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How to Heal a Leaky Gut

heal a leaky gut

In the previous article, we addressed the symptoms and causes of a Leaky Gut. If you have been experiencing any of the symptoms, here’s what you can do to heal your gut!

Ways to Heal a Leaky Gut

One of the best ways to heal a Leaky Gut is to consume a healthy, well-balanced diet with optimum nutrition. The process includes:

  • Remove: Excluding the toxic and inflammatory foods as it causes the gut to become leaky and adding good and healthy nutrients that will result in healing the gut. Remove products which affect the environment of the gut negatively.
  • Replace: For appropriate digestion and absorption, including important healthy nutrients for proper break-down and absorption of the nutrients i.e. digestive enzymes, HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) and bile acids.
  • Reinoculate: It is quite difficult to restore the important bacteria to improve the good gut bacteria.
  • Repair: It is important to provide essential nutrients for the gut to be restored. To revive the lining of the gut wall it is important to consume L-Glutamine supplement.

Necessary Dietary Modifications

Listed below are a few ways in which you can heal a leaky gut, improve gut health as well as good gut bacteria.

  • Reduce the Intake of Refined Carbohydrates: Harmful Bacteria grow more when there is an excess intake of sugar and can harm the gut barrier function. Avoid unhealthy, processed, junk and fried foods.
  • Include Probiotic Supplements: This helps improve the beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotics include curd, buttermilk, and probiotic supplements.
  • Eat Fermented Foods: Fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, saukerkraut, kefir and kombucha, help improve gut bacteria.
  • Include Plenty of High Fiber Foods: This includes fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole-grains that feed the beneficial bacteria.
  • Reduce the intake of alcohol and Quit Smoking
  • Avoid or reduce stress

Common Questions Asked

How long does it take to heal a Leaky Gut?
To get an idea about this question, we need to go down to the cellular level. 300 square meters is the surface area of the gut. The enterocytes are the lining cells of the gut that keep reviving/restoring in a gut which is normal and healthy.  A new lining of the gut is seen every two to three weeks. For those individuals who do not have any medical disease or conditions, studies prove that that gut-healing might take around 2-12 weeks (higher range may-be for those who have other medical conditions).

In another study by Harvard published in the Medical Journal Nature, states that those who are keen on healing their gut majorly have an underlying cause as an issue will take a longer time to heal by making it more complex and slow i.e. like a journey.

In-case whenever you decide to change your time in terms of diet and lifestyle, that restores the gut functioning, skin gets clearer, energy increases, bloating reduces, loss of weight, betterment in the conditions like eczema, asthma, allergies, migraine, depression, eagerness/anxiety, auto-immune disease and much more. This again varies depending on several factors/causes.

How do I know my Gut is repaired?
There are a few signs which indicate that the gut is fully repaired. Firstly, you’d want to check whether your gut has healed completely or not. This can be analysed via the symptoms that you experience. Below are a few points which should help you analyse:

  • Digestive Issues, food sensitivity vanish/fade away along with skin issues
  • Auto-immunity lab markers improve, returning to optimal self (quality of life improves)
  • Your energy and stamina return
  • Improved mood
  • You came back to proper weight.

You can also check it through a spectrum, with one side being no inflammation & healthy balanced gut with no symptoms and other end being leaky gut with several symptoms.

Even if the gut is repaired, it could have its draw-backs where you need to work to get back to normal health. Be calm and firm on following your gut-healthy protocol. It will not only help you get your health back on track but it will improve your quality of life as well!

We hope this article helps you make the necessary changes and heal. Do share it and leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can find more articles like this on Gut Health here. If you want expert advice or further guidance on improving digestive or gut health, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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How to fast right? This Festive season

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Today marks the third day of Navratri and most men and women fast through these 9 days of the festival. But, does anyone know what it means to fast right? Yes! You read it right! Fasting right! One would question, what could possibly go wrong with not eating?? The answer – A lot! could go wrong.

