Happy February!
We made it through what feels like the longest month of the year – the time where everyone is cutting out foods, testing a new fad or making extreme changes because of a New Year’s resolution.
Whether you’ve followed me for a while or are new to the scene, you know that we are not about fads in the GutTogether community. We’re about sustainable changes that improve your gut health long-term! I help my clients cut the crap (no pun intended) and identify what is MISSING from their life and nutrition to help improve their symptoms.
I know this time of year can be challenging because of all the unnecessary extremes people are going to in the name of “health.” Here’s the REAL tea you need: if that “cleanse” actually worked for your constipation, you wouldn’t have to keep doing them every few weeks.
This leads to why February is my busiest month of the year. After hopping on a fad or extreme diet in January to improve constipation, these people feel bloated and constipated again 3-4 weeks later. Sound like you? Well, I am glad you are here and I hope that I can provide you some hope. You are not alone in this!
Let’s put an end to the cycle of extremes that don’t even give you long-term relief. I want to share five habits you can incorporate into your daily life to improve your digestive health, and explain why focusing on these habits will help you MORE in the long run.
Pro tip for successfully adding these habits: try one new thing at a time until it feels like second nature, THEN add another one in!
- 5 minutes of deep breathing in the morning. Instead of starting your day off with stress from your iPhone notifications, what if you started your day by getting into a “rest and digest” state? I used to start my day looking at my phone and it would totally dictate my mood for the day, often leaving me super stressed and overwhelmed. Now, I practice a breathing exercise such as box breathing and wait to check my phone!
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier. When your body can truly rest and repair, your digestion will be better and your stress hormones will be lower!
- Drink 75-100 oz of water daily. This may sound like A LOT – it is! It’s one of the hardest habits for my Gut Groupies to incorporate at first, but it’s so worth it. Hydration improves energy, digestion and especially constipation.
- Practice eating slowly. Chewing your food well is the first step to healthy digestion. Being mindful of your eating speed and chewing thoroughly can help reduce bloat!
- Laugh – like, truly laugh! Laughing activates hormones that reduce inflammation in the body and decreases stress hormones, encouraging better digestion.
I know this is not as sexy as the latest fad, but I promise it’s more sustainable and worth it! Pick two of your favorite ideas and slowly start incorporating them. Pair up with a friend if you need accountability – or, even better, join my amazingly supportive GutTogether community! I’d love to help you create a personal plan for proven success, for GOOD.
