Welcome to Why a Positive Mindset is Required for a Healthy Gut! We’ve all been there. Struggling to eat what we want and resist what we know isn’t good for us. A rumbly tummy and trouble eating anything that tastes good can get to us all! But when you deal with it on a regular basis, day in and day out, it can be more than just an upset tummy. You might be dealing with an unhealthy gut and issues with the way your body interacts with and digests food. It’s easy at that point to acknowledge that your food and exercise choices play a big part in the health of your gut! One key point that’s often overlooked is how your mindset can actually affect the health of your gut. That’s what this guide is all about! Your mindset plays a key role in the way your gut gets healthy and stays healthy, and there are a whole host of things you can do and things you can avoid to help keep your mindset positive and your gut healthy!

what is gut health?

You’ve probably heard at least one person in your life talk about a “gut feeling” when they’re talking about making a decision or thinking something over. While it might just seem like a quaint phrase without much to back it up, a gut feeling can actually be your brain and body talking to you! The gut acts as a second brain within the body and controls much of the way you think and feel about things you encounter. Gut health is all about keeping the good and bad bacteria within your gut in balance. Bad bacteria can invade the gut and overtake the good bacteria that are designed to exist within the space. When this becomes out of balance, your whole life can tip toward being unhealthy. The gut is where food is dispersed into your system and utilized for any number of activities, from powering the brain to running the circulatory system! This is the powerhouse of the body, and if it’s not in line, it can quickly wreck every area and leave you in a pickle.

SIGNS OF POOR GUT HEALTH

Poor gut health can affect every area of your life. You might imagine that it’s only located within your stomach and intestines and can’t shake up your mental health and wellbeing. For many, the first signs of poor gut health are sluggishness or sleepiness for no reason, digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome, and skin rashes or allergies. You might also find yourself with extreme cravings that are almost impossible to quench! All of these issues, when seen consistently in your life, can point to issues with gut health and an imbalance in the bacteria of your gut! You might also notice issues like constipation, gassiness, and loose stools, which can lead to bigger issues if left untreated.

WHAT AFFECTS GUT HEALTH?

The core of gut health is the microbiome, trillions of bacteria, both good and bad, that live inside your gut and keep food moving, digestion on track, and your body operating the way it should. Food, exercise, and your mindset all affect gut health in different ways and can have a major impact on your overall health!

Food:

The food you eat is full of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy! When you eat whole foods and foods rich in these types of nutrients, the good bacteria in your gut flourishes and grows. Besides choosing foods that are whole foods and rich in nutrients, you also want to choose a wide range of foods. In Western diets, most of the foods come from only a few sources, so diversifying the types of foods you eat can increase the way your gut interacts with the good bacteria it needs.

• Yogurt - full of live cultures that thrive in the gut and keep things moving! The fermentation provides probiotics for your body that stimulate the growth of good bacteria.
• High Fiber Foods - Everything from oatmeal to beans and fruits are packed with fiber and are great for your gut health. The high levels of fiber move things along within your gut and keep it from getting clogged in your system.
• Polyphenols - These little compounds within the foods you eat, like red wine and dark chocolate, aren’t absorbed by the normal cells within the body. Instead, they make their way all the way down to your gut, where they’re finally broken down by gut bacteria. Once they’re broken down, they help reduce inflammation and keep the gut from becoming irritated.

Exercise:

We all know that exercise has a huge impact on your life. Whether it’s your stamina, your strength, or just overall health, getting up and getting active keeps your body in good shape! It can also have a huge impact on your gut health! When you exercise, you increase the blood flow within your body and into your intestines. The increase in blood flow raises the body’s core temperature and forces the cells to interact more closely within the body.

Mindset:

The mind and gut are extremely interconnected, with signals being sent constantly between the two areas of the body. The simple thought of food can make your stomach start to grumble, and when your gut health is imbalanced, your mind can quickly follow. Creating a positive mindset can help balance and heal your gut! There are a few simple ways to engage your mind to keep your gut healthy that won’t send you searching for a magical cure all over the world.

how to change your mindset

positive affirmations

Everyone loves to hear good things about themselves! But we rarely say them about our own bodies. Start each day with some positive affirmations designed to impact you as a person and centered around your gut health. Set aside time each day to go through your positive affirmations and focus on each one as a way to impact your gut health. Use your affirmations to focus on helping you love your gut, come to terms with a strict diet plan, and let go of all the junk food you need.

Examples:

“I have a healthy gut balance.”

“I will not worry.”

“I will love my body with food.”

love what you can have

Rather than always mourning what you can’t have, spend time picking out a menu and exploring new food options that you do enjoy!

As you create a meal plan that focuses on you as an individual and fills your plate with things you enjoy, your mindset toward a new meal plan is bound to change. Changing the narrative from “I can’t have” to “I love eating this” helps heal your gut through practical food choices and changes the way you regard your own health and food choices from negative to positive.

create community

It can be an isolating experience to go through gut issues on your own. You can easily fall into the mantra of “poor me” when you’re trying to fight the good fight and end up struggling with more health issues and gut problems because of it. Creating a community that supports, encourages, and uplifts you is the key to staying on track and keeping your mindset positive and focused! Join Facebook groups like ours here, get involved in coaching and health sessions, and find people around you who are willing to keep you accountable. You don’t have to do any of this alone! We’re here to help and encourage you in your journey and change your mindset about your gut health!

lasting success

Changing your mindset can impact your gut health in a number of ways that create a whole new focus on how you interact with your world! Using positive affirmations and community building can change the way you think about your gut and the way it impacts your life! As you learn to love your gut and the foods you can eat to heal it, your body and mind start to rebuild their connection, and you’ll soon see benefits from top to bottom!