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The Importance of Gut Health

You often hear about the importance of supporting your immune system. But did you know that 80% of your immune system is actually located in your gastrointestinal tract – AKA your “gut”? That’s why it’s so incredibly important to make sure you optimize your gut health!

Gut Health Relies on a Healthy Microbiome

The real stars of your gut are tiny microorganisms that include protozoa, fungi, bacteria, and other kinds of single-celled organisms. Now, you may see this list and think, “Ew, I don’t want all that stuff inside my guts!” But you actually do. These microorganisms – and there are trillions of them – make up what we call your gut’s ‘microbiome.’

Your microbiome is like the Club Med for all of these microorganisms that live harmoniously with one another, helping your body to be as healthy as possible. Or at least, that’s the way nature intended.

But sometimes our gut flora can become unbalanced and there will suddenly be a proliferation of harmful bacteria. You see, you want helpful (probiotic) bacteria in your gut. But when the bad guys move in, problems arise.

So how does your microbiome become unbalanced? Mostly through poor lifestyle choices like eating too many processed foods, drinking sodas, and being stressed out.

And of course, if you’ve ever taken one or more courses of antibiotics, they not only killed off the bad bacteria in your body but also the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

So, what can you do to improve your gut health?

Clean Up Your Diet

Sugars, both natural and artificial sweeteners, have been found to have a negative impact on your gut flora. So, start by cutting out sugar as much as possible. Also, incorporate fermented foods like Kim Chi and Sauerkraut to replenish the probiotics. And finally, eat plenty of fiber since bacteria love eating it!

Lower Your Stress Levels

It’s not always easy to do, but try your best as stress negatively impacts your entire digestive tract. Also, when we’re stressed, we tend to eat the wrong kinds of foods, laden with sugar and trans fats.

Exercise

A 2019 study by the Physiological Society showed that exercise may have a positive impact on the diversity, cluster, activity, and presence of gut bacteria.

The bottom line is, the more you take care of your gut, the more it will take care of you.

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Five Healthy Ways to Reward Yourself

For many of us, when we think of a treat or a reward, our minds turn to food: our favorite chocolate cake at the local bakery, or a big, cheesy slice of pizza. If food doesn’t do it for you, you might want to reward yourself with some other unhealthy habit such as expensive purchases or overindulging in alcohol.

When we’re looking to treat ourselves, it’s usually to reward a positive change or goal we’ve reached through discipline and consistent effort. While there’s nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence, turning to an unhealthy habit to reward good behavior can possibly un-do your hard work; at the very least, you’re taking a step back from your healthy change instead of taking a more positive step forward. If you want to find ways to treat yourself that won’t impede your progress, read on to discover five healthy ways you can reward yourself for a job well done.

1. Relax & Rejuvenate

There might be no better way to spoil yourself than a massage or day spa treatment. Schedule yourself for a massage, a facial treatment, a mud bath or a hot stone massage. You might also want to visit a hot spring, where you can relax surrounded by nature in warm, geothermal pools.

2. Get a Makeover

A makeover is a great way to celebrate hitting a goal. Get a manicure, a new haircut or hire a professional makeup artist to create a new look. You can also consult a personal stylist to help you update your wardrobe.

3. Enjoy Some Alone Time

Some alone time might be just what you need to treat yourself. Take a day off work and plan a “stay-cation” for yourself. Take a bubble bath, find a new podcast to listen to, have a cup of hot tea or coffee while you curl up with a new book or binge-watch some shows on your streaming service. You can also go out by yourself and enjoy a movie or visit an art gallery.

4. Plan a Night Out

If spending time with loved ones is something you crave, plan a fun night out with friends. Find a comedy club, a festival, concert or sporting event to attend.

5. Take a Day Trip

Plan a day trip to a locale you’ve been meaning to visit. Plan a mountain hike or a visit to a beach or lake and enjoy a swim and a healthy picnic. If you’re looking for something more active, consider canoeing, horseback riding or a bike ride. If something relaxing is more your speed, take a long drive and spend the night out under the stars with a loved one.

Changing out our bad habits for healthier ones takes time and effort. By learning to reward ourselves in a more positive way, we reinforce our newer, better habits while discarding the old habits that held us back.

If you’re trying to make positive changes in your life and need guidance and encouragement, a Registered Psychologist can help. Give our office a call today, and let’s schedule a time to talk.

