GYM VLOG #6
Author: Julia Dulgerova
Our bodies are incredible things. And all of the systems in our body work together, they are connected. And often, we forget this.
We have an issue in one place of our body, and we assume the issue’s origin is there. But the root of the issue we don’t likely associate it with. And surprisingly enough, all issues of the body began in the gut. So here is an explanation.
90% of all cells in the body are in the gut flora, our body is just a habitat that harbors our gut bacteria. Our gut flora is in charge of digestion and absorption of food, immune functions, hormone production, and so much more.
Our gut flora is extremely diverse and balanced. The basis of this gut flora is a fungus. This fungus acts as a road work along our digestive tract. And all along this roadwork, bacteria lives in little homes. These bacteria produce sticky substances made of proteins that they surround themselves in and make little houses all along this road work. every bacterium, fungus, protozoan, etc. all the creatures make their own homes and mix and mingle creating a film or coating on the surface of the digestive system. This is our biofilm or gut flora.
All of these creatures control each other and stay balanced and harmonious. But things like poor diet and antibiotics disbalance these creatures. and this means we don’t absorb nutrients and can become deficient.
You can eat the best, most nutritious, expensive food in the world, but if your gut flora doesn’t have balanced bacteria, you won’t absorb anything. Now there is no balance and viruses and fungi overgrow and create holes in our gut flora. Undigested food particles escape the digestive system through these holes and get into our bloodstream.
Our immune system sees these particles are not in the correct place and they attack them, attaching different immune complexes to these food particles making them toxic. Then these particles of food that are covered in immune complexes create a river of toxins that travel through your bloodstream all over your body.
So, to sum it up, undigested food travels through the holes in abnormal gut flora, immune complexes attach to these lumps of food, and this river of toxicity travels through your bloodstream to your brain and clogs it. This is Gut and Physiology Syndrome. This can cause things like mood alterations, memory and cognitive problems, behavioral and social issues, sleep problems, panic attacks, and so much more. Basically, any brain condition.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome is when this toxicity river travels through your bloodstream to other parts of your body, which results in digestive problems, fatigue, muscular weakness, cramps and abnormal muscle tone, pain and aches in bones, joints, and muscles, skin problems and so much more.
So, to sum it up, our health depends on the health of our gut. And taking care of our gut is crucial.
You may be wondering, what foods do I eat to heal my gut. Well, that’s when the GAPS diet comes in handy. The GAPS diet focuses on healing the gut with foods like meat stock, ferments, organ meats, and easily digestible foods.
All of these foods heal the holes in the gut wall and increase the beneficial microbes while destroying pathogenic microbes. But as the pathogenic microbes begin to die, a reaction can occur called Die-off.
Die off reaction occurs because we introduce beneficial bacteria and microbes to the gut, and pathogens start to get killed. When pathogens die, they release toxicity. This can result in making GAPS symptoms worse temporarily or may trigger gas, diarrhea, pain, etc. But as you slowly increase the good bacteria through ferments and healing meat stock, the die off symptoms will end.
And there are different additives in processed foods that disturb the gut flora and can create the holes and gaps between healthy microbes. So I will go through some common additives in foods and explain the health risks and how it affects our bodies.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Many if not all processed foods are laced with MSG with hidden names like Natural Flavors, Glutamate, Textured Protein, Autolyzed Yeast, and many more.
Symptoms after eating foods with MSG could occur like headaches, numbness, burning sensation in the neck and chest, tingling nausea, palpitations, elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing, panic attacks, sleepiness, depression, confusion, cognitive disorder, and food cravings.
MSG is a neurotoxin meaning it over-stimulates brain cells and causes reactions like the ones i listed above. If you suffer from migraines, you should definitely cut MSG out of your diet completely.
Seed Oils
Seed oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and more are very harmful to our bodies. They are very high in omega 6s like linoleic acid which leads to chronic inflammation, and the root cause of many diseases.
Things like Crisco and margarine are especially bad for our health because they compromise our immune systems.
Instead, opt for natural fats like butter, lard, tallow, and fats from wild game. 11% of our brain is arachidonic acid and the only naturally occurring place you can get arachidonic acid from is animal fats, meaning animal fats feed our brain and are crucial for proper brain development. Butter is especially high in endocannabinoids, the same chemical compound that’s bound to the brain by cannabis. Meaning, butter can make you especially happy!
Apeel
This is a new coating companies are putting on food for “long lasting freshness”. And although it sounds great, its modifying food to an extent that’s irreversible, since this coating cannot be washed off no matter how hard you scrub it.
How will you know if the food is truly fresh if this coat doesn’t let it spoil?
The coating contains ingredients that have severe consequences ranging from skin irritation to eye damage, to body toxicity. So, the best thing to do is stay away.
The stickers on produce will say “Apeel Protected” or just “Apeel” so keep an eye out and choose to buy produce at local farms and markets rather than big box grocery stores.
There are great healthy alternatives for the foods and snacks we crave, but that won’t destroy our body.
Chips are a common craving, but things like Doritos and Lays are packed with flavorings, MSG, seed oils, colorings, and more. Instead, choose a clean brand like Siete chips. They are often sold in stores like Wegmans, Wholefoods, and even Costco.
Sweets and cookies may feel like they are satisfying a sweet tooth, but the additives and sugars will often leave you wanting more. So, cookies and treats from Simple Mills are a wonderful healthy alternative.
Personally, I love sauces. Things like buffalo sauce, ketchup, ranch, and everything on that horizon. But these sauces aren’t doing any good for our bodies, especially with the horrendous ingredients. But thankfully there are better things on the market! Primal Kitchen makes amazing sauces, dressings, and condiments that are cleaner than most other brands.
Occasionally you might want a snack to eat while watching a movie or going on a road trip, but its important to make good food choices that are detrimental to your health. Especially since so much of what’s on the market today is full of junk you don’t want to be putting in your body. Thankfully, there are many new and upcoming brands that make clean foods and snacks that will nourish. not harm.
It’s important to have a nourishing balanced diet.
Here are some links to resources that may help you to learn more about additives and make better food choices!
Dr. Natashas blog, she shares much knowledge about gut health
Dr Natasha – Blog (doctor-natasha.com)
Healthy snacks and chip alternative
Healthy condiments alternatives
Primal Kitchen: Shop Dressings, Sauces, Supplements & More
Healthy cracker and cookie alternative
Article on Apeel
Don’t Eat or Touch “Apeel” Produce! This Applies To Organics, too (deeprootsathome.com)
