I Spent Thousands Seeing a Naturopath So You Don’t Have to

Here’s what I learned about gut health

I’ve had issues with my gut since… forever

Stomach pain, fatigue, anxiety – for years, my symptoms went undiagnosed. When I would see a doctor, I’d receive Band-Aid fixes.

It wasn’t until I started seeing a naturopath that I finally found relief.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars fixing my gut so you don’t have to.

Here are the top 5 healthiest habits for building and maintaining a strong gut.

The gut is the heart and soul of the body

You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.”

Well, this is closer to the truth than you might think. The gut governs everything, from how we think, feel, to how we perceive the world.

A stream of nerves (known as the vagus nerve) runs from your brain directly to your gut. Research shows that mental health is directly correlated to gut health.

If you’re new to the concept of gut health, here’s a quick breakdown:

From the second we’re born, everything we eat, touch, and breathe creates a unique culture of bacteria within our bodies, known as our gut microbiome.

Your gut microbiome is a microcosm of life — containing both good and bad bacteria. Good bacteria are the do-gooders, professionals, and taxpayers. Bad bacteria are vandals, crooks, and thieves.

Just like in life, we need a healthy balance of both in order to thrive– diversity is key.

It wasn’t until I read Giulia Enders’ book, “Gut”, that I began to understand how vital gut health is to the human experience.

Growing up, my tonsils didn’t work

Tonsils are responsible for filtering bacteria through your mouth and nose. For whatever reason, mine didn’t work.

This eventually destroyed my gut microbiome.

Every 3–6 months for as long as I can remember, I’d contract strep throat. My mom would take me to the doctor, I’d be prescribed antibiotics, and we’d pick them up on the way home.

Like clockwork.

Although highly effective, antibiotics are like nuclear bombs for our bodies.

They’re incredibly effective at killing bad bacteria. But they kill good bacteria in the process.

After 10+ years of regular antibiotics use, my gut microbiome was a baron wasteland. My body had been wiped clean of good bacteria, so any bad bacteria I picked up had full reign to wreak havoc on my body.

My stomach ached, I had digestive pain, and suffered from chronic fatigue. Over time, I became unable to absorb nutrients from my food and became malnourished.

I was dangling from the edge of burnout, daily.

Finally, I found relief after seeing a naturopath

Healthcare is currently at a crossroads.

Although modern medicine has done great things for the world, most doctors know very little about gut health.

Anytime I would see a doctor about my gut, they’d treat my symptoms individually:

Headaches → they’d give me something to relax
Stomach pain → something to soothe my insides
Anxiety → “Consider seeing a therapist.”

The problem is, most conventional doctors don’t take a holistic approach to healing.

So, to get to the root cause of my health issues, I started seeing a naturopath and licensed nutritionist.

It was the best decision I ever made.

After 2 years of trial, error, and a lot of education, I’ve created a lifestyle and diet that supports a healthy gut, mind, and body.

Although there’s always progress to be made, I’m finally able to focus on the important aspects of life — instead of where the nearest washroom is.

Here are the top 5 most highly recommended practices for a healthy gut:

1. Chew your food slowly

Nowadays, we’re in a constant rush.

So much so, that we skip over basic yet important steps like chewing our food. Most people throw food in their mouths, chew it a few times, and then race to swallow it — often while staring at a screen.

We don’t take time to savour our food, enjoy it, or let our bodies properly digest it.

Digestion starts in your mouth.

The moment food enters our mouths, the digestion process begins. Saliva along with the chomping of our teeth, allows our bodies to properly break down food, digest it, and absorb its nutrients.

Experts recommend chewing an average piece of food 32 times.

When you don’t chew your food properly, your body has to produce more acid to break it down, leading to digestive issues.

Aside from being healthy for your gut, it’s a great mindfulness practice. Food is awesome — so enjoy it.

2. Stay away from these foods

Everyone’s gut is unique—and ever-changing.

What you consume lays the foundation for a healthy (or unhealthy) gut. One where good or bad bacteria reigns supreme.

Currently, my gut is in a re-growth phase. After an initial elimination diet, I uncovered a long list of food sensitivities. I was then able to develop a healthy eating routine that nurtures healthy gut bacteria.

