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Cortizol.gut.quiet

Your Gut & Cortisol

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Your gut contains trillions of microbial bacteria as well as yeasts, parasites, viruses, protozoa and archaea. It is more than 80% of your immune system. So, what does that have to do with the brain? Everything! The gut bacteria produce mood-regulating neurotransmitters that affect the chemistry of the brain and, ultimately your moods.

Cortisol (corticosterone) is one of the 20% “bad bacteria” that forms in the gut. Think, fight or flight hormone. Increased cortisol output creates decreased digestive functions. Not only can it interrupt “positive” brain hormones, affecting your moods, but creates gut imbalances, reducing immune system response. Simply stated, there is no mistake in the saying, “Listen to your gut”. It will help you reduce the “ping-pong” effect from the brain to gut cortisol reactions. Here are some symptoms that may occur with elevated cortisol/stress levels:

  • IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Leaky-Gut
  • Decreased “good” gut bacteria
  • Decreased brain serotonin & tryptophan
  • Irritability
  • Impulsiveness
  • Moodiness
  • Fear
  • Susceptibility to illness
  • Nutritional deficiencies

For more on information on gut issues, read: Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

A Cortisol “event” many be triggered by any of the following:

  • Hyper vigilance
  • Life events
  • Emotions
  • Poor diet
  • Environmental factors
  • Early-life traumas
  • Genetic factors
  • Medical procedures

Ultimately, the short and simple solution to maintaining a healthy gut and brain homeostasis is to regulate stress levels (lower cortisol), build your gut bacteria and the immune system. Here are some ideas you may incorporate:

  • Reduce high-fat diet
  • Increase Probiotics, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, & Bacteroides
  • Improved healthy diet with cruciferous vegetables, fish, fruits, low fat meats and fibrous grains.
  • Increased cultured and fermented foods, such as yogurt, Kim chi, & sauerkraut.
  • Taking pre-biotics and pro-biotics
  • Increase water intake
  • Chew your food completely to ensure proper digestion & absorption
  • Quiet your mind with meditation, naps, and restful periods
  • Reduce sugar intake to reduce glucose levels and inflammation
  • Treat any pathogens & “bad” microbes with “good” cultures and herbicides
  • Reduce any toxic environmental stressors
  • Reduce antibiotic use
  • Improve personal hygiene
  • Exercise regularly
  • Consistent sleep patterns of deep, restful sleep

Keep in mind that long-term wear and tear of the brain-gut connection, via frequent cortisol responses, may weaken your intestinal lining. In turn, this weakens the blood barrier allowing the “bad” bacteria, pathogens, and microbes to enter your blood stream, causing mental and physical instabilities.

Quiet your mind to quiet your gut and support your gut to quiet your mind. Now, you will reap the benefits of looking, living, feeling, and acting better!

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Bug

Is Something Bugging You?

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Have you ever felt a tummy upset that never quite went away? Perhaps bloating or occasional pains? Perhaps something is bugging you and you have picked up parasites. And, not just parasites, but also viruses, bacteria, and fungi are living organisms that are found all around us every day. They exist in water and soil, and on all surfaces, pets, and other animals we touch. Many are harmless, but others are quite detrimental and may cause a variety of illnesses, infect different organs of the body, rob you of essential nutrients and sap your energy.

Parasites require a living host to survive and may transfer from one host to another.

Viruses can survive outside of the body. When they infect someone, they often cause respiratory and/or digestive illness.

Bacteria can live inside or outside of the body, infecting any part, especially the digestive tract. Many bacteria can behave like parasites.

Fungi most commonly affect people with weakened immune systems. A fungus may be picked up in damp or rotting environments, by breathing it in, or by touching the soil. It may attack the lungs or other organs and may cause serious health problems.

