Mindful Vitality

When it comes to weight loss, especially in midlife, diets and exercise simply don't cut it.

In this episode, my special guest Dr. Jessie Hehmeyer,
MS, DC, LDN, CNS joins me to share how the gut microbiome (bacteria and other microbes) impacts your metabolism and how you can skyrocket your metabolism for healthy weight loss by balancing the microbiome.

Tune in to discover:
- how the gut impacts weight via inflammation and hormones
- the critical role that blood sugar plays in metabolism
- how to balance the gut microbiome naturally, without antibiotics
- Dr. H's take on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic
- Her top diet and supplement recommendations to boost metabolism
and so much more!

Available on all major podcast platforms!

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Av1FgPGywarAmzVYNSkIr?si=72ccdb7ca2244f9e

Listen on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s5-ep-9-the-microbiome-scale-connection-healthy/id1444320317?i=1000665071475

To learn more about Dr. Hehmeyer's practice, head to https://www.wellempowered.com/ or find her on ⁠Instagram @ wellempowered

Is dieting making your gut WORSE?!
Undereating can cause a whole host of health issues including constipation and bloating!

Putting food into your gut is actually the stimulus that tells your body to start the digestive process, including peristalsis - the wave like contractions of the smooth muscle in your intestines that moves your food along and promotes bowel movements.
So in order to p**p, you have to eat regularly!
Make sure you're getting a least 3 meals per day.

Undereating is also a STRESS to the body. And when your body is in a stressed state, it simply can't heal.

Undereating will also backfire and cause all the things you're probably trying to avoid including:
- mood swings
- extreme cravings and overeating
- nutrient deficiencies
- fatigue
- brain fog
- hair, skin and nail issues (especially a low fat diet or not enough protein)
- hormone imbalances

So what do you do if you have a weight loss goal?
Healing your gut actually helps you lose weight, without dieting!

A healthy gut actually boosts your metabolism by:
- reducing inflammation
- extracting less calories from your food
- balancing hunger hormones
- optimizing sleep
- optimizing thyroid function
and more!

Client success story: my client Emily lost 10 pounds without dieting, simply by healing her gut including balancing her nervous system with simply daily practices.

If you're struggling with gut issues and you also have a weight loss goal, let's talk.

Book your complimentary, no pressure, virtual Meet and Greet session below!👇

https://mindful-vitality-nutrition.janeapp.com/ /1

The #1 cause of bloating & IBS that you won't find on Google?
Nervous system dysregulation - your nervous system, which runs digestion, is shot, due to stress, anxiety and burnout. 🔥

This is the #1 cause of gut issues, especially in women that have are already eating clean and taking probiotics.

So what's REALLY causing your bloating & IBS? 🤔

Take my FREE QUIZ to find out! 👇
https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/1WhI2mrtiw

I get asked a lot where I work, so I thought I'd let you know - I work virtually with clients worldwide! 🌍

If you're looking for gut health support, book a complimentary virtual Meet and Greet and let's chat!

Book your no pressure consult here 👇
https://mindful-vitality-nutrition.janeapp.com/

Can't figure out what's causing your bloating and gut issues?🙄
Take my free quiz! ✅

What's REALLY causing your bloat? Take my quiz to discover your unique surprising root causes and simple strategies to be bloat-free for the summer!

Never had gut issues until you hit your 40s, and how you're reacting to everything you eat (especially fats?)
Bloated no matter how clean you eat?

Hormonal shifts in midlife have a massive impact on your gut function and state of your gut bacteria (your microbiome) that can cause new, or worsened gut issues including new food sensitivities, constipation or diarrhea, heartburn and indigestion, brain fog, bloating, weight gain, fatigue and more!

The good news: what feels like a food sensitivity may be something else that is treatable and means you don't have to limit your diet!

Even if your doctor says "everything's normal", there are very real changes happening in your body due to hormone shifts that you need to know about.