Many people fast during the navratri for various reasons. Some for religious beliefs others to just weigh a little lighter or just give your system a break or detoxify! Whatever, be your reason for fasting, it is important to do it right !

When done properly fasting has its own benefits for the body. It helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance, detoxification and freedom from bloating and water retention.

Well, a healthy fast should not put your body through stress. It should help you achieve your goal or purpose of fasting and make you feel good emotionally and not leave you irritable or feeling drained or sick. It should give you a feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment and make you feel energetic the next day and reduce cravings.

Starting the fast –

  1. Start your day with a glass of warm water.
  2. Have tender coconut water as this will keep you hydrated and energized through the day.

Through the day –

  1. Do not stay hungry for a long period of time as that would bring about a drop in the metabolic rate, lower blood glucose levels and blood pressure resulting in giddiness and headaches. Staying hungry for a long time sends out a famine signal to the body which then goes into a conservation mode. It conserves all the energy or calories from your next meal and stores it as fat for future use fearing it might have to go without food for a long time! Bang goes your efforts to loose weight and burn fat!  Therefore, it is advisable to have plenty of fruits and cucumber through the day as it will keep you hydrated and provide essential micro nutrients to keep you going. It will also help the body balance it’s pH and stay alkaline. Make sure you include papaya as they are one of the best foods to cleanse the liver, purify blood, reduce inflammation and remove harmful toxins. Also, if you eat papaya through the day, it will help in digesting the meal that you eat later during the day. It will help prevent constipation that might occur after fasting.
  2. Drink tender coconut water or buttermilk. These would provide you with all the essential electrolytes and energy and also help the body attain an alkaline pH.
  3. Snack on unsalted nuts and dry fruits and makhana (foxnut) through the day. Makhanas (foxnut) are a rich source of fibre, calcium and potassium and are an ideal low calorie snack. CAUTION – they are highly addictive too!
  4. Avoid sugar through the day. Have natural sugar in the form of dates, raisins, figs, apricots and prunes. Use jaggery and honey to sweeten things.
  5. Avoid dairy products like milk and yoghurt. Choose coconut milk or almond milk. A fast is beneficial when we maintain an alkaline pH and dairy or milk is highly acidic in nature. That is the reason why some people experience acidity, bloating and discomfort during or after a fast. So, have buttermilk, coconut water, nimbu pani with honey or coconut milk instead and reap the benefits of fasting.
  6. Avoid tea and have herbal teas instead. You can even sip on warm water with lemon and honey through the day. Lemons are great sources of vitamin C, which helps make glutathione, a substance needed for detoxifying the liver. They also contain a phytochemical called limonene, which enhances phase two detoxification of the liver and get rid of chemicals inside of the body.

Ending / breaking / opening the fast –

  1. Always break your fast by having a glass of water or coconut water as this would hydrate you and activate your digestive enzymes and intestines and prepare your body for the food you are going to eat.
  2. Certain fasts require you to break or open the fast by eating certain foods. In that case, have a glass of water and after 5 minutes have a small quantity of the recommended food item and then have fruits. After that you can eat a proper meal.
  3. Refrain from a fat laden meal at the end of the day and avoid puris, kachori and deep fried sago vadas as they are deep fried and loaded with fat and also a source of empty calories in large amounts which are nutrient deficient. Moreover, eating a fried dish after a day’s fast is difficult to digest and leads to acidity. Opt for healthier options like roasted or boiled sweet potato and Singhada or lotus seeds.

If you are required to eat kootu ka atta (buckwheat flour) or singhade ka atta (water chestnut flour) then opt for healthier options like cheelas * instead of deep fried puri, kachori or pakodi. Remember not to feast while you fast!

Besides having powerful antioxidant properties and being a rich source of beta carotene, vitamin C and potassium, sweet potatoes contain a strong chelating agent – compounds that can bind heavy metals like cadmium, copper, mercury, and lead to help detoxify the body.

