May 12, 2024 | Owl Venice

Your Gut Is Speaking, Are You Listening?

If you knew all the ways your body speaks to you, would you pay closer attention to what it’s saying? Gut health enthusiasts will know that your gut has a language all of its own and listening to what it has to say can have a significant impact on not only your overall health, but also your quality of life. Because your gut is responsible for so many important functions within your body, it can be life changing to notice the different signals it sends to other parts inside of you.

For instance, you might be aware that your gut is in charge of digesting the foods you eat. But you might not know that your hormone production and balance is also in the hands of your digestive system. It even has a hand in your mental health that can affect your mood and focus on a daily basis.

Let’s give you a bit of insight into the microscopic world that exists within your gut to help you understand the messages it sends you every single day.

7 Ways Your Gut Communicates With You

Immunity

Did you know that 70 percent of your immune system exists within your gut? That’s why what you eat is so important to all factors of your health. The trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that make up your gut microbiome contribute to the vitality of your immune system¹.

If you constantly feel like your body is under attack from the outside world, your gut could be letting you know, it’s time to diversify. That means, you can benefit exponentially by eating a wide variety of whole foods that help your gut flora - which is good bacteria - flourish and create a healthy landscape for a strong immune system.

Irregular Bowel Movements

Is your digestion keeping to a familiar schedule? The typical time span for food to move though your digestive system is 24 to 72 hours. If this is not the case for you, it might be time to find out why.

Your gut could be telling you that you’re struggling with constipation. One of the underlying causes of elimination issues could be that you’re dehydrated. When your intestines can’t draw enough water, the result is hard stool that isn’t easy to pass. Adding soluble fiber, such a sorbitol, to your diet can help your body draw more water into your colon and help with elimination. Prunes are one excellent source of sorbitol to give your gut when it calls out for help².

Inflammation

Because your gut might not recognize high processed foods (refined sugars, refined grains, preservatives) as actual food, your body could initiate an inflammatory response. This is due to your gut thinking these foods are invaders wanting to attack, and your immune system responds accordingly. What your gut is saying when your inflammation levels are high is that it’s lacking nourishment. It wants more natural, whole foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your system.

When your gut doesn’t have to work as hard to digest the food you eat, it operates under less stress. This leads to lower levels of inflammation throughout your entire body, which in turn, improves your immune response.

Gluten Sensitivity

If you often suffer from increased inflammation, but you tend to avoid processed foods, your gut might be alerting you to a certain food sensitivity. It’s possible that even if you don’t have celiac disease, gluten can still affect the permeability of the wall of your intestines³. When your intestinal wall is weak, pathogens like bacteria can escape into your bloodstream. These pathogens come from undigested food and waste that would normally stay separate from the rest of your body. If foreign bodies end up in your bloodstream, the resulting inflammation can wreak havoc on your health by causing a variety of illnesses.

Post-meal Issues

If you’re someone who often experiences bloating, gas, and discomfort after every meal, your gut could have something important to tell you. The solution could be as simple as slowing down when you eat, giving your gut a chance to register that you’re ready to eat. This triggers responses from your digestive system such as producing digestive juices and enzymes.

Sometimes, we need a little help from mother nature. At OWL, we have crafted a concoction of medicinal herbs to help you with digestion after you eat. Our Digestive Bitters Calming Mint Spray is a natural and gentle way to awaken your digestive system for the efficient breakdown of foods, and to maximize the nutrients you absorb. Just a few sprays go a long way to promoting healthy digestion, soothing your digestive tract, and help minimize bloating and cramps.

Slow digestion

Even if you’re digesting at a regular rate, you could still have a digestive process that is way too slow. One thing your gut could be asking for more of is prebiotics. These are the types of food that feed the healthy bacteria inside your microbiome to keep the diversity in your gut flora. Foods like bananas, asparagus, legumes, onion, and garlic are excellent sources of prebiotic fiber.

Your gut could also be wanting assistance with breaking down foods with the help of probiotics. These are fermented foods that can also help boost the function of your immune system. Probiotics can be found in many different foods such as plain yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir.

Mental Health

Did you know that 95 percent of serotonin is produced in the small intestine? That’s right, your happy hormone is in the hands of your gut health, and if your gut is out of balance, your mental health could be at risk too. If you regularly experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, brain fog, or even poor sleep quality it could be your gut telling you that something is off⁴.

Focusing on consuming more whole foods and fiber, and overall good gut health can create a whole new version of yourself. By balancing the flora within your gut, your hormone production can correct itself. When your hormones are in harmony with your body, you can then experience a higher quality of living with improved symptoms of depression and anxiety, better focus, and more restful sleep.

Your Gut Knows What’s Best

The OWL Reset Cleanse offers you the opportunity to give your gut the goodness it craves. With natural and organic sources, the OWL Cleanse will bring you the benefits of clean ingredients that stabilize your gut, balance your hormones, and target the root of all chronic diseases.

Being in tune with your body and paying attention to the signs and signals it sends to you is the ultimate form of self care. Your gut is the epicenter of your good health, and it deserves a spot on your list of priorities. Join the conversation with your body, and put your health first so that you can soak up all of life’s joys while feeling your absolute best.

Julie Weller

Julie is a self-made writer on a forever journey of fitness and health. As a high school music teacher, she has seen and experienced the challenges of maintaining good health while simultaneously balancing a career and healthy relationships.

Julie has always lived a healthy and active lifestyle. She loves the outdoors, hiking, and camping. Over the years she has continued to learn smarter and better ways to take care of her body while continuing to do the things that make her smile. Naturally, all of her teacher friends wanted to know how she did it - what was her secret?

Julie found herself explaining over and over everything she'd learned in her research, and sharing her experiences through trial and error. Her friends would take her advice, try some new things, and then come back to ask how to take it to the next level.

"You should charge for this kind of information!" Became a constant phrase, and so began her career of writing to share her knowledge with the world through health and wellness companies looking to spread healing and healthy habits within their communities. Now Julie gets to combine two of the things she enjoys most - writing and wellness - and use them to affect change in a real way.

When not making music with her kiddos, or writing wellness tips for a higher quality of life, you can find her reading, hiking, drumming, and fitnessing

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Tags: digestion, digestive bitters, mental health, reset