Having A Healthy Gut Is The Solution To All Your Gynecological Woes
By Daniela Cantillo
Listen to your gut—it’s always right.
I’m sure people close to you have said this to you before—whether it’s a friend offering advice on that new person you’ve started dating, or your mom’s attempt at calming your nerves about an important decision. It’s true—your gut is always right, and you should always listen. Today, I am urging you to listen to your actual gut, because it might have something important to tell you about your hormonal symptoms, gynecological woes, and overall health.
Many of us have been under the impression that “gut” is just another word for stomach—myself included. However, turns out your gut actually refers to your entire gastrointestinal system. This means your mouth, stomach, liver, esophagus, gallbladder, pancreas, colon, and rectum. Relax—I promise I won’t turn this into a High School anatomy lesson. I’m simply here to offer some practical insight about how listening to your body can be a simple solution to your hormonal symptoms. The good news is - you can fix a lot of these at home!
When healthy and properly balanced, your gut can work wonders. It keeps your digestive system on track, offers protection against pathogens, and also regulates your hormones. This generally happens when you follow a healthy, balanced diet - in conjunction with an active lifestyle and proper self-care, of course. However, poor dietary and lifestyle choices can disrupt your gastrointestinal system—which can in turn affect your entire body. Excessive sugar, lack of sleep, stress, and processed foods are some of the numerous factors that can harm your gut—and also make your hormonal symptoms all the more annoying!
What Can Bad Gut Health Do?
Closely impacted by your gut health, the microbiome is a diverse community of microorganisms that reside within your gut. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are all part of this community that functions just like another organ. When these microorganisms operate harmoniously, your gut health is generally in line. However, an imbalance in your microbiome can disrupt your gut health, and can result in not only hormonal imbalances, but also in obesity and even brain disorders. Also, interestingly enough, your gut microbiome actually regulates your hormones—and vice versa! An imbalanced gut can even mess with your estrogen production, which is crucial to women’s health. Too much or too little of it can have strongly negative effects on your system and lead to diseases like breast cancer. Needless to say, following a healthy lifestyle and taking care of your gut health are crucial when it comes to regulating your hormonal symptoms.
How Do I Get My Gut and ‘Goodies’ Right?
Aside from practicing good hygiene, there are a number of things you can do at home to regulate your gut health and avoid gynecological issues. First and foremost, I encourage you to start living a more active lifestyle, take care of your mental health, and get those full eight hours of sleep. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading causes of health problems, so why not invest time and energy into a healthier you? Additionally, you can help regulate your gut health by consuming foods and supplements rich in live cultures and gut-friendly nutrients. Probiotics are essential healthy bacteria for your gut, and they can be found in fermented food and beverages such as pickles, kimchi, and, you guessed it, the famous Kombucha that we millennials love! Yogurt is also a good source of probiotics, but make sure to read labels carefully if you’re dairy-free. Of course, some herbs and spices can be extremely beneficial when it comes to your gut health. Turmeric, for example, is a wonderful spice known for aiding digestion. Similarly, ginger, peppermint, and cardamom have gut healing agents. They are also beneficial for feminine health, and are excellent additions to your morning tea! You can also invest in some feminine probiotic supplements such as HUM or Good Girl Probiotic.
Regular visits to the doctor should be an extremely important part of your to-do list. Medical professionals have been trained for years on human anatomy, and how to best cater to its needs. However, there are small, yet powerful lifestyle changes you can make at home in order to help your system run smoothly. Like I said before, your gut health can affect your overall health - and you can start taking care of it by monitoring your diet, as well as keeping your stress levels and sleep patterns in check. This will not only help improve your physical health, but also your emotional and mental health.
All this said, I recommend you start listening to your gut. It really is always right!