  1. Use Sendha namak (Rock salt) instead of regular iodized salt or table salt. Sendha namak is low in sodium ad rich in potassium and helps in re-setting the electrolyte balance.
  2. If you are fasting for entire 9 days, one will have to get back to normal diet very gradually. Start by having coconut water. Move over to a non citrus fruit like apple or banana. Then have semi solid foods and finally progress to a proper whole meal !

Please do not fast if you have a medical condition or are unwell and / or are on medication.

So, this navratri wish you happy FASTING! Try fasting the above mentioned way and transform your body. Feel the changes at many levels and do share with me or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Let’s Talk About Mental Health

mental healthIn 2020, we released a study that revealed how 43% Indians are plagued with depression. But surprisingly, even in large metros like Mumbai, awareness of mental health is low, stigma is high and discrimination against people with mental health concerns is a harsh reality. The very recommendation that one should see a therapist or a mental health professional is received with distaste at best and anger at worst.

What is Mental Health?

The world over ‘Mental Health’ week is being observed but do we understand ‘Mental Health’?  It is important that we first understand what “Mental Health” means. It does not just refer to the absence of illness, rather it denotes a state of mind that allows people to believe in their abilities, work productively, cope effectively with day to day stressors, reach out for help when feeling overwhelmed, relate to others, and to work towards their highest potential.

While the mental health condition of a person is established by the individual’s ability to manage his/her thoughts, feelings, actions and interactions with others, mental illnesses and disorders are  often caused by a combination of factors including social discrimination, lack of protective policies, poor working conditions, poverty, lack of education, below average living standards, abuse (verbal, physical and sexual) and absence of familial or/and social support systems. It is true that certain genetics and specific personality attributes can make people more vulnerable to mental health issues, however contrary to popular belief, these are neither the only nor the most significant contributors to mental illnesses or disorders.

According to a survey conducted nationally, in 2018, on the attitudes towards people affected by mental health concerns, the top three attitudes prevalent in India were found to be the following:

  1. People with mental illness should not be given any responsibility
  2. One of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and will-power
  3. Mentally unhealthy people should have their own groups – healthy people need not be contaminated by them.

If one is diagnosed with cancer or with Malaria, would we ask them to get their act together and get better or expect them to use will-power to cure themselves? In terms of its prevalence and the number of people impacted by it, mental health issues are no different to physical health concerns and they need to be addressed with the same care and concern that is adapted to tackle a physical ailment, rather than with disdain and scorn.

With the existing attitudes, it comes as no surprise that the affected people, as well as the families, refrain from talking about their concerns or seeking the support they need due to the fear of being judged or labelled. But there are changes each of us can make that will help in creating an environment that promotes positive mental health.

Here are four steps you could take to do your bit in reducing social stigma attached to mental health concerns:

1. Educate Yourself About Mental Illnesses

General beliefs that people with mental illness are dangerous or are violent are myths which have unfortunately been propagated by movies. Often people with mental illnesses are victims of violence and abuse themselves. Question every stereotype and treat people with respect, irrespective of their diagnoses.

2. Stop Using Labels

Often people say things like ‘she is depressed’ or ‘he is schizophrenic’. The mental illness that someone deals with, is just one aspect of their lives and not their identity. Hence use language that separates the person from the health issue. For example, we could say “she deals with depression” or  “he’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia”. Use language that’s respectful and sensitive.

3. Support People

Remember that people who deal with mental health issues make important contributions to the world. Did you know that Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, the ex-Prime Minister of Norway had suffered from a depressive episode in August 1998 while he was still in power? He took some time out to recover and continued as PM till March 2000. Do not judge people to be incompetent or dismiss their capabilities based on a mental health condition they may be suffering from. Treat people with dignity, just like you would like to be treated yourself, had you been in their position. Encourage the actions that your own family members and friends take to overcome mental illness, support their efforts to get well and lead productive lives.

