Why is good gut health important if you want to lose weight?
Have you tried every diet & joined every programme but just can’t lose weight? It could be your gut health that is impacting your weight.
When we talk about gut health we’re talking about the microbiome.
Your microbiome is made up of trillions & trillions of bacteria, microorganisms, fungi & viruses. I call these your gut bugs.
Yuck I hear you say!
But, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have a microbiome. Your microbiome lives in your large intestine - your colon, in your mouth, your vagina & on your skin. It’s your microbiome that keeps you healthy.
I think of my microbiome as a little universe I need to love, nurture & protect.
When your microbiome is out of balance - i.e. there are more non-beneficial than beneficial bacteria, it’s called Dysbiosis.
Your gut can be thrown out of balance by;
Ageing. As we age the variety of gut bugs starts to reduce.
Being overweight or obese.
Surgery.
Stress and lack of sleep.
Painkillers particularly ibuprofen.
Antibiotics.
And a poor diet, i.e Ultra-processed foods which are discussed later.
High Sugar which includes simple carbs such as pasta, cheap bread, mass-produced cakes and biscuits.
Vegetable and seed oils.
Some symptoms of Dysbiosis are;
Obesity and weight gain. Yes, this is a cause and a symptom.
Stomach issues, pain, diarrhoea & constipation.
Acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion.
Joint pain & inflammation.
Hormone imbalances, such as PMS & menopause symptoms.
Skin issues such as acne & psoriasis.
Mind & mood fluctuations, such as brain fog & anxiety.
Fatigue.
Why is this important for your body?
Our gut bug or microbiome influences how we produce energy, how we use the sugar we eat - ie burn it to produce energy & how we store sugar as fat.
Overweight & obese people often have dysbiosis - poor gut health. More & more studies confirm that people who are overweight or obese have less variety of good bacteria & more non-beneficial bacteria.
Unfortunately being overweight or obese is also linked to intestinal permeability - sometimes called leaky gut.
This can be a bit of a vicious cycle as a leaky gut causes nutrient deficiency, insulin resistance, weight gain & in some people can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Could this be you?
Other symptoms of a leaky gut are;
Food reaction - urgency to go.
Skin flair-ups - adult acne or psoriasis.
Headaches & migraines.
Inflammation - a root cause of joint pain, arthritic pain and gout.
What can you do to support your gut?
Your gut bugs don't like ultra-processed foods (UPFs), sugar, lots of grains, i.e. cheap bread that lasts forever, pasta with everything & alcohol.
Basically, the foods you know you should be trying to avoid if you want to lose weight.
Ultra-process foods are normally packaged, tinned, & frozen foods. If you read the ingredients & you don’t recognise them, you can’t pronounce them & you can’t buy them in a supermarket or on Amazon that is a UPF.
UPFs are not convenience foods. Baked beans, not the low-sugar kind, are not a UPF.
You can understand the ingredients.
Also, UPF’s can be cheap takeaways. Some takeaways use poor-quality ingredients & oils which have been used again & again, making them very unstable & very inflammatory in your body.
Diet foods & low-fat weight loss foods can be high in ingredients you don’t understand.
It often surprises people to learn that low-fat packaged diet foods are not healthy foods.
What do your gut bugs like?
Your gut likes real foods.
Highly colourful fruits & vegetables & fresh herbs.
They are anti-inflammatory & full of fibre that feeds your gut bugs. They are full of polyphenols which are anti-oxidants which, by the way, are also anti-ageing. My next blog explains anti-oxidants so don’t worry if this term is new to you.
Fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi & sauerkraut encourage a variety of gut bacteria to flourish & grow.
Your gut bugs also like quality aminal products, including grass-fed meat, free-range chicken and dairy products. Surprised?
The more variety of bacteria in our gut the healthier we are.
So if you want to lose weight what should you do?
Ditching the ultra-processed food & takeaways is a great starting point. I know it’s hard if you are busy, have a family, work, socialise & want a life, but it’s key to improving your gut health.
My gut healthy weight management programme talks about making small changes. I speak to my 1-2-1 clients about making small changes.
You could swap cereal, commercial granola & toast for some scrambled eggs. You can make them in the microwave while you make a cup of tea, so they don’t have to take up much of your time. Or, you could try Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, crushed nuts and frozen berries, which you could prepare in advance.
How about giving batch cooking a go? When you cook a meal for the family, simply cook more than you usually would. What’s the difference between cooking for 4 & cooking for 8? Apart from the size of the pan of course!
Freeze 4 portions & the next time a takeaway calls you, grab one of your prepared meals.
It’s cheaper, quicker, & healthier!
I am here to listen to you. To support you. To give you advice. Or simply here to hold your hand as you make changes.
If you would like some support with making these changes, look at my Gut Healthy Weight Management Programme. September is a great time to start as it’s a 10-week programme, so you’ll be done by December.
If you have any questions or would prefer some 1-2-1 help book a free 30-minute discovery call here.
Jackie x
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