🔥Your gut needs fuel just like the rest of your body!
What starts as a slow decrease in calories has a domino effect in the rest of the body😨
You might think that undereating doesn’t impact your gut, but this is actually one of the top stressors we see with clients struggling from digestive issues
Did you know under eating is actually considered a form of stress? .
And sometimes it’s unintentional. When you don’t feel good and you feel 6 months pregnant with bloat it can be hard to eat enough because you are just flat out uncomfortable.. And when you’re uncomfortable you may cut back on food intake because of fear of symptoms😭
But it’s a vicious cycle because the symptoms you are experiencing are exacerbated by under-eating. Here’s what I mean…
The results of under-eating:
- Increase in cortisol levels
- Increase in nutrient deficiencies
- Increase in blood sugar instability
- Reduces sex hormones
- Reduces in vagus nerve activation
- Reduces the active thyroid hormones
If you want to look at the consequences of under-eating specific to the gut…
- Increase in intestinal impermeability (aka “leaky gut”)
- Increases dysbiosis (an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in your gut)
- Increases GI inflammation
- Reduces stomach acid (which can result in more acid reflux/heartburn)
- Reduces immune function
- Reduces pancreatic enzymes
When you are chronically under-eating, your brain determines that your caloric intake is too low and needs to conserve energy so it looks to the body to slow down, sending signals to:
Your Gut → slowing down digestion, leading to more constipation, bloating, and dysbiosis
Your Adrenals → adds stress which increases cortisol production resulting in poor digestion, poor sleep, and lower energy.
Your Thyroid → slows down to prevent feelings of starvation, which slows your gut motility and causes brain fog and fatigue
Under eating has quite possibly the biggest impact on your thyroid because your thyroid is equivalent in your body to the gas tank in your car. If it’s constantly running on low its sparing energy for anything but what is essential.
A slow thyroid and gut are not optimal for symptoms and taxed adrenals add fuel to the fire🔥🔥
Let’s talk a bit more about why the thyroid matters for gut health. Have you ever heard of the thyroid-gut connection?
This small but mighty gland does so much for you and for your gut health. And vice versa! Your gut impacts your thyroid too!
A slow thyroid can = a slow gut
So if your thyroid is off it’s no wonder it’s hard for you to have regular bowel movements 🤔The gut literally doesn’t have enough energy!
👉🏼👉🏼So what happened first? The gut issue or the thyroid imbalance? For everyone it is different but hypothyroidism is one of the missing “root causes” we see with our clients…and you have to address both the thyroid and the gut! You cannot just treat the thyroid and expect the gut issues to completely resolve ❌In fact, some studies show that even after SIBO treatment, if the thyroid has not been addressed you cannot resolve the SIBO. There’s no wonder there is such a high reoccurrence rate!
An unresolved thyroid issue can also have impacts on your stomach acid, your gallbladder function, your gut motility and contraction
Your gut bacteria also have a specific impact on thyroid function as well 😎
This was the case for me on my own gut health journey. My digestive symptoms had flared at one of the most stressful times in my life and I was also noticing my hair falling out, feeling completely exhausted, my face was swollen and my skin was dry. After some begging, my doctor finally agreed to order a thyroid panel for me…and it was off the charts 📈
✅ Here’s the lesson: If you think something is off…advocate for yourself! Do the research, make a list of questions and make sure that you don’t leave your appointment until all of your questions are answered. Its beneficial to find a provider that will work collaboratively with you.
😍Once I established that my thyroid in fact was contributing to the puzzle of my gut health, it felt good to have answers. AND…As my thyroid improved, so did my gut…and more specifically my constipation symptoms.
It’s a two way street. You must address the thyroid and you must also address the gut because they work together. And when they do, your body functions like the well-oiled machine it is! 🙌🏻
If you’ve “tried everything” but have hopped from diet to diet because of your gut symptoms and now find yourself super limited (but still with the symptoms) it’s time to actually stop cutting things out of your diet and start adding the fuel back in 🥑
Before you implement ANYTHING else, ensuring adequate calorie intake for your gut health is essential. This is where working with a professional can be helpful
If you cannot determine what to eat or how to ease your symptoms so that you can eat enough, the gutTogether program is here for you. Identifying the true sources of your symptoms, eating enough calories and implementing slow, sustainable changes is key when it comes to finding relief long term
If you need more specific guidance on your gut health, and want to identify the root cause, apply for a limited slot in gutTogether™️. Click here to explore more!