Contamination sources include, but are not limited to the following:

  • FECAL to MOUTH TRANSFER—for example, using the bathroom or changing a diaper and then touching your mouth or food prior to washing your hands with soap and water, or allowing pets to lick your face, transferring larvae.
  • TRANSFER from SURFACES to MOUTH, EYES, NOSE, EARS, etc.—for example, rubbing your eyes, nose, or private parts without first washing your hands and scrubbing your nails with soap and water.
  • INGESTING CONTAMINATED FOOD or WATER—for example, food left out for extended periods of time without proper refrigeration or foods that are not heated at high enough temperatures.
  • OTHER SOURCES—
  • Sitting in sand boxes or on sandy beaches
  • Swimming in contaminated waters or swimming with open wounds
  • Improper protection from insect bites
  • Walking barefoot
  • Eating improperly cleaned raw foods
  • Poor hygiene

Parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi that commonly infect the blood, tissues, and/or digestive tract after a person comes into contact with contaminated soil or water, raw foods, or surfaces, include the following:

  • Cryptosporidium
  • Protozoa
  • Giardia
  • Rotavirus
  • Ectoparasites
  • Salmonella
  • coli
  • Babesiosis
  • Malaria
  • Trichinosis
  • Helminths worms

* For more information about specific diagnoses, consult with your physician.

Parasites—such as pinworms, roundworms, Wuchereria, Giardia, flukes, and tapeworms, as well as fungi and yeasts—such as Candida overgrowth, are known to infest a large percentage of the entire world’s population. This is not just a problem in underdeveloped countries; it is a major factor of disease in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, too.

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Some common symptoms of parasites are:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Digestive issues, stomach pains
  • Diarrhea or Chronic Constipation
  • Skin infections or irritations
  • Rectal itching or pinching
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Nervousness
  • Anxiety
  • Acne or skin sores
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Weight gain
  • Food allergies
  • Sleep disorders
  • Headaches
  • Muscle cramps
  • Bloating
  • Gas

While these and of these symptoms may be from another cause, do not rule out microorganisms as a potential culprit. If concerned, be sure to check in with a medical professional as well as taking herbicides, high doses of probiotics, and anti-parasitic foods may be helpful. Some of these are:

  • Garlic
  • Coconut and coconut oil
  • Onions
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Papaya Seeds and papaya
  • Carrots
  • Berries
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Fermented foods: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir, etc.
  • Cruciferous vegetables
  • Raw Honey
  • Cloves
  • Cucumber Seeds
  • Turmeric
  • Ginger
  • Wormwood
  • Black Walnut tincture
  • Ginger
  • Cayenne
  • Probiotics

Symptoms or not, it is always a good practice to support your body in prevention of parasites as well as practice semi-annual cleanses. The following is a simple 3-7 day parasite treatment using a two popular ingredients that are effective against microorganisms:

Grind into a powder:

  • 10 Tbls. Flax Seeds
  • 1 Cloves

Take 2 Tbls. first thing in the morning with warm water.

This can be repeated every three-six months or as needed.

Additionally, it is essential to modify your eating habits, reducing processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats.Probiotics are defined as live organisms, which confer benefits to the host. Their efficiency was demonstrated for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory infections, and allergic symptoms, but their use is mostly limited to bacterial and viral diseases. During the last decade, probiotics as means for the control of parasite infections were reported covering mainly intestinal diseases but also some nongut infections, that are all of human and veterinary importance. In most cases, evidence for a beneficial effect was obtained by studies using animal models. In a few cases, cellular interactions between probiotics and pathogens or relevant host cells were also investigated using in vitro culture systems. However, molecular mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects are as yet poorly understood. These studies indicate that probiotics might indeed provide a strain-specific protection against parasites, probably through multiple mechanisms. But more unravelling studies are needed to justify probiotic utilisation in therapeutics.

You need a strong and healthy immune system to continuously keep these invaders away.

For more on parasite testing options, prevention, and treatment options and practitioners, go to pages 23-35 Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

 

Health.Food

Are You Risking Your Health?

