If you have been following me you will know i suffered from a VERY unhappy and inflamed gut. with a list longer than Santa’s, of gut issues, intolerance and symptoms.

I basically couldn’t eat ANYTHING, even water would bloat me. It was a horrible time, I suffered emotionally, mentally and it was embarrassing looking 6 months pregnant every day… 

I can proudly now say, I have healed, sealed and re-balanced my gut back to full health and would say that it stays this way 90% of the time! 

But as we know life happens, stress happens and that can result in an imbalance or bring on a flare of symptoms.

See below 🙁 I went out to a restaurant and ordered a pasta dish (I don’t follow a ‘diet’ however I do remove gluten and dairy and trigger foods) therefore I asked the dish to be Dairy and Gluten Free… 

Within  MINUTES of finishing the meal, and I’m not exaggerating MINUTES, the symptoms, pain, and bloating began! This was a really bad flare and probably took about a week to calm…. so im guessing there was more than dairy and gluten that bought this on. 

However the point to my rambling today is to show your WHERE to start when you think you might have gut issues or an inflamed gut. My next post will be on WHAT to do in the case of a flare or inflamed gut… stay tuned 🙂

this is my inflamed unhappy belly…

#notpregnant but many people did ask me!!

and this… is my much happier belly! 

Following my program steps back to happy healthy balanced gut!

Understanding what signs and signals your body is trying to give you, is your gateway to optimal health. If you suffer from 2-3 or more of the following, a good place to start is the gut.

• Bloating after every meal, or even in between meals
• Frequent abdominal pain, indigestion, heartburn
• Diarrhea, and/or constipation
• Mental fog migraine headaches
• Seasonal allergies or asthma
• Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or psoriasis
• Skin issues, such as acne, rosacea, hives, rashes, or eczema
• Depression, anxiety, ADD, or ADHD
• Chronic fatigue
• Recurrent yeast infections or candida overgrowth
• Anxiety, depression, mood swings, irritability
• Food Allergies or sensitivities
• Frequent Infections

I am a huge believer to finding the root-cause of any issues, and a great place to start is the gut! It is important to work with a professional to find the root cause to eliminate problems in the future… noone wants to end up in the same place they were in another 5 years!

I am so proud of you for taking this step and working with to get to the bottom of WHAT’S UP WITH YOUR GUT!

So where do we begin… well let’s first check out… YOUR POOP!

Yup! I’m afraid so!! Your bowel movements are a great way way to determine the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.

Let me introduce you to….

THE BRISTOL STOOL CHART!

Have you ever wondered why you poop can be one way for a day and completely different the next? Its a HUGE sign from your body telling you WHAT IS UP (on the inside) without the need for a colonoscopy 😛

Your body is very smart and will constantly give you updates, hints and signs when things are running smoothly… and when you need to take some action to help it out.

To understand what your body is trying to tell you, the Bristol Stool Chart is an awesome and easy place to start.

Basically there are 7 categories that your daily poop will identify with… you can then see where your gut health is at and perhaps if there are some improvements you need to make!

So let’s break them down and see where you’re at today:

Number 1: SEVERE CONSTIPATION – Separated hard lumps, like nuts 

I like to refer to these are little rabbit poos, they usually cause you to strain and aren’t very pleasant to pass. The first place to look when you start pooping like a bunny is your diet. Generally when experiencing Type 1, your diet consists heavy of meats, cheeses and potato type foods with very little fiber or hydration. So start by increasing fruits, veggies and wholegrain immediately, and increase your water intake with liquid/water, and hydrating foods eg. cumbers!

It’s worth noting that you could be suffering from an intolerance which is causing you body to hold on to extra water in the bowel, not break down the foods and retain them which leads to inflammation and a build up of gut bacteria (aka Candida or gut other bacteria infections and gut bugs) Because you are not releasing your bowels as often as you should it could be causing an imbalance in good and bad bacteria which can result in (as said above) bacteria infections, blockages, scarily cancers, hemorrhoids, pelvic muscle issues, mental and mood disorders, skin issues etc. It’s important to get to the root cause ASAP not just because you are in pain, but because you toxic waste is building up in your get and unable to expel as it should. 

Number 2: MILD CONSTIPATION – Large lumpy sausage like

Again this one comes along with a fair amount of strain and discomfort. Be aware of this type of poop as you could be causing some damage to your intestine, anus and may cause tearing or hemorrhoids – not cool i know! Follow the diet suggestions above and if you notice any blood in your stool its a good idea to visit your GP stat. This is a clear indication that your bowel is not working correctly and needs some help. If you are unsure what is triggering this constipation check out my program Banish the Bloat to get to the root cause of what is creating this backlog! This could also be caused by emotional, mental or physical stress, we tend to hold onto our bowels when we are stressed – imagine like a clenching fist or jaw, you are clenching your bowels tight and things are unable to move….

Number 3: NORMAL – A sausage shape with cracks in the surface

This one is an indication that things are working pretty well in your gut. It kind of looks like a sausage, passed pretty easily but you can see there is some cracks/lumps, usually you feel like you haven’t released everything – meaning you may need to go again later or just not completely open your bowels. This can become a problem as you are not expelling the toxic waste and can result in dis-ease in the bowels and gut – see above. 

Number 4: NORMAL – like a smooth sausage or snake

if this looks more like your bowel moments – KUDOS to you! Your gut is pretty happy. It passes easily, not to rushed, its smooth, well formed and doesn’t fall apart. 

Number 5: LACKING FIBER – Soft Blobs, with clear but edges

It looks like soft blobs with clear-cut edges, and it doesn’t involve any straining at all. If you start to experience this it could be due to IBS, undiagnosed lactose intolerance, perhaps even if you have consumed mints/chewing gum or other things that may cause a laxative effect. Be wary if this last more than a couple of days.

This could also be caused by higher stress situations where your body is overworked and under pressure.

Number 6: MILD DIARRHEA – Mushy consistency with ragged edges

Regular loose stools are a problem because they can mean you’re not absorbing vitamins and minerals as well and could become deficient. This indicated something quite wrong in the gut perhaps food intolerance or allergy. Take note as this is a big hint from your body that your gut bacteria is out of balance and we need to make some changes. Finding which foods trigger your symptoms is a great place to start. Check out Banish the Bloat for more details how we can find these asap.

Number 7: SEVERE DIARRHEA- Liquid consistency with no solid pieces

Classic diarrhea – similar to number 6 but more severe. If this has occurred following travels o/s you could have picked up bacteria and it is wreaking havoc in your gut, which needs to be addressed asap before it worsens or cause further damage to your gut. It could be again stress, food intolerance etc.

This is not to stress you further, or worry you about your body, this post is simply to educate to start looking deeper at your body and understanding the simple messages it is sending you, and when to take action,.

If your digestive system is feeling a little sluggish, over-worked and you’re not feeling like your absorbing or breaking down foods properly, lets chat about how we can improve your gut health and get it back on track.

If you’ve ever been told, you are ‘low’ in a particular nutrient, there is a good chance there is something deeper going on and you need to get to the root cause. I was told I was iron deficient and needed an infusion… but it was much deeper than just sticking  needle in and pumping me up.. the question you need to ask is WHY do I need an infusion? WHY is my body not absorbing the iron I eat? WHAT is actually causing my body to do this?

The more we ask the more we heal… properly! No band aid fixes here!

I go into further detail in my program ‘Banish the Bloat’ and get to the root cause of YOUR issues, as each person is completely different, I personalize each approach.

Click the button below to learn more about Banish the Bloat and how my program can once and for all fix your gut issues and banish your uncomfortable BLOAT!!