Healthy Gut = Healthy Weight?
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Everywhere you look, you can find stories about weight. People losing weight, gaining, weight, how to drop the pounds, how many pounds celebrities weigh – it’s everywhere. And for something so common, you think we would have all figured it out by now, right? But why does weight loss seem so hard sometimes? Americans have a unique relationship with obesity – and it’s most likely due to a surprising thing – our gut health.
In this post, I’ll share:
· My 60 pound weight loss story
· Why gut health is so important for weight loss
· Probiotics vs. prebiotics – why and what you should be taking
· Prebiotic foods with fiber for weight loss
If you are tired of feeling crappy all the time, and never being able to conquer the sugar and hunger cravings, you might need a gut overhaul! You’re in the right place – let’s get started.
My 60 pound weight loss story
I was never the thin girl growing up (I distinctly remember being the only girl over 100 pounds in sixth grade), but wasn’t until college that my weight just started to go up and up. By the time I got married, I was about 30 pounds overweight, and was definitely not happy with that. And I was miserable. I felt sluggish, swollen, tired, and unattractive. Three babies left me with yo-yoing weight and an extra 30 pounds on top of the other 30. I needed to change.
signed up for a popular portion control and exercise program and surprise – it was almost easy. I lost about 60 pounds in about 8 months. And I thought I had made it. Everything was going to be great. But all I had done was put off the binge eating for a few months. Once I stopped, the weight ballooned back up. I couldn’t figure it out. There had to be something key I was missing.
Finally – I found it. My insides weren’t healthy, and that was what was showing on the outside. Until I took control of my digestive health, the weight wasn’t going to stay off for good.
Why gut health is so important for weight
Researchers are only just beginning to discover how important our intestinal health is. In fact, they’ve discovered that we actually have more microbes in us than regular human cells! Gut health is important to everything from bloating (I’m looking at you, burrito baby) to depression and anxiety (most of our serotonin is made in the intestines).
Here’s the basics: inside our digestive tract, trillions of small bacteria and fungi live. Most are super beneficial to us. They break down the fibrous foods our body can’t, they help limit fat absorption, and boost your immune systems. Some, however, are bad for us, and they thrive on sugar and yeast (huge components of a modern diet) and can cause unwanted side effects like bloating, weight gain, and inflammation. By taking supplemental probiotics (good bacteria), you help your digestive system keep those bad bacteria at bay.
Scientists have done studies with both mice and humans and discovered some incredible things. Thin mice actually gain weight after receiving transplants of gut bacteria from obese mice. Studies with humans have shown that obesity is related to lack of diversity in the intestinal bacteria. Researchers now believe that the microbes in the digestive system affect how calories are pulled out of the foods we eat!
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Probiotics vs. prebiotics – why and what you should be taking
All the terms surrounding gut health can be confusing at times! Let’s break down two important terms:
· Probiotics – the good bacteria that occur naturally in your gut. Everyone is born with their own unique composition of microbes in their digestive systems. Because of bad diets, stress, antibiotics, and other areas of modern life, our digestive system can get off balance. Having too few good bacteria means your body can’t keep control of the bad bacteria and yeasts that are also inside you. Taking probiotics will balance out the digestive system.
· Prebiotics – food for the probiotics. They are compounds that are found in the foods we eat. Good bacteria love them. Bad bacteria mostly thrive off of sugars, while good bacteria prefer the fiber found in prebiotics. Depending on your diet, you may or may not be getting enough prebiotic foods to help your good bacteria thrive.
Many probiotic supplements will have prebiotics included. You might see things like apple pectin and inulin on the list – those are the prebiotics. A good supplement with both probiotics and prebiotics helps you achieve your best digestive system – promoting weight loss, more energy, and even better mood!
Prebiotic foods with fiber for weight loss
Eating the right foods is just as important to promoting a healthy gut – and losing the weight. Here are some of the best foods with plenty of fiber:
· Apples
· Artichokes
· Asparagus
· Bananas
· Barley
· Berries
· Chicory
· Cocoa
· Dandelion greens
· Flaxseed
· Garlic
· Green vegetables
· Konjac root
· Leeks
· Legumes (peas and beans)
· Oats
· Onions
· Tomatoes
· Soybeans
· Wheat
· Yacon root
As you can see, probiotics are so important to your overall health. There are also incredible benefits for weight loss. As the probiotics heal the digestive system, it functions better, with the right amount of fat and calories pulled out from our foods. With the right balance and high diversity in the bacteria in your gut, you have a great start to healthy weight loss.
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