My Top 5 Recommendations for a Healthy Gut & Happy Hormones

Are all of your symptoms in your head? Nah, they are probably in the gut!

By now, I’m sure you have heard about the importance of the gut, and the gut microbiome, on your overall heath and well-being. We are now learning just HOW important the belly is for controlling all things from nutrient absorption and immunity, to affecting our skin and even our mental health.

But, did you know that the health of your gut also plays a KEY role in balancing your hormones and making sure your hormonal health is in tip-top shape?

All this buzz about “healing the gut” isn’t for nothing, and I’m going to help explain why…

The gut is in charge of the very important job of detoxification.

Now, let’s get one thing straight about detoxification — your body is detoxing ALL the time. It does this naturally for you. Your liver, gut, and skin are naturally helping your body eliminate toxins on the daily. (This is VERY different than diet culture’s stupid scams for weight-loss “detoxes” by the way…eye-roll…).

It’s so important to make sure your detox pathways (liver and gut) are running smoothly because our hormone balance literally DEPENDS on it. When the function of your gut is compromised, you can’t eliminate excess estrogen from the body. Thus, estrogen ends up getting backed up and re-circulated in your system.

Not so good.

Especially because the majority of the women I speak to seem to have symptoms of estrogen dominance. When the ratio between your progesterone and estrogen levels are out of balance.

Too much estrogen circulating around in your body causes symptoms such as bloating, cramps, PMS, heavy periods, breast tenderness, mood swings, and the WORKS.

We even have something fancy called an estrobolome which is a certain set of bacteria that is in charge of metabolizing your estrogen. So again, if the delicate balance of bacteria in your belly is off … your hormones most likely are too.

So, how do we start to heal our bodies and get to the root of these hormone imbalances? The answer — healing THE GUT!

Because everyone’s situation is different, addressing the gut can look many different ways. Although I have found across the board, my favorite recommendations below, have made a WORLD of difference in my clients lives.

my top 5 recommendations for improved gut health:

1. Crowd out foods that are triggering to your system. First and foremost, you need to eliminate the foods that are irritating the gut lining. This means getting curious about the foods that are causing you bloating, skin issues, and stomach pain. My gut reboot is a great place to start! And just remember, crowding out food doesn’t mean forever. Think about it like you’re giving your belly a little break to recharge!

2. Start your day with a cup of hot water with lemon. Get those digestive juices flowin’ (literally) and help your body get stimulated. You need to be going to the bathroom everyday in order for your body to release excess hormones from your system. Preferably, you should be going first thing in the morning (and you shouldn’t need that cup of coffee to make it happen ;)).

3. Add 1-2 tbsps of flaxseed meal to your breakfast oatmeal or smoothie. This added fiber will help bind the toxins in your body and make them pass easily! Aiming for about 25g of fiber a day will really help.

4. Eat probiotic rich foods DAILY. When our gut microbiome is compromised, it’s important that we replenish the good bacteria that has died off! Eating fermented foods and veggies helps us to do that. Kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, and kefir … have fun experimenting! You might also consider a good quality probiotic to supplement with.

5. Rest and Digest. This is a hard one, but one of the most important! When you’re eating your food in a chaotic or stressed environment, you are unable to absorb and fully digest all those lovely nutrients. Practice taking slow deep breaths before you eat, and if you can, try to eat with as minimal stress and sound as possible. Really focus in on the act of nourishing your body … make it like a little moving meditation 🙂

These 5 tips have greatly helped me 1:1 clients and I know they will help you, too! Surprisingly, my clients start to feel a world of difference in just a few days.

While you’re testing out my top 5 tips for gut health, you might also enjoy my free 14-Day Gut Reboot below! This resource will get you started on your journey towards a clear gut & balanced hormones in no time <3