's look at some gut facts:

  • the gut starts at the mouth and ends at the anus - approx 30 feet / 9 meters long !
  • we have around 100 trillion bacteria in 500 different species present in our guts
  • there are good bacteria and bad, the ideal ratio of a healthy gut is 85% good / 15% bad  
  • good bacteria controls the growth of bad bacteria, also secreting a substance to kill off excess
  • 80% of immune cells are present in the gut
  • the nervous system of the gut contains vast numbers of neurotransmitters, more than in the brain. Stress can interfere and alter the messages that travel back and forth from brain to gut affecting health.
  • imbalance and reduced levels of good bacteria can lead to the overall health issues as per above
  • antibiotics taken for bacteria illness can kill both good and bad bacteria, disturbing gut ratio
  • low fiber, high sugar, nutrient poor, processed foods will favour the growth of bad bacteria and yeast in the gut, damaging the ecosystem
  • unprocessed, whole foods, veg, nuts, seeds, beans and real food encourage good bacteria to thrive

Taking probiotics replenish good bacteria, good sources are: yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, coconut kefir, tempeh, kombucha, apple cider vinegar (especially with the 'mother')

gutology fermentation

With this information in mind and knowing that fermentation is a hot topic at present, I booked onto a fermentation workshop courtesy of Darren, Octypus Alchemy.  A group of curious people gathered to listen to Darren speak openly and honestly about the industrialisation of our food our over reliance on convenience, food waste and how our health is being affected.  Very interesting and very alerting.  

This lead on to fermentation - an ancient method of food preservation dating as far back as when man arrived on the planet !  It's a process where bacteria, yeast and other microorganisms breakdown a substance into a simpler form.  There are many different ferments and varying methods.  We were shown how to make beet kvass - beetroot, water and salt, sauerkraut, water kefir and kimchi.  All of which are known to encourage healthy growth of the good bacteria in our gut.  By eating fermented foods which encourage probiotics to flourish in the gut, you are helping the body strengthen it's immunity, increasing energy levels giving overall vitality.  Probiotics have been proved to help slow and even reverse some diseases.  So get fermenting !