When I first start working with free spirited women and their chronic tummy trouble I often find they have fallen into this pattern…
You spent a lot of time googling, tried some stuff like going gluten free, supplements and probiotics you heard about. And the painful bloated belly remains. You may feel a bit of relief but it never goes away entirely making you nervous to travel, go out with friends and live a life of your wildest dreams.That’s when the helplessness and frustration sets in.
I know it did for me back in my past IBS days (notice how I said ‘past’ here?!)
There are 5 key not so obvious reasons why your gut may not be healing…
1. You haven’t found YOUR specific tummy triggers
This is the absolute first thing I do with every single one of my digestively compromised clients and why I created the Calm Your Gut online group program. It’s impossible to soothe the irritation in our poor inflamed tummies when we are consistently pouring gas on the fire. This goes beyond simply going ‘gluten-free’ to actually discovering with absolute certainty which foods inflame our digestion and which nourish it. Check out the whole program here.
2. You can’t stop looking for the magic supplement
I get soooo many questions regarding probiotics, enzymes, vitamins, etc etc and while there are definitely some amazing ones out there that can support gut healing, I am going to get brutally honest here… There is no magical supplement that will ‘cure’ you and your chronic tummy troubles will remain if you don’t get to the HEART of what is going on in that belly of yours. Which leads me to point
3. You haven’t found the root cause
There are several reasons why you spend your time curled up on the couch holding your painful gut. It may seem easier to distract yourself with Netflix binging but understanding the origins of your digestive issues are necessary for planning its repair. This may be a gastrointestinal infection while travelling, one or more rounds of antibiotics (even decades ago!), years of a heavily processed high sugar diet, chronic stress, the list goes on. To dig deep with this try and go back to when all the pain, bloating, diarrhea/constipation started for you. What was going on for you then? This is a great starting point for getting to the root.
4. There is no self-care in your life
Research now shows beyond the shadow of a doubt just how strong the gut-brain connection is. The digestive tract is often called ‘the second brain’. Chronic unchecked stress can cause IBS like symptoms and ongoing tummy troubles can cause depression, anxiety and other mood issues. Mind-body practices like walking in nature, meditation, gratitude journaling, yoga, etc go hand and hand with any gut healing protocol. Pick one that resonates with you and commit to it daily (even for just a few minutes!)
5. Focus on what you’re eating rather than what you are not eating
While it’s important to pinpoint your inflammatory gut triggers as this helps us to calm the gut and make space for healing we also need to pump up the nourishment to actually repair the digestive tract. This includes cooked veggies, quality protein like pasture raised meats and wild fish, low sugar fruits in moderation, healthy fats like avocado, cold pressed coconut oil and olive oil, fermented foods and bone broth.
Check out this 6 week online program: Calm Your Gut - pinpoint YOUR specific inflammatory tummy triggers & soothe digestive irritation. So that you can discover the abundance of delicious nourishing food you CAN eat!
