The glorious gut. The second brain of the body. The epicenter of health-related communication. It’s no surprise that your digestion is a huge indicator of the status of your system, and a healthy diet – free of gut-wrenching grains, excess sugars, and inflammatories – can substantially help ease debilitating issues. At LesserEvil, we’re super conscious about what we put into our snacks. We use clean ingredients such as coconut oil, avocado oil, cassava flour, pea protein, watermelon protein, and Himalayan pink salt to make the digestive system happy, not irritated!
If you experience discomfort in the gut, you’re not alone. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “60 to 70 million people are affected by…digestive diseases” just within the United States. But isn’t it as easy as eating clean, getting some exercise in, and drinking lots of water? Sure, that’s a small portion of it. But Autumn Best, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), Restorative Wellness Practitioner (RWP), and special guest on our Let’s Talk Sh*t series on Instagram, says “Digestion is so nuanced.” There’s so many fine details that go into the digestive system, but starting with some of these simple tricks can help offer some relief: chewing food thoroughly (to the extent of liquifying it) and without distraction, managing stress, and avoiding drinking a ton of water around meals. “Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes,” she goes on to say. Simply put, the length of time one has spent with old habits will factor into how long it’ll take to rebalance the system.
If there is one thing the healing journey is not, it’s fad diets and “magic” pills. It’s vital to go back to the beginning and get to the foundation of the digestive system. Maddie Scannapieco, Certified Health Coach (CHC) and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P), told us on Episode 4 of our series, Let’s Talk SH*T, that she believes in focusing on our ancestral roots. She is a big advocate for functional testing, including doing a full panel of blood work and stool testing to really find answers regarding infections, pathogens, overgrowth of bad bacteria, and inflammatory markers. With this approach, there’s concrete information to work with versus just taking guesses as to what the issue might be.
With so many digestive-based disorders out there – most with similar symptoms – it’s best to get as close to a confirmed diagnosis as possible in order to practice the correct daily habits that will heal the issue at its core. Taking a deeper dive into all the possibilities out there, we’ve compiled a list of the most common diseases and a brief definition of each. Please note: this overview is not meant for self diagnosis, but rather just an insight into the kinds of digestive issues that exist.
- Acid Reflux – More scientifically known as Gastroesophageal Reflux, this reaction happens when your stomach contents rise back up into the esophagus. Some common symptoms include heartburn, acid indigestion, trouble swallowing, and the feeling of food caught in your throat. When symptoms become recurrent, a doctor may categorize it as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or (GERD).
- Celiac Disease + Gluten Intolerance – Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and even some oats, When consumed – especially by someone with an intolerance to it – it can cause damage to the small intestine, specifically to the villi, which are small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine and help to aid in nutrient absorption. There’s a range of sensitivities to gluten, from a minor intolerance to extensive complications.
- Crohn’s Disease – Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically affecting the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. Symptoms of Crohn’s can come and go for periods of time (ranging from weeks to even years) and moreover, flare-ups (severe bouts of symptoms) can show up with no warning.
- Ulcerative Colitis – A result of your immune system’s overactive response, this chronic disease of the large intestine occurs when the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and creates ulcers (tiny open sores).
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Causing a range of painful abdominal symptoms – from sharp pain, cramping, bloating, distention, fullness and even burning – IBS is a condition that is connected to the gut-brain interaction, specifically with how your gut and brain work together. Unlike some of the other diseases mentioned, IBS does not harm the intestines.
- Leaky Gut Syndrome – Our bodies have a highly specialized gastrointestinal system protected by a mucosal barrier. While it is semi-permeable, allowing important substances such as water and nutrients to enter, problems occur when the lining is breached, allowing unwelcomed toxins, antigens, and bacteria to enter (or “leak”) and wreak havoc. Causes for this can include alcohol consumption, poor diet, radiation therapy, and stress, just to name a few.
With so many different diagnoses with similar uncomfortable symptoms, it can be difficult to pinpoint what’s actually happening. Rachel Straining, also known as The No Gluten Girl, understands this all too well. When she joined us in our Let’s Talk Sh*t series, she opened up about her agonizing experience with Crohn’s Disease. Early in high school, she spent 2 to 3 years in and out of hospitals searching for answers before she got diagnosed. One of the most unique symptoms she had – totally aside from excruciating pain in her stomach – was joint pain, a symptom that is often dismissed in digestive-based disorders. She missed out on many quintessential social rights of passages and had to maintain her school work while in the hospital, but she kept a positive attitude, using it to fuel her journey toward healing. She says getting creative with anti-inflammatory foods and focusing on what you can eat instead of what you cannot can change the mindset into a positive experience for someone going through food intolerances. With her social platform, she is able to bring this positivity and hope to others who are struggling with similar situations.
If you are experiencing these symptoms and are not finding answers or the right people to connect with, you are not alone. Fortunately, there’s so much information out there and even better, people from all over the world who are experiencing these very issues. Just take a look at the amazing women we had on our Let’s Talk Sh*t series, who are part of that larger community and a great resource for ideas, help, and information. If you’re looking for more insight on all-things gut health and digestion, check out our Instagram where we continue the conversation with nutritionists, dietitians and more about what it takes to get a healthy gut!