#stress

March 16 2020

Immune Health Starts with Gut Health

Mardell Hill News #alcohol, #diet, #digestion, #exercise, #gut, #health, #hobby, #laughter, #loseweight, #massage, #music, #relax, #sleep, #socializing, #stress, #weightloss, cancer, chewing, colon, food, immune, immunity, leakygut, relaxation

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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February 21 2020

Gluten Free…. What is that?

Mardell Hill News #digestion, #health, #stress, abdominal comfort, baking, bread, celiac, colon cancer, Colon Health, constipation, cooking, disease, food, gluten, glutenfree, grains, gutbacteria, healthy, inflammation, lifestyle, probiotics, weight loss, wheat

Simply stated, it is avoiding gluten. Gluten is an ingredient derived from grains containing gluten. A protein which stretches and traps gas as dough rises which creates “airy” bread.

Avoiding gluten sounds simple enough, but you must make a conscious effort to ensure the foods you’re eating do not contain gluten by checking the label for “gluten–free“. To be labeled gluten-free, it must contain less than 20 ppm of gluten in the food according to FDA standards.

So, why would someone want to or must go gluten-free? It’s a health issue called Celiac’s Disease, also known as Wheat Allergy. Yet, many people have decided to go gluten-Free to lose weight or to join into the “food movement” without medical necessity.

The following is a list of grains that include Gluten:

Wheat
wheatberries
graham
durum
emmer
Triticale
semolina
Rye
spelt
farina
farro
KAMUT
Einkorn wheat
Barley
Malt
Brewer’s Yeast

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

The amount of foods containing gluten are numerous, so you must check every label if “wheat free” applies to you.

The following are symptoms you may experience if you have sensitivity to gluten, which may be triggered by an autoimmune response as the gluten attacks the lining of the small intestines:

Headaches
Tiredness
Joint pain
Skin rashes
Allergies
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
Diarrhea
Bloating
Appetite changes
Gas, cramping, intestinal distress or inflammation
Moodiness or depression or anxiety
Unexplained weight gain
Lack of focus or “brain fog”
And, more, all of which may affect a person at work or in their social life.

So many food and other daily use items contain gluten products, what exactly is “OK” to eat? To simplify, here’s a list of gluten free foods, many made with gluten free flours, etc.:

Fruit, Vegetables and Legumes.
Meats, Poultry, Fish and Meat Free Substitutes.
Cereals, Grains, Breads, Biscuits, Pasta, Nuts and Baked Goods.
Condiments, Dips, Desserts, Sweets, Sweeteners and Spreads.
Drinks (non-alcoholic).
Dairy Foods.
Herbs and Spices.

Final points:

If you have gut inflammation or Celiac’s disease, a Gluten-free diet is necessary to eliminate the symptoms.
Many American’s believe that a gluten-free diet will improve their health and/or prevent disease. While there is no proof of this theory, if you can eat gluten without trouble, then no need for worry about being gluten-free.
For people who avoid gluten to intend greater health, be sure to double check yourself to insure what you are eating “instead” of gluten is indeed healthy for you!

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January 21 2020

Stress and Digestion

Mardell Hill News #alcohol, #depression, #diet, #digestion, #exercise, #gut, #health, #hobby, #laughter, #loseweight, #massage, #memory, #music, #relax, #sleep, #socializing, #stress, #weightloss

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…

Fast Health Tip & Recipe Videos: http://bit.ly/29C5dIx – SUBSCRIBE.