Has your weight loss stalled? Frustrated with losing and gaining the same 5-10 pounds over and over again?
The answer may be your gut health. May sound like a bit of a stretch to think our digestive system may hold the key to losing those unwanted pounds, but research and our client results offer proof that there are many links between gut health and weight loss!
When we tap into these gut health underlying causes, the weight naturally falls off without extreme dieting and unsustainable exercise routines that only trick the body short-term. Heal the gut to lose the gut. That’s a more sustainable and healthy way to lose weight long term! Plus, overall health improves too when we address the gut!
Before we highlight the seven links, let’s review the digestive system basics. Every aspect of our gut health is related. It’s all one system with each part triggering the function of another in a top-down sequence.
Digestion begins in the brain. Thinking about food makes us salivate for example. Many times simply thinking more about what we will be eating helps our body prepare for digesting the food. Eating slowly and mindfully triggers hormones, gastric juices, and enzymes to do their job. Digestion is a parasympathetic process (relaxed state) vs. sympathetic process (stressed state).
The process continues in the mouth with amylase (carbohydrate enzyme) secretion and chewing of course. Chewing thoroughly helps the digestive process further to continue smoothly in the esophagus and stomach where hydrochloric acid is a key piece to function. If the pH (power of hydrogen) is too alkaline, food will sit undigested in the stomach and create unwanted gas, bloating, and possible indigestion weakening the sphincter valve. This can halt the pancreas and gallbladder from secreting their enzymes and bile salts to further break down the food.
This can result in food not getting broken down enough into a usable form, that causes our system to treat it as foreign with an immune response and inflammation in our small intestine creating a condition known as leaky gut syndrome. The small intestine lining becomes inflamed and damaged, nutrients do not get absorbed, and symptoms start to emerge as a result (asthma, allergies, skin conditions, migraines, mood swings, brain fog, joint pain, etc.)
There are four main types of microbes in our guts:
- Parasitic
- Bacterial
- Fungal
- Yeast
**Viruses are intracellular parasites.
When these become imbalanced (dysbiosis) it disrupts many metabolic processes, and can ultimately lead to an actual diagnosable condition.
Here’s a summary of what can go wrong with gut health:
So what does all this have to do with weight loss? These 7 Links are often a key piece of the puzzle for why weight isn’t budging, or is fluctuating back and forth no matter how the calories in, calories out equation is adjusted.
#1: Nutrient Absorption
We are what we absorb. Nutrient deficiencies are so common today. Micronutrient (vitamins & minerals) deficiencies can impair energy metabolism and may contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Proper nutrient absorption ensures that the body efficiently obtains the energy and nutrients it needs from food. If nutrient absorption is compromised, it can lead to deficiencies and potentially affect energy balance, metabolism, and weight management.
Nutrient absorption can influence hormonal signaling related to appetite control, satiety, and metabolism. For example, the absorption of protein stimulates the release of satiety hormones like peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which can help control appetite and reduce calorie intake. Conversely, deficiencies in certain nutrients, such as fiber or protein, may disrupt hormonal regulation and contribute to overeating and weight gain.
The more nutrient dense (amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids per calorie) your foods, and the more effectively you absorb these nutrients can definitely impact how much you eat (portions) and how hungry you are, plus the actual function of hormones and energy regulation for weight loss!
#2: Fat Burning Mode
Studies have shown that the composition of the gut microbiome can influence how efficiently calories are extracted from food, as well as how energy is stored and utilized. Metabolic flexibility (being able to burn ketones from fats and glucose from carbohydrates) is key to keeping weight off long term and is influenced by our microbe balance in our guts.
#3: Regulating Insulin & Glucagon
When our guts are overrun with yeast or candida for example, these microbes feed on sugars. We will crave sugars of all kinds – making it hard to resist with just will power all the sugary sweet treats! Food sensitivities can trigger insulin (fat storage hormone). When we eat foods we are sensitive to we are actually creating a metabolic response that works against our weight loss goal!
“Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs): Certain beneficial bacteria in the gut ferment dietary fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFAs have been shown to enhance fat burning by increasing the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and liver. Additionally, SCFAs can stimulate the release of hormones like glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), which promote satiety and may indirectly support fat burning by regulating appetite and energy intake.” – Digestive Wellness
#4: Detox Capacity
It’s important that we are losing the right type of weight. Shrinking fat cells is what we are after, and what is stored in a fat cell? Toxins of all kinds. Certain gut microbes are capable of biotransforming or modifying toxins and harmful substances found in food, medications, and environmental pollutants. This biotransformation process can sometimes render toxins less harmful or more easily excreted from the body. Gut health plays a multifaceted role in supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes by influencing metabolism, intestinal barrier function, immune responses, and interactions with other organs such as the liver.
#5: Metabolism Regulator
Of all the many jobs the microbes in our guts carry out, one of them is working with our thyroid to regulate our metabolism. The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of microbes living in the gastrointestinal tract, play a crucial role regulating metabolism.
Studies have shown that the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota can impact our Base Metabolic Rate (how many calories we burn at rest). Certain gut bacteria are involved in the fermentation of dietary fibers, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that can influence our base metabolic rate.
#6: Inflammation Management
Our small intestine is where 90% of nutrients are absorbed and the center of systemic inflammation if the lining becomes too permeable or leaky. An imbalance in the gut microbiome, known as dysbiosis, can lead to inflammation in the gut. Chronic inflammation is associated with obesity and insulin resistance, which can contribute to weight gain and difficulty losing weight by interfering with the body’s ability to burn fat efficiently. Dysregulation of immune cell activity in the small intestine can lead to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), celiac disease, food allergies, and other gastrointestinal disorders as well as stalled weight loss!
#7: Hormone Conversion
The gut microbiome can influence the production and regulation of hormones that are involved in appetite control and metabolism, such as leptin and ghrelin. Imbalances in these hormones can lead to increased hunger and cravings, making weight loss more challenging. Dysbiosis may disrupt hormonal signaling pathways, leading to dysregulated appetite, energy expenditure, and fat storage.
Plus, many inactive hormones are converted into active forms in our guts! For example 25% of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) is converted to T3 (active form) by our good microbes in our guts!!
If you or someone you love is experiencing gut related symptoms, like embarrassing gas, bloating, burping, acid reflux, constipation or diarrhea (typical GI symptoms) or has been diagnosed with GERD, SIBO, Crohns, IBS, or other gut related disorder than EVERY area of the GI tract shown above needs support.
Maybe there are no real gut related symptoms, but you can’t seem to get the weight to budge despite your best efforts! Let’s take a closer look at your gut health from a functional level and discover your missing piece to weight loss!!
We can help! Phase 2 of our Coaching Program uses GI Map testing and assessments to walk you through a personalized protocol to rebuild gut health! Register for our FREE Training Series to learn more about gut healing strategies in our upcoming free training series – DRESS Week Health Mastery March 31st – April 5th (2024)!!
You can also check out this article on the 5R Protocol to heal the gut!
Weight doesn’t have to just be managed, it can be MASTERED!! The freedom to eat foods without digestive upset, stable energy, moods and weight are all a result of rebuilding your gut health!! Let us show you how!!
Apply Now to become a client, and talk with one of our Coaches!!