This may be TMI, but digestive health is a subject I talk about often because it’s SO important. This week I have been trying out a new gut supplement called “The Sludge”. It helps to clear out the digestive tract. 

 For many years, I experienced constipation and gas. I had pretty regular bowel movements, but I definitely wasn’t eliminating the equivalent I was eating as food. I am happy to say that these days my digestive tract is pretty happy, but I’m always game to try something that can make it even better. 

 So when I received a free package of “The Sludge” (I don’t get free trips as an ND, but I will take what I can get!), I decided to give it a go! What’s the worst that can happen? It’s only been a few days, but so far, so good.

No matter what concern patients come to see me for help with, improving their digestive health is almost always a piece of the puzzle. That seems more obvious if their concern is constipation or reflux or irritable bowel syndrome, but it’s also true for joint pain, skin conditions, fatigue… even hormonal symptoms. Does that surprise you?

Here are 3 big reasons why the digestive tract is so integral to your health:

  1. The majority of your immune system is located there. If the bacterial balance is suboptimal, then that results in your immune system creating inflammatory compounds. They don’t just stay there, but travel throughout your body and can cause issues wherever your weak spot is, like digestion, skin or joints.

  2. Everything you eat needs to be digested and the resulting nutrients absorbed through there. If your digestive system is struggling, then it won’t matter how healthy your diet is or what supplements you take, it can be very challenging to get the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, carbohydrates and fat that your body needs as fuel to thrive.

  3. You know how your kitchen sink can get all gunky? The water still drains, but it slows down. The same can happen to your intestines. You can get gunky buildup along the lining of the small and large intestines over time. Stool will still pass through, but it will move slower as a result.

    In addition, little critters (bacteria, yeast, etc) can hang out around the “gunk” and change the health of your gut microbiome (the collection of organisms that life there). This can result in changes in your immune system, your mood (the gut-brain connection is a very real thing), your digestion (vomiting, heartburn, nausea, etc)…. pretty much any area of your body.

Digestive health has been a focus of my practice pretty much since I started seeing patients over 20 years ago, but I am still learning new things all the time. This last year I was introduced to the concept of doing bowel clear-outs (that’s a topic for another newsletter), and have been amazed at what symptoms improve in patients as a result.

You may or may not have digestive symptoms, but either way, it is beneficial to see what you can do to optimize your digestive health. Your health and wellbeing really does start there. If you’d like to take a closer look at your digestive health, you can reply to this email or click the link below to book an appointment.

I think it’s important to normalize talking about digestion and poop and how important it is to our health. We all do it, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

One simple thing that can really improve your digestion is consuming adequate fibre.  To help you determine if you're eating enough, I created a free Fibre Cheat Sheet.  You can download it HERE.


Dr. Jennifer Haessler, ND