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Trust Your Gut When It Comes To Your Health

From the Desk of Dr. Jessica Bohl, DC

The phrase ‘gut health’ describes effective digestion and an optimal state of well-being.  Just like the saying ‘happy wife, happy life’, ‘healthy gut, healthy life’ may be true as well.

Healthy gut, healthy life! How is yours?

Our digestive tract acts as a guardian between the outside world and the internal workings of our bodies.  If this barrier is healthy, it allows nutrients into the body while at the same time blocking foreign invaders.  If the barrier is unhealthy, the digestive material can bypass this process and even healthy food could be seen as a threat.  This threat triggers your body’s immune response and can lead to food sensitivities and chronic systemic inflammation.

Scientific research has shown the importance of beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems. Studies also indicate that less diverse strains of intestinal bacteria in infants can lead to increased food sensitivities, which is thought to lead to food allergies later in life.  Unhealthy gut bacteria have been linked to obesity, type II diabetes, cancers of the digestive system, anxiety, ADHD, and depression.  Most importantly it has been associated with chronic systemic inflammation.  Chronic inflammation is an unrelenting, low grade inflammation that your body sends as a response to a perceived threat that does not require such a response.   If it continues unchecked, the response can lead to white blood cells attacking the body’s own organs and tissues.

Early stage signs of an unhealthy gut are irregular bowel movements, gas, and incomplete digestion. If this state continues multiple symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, skin issues, cardiovascular problems, headaches and others can occur.

The question is, how can this be alleviated?  The answer is not as simple as eating yogurt every day or taking a pro-biotic supplement.  First the barrier must be healed and this process starts by avoiding substances your body recognizes as a foreign invader, which trigger the defense response.  Each person’s triggers differ, so specific blood tests must be ordered to provide individualized and detailed feedback.  This testing is not the same as an allergy test because it evaluates a delayed reaction which is very difficult to pinpoint without testing as compared to an immediate allergic reaction.  Once triggers are identified and avoided, the healing process can begin.  Additional testing like omega 3 and vitamin D levels let us know how you handle inflammation and the health of your gut/brain communication. Once a healthy environment is created the ground work has been laid to introduce beneficial gut bacteria.

If you would like to learn more about this topic or if you suspect your chronic symptoms are stemming from an unhealthy gut, please join us for a seminar led by nationally-recognized speaker and certified natural health practitioner, Melissa Crispell.  The seminar will be held on April 16 at Lula Brazil restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. For more information contact Jaime Little at jlittle@firststatehealth.com or (302) 645-6681.

Rehoboth Beach Chiropractor Dr Jessica BohlDr. Jessica Bohl, DC, is a Chiropractic Physician at First State Health & Wellness-Rehoboth.To schedule a consultation, visit www.firststatehealth.com or call 302.645.6681.

First State Health & Wellness has been providing award-winning integrative healthcare and education for over 30 years. Services among six offices across Delaware include Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage, Functional Nutrition, Whole-Body Cryotherapy, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and Rehabilitation.

Schedule an appointment today.

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