“If you don’t do it you might regret it” said the heart. “But you might get hurt” spoke the brain. “We think you should go for it” said the guts
“Just what the HELL was that?!?” protested the anus.
It’s 2023. You’re sitting in a doctor’s office somewhere with a camera up your butt wondering where you went wrong. Somebody cracks a joke about gut health and your ears perk up. It’s a new term for you. You wonder what it might mean. The doctor lists the symptoms you have been experiencing the past few years: cramps, indigestion, constipation, brain fog… It sounds like the side effects’ side of a medication pamphlet. You’re still in your 20s. You don’t remember signing up for this. He goes in again. End Scene.
Hi. Today we’re gonna talk about one of the most important topics out there. The gut. I know I’ve already approached this subject in a teasing manner before, but this time I really want to get into it. As an avid sufferer of gut problems and different intestinal disorders, I feel that it is my prerogative to put the little that I have learned out there.
Are you one of those people that is always walking around with an antacid or a digestive pill?
Do you order your coffee with almond or lactose-free milk, because you can’t stomach the regular stuff?
Have you been prescribed a fiber cure before?
If you’ve said yes to the above then this post is for you (if you haven’t this post is also for you, because maybe you know someone who is suffering, am I right?). First of all I wanna say this. I feel you. It’s hard to talk about the gut. It’s hard to explain to others that you can’t have that piece of chocolate or drink that glass of wine because of what it’s doing to your insides. It’s hard to skip that boat ride with your friends because your digestion is irregular, and you might need the toilet at any given moment. It’s hard to go into work and be expected to perform when you keep getting painful jabs in your side. But this is a safe space and here we’re gonna talk about it. All of it. Beginning with the gut itself.
So what is the gut?
The gut refers to the segment of the gastrointestinal tract going from our mouths to our anuses. When we say “gut” we mean that organ system consisting of large and small intestine and responsible for breaking down and absorbing nutrients as well as detoxing the body.
And why is it important?
The gut is lined with nervous cells and is connected to the brain via the vagus nerve. This basically means that our gut is our “second brain” and influences our perception of our entire body. It also means that many of the disorders we have known to be psychological such as depression or anxiety, can be linked to our gut health. Furthermore, the Chinese consider the large intestine to be connected to the concept of “letting go” and the small intestine to be ruled by the meridian connected to inner joy. So it’s no wonder gut health is essential.
What can I do?
When we are talking about gut health what we are really talking about is balancing those microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract. If you live on this earth, I can guarantee you’ve heard the words “gut microbiome” before. And this is what we’re gonna talk about today. Getting your microbiome to work for you.
For the past 6-8 years I have been an avid sufferer of gut problems. From indigestion to diarrhea and cramps (and everything in between) I’ve experienced it all. I’ve also tried every therapy imaginable from celery juicing to gluten and dairy free to Ayurveda. Some have been effective, some less so. It was a hard journey, but I’ve finally reached a stage where I am comfortable with my gut and all that it does for me. Hopefully you will too.
To begin with I would like to say off the bat that if you think there will be a quick fix, I’m sorry to disappoint you. In all my years of working with my gut the one thing I’ve come to realize is that it takes time and patience to find the right thing or right mix of things that work. Here are some of the ones that helped me:
Donts
Ditch the sugar
Sugar increases sugar cravings as well as the level of bad to good gut bacteria. We’ve heard that sugar is a drug, so let’s start treating it as such: something to be brought out at parties but avoided in the day- to- day (if you’re so inclined).
Ditch the Alcohol
Alcohol is full of sugar and is inflammatory to the lining of your gut. Imagine what it does to your open cut and then think of what it does to your insides. If you must drink, keep it occasional and stick to the organic stuff. Also, champagne and tequila tend to be the healthier choices.
Ditch the refined oils and fried foods
Pretty self-explanatory. Similar to sugar and alcohol, fried foods and refined oils tend to be inflammatory to your gut, raising the level of bad-good bacteria…etc.
Ditch the pesticide-laden crops
Buy organic. You don’t know what they’re spraying in your food, so it’s best to avoid non-organic crops. Here is a useful list of healthy and unhealthy crops: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
Dos
Drink more water
Flushing out the toxins is the most important step you can possibly take. Start here. Ayurveda recommends sipping on warm water throughout the day. Try this and see if your digestion issues begin to ameliorate.
Eat Local and seasonal
Many fruits and vegetables have been genetically modified and used outside of their season. Your body, just like nature, changes with every season, so it’s best to stick to nature’s plan for you. For example: eat more warm foods in fall/winter, and fresh salads in spring/summer.
Chew Your food
Mastication preps your body for the food it’s about to consume. The digestive response begins in the mouth, so chew your food thoroughly and ground those whole foods!
Now you know me. I like to keep my posts interesting. A simple dos and donts list is not really my piece of cake, so I’ll also share with you my personal list of what works for me starting with the best gut advice I’ve gotten. The best gut advice I’ve ever gotten is “eat the way your grandmother did” [1]. Take that to heart. Really savour it. Imagine you’re living in the 1940s. You get your milk from the labban and your chicken from the farm. Everything is “organic” because pesticides are not yet so prevalent. If you’re eating the way your grandma did, you’re looking for that wholesome molokheya or that satisfying liver. All parts of the animal are eaten and you slow cook most of your food. You’re eating with your family and eating mindfully because screens are not yet widespread.
The Girl with One Earring gut hacks:
This is a list of apparently unrelated shit that I have found really impacts my gut.
1.Sleep
More so than any other lifestyle change, regulating my sleep has been my saviour in changing my gut health. Even just one night of staying up too late can begin to affect my gut, so I make sure I get a good 7-9 hours every night. Additionally, make sure that you are sleeping before 12 am. The body’s most effective repair time is between the hours of 11-12 so if you make sure you’re in bed by 10-10.30 half of the job is done.
2. Nature
We live in a time where we are constantly wired. Our phones are an extension of our arms and we don’t know what the word quiet means. If you want to decrease your anxiety and increase your parasympathetic response and consequently the nervous twinges in your stomach, the best thing you can do is to spend some time outside. Take a walk. Lie in the grass. Make sure you are grounding and getting that vitamin D (many Egyptians are vitamin D deficient because they do not spend enough time outside).
3. Moderation
You know that hadith of the Rasul’s that says 1/3 li- ta’amihi, 1/3 li- sharaabihi and 1/3 li- nafasihi? There has never been a time where this is needed more than now. When you moderate your food intake you are giving the gut the time it needs to relax and prep for your next meal. Furthermore, moderation should be your frequency in life. Always take your cues from the body itself (it knows what it wants).
Whether you’re a world class sufferer with a known diagnosis or you’re just discovering the burpy side of life, I hope some of this is has been of help to you. The time to start is always now, so ditch those pills and get into it. Gut health has been linked to chronic and autoimmune diseases. Gut health has been linked to hormone health and the reproductive system. Gut health has been linked to brain health and neural responses.
As always, I’m here for you.
Keeping you in my prayers,
Girl With One Earring
[1] Richards, Hannah. The Best Possible You. (London, 2018)
