A Check on Gut Health
The health of your gut is not a fun conversation to have. But for me, it’s been a necessity recently. And if I can help just one person bypass some of the frustration that I’ve had, I’ll call that a win.
About six weeks ago, I was at dinner with my sister-in-law and had stomach pains so bad I had to make a pit stop at her house to lay down before I headed home. This was kind of a culmination of months of bloating and weight gain—even though I felt like I was doing (almost) everything right.
Over the last six months or so, I’ve gained about 20 pounds. A tough pill to swallow when you’re in the health and fitness industry. Sure, I wasn’t as active, but not so much that I should have gained 20 pounds. I’ve also been feeling really sluggish and just “off.”
Doctor’s Visit & Testing
I started thinking it was my age, a metabolism problem, hormone imbalance, intestinal bacteria, cancer… It was time to do something about it, rather than thinking the worst. Especially after the incident with my sister-in-law.
So off to the doctor I went, and had 20 vials of blood taken. She sent them away for comprehensive tests on everything under the sun: blood sugar, diabetes, thyroid, pancreas, bacteria growth, food allergies.
What I found out what that my body is functioning as it should and I have no major health issues. But I also found that I’m allergic to some foods I had no idea. Corn, carrots, tomatoes, peanuts, potatoes. Some of the foods I eat most often.
While none of the allergies are life-threatening or something that I would notice right away after consuming it, they could be causing some of the issues I’ve had.
What’s Up Next
I’ve been drinking bone broth, taking probiotics and vitamin D supplements, but I also need to visit with a nutritionist to come up with a plan of action.
But I know what’s coming: An elimination diet to take certain things out of my diet and then slowly bring them back in to find out what’s causing the biggest issues. Something similar to the Ultimate Reset, which I’ve done before (but haven’t re-introduced things as slowly as I should have).
As someone who cares about her health and fitness, it’s been a difficult few months. I just returned from a vacation where I didn’t really watch what I was eating too much. But now that I’m back, it’s time to take my gut health seriously so I can start feeling better.
If you’ve had gut issues, you know that knowledge is power. I’ve been telling myself that my challenges are all about my age, but I’m finding out differently. I encourage you to reach out to professionals to find out what’s really going on with your body. I’m lucky that the doctor’s haven’t found anything serious, but that’s not always the case. Take care of yourself so you can take care of those you love.
