10/14/21

by New Earth
2

Pumpkins and Apples and Sugar, Oh My! 

With the arrival of October comes the official beginning of the holiday season. Of course, this means that it is also time for all of your favorite sweet treats to be readily available. Whether it is leftover Halloween candy, homemade pumpkin pie, or fresh-baked Christmas cookies, for the next three months, it may seem like there is always some kind of sugar-filled treat within arms reach. 

Before you decide to overindulge, take a second to stop and think about what all that sugar can do to your body, especially your gut. 

That’s right. Sugar directly impacts your gut health. Here’s how…

Your body needs a certain amount of simple sugar to function. Because of this, most simple sugars get absorbed by the body pretty quickly and never make it to your gut. However, when you eat an excess amount of sugar (think foods with added sugar), your body only absorbs the portion that is needed and the rest ends up in the gut microbiome. The harmful bacteria that live in your gut love to snack on sugar. This means that any sugar that ends up in your gut microbiome will be consumed by harmful bacteria, which will help these bacteria grow. Remember, balance is of the utmost importance when it comes to the health of your gut microbiome so overfeeding these harmful bacteria can result in dysbiosis. 

We have some good news though. You don’t have to avoid sugar at all costs this holiday season in order to preserve your gut health. That’s right, it’s still possible to enjoy your favorite holiday treats and have a healthy gut, and it’s not as complicated as you may think. In fact, a lot of your daily habits are probably already supporting your gut enough to allow you to enjoy a few sweet treats during your holiday celebrations. 

What habits are we talking about? Here are just a few of them. 

  • Focus on whole foods. You’ve heard us say it before, but we’ll say it again: a whole foods diet is the absolute best way to support your gut microbiome. The foods you eat not only provide the nutrients your gut needs to function, but it can also change the composition of your gut microbiome. Continuing to choose fresh whole foods over processed options whenever possible is the best thing you can do for your gut. 
  • Practice mindful eating. How you eat is almost as important as what you eat. Mindful eating is about removing distractions and allowing yourself to fully enjoy the food on your plate. By doing this, you will be able to reduce your stress levels, which we know have an impact on your gut through the gut-brain axis. 
  • Exercise a little every day. It’s no secret that regular exercise can do wonders for your gut health. Not only is it another way to help reduce stress, but studies have also shown that it can change the composition of your gut microbiome for the better. 
  • Nourish your gut with Essentials. Supplements that contain things like prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and nutritional superfoods are a great way to give your gut any extra support it may need. That’s why we combined them all into one convenient daily pack with Essentials, making it the best gut support supplement to have on hand during the upcoming holiday celebrations. 

Remember, it’s all about moderation. As long as you are keeping up on your regular gut-supporting habits, feel free to indulge in a few of your favorite holiday treats!