Follow Your Gut... Some Wise Words from Libby Limon BSc Nutritional Therapist

Foreword by Polly - Jolly Allotment

January is always interesting. People trying crazy diets, converting to veganism or doing the latest fad no carb, no fat, full of processed low everything food diets all determined to loose weight and get fit. By mid January so many people have mid January blues from falling off their diet, beating themselves up for not sticking to it . It is a vicious cycle so many people fall into. What if there was another way? A more balanced way? At Jolly Allotment we love to encourage you to think about your health as a bigger picture with what you eat being at the centre of your physical and mental wellbeing. It is all about feeling Jolly and full of energy and positivity and it all starts with your Gut.

I've been asked a lot recently, 'To be gut friendly do I have to cut loads of foods out of my diet?'

My answer is always NO, not unless you have a specific issue and then it probably wouldn't be for a long period of time, just until you get the balance of good bacteria in your gut more in tune with what your body needs. I had so many issues from Spider bites to Coeliac disease so I needed to do some serious repair work on my guts which involved cutting out foods which I appeared to be allergic to because of bacteria imbalances. But this doesn't mean everyone would need to do the same to achieve a happy balance and this is what makes gut health so powerful! Imagine if it helped me feel well again what you could achieve without my added complications.  My wish is that we all learn more about the power of gut health and seasonal eating to take care of our digestive systems from a young age so that less people have to go through the extensive repair work, pain and sadness I did.  I want to live in a world where we can all live in harmony with our digestive systems.

Everybody's Gut Micro-biome are different so I always recommend working with a Nutritional Therapist to find the right diet for you. It is a really empowering experience and one often misunderstood. My brilliant Nutritionist Libby Limon explains more... 

Libby Limon on Following your gut….

Often when people think about seeing a nutritionist, the unknown and some poor media portrayals often lead people think the worst. Thoughts of being made to feel guilty or having all your favourite foods banned puts many off taking the leap to get professional advice when it comes to diet. However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth a good nutritionist is all about creating a happy and healthy diet that supports and suits you. Often allowing you eat your favourite foods in a way that is positive for your physical and mental wellbeing.

Additionally, a nutritionist looks not just at your diet but at your wellbeing to help you understand and take a journey to feel and look great.  This is called ‘functional medicine’, analysing how the body functions so you can support it to work optimally. One of the corner stone functions a nutritionist will look at is your digestive system, as without this working well, nothing you consume will be absorbed well and feeling uncomfortable with gut symptoms is a daily misery for much of the population. 

Whilst we are all familiar with the symptoms you can suffer from such as bloating, gas, loose or hard stools, abdominal pain or discomfort, most of us are unaware that these complaints can be the result of many different functional imbalances. They can originate from your small or intestine, or both. Often when one has issues over time it affects the other and both can become affected. 

Food allergies and intolerances are widely talked about these days so often people assume that this is the issue, but actually occurrences of this are relatively small. More often, our healthy gut flora has been compromised and we have overgrowths of unhelpful gas producing microbes. Other problems include, low level chronic inflammation, low production of enzymes or stomach acid. In order to really resolve your gut problems, which in the majority of people is achievable, it is important that they are properly investigated and tested for. With the knowledge of the underlying causes a strategic and effective plan can be made to help your gut function as it should do. A healthy gut is not only about digestion, it has been shown to have far reaching effects in the body. It is proven to help mental health, immunity and hormone balance. I would encourage anyone who has long term digestive problems to take that leap and work to remedy the problems, as it can completely change your health, wellbeing and outlook on life.

Wishing you all  happy gut for 2020 and beyond

Libby x

Thank you to Libby for this piece. She really was at the centre of my recovery and knows her stuff . You can find her at www.libbylimom.com or @libbylimon on Instagram. I've also recorded a Podcast converstion with Libby which is incredible and I can't wait to share it with you all! So please sign up to the Jolly Journal here to get news on - all things Jolly Allotment and  the Goodness For Wellness Podcast publication dates coming soon. Mean while you can read  more about Libby and her practice here in my 'Little book of Wizzards'.

Thanks for reading our journal we are so grateful to you!

Polly x

Thank you for reading the Jolly Journal - I really appreciate your interest and hope it's of value to you. I am dyslexic and for years this stopped me writing because of the fear of getting it wrong. Now I am embracing my fear so I appreciate your understanding if you see a mistake I have missed. Thank you! - Polly x

 

 

  

Share

Back to Journal