These include:
- reduced stomach acid
- shifts in your gut microbiome
- gallbladder issues (including thickened sludgy bile)
- reduced motility
- leaky gut

In this episode, I dive into how hormonal shifts in perimenopause and menopause are messing with your gut, and my top 6 (doable) diet, supplement and lifestyle tips to banish bloating, reverse food sensitivities and get your body back! (without giving up your glass of wine, or dinners out!)

You'll learn why clean eating and probiotics are not enough to heal your gut, and the critical missing links to get you unstuck and feeling yourself again.

Available on all major podcast platforms!

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nZM58hmNK3WUjE3y87azT?si=zDY97IP_RGSlFA-Xj1H8WQ

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s5-ep8-midlife-food-sensitivities-ibs-causes-of-gut/id1444320317?i=1000663252419

If this episode resonates with you, spread the love by sharing on social and tagging me , or leave a rating and review in your podcast app! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

HOW TO RECOVER FROM AN ANTIBIOTIC 💊
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What I see quite often in clients is many of their gut symptoms developed after a round of antibiotics, but because they weren't aware, they either didn't do anything after the antibiotics to heal their gut, or maybe just took a probiotic.

Antibiotics kill both bad and good bacteria in your gut, and also causes inflammation to your gut lining, contributing to leaky gut.​​​​​​​​
This makes it easier for "bad" bacteria and yeasts to take over when there's less good bacteria to keep them in check.​​​​​​​​

Leaky gut allows food particles to leak into your bloodstream, launching an immune response, and can create food sensitivities, not to mention widespread inflammation.
​​​​​​​
Keep in mind, it can take up to 6 months for your gut to recover from one round of antibiotics, so be patient with your body.

In the meantime, you may develop new symptoms and food sensitivities including:
👉increased bloating and indigestion
👉bowel movement changes: diarrhea or constipation (or alternating between the two)
👉fatigue, insomnia and brain fog
👉inflammation and skin issues (eczema, acne)
👉mood changes

This is to be expected, but you can start healing your gut today to not only reduce gut symptoms but manage and reverse these other health issues as well.

Keep in mind, a probiotic is great, but it is simply not enough to completely heal the gut after an antibiotic.
​​​​​​​​
My top 6 antibiotic recovery tips!
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✅️ Fibre:​​​​​​​​
Fibre restore optimal levels of healthy gut bacteria. Aim for half your plate veggies at meals, a fruit or veggie with every snack, and choose whole grain carbs like quinoa, oats or brown rice.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
✅️ Fermented foods​​​​​​​​
Contain naturally occurring probiotics that bring down inflammation, and normalize bowel movements. ​​​​​​​​
*If you have a lot of allergies or food sensitivities, you may not tolerate fermented foods as they are high in histamine.​​​​​​​​
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✅️ Demulcent herbs​​​​​​​​
Herbs such as licorice root, marshmallow and slippery elm coat the digestive tract and soothe your gut lining, providing relief and allowing it to heal.​​​​​​​​ They also seed the gut to help promote the growth of new healthy bacteria.
​​​​​​​​
✅️ Probiotic​​​​​​​​s:
Probiotics can help repair leaky gut in as little as 1 to 4 weeks - this is measured by zonulin.
They can also be helpful in managing post-antibiotic issues such as diarrhea or constipation. However, it's best to work with a practitioner, as the wrong strain may worsen gut symptoms.​​​​​​​​

For diarrhea, S. Boulardii (a probiotic yeast) is most effective, and for constipation, bifidobacteria strains are most effective.​​​​​​​​

There are specific strains that have been proven to help with leaky gut repair including lactobacillus rhamnosus.
​​​​​​​​
✅️ Leaky gut repair: L-glutamine​​​​​​​​
Your body uses an amino acid (protein building block) called glutamine to keep your gut lining healthy. This helps prevent, and also manage leaky gut and gut inflammation. Foods high in glutamine include meat, fish, nuts & eggs.​​​​​​​​

✅️ Immune support: colostrum and dairy (if tolerated)
Both colostrum (the first milk, from lactating cows) and dairy (ie whey protein) contain lactoferrin, which supports immune function in the gut and allows the gut to heal.

