So yes… this sounds a little odd but give me a minute to explain. The statement came from a conversation with a close friend. We were talking about foods that are good for the gut and how with all the articles on social media, random blogs, magazines, and the everywhere in between..how do you know which to believe and which foods really are healing and helpful when it comes to gut health?
It may sound like just another fad idea or possibly like I am going to give you an amazing spa facial treatment recipe but no. I am going to give you some insight into things to put IN not ON your body.
We all have days…or weeks where we don’t eat the best, have a little more stress, or are possibly recovering from an illness and feel our bodies need a little extra care. If you don’t think that, perhaps it is time you should. I live my life fully in the 80/20 land of accidents happen… aka cake happens.
So let’s break down the basics of: would you put it on your face.
- HYDRATION – Much like your face your GI tract is made up of delicate yet resilient tissues that needs some care. This is where moisture comes into play. So yes, I am going to start with telling you water is very important both inside and out. Just like keeping your skin moisturize with lotions and creams, you need to put water in your body to keep things happy, lubricated, and moving smoothly. I would and do put water on my face and in my body daily… multiple times!
- NUTRIENTS – Think yogurt/probiotics. I know it sounds silly and I am pretty sure this is roughly where the original conversation got started. Yogurt is full of probiotics which is essential to a healthy gut function. It can be soothing. Just think about slapping some yogurt on your face. Cooling, soothing, moisturizing, revitalizing to the face. It can do all that AND MORE for the gut. Nourish, replenish, and calm your entire digestive tract.
- FAT – Not a lot, just enough, and most importantly the right kind. For this think avocado or coconut oil. Yes, they are saturated fats but that is why I said not a lot. You wouldn’t want to put animal fats like butter on your face and we all know fried foods are directly reflected on the face in the form of pimples. Avoid the heavy, modified, and fried.
- FIBER – Think nourishing oatmeal mask. Just like the fibrous texture of the oat can take away the impurities and scrub your face… it does similar for the GI tract. Little gut scrubber that is fiber can help remove impurities. It slows rate of absorption of sugars. Fun fact: if you eat your fats and sugars with fiber you can sweep the extras away. Teacher once said, “If you’re going to eat ice cream top it with some berries and granola for the added fiber.” Teachers wouldn’t lie about something as important as ice cream!? High fiber foods also have the benefit of being more filling so you eat less AND they feed the above mentioned probiotics.
No one has the perfect diet but if you start thinking about your gut like the delicate yet strong organ it is then you might be on your way to having a healthier body. When you pick your foods and fill your plate, occasionally stop to think…. would I put this on my face?
