A Happy Gut

I recently read an article from Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj, a researcher at VCU talking about how every aspect of our health can be connected back to the bacteria living in our intestines. Everything we eat effects the good and bad bacteria inside our gut. Having gut issues I have given this a lot of thought. I’ve always felt like at home I eat pretty clean. I try to promote good gut health by taking probiotics and peppermint oil (digestive aid).

During my recent pancreatic attack one of the doctors said, it was possible that something I had unintentionally eaten could had given me food poisoning and caused my pancreatic flair up. I know I felt like little piranhas were inside my digestive track and it was very painful. Between the throwing up and the stomach pain I was also, feeling weak. When the pain started to radiate into my chest I knew I needed to go to the ER.

At home I buy organic foods, grow some of our own food and read the labels to avoid antibiotics and dairy. Traveling for work I wasn’t always as proactive. The food I had the night before I became sick tasted fine, but it could haven been undercooked or exposed to animal fats (causing my pancreas issue). I didn’t detect anything unusual while eating. However someone’s careless handling of my food most likely led to a lot of pain, a pancreatic attack that sent me to the ER and a week long hospital stay.

Having IBS and pancreatitis, I understand people that only choose cooking at home to avoid certain foods. Since my experience Ive tried to make a few changes like deciding to asking more questions about the food I’m planning to eat and its preparation. I read reviews of restaurants from multiple sites and look for those that use organic and local ingredients. I try to make sure I eat at familiar places and restaurants I trust when I can. Something as simple as cooking my vegetables on a shared grill where someone cooked an item with animal fat can wreck havoc on my pancreas.

Some ingredients in the foods we eat can be detrimental to good gut bacteria and disrupt our natural digestion. Look at the ingredients in the foods you are eating and what their use is. Educate yourself on this topic and talk to your doctor or a health professional about supporting your digestion and gut health if you’re having any issues. In addition I encourage everyone to know what you’re eating, where it came from and who handled it. You have a right to know about the foods you’re eating. Anyone that prepares or handles food also, has an obligation to make sure to meet a consumer’s requests and to practice food safety.