If you're struggling with post antibiotic gut issues, and probiotics aren't helping, you may need a personalized gut healing plan.

Book your free Meet & Greet to finally understand WHY you're bloated and reacting to everything you eat, and how to stop spinning your wheels and feel amazing in as little as 2 to 3 months!

https://mindful-vitality-nutrition.janeapp.com/ /1

Ladies! 👋
Join me LIVE tomorrow at 5pm EST inside the Fix Your Gut Collective for Women to discover the top 3 surprising causes of diarrhea and how hormonal shifts in perimenopause & menopause can cause diarrhea! 💩

Not feeling yourself lately?
It could be burnout. 🔥

If you're feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, have little patience or empathy for others or are just feeling anxious or down, or even irritated by small noises, these are all symptoms that your body and mind is trying to tell you it's had enough and your nervous system needs some support.

Keep in mind, burnout not only causes emotional symptoms, but real physical symptoms as well including:
- headaches and migraines
- chronic pain
- insomnia
- indigestion, heartburn, gas and bloating
- brain fog and poor memory

Common causes of burnout include:
- lack of sleep
- chronic anxiety
- overworking
- not enough fun or pleasure in your life
- always feeling the need to be productive, and feeling guilty for resting
- feeling you always have to be "on" and serving others rather than listening to your body's needs
- pushing your body beyond it's limits
- dieting
- over-exercising

Swipe to discover common emotional symptoms of burnout and my top 7 simple practices to help your body and mind recover.

✨Walking meditation: walking while breathing and bringing your awareness out of your head and into your body and outer world.

✨5 senses: using your 5 senses to ground yourself by focusing on what you can see, smell, taste, touch and hear.

✨Grounding: walking barefoot on the earth: grass, or especially in water, can be particularly soothing and bring you out of your head and into your body.

If you're new to these practices and not sure where to start, join me inside the Fix Your Gut App to learn how to use the power of nervous system regulation to heal your gut, body and mind!

Join the waitlist to learn more and get exclusive VIP pricing and perks! 👇
https://mindulvitalityfixyourgut.squarespace.com/fyg-app

If you're struggling with heartburn, bloating, food sensitivities and general "IBS" symptoms, odds are you've probably already cut out gluten, dairy, sugar and other foods you were reacting to, and you may have experienced some relief.
But most people find that even when they avoid their known "trigger foods", whether that's gluten, dairy, sugar, FODMAP foods like garlic, onion or cabbage, apples...they still end up having symptoms, especially during stressful times.
It's incredibly frustrating to feel like you're doing everything right and yet you're still having gut flare ups.

Keep in mind that stress, anxiety and burnout can cause gut symptoms. That's because your nervous system (brain and spine) runs your digestion, so when you're brain perceives stress it sends signals to the rest of your body that you're in danger, conserving energy to save your life, rather than run your bodily processes smoothly.

You may be surprised that when you start to incorporate nervous system supportive practices such as deep breathing, grounding, yoga, meditation and hypnotherapy, your digestive symptoms suddenly start to go away, and you can tolerate a wider range of foods.

If "woo woo" mind body practices are new to you, and you're not sure where to start in managing your stress, anxiety and burnout, the Fix Your Gut App is for you! I'm joined forces with gut centered hypnotherapist Linda Stelluti, and yogi Abbey Morris to help coach you in regulating your nervous system and restoring balance to your gut and mind.

Join the waitlist to stay up to date!
Click below to join us!👇
https://mindulvitalityfixyourgut.squarespace.com/fyg-app

Summer fun often includes a few drinks, but for people with gut issues, even one or two drinks can cause gut symptoms or a hangover. 🍹

Here are my top 5 tips for enjoying a few summer cocktails without paying for it! 👇

💧Drink with food: alcohol is inflammatory on the gut, so try to have it with a snack or a meal to coat your stomach and help prevent gut irritation.

💧Reduce gut inflammation: because alcohol is inflammatory on the gut and can contribute to leaky gut, try having a demulcent tea or supplement such as licorice root, marshmallow root or slippery elm.

