Are Your Daily Habits Ruining Your Gut?

Is it really that bad, or are we being over-the-top? In this blog, you’ll uncover what’s happening in your insides every single day, the good, bad, and the ugly.

The Sneaky Impact of Daily Habits

When discussing gut health, it's crucial to understand how daily habits and what we consume impact not just our digestive system but also our brain function. (Brain…what?!) These habits influence how we think, focus, and engage with our family and daily tasks. If you find these aspects of your life less tangible or more challenging, your gut health could be a contributing factor.

The gut and nervous system are deeply connected, and poor gut health can lead to a dysregulated nervous system. This has been studied across many fields and ultimately leading to one thing: how you’re eating affects how you’re functioning.

The Role of Caffeine in Gut Health

One major factor often overlooked is caffeine addiction and dependency. Many people, including ourselves, have used caffeine as a crutch. However, excessive caffeine intake can cause highs and lows, disrupting our wake cycle and overall nervous system. This dysregulation can create a disconnect in our brain, leading to increased stress.

Instead of quitting caffeine cold turkey, we recommend gradually reducing intake. For instance, cutting back from three pots of coffee a day to one cup in the morning paired with a solid breakfast can significantly improve your response. This approach helps manage caffeine use as a treat rather than a dependency.

Identifying Food Sensitivities, Even Healthy Food

In addition to managing caffeine, identifying food sensitivities is crucial. There are various methods to determine these sensitivities:

Blood Tests: These tests analyze your blood for IgG reactions to over 200 different foods. They provide detailed insights into foods that may cause inflammation and other issues.
Hair Analysis Tests: These tests offer similar testing styles to blood, but can have varying results.
Self-Elimination: This method involves paying close attention to how your body reacts to different foods. Notice how you feel after eating certain foods, how you sleep, and how you process thoughts the next day.

It's important to remember that food sensitivity tests show varying degrees of sensitivity. Rather than eliminating everything from your diet, focus on highly reactive foods and gradually reintroduce them to see how your body responds.

Comprehensive testing, provides valuable insights into your diet and health. These tests help identify foods that may not immediately show effects but could cause issues over time, including healthy food such as avocados, spices, and even high sources of protein like eggs. Regular testing every few years can reveal changes in your diet patterns and sensitivities, helping you make informed decisions about your health.

Common Concerns and Practical Advice

One common question is whether eating certain foods regularly will affect test results. Eating foods frequently can show higher levels of sensitivity, but this doesn't mean you need to eliminate them entirely. It's about reducing intake to manageable levels and observing changes in your body's reactions.

In our personal experience, reducing foods that caused inflammation, such as dairy, gluten, and sugar, helped improve brain function and reduce brain fog. It's about finding the balance that works for your gut microbiome.

Taking Action

If you resonate with these insights and want to explore further, we offer sensitivity tests that you can access through the links provided. These tests can be the first step in a journey to better health, and we're here to help you navigate this process.

Our goal is to make it less overwhelming and more manageable, providing you with actionable steps to improve your gut health. Understanding your body's reactions to what you consume can significantly transform your life. We know this to be true from our own change of daily habits and with our patient's lives.