Boost Digestive Health

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In Today's Email:

• Boost Digestive Health: The Gut Microbiome…

• Positive News Of The Day: Women adopts 300+ children…

• Food For The Soul: Refreshing Watermelon & Basil Smoothie…

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TODAY'S LEARNING
Boost Digestive Health

The "gut microbiome" consists of the trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live in your digestive tract.

These bacteria are very important for digestion, as well as for absorbing nutrients and making new ones. Many of us have a certain "enterotype," which is like having a certain blood type. However, each person's bacterial footprint is unique to that person. One reason we should all pay more attention to our gut is that it is involved in a wide range of other processes, such as metabolism, immune regulation, brain functions, mood, body weight, and so on.

It's important to remember that there is no "perfect gut health" goal because everyone has a different type and number of bacteria. But inflammation in the gut is often caused by an imbalance that can lead to a number of physical and mental disorders. Scientists think that we are more bacteria than we are human. They say that we have about 40 trillion bacterial cells and only 30 trillion human cells. The gut microbiome weighs between 2 and 5 pounds, which is about the same as the weight of your brain. When you look at them as a whole, the microbes in your intestines work like an extra organ in your body, which has huge effects on your overall health.

People often ask us how to deal with bloating, which is said to happen to 10–25% of otherwise healthy people from time to time. When you have a bloated belly, you might not have a big belly. Instead, you might feel tight, have mild to severe stomach pain, or feel too full. While primarily a digestive issue, stress, hormones, and underlying medical conditions may have an influence over the frequency and severity of bloating. Often, the problem is caused by too much gas in the gut. Another common cause of temporary bloating is having your period.

Here are 7 effective ways to debloat, according to our herbalists:

• Keep track of food allergies. Keep track of how your body reacts to what you eat and drink. Consider keeping a food diary to track how you feel and see if there are any patterns or links.

• Child Pose. This stretch can help your stomach feel better and aid in digestion. If keeping your knees together isn't comfortable, try the one with wider legs and more room for your stomach.

• Oil + Fats. Don't eat fats and oils that have been processed a lot (check out our guide to "knowing your oils" here). As much as possible, eat foods that are whole and not processed.

• Salt. Limit how much salt you eat overall (less is more!) and use the best salt when you do use it. Try different seasonings like mushroom, ginger, or citrus to add more flavor without getting bloated like you would if you ate too much salt.

• Massage the belly. Use the palm of your hand to massage your belly gently in large, slow circles for a few minutes every day. This makes digestion easier and helps with bloating.

• Hydration. Chronic lack of water can cause many imbalances. Be sure to drink a lot of water all day long. If that helps, use a bottle with lines on it to keep track.

• Mindful eating. At meals, try to avoid being distracted as much as possible, be present, and chew your food slowly and completely. Mindful eating can help keep you from eating too much when you're upset, and it can also help your body absorb important nutrients.

• Probiotics and prebiotics can also be great allies in supporting the gut microbiome.

Probiotics are often found in fermented foods and drinks like krauts (kimchi, sauerkraut, etc.), pickles, raw vinegar, raw yogurt, miso (when possible, choose miso without soy), and fermented drinks like kombucha, tepache, and kvass. Note that these foods must be raw and not pasteurized for you to get all of their health benefits. Probiotics and prebiotics are both beneficial to the health of the gut microbiome, but they are very different and can be taken together or on their own.

Prebiotics are found in foods that are high in fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

You can think of prebiotics as the soil that feeds your digestive tract. Probiotics, on the other hand, are live microorganisms that help "good bacteria." So, probiotics are more like seeds that bring life to the soil and invite microorganisms to live there. This helps the microbiome with metabolism and other important functions.

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CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

POSITIVE NEWS OF THE DAY

A wonderful woman in Vietnam has adopted 346 children after facing a life of terrible adversity that began when her parents abandoned her as a foundling on a doorstep.

Huynh Tieu Huong, called "Mother Theresa of Vietnam" by the media, is the head of a nonprofit dedicated to the adoption, assistance, and unpaid provision of loving kindness to abandoned, orphaned, and homeless children. Thanks to support given by donors and volunteers, these 346 children are all able to receive education, safe places to sleep and play, and the proper medical care to ensure they reach adulthood healthy.

FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Ayurveda Summer Recipes: Refreshing Watermelon & Basil Smoothie

Watermelon invites children and adults alike to step out of the heat and enjoy a refreshing treat on a summer day. Full of delicious juice, watermelon cools your body and restores balance to overheated blood.

Late June and early July is the perfect time of year to enjoy watermelon. Its sweetness is restorative for heat induced fatigue. Its cold nature and betacarotene calms your liver, easing frustration. In the summer, your heart beats faster to regulate body temperature, an effect called heart heat in Chinese medicine. Watermelon's calming effect on your spirit relieves the restlessness and impulsivity of too much heart heat.

A touch of basil's bitterness paradoxically brings out watermelon's sweetness. The earthy aroma of basil enhances subtle flavors in watermelon, a gourd after all. Basil's pungency adds zest for a exciting finish.

Ingredients

1 tbsp BASIL

2 c WATERMELON

Instructions

Puree basil & watermelon in a blender and serve chilled. Use seeds and all if your blender is powerful enough to grind them (watermelon seeds are edible). Alternatively, you can strain the seeds after blending.

MEME