💧Stay hydrated:
Alternate every other drink with a sparkling water or water. Bonus for adding electrolytes, especially if it's hot and you're sweating a lot!

💧Support detox pathways:
Hangovers are mainly caused by the toxins from alcohol - aldehydes. Support your body in detoxifying aldehydes by showing your liver some love. You can use a liver supplement that contains things like milk thistle, dandelion and curcumin and also include liver loving foods like lemon water, dandelion greens or tea, artichokes, brassica veggies like broccoli and kale, turmeric and curries and foods high antioxidant such as berries, grapes, tomatoes, dark chocolate, cloves and cinnamon.

💧Move your body: another great way to detox is to sweat! Make sure you get some movement and getting your sweat on! Movement also helps you have a bowel movement, which is another critical way to detox.

💧Get a good night's sleep:
Alcohol makes you sleepy, but unfortunately it actually disrupts your sleep cycle. Try a sleep supplement to ensure you get a good night's sleep, which allows your body to detox and repair after drinking. Some of my favourites are lemon balm, l-theanine, passionflower and GABA.

💧Choose a low sugar low histamine option:
Excess sugar feeds inflammatory gut microbes (bacteria, yeasts), which can worsen gut symptoms such as bloating, pain and bowel movement issues. People with IBS often have trouble breaking down histamine as well. High histamine alcohol includes wine, beer and cider. Instead, opt for a low sugar, low histamine option such as gin and soda or vodka soda.

Meet Abbey Morris! 👋yogini
Because I realized how very important nervous system regulation was for gut healing, I brought on Abbey and Linda into the app to help coach you on how to heal by finding balance in your nervous system!

Abbey is a yogi, Ayurvedic practitioner and sound healer who will be coaching you through nervous system healing with:
✨ guided meditations & visualizations
✨yoga for digestion
✨breath work practices

Super excited to share Abbey's content with you inside the Fix Your Gut App!

Stay tuned for a special podcast with Abbey coming later this summer!

If you've had your gallbladder out and now you can't seem to tolerate fatty foods and you're constantly running to the bathroom, the answer is not diarrhea medication.

It could be post cholecystectomy syndrome and symptoms include:
- fatty food intolerance
- nausea & vomiting
- heartburn & reflux
- gas
- indigestion
- diarrhea
- jaundice
- intermittent episodes of abdominal pain

Gallbladder issues including gallstones are very common in women, especially after age 40.

If you haven't been diagnosed with gallstones, but you're having issues with fatty foods, that's a sign your liver and gallbladder could use some love!
Try digestive bitters and other bitter foods or a high quality digestive enzyme with ox bile and HCl (hydrochloric acid aka stomach acid).

It's important not to just continue to avoid foods high in fat as fats are critical for your health including hormones, skin health and brain health.

Let's take a look at what causes post cholecystectomy syndrome and how to optimize digestion and heal your gut so you can enjoy the foods you love and get back to living your life, without fear of accidents.

Bile is made in your liver and stored in your gallbladder. It’s released in response to a meal.

After a cholecystectomy, your bile will drip out continuously rather than all at once with a meal.

This can cause diarrhea and other gut symptoms due to irritation of the gut as well as malabsorption of fats.

How to manage naturally:
- digestive enzymes with ox bile
- digestive bitters before meals
- test and balance gut microbiome
- probiotics: especially S. Boulardii
- reduce fat intake per meal
- avoid gut irritants: excess alcohol, painkillers and processed foods
- avoid antacids: you need stomach acid for digestion
- demulcent herbs to soothe and coat gut lining: licorice root, marshmallow root and slippery elm

If you're struggling with gallbladder related symptoms, let's talk.

I offer complimentary virtual Meet & Greet sessions for insight and guidance into your next best steps for gut healing!
You'll leave with clarity and hope that you can and you will feel better!

👉Book your meet and greet here:
https://mindful-vitality-nutrition.janeapp.com/ /1

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Clean eating, Whole 30, low FODMAP...call it what you want, many popular "gut healing" diets are probably making you feel worse and preventing you from healing.

