The Importance of Gut Health

Okay, so let's start off by talking about the importance of gut health. I want you to understand how the gut and the liver work together. They're a detoxification team combo. They work together when it comes to detoxifying chemicals and hormones as well. When we're exposed to any sort of chemicals or hormones that have been used and need to be excreted, the liver filters them out, activates the toxins, and then turns them into a form that the body can safely eliminate. It then packages them up and sends them over to the gut—specifically to the colon—to help them be flushed out through digestion and waste. They work together, but it's really important to understand the importance of gut health when it comes to this detoxification process. If the bowels are not working properly, for whatever reason—say, for example, we are constipated—then what happens is these toxins and hormones sit in the gut in this nice little package, and there's an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase that takes the bow off the package and sends it back into circulation. When the gut’s not working properly, especially if we’re not having daily bowel movements, then what we often see is the recirculation of these toxins in the body. You might feel sluggish and congested, obviously if you are constipated, but you might also start seeing some issues with your skin, or if estrogen isn’t being cleared out properly, you may see estrogen–progesterone imbalance symptoms like PMS. Think of it like a bathtub full of water. The water is all the things that we’re exposed to on a regular basis. The drain takes the water down to the sewage system. If the drain isn’t working properly or the sewage is backed up, you’ll see the water coming back through the drain—and it’s not pretty. It’s a similar thing with our detox system. So, when we’re looking at liver detoxification, you might have heard about supplements to “help” the liver. And while some things can speed up liver detoxification, you don’t want to do that if the sewage is backed up. First and foremost, if you’re experiencing gut issues, start there. Forget about the liver for now—start with the gut. We don’t want to optimize liver function and then have everything stuck in the sewage. If the gut is irritated, maybe you have daily bowel movements but experience bloating or flatulence or just don’t feel right, that irritation also affects hormones. Overgrowth of certain bacteria or the presence of endotoxin—a byproduct of bacterial breakdown—can cause inflammation in the gut and throughout the body. Inflammation is a stressor and increases cortisol, affecting the nervous system and reproductive hormones. Endotoxin can increase estrogen, and estrogen can increase endotoxin, so it becomes a vicious cycle. This is why focusing on gut health is really important. If you’re not having daily bowel movements, here are some things to think about: 1. Spend time on the toilet at the same time every day. Remember the rhythm we talked about earlier. Often, women are rushing in the mornings—getting kids ready, preparing breakfast, running around—while male counterparts often take time on the toilet, reading the news. Take a leaf out of their book: spend time on the toilet daily, train your body that this is the time to go. Maybe sit for 10 minutes, wait, and if nothing happens, that’s okay. Over time, your body learns the rhythm. 2. Make sure you’re eating enough. When you’re in a constant caloric deficit, everything slows down—thyroid, metabolism, and digestion. If you’ve been chronically under-eating, that could be slowing things down. Eating more nourishing foods can help digestion ramp up again. 3. Prioritize foods that are easy to digest. Avoid large amounts of raw, fibrous vegetables. Instead, choose cooked, easy-to-digest foods—good quality animal proteins, ripe fruits, cooked root vegetables, and cooked leafy greens that contain magnesium. Avoid relying heavily on raw foods, nuts, and seeds; have them occasionally, but not as staples. 4. Include more fruits and minerals. Fruits are rich in potassium, which helps keep things moving. Add mineral-rich foods like bone broth, coconut water, herbal infusions, and a pinch of salt in food or drinks. Focus on mineral-rich drinks—broths or herbal teas—especially in colder months. 5. Try a daily raw carrot salad. This is excellent for estrogen detoxification and for clearing endotoxins. Grate about 100 g of raw carrots (not blended or pulped), add coconut oil or olive oil, sea salt, and vinegar. Eat it 15 minutes before a meal or as a snack with protein. Consistency is key—daily is best. Many clients have seen decades-long constipation and hormonal migraines resolve with this. 6. Add magnesium-rich foods. Leafy greens, cacao, milk, salmon, and sardines are good sources. 7. Avoid gut irritants. Reduce seed oils and refined vegetable oils—they can harm the gut lining and impair digestion. So, first and foremost, get your gut working and moving properly. You can revisit the nutrition module and resources for foods to prioritize—those are easiest to digest. Foods listed to minimize or avoid tend to be harder on digestion and can damage it, especially seed oils. Once the gut is functioning well, then we can move on to loving your liver.