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Are you risking your health with poor eating habits? Do your eating habits include too much sodium, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, sugary sweets, junk food and unprocessed red meat? If so, insufficient intake of nourishing foods and high intake of these poor nutrition foods, may have adverse effects on your health. These problems include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, just to name a few.

Poor nutrition may initially lead to fatigue, stress, and sedentary lifestyle. Over time it may lead to many “diseases”, illnesses, and other health problems, such as:

  • being overweight or obese
  • tooth and gum decay
  • high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke
  • high cholesterol and liver disease
  • type-2 diabetes
  • osteoporosis
  • some cancers
  • depression and/or anxiety
  • reduced brain function
  • and eating disorders.

More healthy information: Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

It is never too late to make a change. Make lifestyle changes by switching to eating a healthy diet full of:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • whole grains
  • polyunsaturated fats
  • fat-free or low-fat dairy products
  • nuts and seeds
  • seafood rich in omega-3 fats
  • eggs
  • lean meats
  • poultry
  • fish
  • beans

Additionally, getting active with sports, walking, or other physical activity will help you get fitful sleep. It is a fact that changing your eating habits will improve your health.

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Angry Liver

Where Does Anger Go?

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Feeling angry? It is normal for us to feel anger for one reason or another, from time to time. However, becoming angry frequently or constantly for a duration of time may have ill effects on your body, especially the liver. Yes, the liver, according to Chinese and Ayurvedic medical practices, is the organ associated with emotional anger.

Located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen under the ribcage, the liver does more than 700 daily functions on behalf of our wellbeing. One of the three “vital organs” of the body. Many of these functions include glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells (blood cleansing), plasma protein synthesis, hormone, and cholesterol production, supporting the digestive process, contributing to healthy nutrient absorption, detoxification, and your immune function. More details about liver function may be found on pages 77-86 Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

Now that we know how important the liver is to our health, can extended or frequent frustration, rage, or aggravation ultimately cause liver problems? Yes, not only can it upset our digestive processes, but may cause headaches or dizziness, belching or bowel issues. These may be an indication of poor liver function.

While there are “other” means of degradation to the liver, such as toxins, fat, hormones, viruses, parasites, or gallbladder congestion, to name a few, this article is addressing anger specifically relating to the liver and how to support your liver better. How to better care for your liver and, ultimately reduce anger:

  • Daily fruits and vegetables, especially greens. Such as Kale, beets, avocado, lemon, apples, cherries, artichokes, and olive oil.
  • Avoid alcohol, drugs, fried, fatty, and smoked foods.
  • Avoid angry outbursts. Get professional help as needed.
  • Exercise 4-5 times per week. Practice stress reduction, such as yoga or meditation.
  • Supplement your diet with milk thistle, dandelion root, or a store bought or medical providers liver health blend.
  • Avoid toxic exposure via air, water & touch.
  • Drink ½ your body weight in water daily.

Overall health begins in the liver. Do not wait until it is close to failure. Amazingly, the liver may regenerate itself completely!

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immune.health

Immune Health Starts with Gut Health

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It’s simple, improve your digestive system, the entire thirty feet, from mouth to the other end, the exit and you improve your immune system. Yes, that’s correct, the digestive tract, or gastrointestinal tract, is over 70% of your immune system.

Making it easy, there’s a blend of hormones, good bacteria and specialized plasma immune cells that excrete antibodies. All three of these join forces to build and defend our bodies directly from the digestive tract. This interaction helps us resist against disease. In other words, our immune system directly communicates with the gut microbes and the good bacteria combats disease and pathogens as well as contributing to the development of good gut or digestive structure.

However, when the good gut bacteria become too low, called dysbiosis, it may lead to an inflammatory response, such as:

  • Celiac
  • IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome)
  • IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)
  • Cancer
  • Food Allergies
  • Leaky Gut – defective barrier of the intestinal lining

To sum it up, when your good bacteria gets too far off-balance, dysbiosis, your immune system becomes compromised.

