Our gut can be our body’s warning system, alerting us to issues that may arise due to lifestyle, environment, or stress. Chronic gut inflammation is more than just a nuisance; it is the body’s way of responding to injury, irritation, or a perceived threat to the immune system.
When inflammation is in the gut, it may look like bloating, gut pain, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. It can even lead to official diagnoses such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gastritis. However, when viewed through a holistic lens, inflammation in the gut is not random but a message that something you do every day, such as diet and lifestyle, may be irritating the gastrointestinal tract.
Inflammation: The body’s optimal warning system
Barbara O’Neill has dedicated her life to helping people recover their health naturally and reclaim their lives. Today, her daughter, Emma Magnolia, is helping spread her mother’s message through BarbaraONeill.com, a comprehensive collection of resources and information that can help people lead healthier lifestyles and heal chronic gut inflammation from the inside out.
“The body is created with a remarkable healing capacity when we remove what harms it and give it what it needs,” says Magnolia. “Chronic gut inflammation can be a dashboard warning light in a car, signaling that something is wrong and needs attention. Ignore that warning, and the damage will progress.”
What the gut is trying to tell us
Physical, chemical, and even emotional stressors can cause persistent inflammation in the gut when they are allowed to fester and accumulate over time. Anything from overloading the body with the wrong foods to rushing meals or failing to supply the gut with beneficial nutrients to strengthen the protective lining can send the gut into a nasty flare-up.
Chronic stress can have a significant impact on gut health, one that may take years to manifest itself. Stress can change blood flow, slow digestion, and alter the gut’s motility and vitality, leading to cramping, reflux, and flare-ups.
“The inflamed gut is asking for fewer irritants, from what you eat to how you feel emotionally,” says Magnolia. “When we have more respect for digestion, diet, movement, and a calmer internal environment, our gut will respond positively.”
How to remedy an inflamed gut through better digestion
From Instagram to YouTube, gut health is a popular topic of conversation among those interested in better wellness. One of the recurring themes on the BarbaraONeill.com site and in her books and teachings is that health begins “in the gut.” But really, it may begin with the mouth and how we chew our food. Proper chewing allows salivary enzymes to break down our food, easing the work that the rest of the digestive system has to do later.
In the stomach, stomach acids further break down food to carry it along on its digestive journey. When we snack all day or stress-eat, that stomach acid can drop, leading to more inflammation.
When the frontline of digestion is overwhelmed, stressed, or mistreated, the message the gut sends to your body is “slow down” and “eat simple meals” to ward off inflammation. When more care is taken to consider what we introduce into our bodies and how we are eating, chronic inflammation can become a thing of the past.
Lifestyle laws to unlock better gut health
The BarbaraONeill.com website outlines a revolutionary holistic philosophy built around the core principles of the nine foundational pillars of health. “These laws support the body’s natural healing design,” says Magnolia. “Chronic gut inflammation can sometimes signal that some of these laws are being broken.”
The nine foundational pillars of health include getting plenty of sunshine and water, maintaining healthy sleep habits, trusting in a divine power, abstaining from anything harmful to the body, including harnessing healthy stress management, inhaling fresh air, maintaining good nutrition, practicing moderation, and getting plenty of exercise.
The foundational lifestyle messages the gut sends that align with these nine foundational pillars of health can sound like honoring rhythm, not chaos, and moving your body, simple tenets that can lead to a healthier gut.
Simple rules and practical steps for less gut inflammation and lasting health
When the body sends us signals through the gut that we are not treating it well, it helps to listen to them. A more holistic approach to gut health and better overall well-being, like the one promoted at BarbaraONeill.com, can help ease inflammation and support better digestion.
“On a practical level, our gut is urging us to eat well, move our bodies, get outside for sunshine and fresh air, and to attend to rest and hydration,” says Magnolia.
Ultimately, chronic gut inflammation can be disruptive to one’s life, but it is not the enemy. Instead, it is the body’s warning system, letting you know that shifts in lifestyle, diet, and movement may be needed to ease pain and discomfort. When we listen and respond to what our bodies are telling us, we honor a system that has been built to heal.
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