Diet/Gut/Behavior Connection: 3 Steps To Improve Wellness

Sometimes I have to remind myself to go back to the basics. Instead of staring at the problem or symptom, go back to the root cause. Maintaining good health starts in the gut which means nutrition. Nutrition affects our emotional well being and in turn our behavior.

1. Get muscle tested by a chiropractor/nutritionist and visit regularly for preventative care.

My son has exhibited interesting behaviors over the past couple of years. We’ve tried to teach him mechanisms to deal with disappointment, anger, or being overwhelmed. I recently became more concerned, thinking I missed the bigger picture. Was there a bigger issue was going on? As a parent, maybe I failed him. Maybe it wasn’t just a matter of behavior modification tools. I became consumed by these thoughts for a few weeks. These thoughts held me captive for a while as a deer would be in the headlights. Then I had this nagging feeling that kept creeping in. “You’ve been studying nutrition for how long, why wouldn’t you start there? Why so much worry when you know where to start?” Gut health and thoughts/emotions are linked. There are findings of depression and chronic illnesses that are linked to poor gut health. When actions are made to improve gut health, people have seen relief from symptoms or full healing from Lupus, MS, autism, depression, fatigue, ulcerative colitis, candida, and many other things.  I found myself questioning why I didn’t set up an appointment sooner to have my chiropractor muscle test him for nutrition. If you would like to read more, Dr. Josh Axe wrote a great article on the gut/brain connection. https://draxe.com/health/gut-brain-connection/

As the day approached, I had told my son that he was going to get muscle tested. My son was very nervous because he thought I was having him tested for Candida. He knew all the issues I had. He watched as I struggled for a couple of years with fatigue, pain, and emotional distress. I tried to ease his mind but I didn’t want to tell him what sparked this investigation. I didn’t want him to label himself.

2. Modify your diet and take whole food supplements.

The nutrition visit revealed some interesting findings. It revealed that he had more bad bacteria than good in his gut and that he was low in vitamin D. He also tested positive for gluten, milk, and soy sensitivities. He started taking a fish oil supplement for omega 3s, vitamin D, and probiotics. Omega 3s would help lower anxiety while probiotics would help improve gut health. I was also sure that modifying his diet would make an impact, reducing his body’s negative response to these sensitivities.

Of course, we all had our different responses to this new information. It confirmed some issues I thought he was having, and put me on a directed path. It revealed other things I wasn’t aware of as well. My son views all this information as a disappointment or jail sentence. I understand his disappointment as I felt similar with my diagnosis. Ultimately, I feel that people in the future will move toward modified diets. As the status of health declines because of poor nutrition, chemicals in our food, and processed food consumption our bodies are going to “object.” The body’s main ways to get our attention are through chronic illness, pain, and allergies. It’s our body’s only way to cry out for help. Will I listen by modifying my diet and taking natural supplements as the first step or will I look for a prescription with a slew of side effects? It’s important to give nutrient dense foods and whole food supplements time to work. It’s not convenient or easy, but if it works, it blossoms into a healthier outcome. The outcome could be true healing or management of health issues without side effects.

3. Be positive and have fun with food!

As a mom, I tried to ease my son into this new eating style. I started experimenting again with food and tried to make it look fun or interesting. I also experimented with gluten free bread making because he missed his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. All this effort was tiring at first, but in the end, it sparked more creativity and excitement. It opened my eyes to try other new dishes. As with anything, it required more effort to change, but we have all benefitted. We will continue to move forward with these changes and monitor his progress.

I found this amazingly easy and delicious gluten-free cracker.

 

Keto Salt and Pepper Crackers:

https://elanaspantry.com/salt-and-pepper-crackers/

Ingredients:

2 C almond flour

1 egg

½ tsp celtic sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Place almond flour, egg, salt, and pepper in a food processor
2. Pulse until dough forms
3. Separate dough into two halves
4. Place each half of dough between two pieces of parchment paper
5. Roll out dough to 1/16-inch thick, then remove top piece of parchment paper
6. Transfer bottom piece of parchment paper with rolled out dough onto baking sheet
7. Cut into 2 inch squares using a pizza cutter or a knife
8. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper if desired
9. Bake at 350°F for 6-10 minutes
10. Serve

Experimental Food Art Gallery:

The orignal peanut butter and jelly

Tumeric chicken salad on cucumber topped with tomato

Watermelon, mint, and sheep feta

The first picture is the “original peanut butter and jelly”. It is a raspberry stuffed with a peanut or almond. It is very delicious and extra jammy. The second picture is a skewer with watermelon on the bottom, then sheep’s feta cheese, and fresh mint on top. I served it with a homemade trail mix of walnuts, peanuts, almonds and raisins. Sheep and goat cheese are healthier cheeses. If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of feta click here: https://draxe.com/nutrition/healthiest-cheese/ The third picture is when I took my favorite chicken salad recipe and added turmeric and pepper for anti-inflammatory properties. I put it on a thin cucumber slice and topped it with a halved grape tomato. The last picture is a hamburger. We grilled portabellas for the top and bottom as the “bun”. Then I layered the “bun” with sautéed spinach and onion. Then added the beef patty. My kids added organic ketchup (does not contain high-fructose corn syrup) and mustard and topped with a portabella.