Learn More: Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

The following are some factors that interfere with digestive balance:

  • Lack of sleep or lack of deep sleep
  • Lack of proper, balanced nutrition
  • Sluggish digestion
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens
  • In some cases, medications (prescription or over the counter)

The following are some factors that help create digestive homeostasis:

  • Drinking plenty of clean water daily
  • Eating a balanced, nutritional diet rich in fiber and healthy oils (low saturated fats)
  • Chewing your food completely assists in proper nutrient absorption and peristalsis action – Micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) needs are met by a variety in diet, including fruits, vegetables, and grains.
  • Regular exercise
  • Reduce stress and worry
  • Getting plenty of regular, deep sleep
  • Maintaining a healthy body weight
  • Laughing every day
  • Being calm and quiet, breathing slowly, more quietly, and more regularly
  • Reducing exposure to chemicals
  • Avoiding smoking and minimizing or omitting alcoholic beverages
  • Controlling your blood pressure
  • Avoiding infections by washing hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly
  • Getting regular medical screenings
  • And, keep your bowels moving daily and clean out as needed

Let’s look at ways you can improve your digestive tract with simple daily changes:

  • Eating probiotic foods
  • Increasing fiber intake
  • Increasing Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Exercise
  • Enough sleep
  • Lowering stress levels
  • Try dietary changes, such as gluten free
  • And, chewing your food to ensure your bowels move regularly

Keeping your immune system, your gastrointestinal tract, healthy and full of good bacteria.  This may not only may prevent serious autoimmune diseases, but also the common cold and seasonal flu.

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Stresssed.2

Stress and Digestion

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Holidays aren’t the only stressors these days but may amount to more than you can handle. Recovery may be more than you bargained for…Unfortunately, if the stress is too much for too long, chronic, digestive issues may be the first to express the dissatisfaction.

First, what is stress?

  • A perceived threat that alters the immune system responses.
  • Suppression of the digestive system.
  • Suppression of the reproductive system and growth processes.
  • Release of the cortisol hormone.
  • Increased glucose sugar into the bloodstream and increasing brain glucose.
  • A Surge of adrenaline which increases the heart rate.
  • Hypothalamus hyperactivity in the brain.
  • Elevation of blood pressure.

This is all known as the “fight or flight” syndrome. Enough of this fear response and the bodies chemistry slowly changes, altering the brain response that controls fear, motivation and mood, making you feel like you are constantly under attack.

Additional factors that affect your stress levels are:

  • Genetics of the brain synapsis and dendrites (brain wiring).
  • Life’s experiences – traumatic events, especially childhood trauma.

Since the digestive tract is more than 70% of our immune system, it seems to be the first and hardest hit with stressors These are the health problems that arise from chronic stress response.:

  • Digestive problems, including decreased blood and oxygen flow to the stomach, increased inflammation, an imbalance of gut bacteria and cramping, pain, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBD) or Acid Reflux.
  • Headaches
  • Anxiety
  • Heart disease
  • Depression
  • Sleep problems
  • Weight gain
  • Memory and concentration impairment

More easy-to-use information: Intestinal Health ~ A Practical Guide to Complete Abdominal Comfort http://amzn.to/2ckb2Mm

The brain and gut are in constant communication. This direct relationship causes our gastrointestinal system to be sensitive to emotions and reactions such as stress.

The only answer is to fight back against stress and fear-based reactions. Don’t let stress ruin your life! Practicing stress-management techniques such as:

  • Exercising,
  • Avoiding stressors,
  • Socializing,
  • Eat a healthy diet – especially foods rich in good bacteria and enzymes,
  • Read, listen to music or focus on a hobby,
  • Get a massage or take a yoga class,
  • Laugh,
  • Reduce alcohol consumption,
  • Get adequate sleep,
  • Or, just relaxing.

Listen to your gut… if you’re having digestive issues, check your stress levels…

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