4. Encourage & Initiate Open Discussions

If you yourself have dealt with or are dealing with mental health issues, talk about it. Your courage will help in creating awareness and empower many others. If it is a family member or friend who is dealing with it, talk openly regarding the illness with their permission and in doing so, you will take away the shame attached to it.

The first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Brock Chisholm, in 1954, had quite aptly declared that “without mental health, there can be no true physical health.” On this very important day, let’s pledge to do our bit by becoming advocates to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and promote a world of inclusion and sensitivity.

For more on Mental Health, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to Emotional Wellness Expert Divya Thampi’s classes on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

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Why is it Difficult to Make a Lifestyle Change?

lifestyle
In a user story I recently wrote, the player said, “Making a lifestyle change is easy. What is difficult is the commitment to follow through with determination”. Rightly so, it’s indeed considered a tall order and hence, many give it up midway. Most consider it forced, rather than a positive change to bring about within themselves.

This very attitude and constant cribbing of people around me prompted me to write this piece on why is it so difficult to make a lifestyle change?

Many of us have tried it at some point in our lives. Some of us have succeeded, while many have found it extremely taxing. Making a lifestyle change is challenging, especially when you want to transform many things at once. Lifestyle changes are a process that takes time and requires support and lots of patience.

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Here are a few tips that you could follow from my personal experience:

1. Start Small

After you’ve identified realistic short-term and long-term goals, break them into small steps that are well defined, that can be managed and measured. If your long term goal (6-8 months) is to lose 20 kilos, then a good goal would be to reduce about 2 kilos a month in a healthy way.

Physiologically smaller goals give you a sense that it’s achievable and keep you motivated for the long term goal. Look at healthy eating options. Eat smaller, balanced meals at regular intervals. Replace a dessert with a healthier option, like Yoghurt. At the end of the month, you’ll feel successful knowing you met your goal.

2. Change One Behavior at a Time

It is said that old habits die hard. It is simply because behaviors develop over the course of time. Replacing then will take a while. Focus on one goal at a time. If need be, get professional help to understand what changes you need to bring within yourself to become healthy and fit. The problem arises when you try to change things really fast. Take it slow!

3. Have a Buddy, a Personal Coach or a Trainer

It can be anyone from a friend, to a  family member, a co-worker or your personal trainer. Your buddy and you can go for a walk, cycle or run together and keep each other motivated and charged. You can challenge each other to create some excitement in your training and make sure that it is not boring. Having someone with whom you can share your struggles and success makes the work easier and the mission less intimidating.

4. Make a Plan That You Will Stick To

You will have to devise a plan in such a way that it will be your guide. Think out of the box and have things in your plan which you have never done before. For instance, an adventure or sports climbing (artificial wall climbing). But, don’t go haywire and be specific. Manage time well.

Detail the time of the day when you want to exercise, how long you want to exercise or when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk. Maintain a diary in which all your tasks are jotted down and ask yourself if these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not, then start with baby steps.

5. Have Support Around You

Having people around you to support you while you are on your journey will keep you away from slacking. Don’t feel shy to ask for support wherever and whenever needed. If you feel you are unable to meet your goals on your own, get help!

6. Self-Motivation

All the above points will help you in your journey to change your lifestyle. But the biggest factor of all and one of the most important factor is being self-motivated. No matter how many buddies you have, no matter what support your dear and near ones will give you, no matter how good a plan you make, none of this will be effective till the time you are self-motivated and want to make the change.

Do it for yourself, do it on your own and feel good at the end of it all!

Making the changes that you want takes time and commitment. You can do it! Just remember that no one is perfect. You will have occasional lapses. Be kind to yourself. When you eat a brownie or skip the gym, don’t give up. Minor bumps on the road to your goals are normal and okay. Resolve to recover and get back on track.

If you find yourself in need of a little extra support and motivation on your journey to a healthier lifestyle, then subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. And, if you’re looking for more tips and advice on improving your overall well-being, you can find a bunch of helpful articles here.

#BeTheForce

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