Happy gut, Happy hormones

Acne, bloating, PMS, heavy or irregular periods, PCOS, hair loss, mood swings, fatigue, no desire for sex...

If this sounds familiar, your hormones might be out of whack. You might have thought it was just part of it, but we have Guud news for you – address your gut flora and you'll see many of these symptoms improve.

Your intestines and your cycle

What do you actually know about your intestines? Maybe not much, but if you understand how important they are to your health and well-being, you'll look at your bowel movements differently .

Your intestines are home to a whole host of microorganisms, primarily bacteria. Fortunately, most of these bacteria are beneficial (or at least, that's the goal).

When your gut is in balance, everything works well. And your gut is important for your hormones, which are the main characters in the best movie ever: A Healthy Cycle.

This is how it works:

With every meal, your intestines work hard. They metabolize your food, absorb nutrients, process toxins, and produce hormones.

These hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone, are crucial for a healthy cycle. Estrogen is one of the most important female hormones because it influences:

• Your fertility
• Your state of mind
• Your skin
• Your weight and fat loss

Estrogen + your intestines

Have you ever heard of your microbiome ? It's all the trillions of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, and other single-celled creatures in your intestines—we know, it might sound a bit scary, but trust us, they're the Guud guys. 

If all these friends don't do their job properly, your excess estrogen won't be broken down, so it will kind of stick around.

The result? Hormones that can be out of balance, leading to excess estrogen.

Why is that so bad? Studies have shown that excess estrogen can cause PMS symptoms like heavy periods, bloating, mood swings, acne, and breast tenderness.

And if that's not bad enough... fluctuating estrogen levels can also cause diarrhea or constipation. That's why your bowel movements often reveal how healthy you are.

Signs of unhealthy gut?

This is how you recognize unhealthy intestines:

• Hormonal imbalance
• Bloating and gas
• Stomach acid
• Acne or other skin problems such as rosacea or eczema
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
• Brain fog, difficulty concentrating
• Headache
• Recurring illnesses, from colds to fungal infections
• Depression
• Restless feeling
• Chronic fatigue
• Trouble losing weight

How do you get healthy intestines?

Luckily, your intestines aren't that hard to please. Here's how to make them happy:

Eat nutritious and varied

Okay, a bit obvious, but we'll include it anyway. If you eat healthy, your gut will be happy. Whether you follow a vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based diet, there are a few rules of thumb to keep your gut healthy:

1. Drink enough water: Try to get 2 liters a day.
2. Eat all the colors of the rainbow: Eat foods in all the colors of the rainbow and try a different brand or product.
3. Reduce delivery and cook your own meals: Most processed foods, ready-made meals, and takeout meals are low in fiber, nutritionally unbalanced, and loaded with preservatives and sugars. No time? Try cooking ahead and freezing meals. It's just as easy as ready-made meals, but much healthier.
4. Chew well: This makes it easier for your body to absorb food and prepares your digestive system to process the food.

Also, pay close attention to what you put in your mouth. Your microbiome thrives on what you eat:

Eat enough fiber

Fiber is important for your intestines and digestion.

Prebiotics are a specific type of fiber and crucial for supporting your gut. So, vary your diet with fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and potatoes!

These prebiotic fibers produce short-chain fatty acids . These are anti-inflammatory and important for your intestines, brain, immune system, and metabolic system.

Top 5 Prebiotic Foods:

1. Onions / Garlic
2. Leek
3. Bananas
4. Flax seed
5. Cocoa

Natural sugars

Fruits and vegetables are not only a good source of fiber, but colorful fruits and vegetables offer even more benefits. They can enhance your overall health and immunity.

Think carrots, sweet potato, spinach and dark leafy greens, rosemary, berries and pomegranate. 

Holy herbs

Even if your fridge isn't stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, you can still make your gut a little happier.

Herbs and seasonings such as onions, leeks, garlic, ginger, and turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties, just like fruits and vegetables, and can boost your immune system.

Say Guudbye to coffee and alcohol

We know... this really isn't what you want to hear. And we wouldn't say it if it weren't important. But coffee and alcohol often wreak havoc on your gut—and therefore your hormones.

Coffee is probably part of your morning routine, but its high acidity can cause intestinal problems, dehydration, and stress your liver.

And alcohol keeps your liver too busy, so it doesn't have time to get rid of the excess estrogen – and this can cause a whole host of symptoms that you really don't want.

Add fermented foods to your meals

One of the simplest ways to keep your microbiome multicultural is to eat fermented foods.

What exactly is a fermented food? It's when bacteria change the acidity, smell, taste, and appearance of food through fermentation.

Sounds exotic, but you're probably eating fermented foods without even knowing it.

Some examples include chocolate, cheese, yogurt, and wine—all products of fermentation! But the real fermented favorites are sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, kombucha, and kefir. Yum!

Fermented foods support the good bacteria in your gut and often contain natural probiotics. This is because fermented foods are easier to digest.

They also contain many additional vitamins because sugar in the food is converted into alcohol, acids, or gases during fermentation. This provides a boost of vitamins B, C, and K, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Want to learn more about healthy eating? Sign up for our newsletter and receive 12 recipes that perfectly match your cycle!

Pay attention to stress

It's easier said than done, we know, but did you know that stress not only affects your cycle but also your intestines?

Find out how stress affects your cycle here.

It's not always avoidable, but if you've been feeling stress nonstop for weeks or months, it's time to do something about it. Try to figure out how to avoid stress, or what your triggers are.

Create new routines to reduce your stress: exercise regularly , meditate, go outside, or practice self-care in other ways !

3 Reasons to Love Your Gut <3

Maybe your hormones are perfectly fine and you're not experiencing any symptoms – yay! But with good digestion, there's even more to gain. Here's where a healthy gut contributes:

🤩 A radiant skin

Radiant skin—who doesn't want that? More and more studies show a link between gut health and healthy skin: Where there's gut inflammation, there's skin inflammation.

Love your gut and watch your skin glow!

😴 Sleep wonderfully

It's a win-win: Studies have shown that a healthy gut leads to a good night's sleep, and a good night's sleep leads to a healthy gut.

Research shows that our gut influences how well we sleep. Your microbiome, for example, has its own internal clock. If your clock is out of sync, your sleep-wake cycles can also get thrown off course – yuck!

🧠 Brain power

Not only is your gut directly connected to your brain through its own nervous system, but the chemicals produced in your gut (or not) are also transported to your brain via your blood. This means the healthier your gut, the healthier your brain!

Have more questions about your bowels and cycle? Chat with us . We're here for you.