Why is good gut health important if you want to lose weight?

Have you tried every diet & joined every programme but just can’t lose weight?

It could be your gut health that is impacting your weight.

When we talk about gut health we are talking about the microbiome.

Your microbiome is made up of trillions and trillions of bacteria, microorganisms, fungi & viruses. I call these your gut bugs.

Yuck I hear you say.

You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have a microbiome.

Your microbiome lives in your large intestine - your colon, in your mouth, your vagina & on your skin. It’s your microbiome that keeps you healthy.

I think of my microbiome as a little universe I need to love, nurture & protect.

When your microbiome is out of balance - i.e. there are more non-beneficial than beneficial bacteria, it’s called Dysbiosis.

Symptoms of Dysbiosis are;

Obesity and weight gain.

Stomach issues, pain, diarrhoea & constipation.

Acid reflux.

Joint pain & inflammation.

Hormone imbalances.

Skin issues such as acne & psoriasis.

Mind & mood fluctuations.

What don’t your gut bugs like?

Your gut bugs don’t like ultra-processed foods (UPFs), sugar, lots of grains, i.e. cheap bread that lasts forever, pasta with everything & alcohol.

Basically, the foods that you know you should be trying to avoid if you want to lose weight.

Ultra-process foods are packaged, tinned, & frozen foods. If you read the ingredients & you don’t recognise them, you can’t pronounce them & you can’t buy them in a supermarket or on Amazon that is a UPF.

UPFs are not convenience foods. Baked beans, not the low-sugar kind, are not a UPF.

I understand the ingredients.

Also, UPF’s can be cheap takeaways. Many takeaways use poor-quality ingredients & oils which have been used again & again, making them very unstable & very inflammatory in your body.

Diet foods & low-fat weight loss foods can be high in ingredients you don’t understand.

Low-fat packaged diet food is not a healthy food.

A little aside. High stress, lack of sleep, painkillers & antibiotics can also disrupt your gut health.

How does your microbiome affect your bodily functions?

Research shows us that our gut bacteria have a role in influencing how we produce energy, how we burn sugar & how we store fat. They can also regulate our appetite.

Our microbiome influences our immune system & affects our mind & mood.

There are tons and tons of research available.

Studies in the last 5 years link dysbiosis to low-grade inflammation & obesity.

Intestinal permeability increases inflammation & can cause nutrient deficiency leading to weight gain & insulin resistance leading eventually to type 2 diabetes.

Intestinal permeability is associated with food reactions, skin break out, headaches & hormone disruptions possibly being the root cause of PCOS, PMS, & even affecting our menopause.

What does your gut like?

Your gut likes real foods.

Highly colourful fruits & vegetables & fresh herbs.

They are anti-inflammatory & full of fibre that feeds your gut bugs. The chemicals - the polyphenols, are anti-oxidants which by the way are also anti-ageing.

Fermented foods include probiotics such as kefir, kimchi & sauerkraut encouraging a variety of gut bacteria to flourish & grow.

The more variety of bacteria in our gut the healthier we are. Studies show us that people who suffer from obesity have an altered microbiome and low bacteria diversity.

So if you want to lose weight what should you do?

Ditching the ultra-processed food & takeaways is a great starting point.

I know it’s hard if you are busy, have a family, work, socialise & want a life.

My gut healthy weight management programme talks about making small changes. I talk to my 1-2-1 clients about making small changes.

Make one change - maybe swap cereal, commercial granola & toast for scrambled eggs. It can be made in the microwave while you make a cup of tea.

Or how about Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, crushed nuts and frozen berries - they can be heated in the microwave as well.

One small change.

How are you feeling? What is the next change?

How about batch cooking? When you cook a meal for the family cook more. What’s the difference between cooking for 4 & cooking for 8? Apart from the size of the pan of course.

Freeze 4 portions & the next time a takeaway calls to you. Eat your prepared meal.

Cheaper, quicker, healthier.

I am here to listen to you. To support you. To give you advice. Or simply there to hold your hand as you make changes.

Have a look at my Gut Healthy Weight Management Programme.

Starts on the 6th January

Jackie xx