Over time, my gut microbiome has adjusted and I’ve been able to re-introduce some of the foods that upset my stomach in the past.

Your gut may not be as sensitive as mine — or simply different.

Regardless, these foods/drinks are most common in nurturing bad bacteria:

Cooking with oils past their smoking point
Sugars — even from fruit
Gluten/wheat/dairy
Processed foods
Excessive fats
Alcohol
Coffee

Try removing some/all of these from your diet and re-introducing them one by one. This will help you uncover specific triggers for your body.

I outline my entire gut health recovery plan, here.

3. Eat these foods

When you think of gut-healthy foods, you might think of foods high in probiotics such as yogurt, sour cream, bone broth, or fermented foods (like kimchi).

But probiotics are only half of the equation.

Prebiotics are just as important. In a nutshell:

Prebiotics support existing good bacteria. Probiotics, introduce new good bacteria that kill bad bacteria.

Here are some foods rich in prebiotics:

Garlic
Cocoa
Onions
Spinach
Bananas

Here’s a full list of pre- and probiotic foods.

4. Get 7 hours of sleep per night

As a society, we’re in the process of undoing bad habits.

One of the worst, is hustle culture.

Waking up early, working hard, and achieving goals are all positive habits — but sleep needs to come first.

Sleep is our most vital function behind eating and breathing. A good day, hour, week, and life all begin with proper rest.

If you create for a living, sleep is particularly important.

Lack of sleep has been shown to decrease function in the frontal lobe— the area of the brain responsible for creativity.

One study showed that just one night of poor sleep can increase anxiety by up to 60% as well.

Here are some ways to maintain a healthy sleep schedule:

Rise and fall at the same time each day/night
Stand up as soon as you wake up
Stop eating 3 hours before bed
Dim lights 2 hours before bed

Here’s a full breakdown.

5. Reduce oxidative stress

We all know stress is harmful to the body — it causes headaches, tight muscles, decreased mental health, and is the leading cause of burnout.

But oxidative stress, is far deadlier.

It’s stress — but in your cells.

Oxidative stress speeds up the aging process — leading to wrinkles, grey hair, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkison’s.

It’s also the leading cause of burnout.

You may have heard of terms like free radicals or antioxidants when it comes to oxidative stress — but not understood what they really do.

Well, here’s a simple breakdown…

First the players:

Free radicals — incomplete molecules looking to become complete.

Antioxidants — protect us from free radicals.

Oxidative stress — what happens when your body has too many free radicals.

Now, the game:

The relationship between these players is like dating.

Without getting too science-heavy, every molecule needs an electron to be complete. Free radicals are incomplete — they’re missing an electron. They’re lonely.

So naturally, they look to bond to cells to become complete — to find true love.

But when too many free radicals bond to your body’s cells, it puts stress on your body – called oxidative stress. Like a bunch of singles chasing the same romantic partner.

Antioxidants, protect us from free radicals — they’re the intimidating (possibly muscly), protective partner.

Before hating the players (or the game), there are actions you can take to reduce oxidative stress.

Eating foods rich in antioxidants is the easiest way to reduce the number of free radicals in your body. These include:

Dark chocolate
Red cabbage
Spinach
Berries
Kale

… the list goes on.

But it’s not only about what you eat. It’s how you live as well.

These habits have been shown to contribute to lower levels of oxidative stress:

Being in nature
Unstructured playtime
Practicing mindfulness
Moving daily (gentle stretching, walking, dancing, etc.)
Engage in activities that reduce anxiety (reading, writing, drawing, etc.)

Invest in your gut — invest in your future

We’re often too tough for our own good.

We’ll work too hard, rest too little, and push ourselves too far just to live up to societal expectations.

If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re no good to anyone.

If you suffer from burnout, anxiety, or feel constantly bloated, listen to your gut — it might be trying to tell you something.

To summarize, build a healthier gut with these 5 habits:

Chewing your food slowly
Avoiding foods that promote bad bacteria
Eating foods that promote good bacteria
Getting 7 hours of sleep per night
Reducing stress in your life

Lastly, I highly recommend reading Giulia Enders’ book, “Gut”. Full disclaimer, this is an affiliate link, but I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t believe in it.

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