Having been through many of these diets including the candida diet, low FODMAP, low carb and low histamine, I can tell you one this: they suck, they limit your social life, and they mess with your mental health.

Being on a strict diet can make you feel like there's nothing safe to eat, or that you can't travel or go out with friends for dinner - it severely limits your life.

The irony of this is, the more you limit your life and suffer mentally and emotionally, the worse your gut will get!
That's because your gut and brain are always communicating and your nervous system literally runs your digestion.

So yes, in theory (the science behind) these diets make sense, but they were developed to be used for a maximum of 3 to 6 months under the guidance of a trained nutrition professional, not as a DIY project.

If you're to the point where you're:
- scared to eat
- feeling overwhelmed and don't know what's safe to eat anymore
- are down to 4 to 6 safe foods
- limiting your social life
- feeling left out when others are enjoying meals or treats
- unintentionally losing weight rapidly

Then the "gut healing" diet you're on is doing more harm then good, and it's time for a change!

When I work with clients I do as few dietary restrictions as possible and instead, focus on adding more of the good stuff in!

Check out my latest blog to learn more.

Why clean eating & probiotics don't work! 👇

The #1 reason people you're still bloated and struggling with gut pain, heartburn, food sensitivities and constipation is that you're probably missing a huge critical factor for gut healing: the mind-body connection.
(your gut is probably also making you inflamed, tanking your metabolism and mental health and causing insomnia, too!)

You're likely burnt out or chronically anxious, and while you can't avoid stress, you can add simple routines to your life, shift your mindset and find new ways of being that allow you to shift your body out of "survival mode" and into a "healing state".

This is the biggest secret to healing that your doctor or practitioner probably never shared with you!

The thing is, gut healing involves building critical healthy habits, and building new habits is hard - it requires consistency and support.

Inside the Fix Your Gut App we coach you through the Five Foundational Gut Healing Habits:
sleep, mindset & mental wellness, meal prep, movement and nervous system support, alongside a science proven 2 phase gut microbiome healing program, so you can get unstuck, feel lighter, energized, confident and enjoy the foods you love!

Joining me are two amazing women: hypnotherapist Linda Stelluti
and yogi, Ayurvedic practitioner and sound healer Abby Morris.

We get it because we've been there, and we are here to support you on your gut healing journey!

I'm excited to announce we are launching in Oct 2024! 🎉

👉Join the waitlist for exclusive VIP perks including early bird pricing, or head to the link in my bio to learn more about the app!

Learn more and join the waitlist here! 👇
https://mindulvitalityfixyourgut.squarespace.com/fyg-app

Can't fall asleep? Waking up at 3am?
If you're eating clean and taking probiotics - you feel like you've tried everything, but you're STILL bloated and reacting to everything you eat, it could be lack of sleep is keeping you stuck!
(oh yeah, and impacting your mood, motivation, metabolism too!)

Your nervous system runs you digestion, so sleep is critical to keep your nervous system balanced, and digestion optimized.

Not only that, lack of sleep throws off all systems of the body including your s*x hormones, your immune system, mental health, and also creates inflammation.

In this week's episode we'll take a deep dive into why you can't sleep and how it impacts your gut and prevents healing.

I dive into how sleep works and 6 surprising factors that mess with your sleep including:
- gut bacteria
- hormones
- burnout and anxiety
- medications
- blood sugar imbalances
- lack of movement

I share simple, actionable strategies to get you sleeping better and healing your gut even faster!

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xDSalGTxAZKSDXWM4cOQW?si=og2fo7vURHG9-IwlVEWXsw

Listen on Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s5-ep-7-why-you-cant-sleep-the-sleep-gut-connection/id1444320317?i=1000659177454

Available on all major podcast platforms

Frustrated with your bloating?
Most of us continuously hate on bodies, whether its gut symptoms or unwanted stubborn weight gain.

We blame our bodies and get upset that we have symptoms, but really, your body is just trying to tell you what it needs!