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The Effects of Alcohol on Your Body

We’ve all read the studies that tell us having a glass or two of wine a day is actually beneficial to our health. But what happens when that glass or two turns into three, four or more?

Drinking too much alcohol can have serious ramifications on our health. Here are just some of the ways alcohol negatively affects your body and overall health:

Liver Damage and Toxic Buildup

Your liver is responsible for breaking down and removing harmful substances from your body, including alcohol. When we drink too much alcohol, over time, it can damage our liver leading to a condition called cirrhosis. Once your liver becomes this damaged, it can no longer remove harmful toxins from your body and you can experience another type of health crisis.

Type 2 Diabetes

Drinking too much can also damage your pancreas where insulin is made. When the pancreas is no longer functioning optimally and it cannot make enough insulin, your blood sugar levels begin to rise. This can eventually lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Damage to Your Central Nervous System

You know that when you drink too much, you begin to slur your speech. This is because alcohol impacts your central nervous system. Alcohol essentially reduces proper communication between your brain and your body. This is why you have slurred speech and horrible coordination when you’re drunk. Drinking in excess can eventually cause numbness and tingling sensations in your hands and feet. It can also cause you to lose memories because damage occurs to your frontal lobe.

Poor Digestion

The more you drink, the more you damage the lining of your digestive tract, so you soon become unable to absorb important nutrients from your food. Many alcoholics are suffering from malnutrition.

Drinking in excess also causes ulcers, and sometimes these ulcers can begin to bleed, causing more serious health complications.

Risk of Heart Disease

Chronic drinkers have a higher risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure. If left untreated, they also have a higher chance of having a stroke or heart attack.

Alcohol in moderation can be very beneficial to your health. But drinking too much affects your health in a negative way. If you think you may have a drinking problem, please get help.

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Losing the Quarantine 15

You’ve heard of the “Freshman 15” but what about the “Quarantine 15?” There’s nothing like a global pandemic to help a person pack on the pounds, am I right?

It’s hardly been easy for any of us to keep up with our healthy habits over the last few months. To start, dealing with so much stress and anxiety has caused many of us to reach for our favorite comfort foods. It’s hard to eat a salad when you’re worried about losing your job or a loved one’s health.

There have actually been studies that found junk foods actually release dopamine in the brain, and this chemical makes us feel happy. So eating salads when you can’t visit loved ones and you are worried isn’t all that rewarding. But those cookies and that ice cream, now THOSE make us feel good at the moment!

Second, with gyms, beaches and public parks closed, it’s been very hard for most people to stick to their workout routines. So we find ourselves isolated, sitting in front of our televisions, binging on Netflix and copious amounts of carbohydrates.

Without question, the Coronavirus has created the perfect storm for many of us to pack on the pounds. But now with things slowing down and the country (and world) slowly opening back up, it’s time we focus on losing that weight and putting our physical health back at the top of our priority list.

Here are some tips on losing the Quarantine 15:

Walk

Walking is such an underrated exercise. It’s low impact and the perfect way for you to burn fat. If you have a dog, walk them! Grab your family members and go for a walk around the neighborhood. You don’t need a gym or fancy piece of equipment to walk, just a comfy pair of sneakers.

Stay Hydrated

Getting enough water each day helps to boost our metabolism. If you’re not a fan of drinking water, then opt for juicing fruits and veggies, which will help you stay hydrated. Just be sure not to drink a lot of sweet fruit juices- try and stick to green veggie juices with maybe an apple thrown in for sweetness. Watermelon and cucumbers are great to juice.

Watch the Booze

Talk about empty calories. Many of us have taken to having a glass or two of wine or spirits each night as a way to cope, but all of those calories add up. Try and limit your alcohol consumption.

Eat More Protein

Protein helps us to feel fuller longer and also decreases the hormone that causes our appetite to surge. Protein also helps us to build lean muscle and the more muscle our body has, the more calories we burn, even while at rest!

Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting plenty of quality rest can be hard for many of us during the best of circumstances, but it can feel next to impossible during a pandemic. But it’s really important because, without rest, you won’t have the energy to get up and get moving. And without proper sleep, your body can’t heal and repair itself!

This has been an incredibly stressful time for everyone, and if you’ve put on some weight, you are definitely not alone. But the time has come to regroup and focus on getting healthy. Following these tips should help you regroup and lose the Quarantine 15.

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