Nut Butter Filled Chocolate Covered Dates. In regular rotation over here lately

In response to last week's newsletter all about 💩, I got a message from a friend sharing that her digestion has absolutely tanked in the last few years, and she's worried about what it means. 

 

One thing I didn't elaborate on that newsletter is that declining hormones often throw off our gut health. If you've noticed some changes after 40, it's possible that lower Estrogen levels are playing a role. It doesn't mean there is something catastrophic going on, but rather a cascading decline of a healthy microbiome that has downstream effects you may be noticing. 

 

 

We might not have been aware of how hormones play a role in declining gut health. And while it's hard to hear all the ways we're falling apart (one more thing to deal with?) take this info as more evidence that working on our microbiome is a worthwhile endeavor. 

 

Estrogen and gut bacteria have a two-way relationship: hormones help shape the gut environment, and gut bacteria help process estrogen. As estrogen declines it can change your microbiome. 

 

Here are a few ways this may show up:

 

* Bacteria balance: Changes in estrogen can influence the types and balance of bacteria living in your gut, lowering beneficial bacteria which makes room for detrimental levels to rise. 

 

* Gut lining: Estrogen plays a role in supporting the intestinal barrier and immune function. Lower levels = thinner lining. 

 

* Digestion: Bloating, constipation or changes in bowel habits are common during perimenopause. 

 

* Estrogen recycling: Gut bacteria help determine how much estrogen gets recycled versus eliminated. Estrogen detox can slow in midlife, which plays a part in higher breast cancer levels after 40. 

my view first thing in the morning. 

 

As someone with compounding metabolic health issues, let me say that improving gut health is a lot easier to do than shifting your metabolism. 

 

By understanding what is actually going on and addressing it, you can absolutely change the terrain of your microbiome & improve digestion. 

 

Most of us want quick fixes & immediate results. But it took some time for our bodies to get to where they are now, and it takes time to balance our microbiome. Occasionally my clients find a food intolerance that was really throwing things off & experience quick improvements, but for the most part this is slow work—the path of true healing.

 

And the best part is you are doing it yourself, with your eyes wide open, learning more about your body in the process. While I am here as a guide, no one is doing it to you or for you. So whatever knowledge you gain becomes yours forever (or at least until that brain fog kicks in again). 

 

I recently made this salsa to serve on a slow cooked salmon (a la samin nosrat) for my son's Bar mitzvah. The recipe is based on my cooking mentor Suzanne goin's recipe. she uses it on a serrano ham & arugula salad. It's also great on farro, roasted squash or grilled fish/poultry. 

 

 

 

Gut health and digestion are central to the work I do. Wellbeing originates in the gut, so we begin there, using your symptoms and labs to connect the dots and get to the root of what's going on. We use food, supplements and tests as needed, as well as factoring in lifestyle/mind/spirit when it shows itself as being a part of the solution. 

 

Are you noticing changes, but not sure where to start or who to turn to? Feeling stuck about which direction to head? I love nothing more than to be a resource on your healing journey- whether or not it makes sense for us to work together. I'd love to hear what's going on & offer ideas about what path might be the best one for you. You can book a free 20 minute chat below.