What does it matter?
Your brain is powerful, and it is constantly telling your body what to do - it literally programs your cells.

If you are constantly telling yourself negative, hurtful things, or that you are sick and will never feel better, your cells hear that and will respond that way and you will continue to be sick, bloated and react to everything you eat.

But, the opposite is also true, because your brain is powerful, it can also heal you, if you use it to send positive, loving and kind thoughts to your body.

Try this today: tune in to your inner self talk:

What are you telling yourself? Would you say that to a friend? How can you shift this inner dialogue?

Instead of judging yourself for having these thoughts, just examine these thoughts with curiosity. "Hmm that's interesting, I wonder where that came from?"

The more you learn about how your body works, and focus on all the amazing things your body does for you every day, the more you can send healing thoughts to your body to fast track your gut healing journey!

This is one of the 5 foundational gut healing habits that we'll be coaching you through inside the Fix Your Gut App! I'm bringing on wellness experts to help you learn critical mindset strategies and nervous system regulation practices to get you unstuck and fast track your gut healing journey!

Join the waitlist to grab my two free gifts and qualify for early bird pricing!
Comment "APP" below to join the waitlist and I'll send you a DM!

What's REALLY causing your bloating?
Take my quiz to find out!!
👇
https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/1WhI2mrtiw

What's REALLY causing your bloat? Take my quiz to discover your unique surprising root causes and simple strategies to be bloat-free for the summer!

Heartburn no matter what you eat?🔥
Feeling like something is stuck in your throat?
Coughing fits?
It could be heartburn and reflux (or even "silent reflux").

Unfortunately, as we age heartburn and reflux becomes more common, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer!

There are 7 common causes of heartburn and reflux in midlife:

1. Low esophageal sphincter (LES) tone:
LES is the flap between your esophagus and your stomach. This can become loose due to stress, overeating, certain trigger foods (tomatoes, cinnamon, onion, greasy food etc) and gut bacteria imbalances & infections.

2. Stomach acid:
As we age, stomach acid naturally declines, and acid is needed to trigger the LES sphincter to tighten, preventing food and stomach acid from entering the esophagus. So if acid is low due to age or antacid use, reflux will happen.

3. Hiatial hernias:
Hiatial hernias are when your stomach bulges through your diaphragm muscle, allowing stomach contents to flux upward more easily. This is more common with age as muscle tone declines and can easily happen due to strenuous exercise or lifting.

4. Gut bacteria imbalances (dysbiosis and SIBO):
Due to age related changes including lower stomach acid and hormonal shifts, midlife women are at a higher risk of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and dysbiosis (gut microbiome imbalances), especially if they have frequently used antibiotics or antacids.

5. Chronic constipation:
constipation means your gut is filled with stool, and that puts pressure on your stomach sphincters (both pyloric valve and LES), especially when you’re straining to have a bowel movement. Constipation also promotes gut inflammation due to bacterial imbalances that can also contribute to heartburn & reflux.

6. Low estrogen:
estrogen is needed to maintain motility in the gut and calm gut inflammation. It’s also necessary to modulate immune function, and immune hyper-reactivity can cause heartburn and reflux as well. As we age, estrogen declines, especially during menopause, which increases the risk for chronic digestive issues.

7. Other conditions:
chronic conditions, especially immune disorders are increasingly common with age, especially once estrogen declines. Esosinophilic esophagitis (an immune disorder), outdoor allergies, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, H pylori infection are conditions that can contribute to heartburn and reflux.

And we can't forget STRESS!
Stress dysregulates the nervous system (which runs digestion), causing all kinds of symptoms including heartburn reflux, constipation and bloating.

But you can heal your gut and live reflux-free!

Grab my free guide including my Healing Heartburn & Reflux to learn how to conquer heartburn and enjoy the foods you love!

PLUS my bonus 3 Day Heartburn & Reflux Relief Meal Plan!

Grab your Healing Heartburn & Reflux Guide & Your 3 Day Heartburn & Reflux Relief Meal Plan by clicking below! 👇

https://mindful-vitality.ck.page/d7e6a754a1