Your gut is the cornerstone of your health, especially when living with an autoimmune condition. It’s where you absorb essential nutrients to support all bodily functions, and where 80% of your immune system lives to modulate inflammation and autoimmune activity.
If your gut isn’t happy, you won’t be healthy. But when your gut is happy it gives you the power to manage autoimmunity naturally, and to achieve your ideal health and weight.
The holidays can be tough on your gut health for a variety of reasons:
- The tendency to eat or drink foods and beverages you wouldn’t normally consume can contribute to inflammation
- Stress or an influx in toxin exposures from traveling impairs gut function and create digestive upset
- Lack of sleep due to holiday festivities, last minute shopping and travel leaves less time for your gut to fully repair itself overnight
To help you keep your gut happy so you can not only survive the holidays but thrive through and after them, here are 5 gifts you can give your gut this holiday season…
1) Green Tea
Green tea has an active ingredient called polyphenol EGCG which helps to modulate genes and produce an anti-inflammatory effect. Having one cup of green tea per day can help to keep inflammation at bay and your gut happy.
2) Collagen Peptides
Collagen peptides provide the amino acids necessary in order for the body to repair the intestinal lining when damage does occur. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides are flavorless and can be added to your everyday drinking water for a powerful healing punch.
3) Deep Breathing
When we adopt the deep rhythmic breathing patterns of a relaxed person, our body automatically switches from the stressed, fight or flight, response and into a relaxed state. When we are relaxed, our body directs all of its resources inwards for digesting and healing. Try a few rounds of inhaling, holding and exhaling for a count of 5 seconds.
4) Bone Broth
Bone broth is rich in minerals for the immune system (which lives in your gut!). Plus, it has healing gut properties such as glutamine, collagen, glycine and proline. Consider sipping on a cup of bone broth a day or incorporating it into soups and other recipes for its gut healing goodness.
5) Abdominal Massage
Abdominal massage is not only relaxing, but it also can help with peristalsis for improved digestion and to sooth the smooth musculature of the digestive tract. Place both of your hands near your belly button with slight pressure, move in a counterclockwise direction starting as a small circle and gradually making larger circles.
The best thing about these gifts is that they don’t require much time, energy or money, and they are easy to incorporate even if you are traveling for the holidays.
Even if you give your gut only 2 of the 5 gifts consistently, you’ll see a difference!
Comment below to let us know which of the 5 gifts you plan to give your gut this holiday season so you can thrive despite your autoimmunity.
Leave a Comment