An often-used expression is ‘trust your gut’ but what if our gut is struggling? Does our gut support us to make the right decisions, or is it adding to our health challenges?

The digestive system breaks down our food and accepts nutrients that are then absorbed into the blood. Digestion makes it possible for our body to get the nutrients and energy it needs to keep us healthy, happy, and strong. Our digestive system is exposed to high quantities of outside substances, including bacteria and viruses every day, so How do we recognize the signs of an unhealthy gut?

Our gastrointestinal (GI) tract is in close connection with our nervous system, which is also known as ‘the second brain’. It controls our weight gain or loss, development of diseases, skin irritation, food intolerances, sleep disturbances or fatigue. When we don’t take good care of our gut, one or more of these issues can show up in our body and emotional well-being.

What can we do to improve our gut health?

⁃ Lower stress levels: by meditation, walking, massage, diffusing essential oils

⁃ Getting enough sleep

⁃ Eat slowly, your digestive system starts in your mouth

⁃ Stay hydrated

⁃ Taking the right supplements

⁃ Check for food intolerance

⁃ Change your diet, cut out processed foods and refined sugars and add lots of antioxidants and polyphenols to your diet

Our go to essential oils for a healthy digestive system: Fennel and Celery Seed

Fennel oil and Celery Seed are two of those lesser known and used essential oils, but they are both super power oil for our gut!

Fennel essential oil is known for its ability to help digestion, due to its chemical constituent anethole, which offers digestive support. Taken internally, Fennel assists the overall health of the digestive tract. When we have a massive dinner and feel bloated or have an upset stomach, we can take a drop of Fennel in a veggie capsule or in a glass of water to help feel better.

Did you know that Fennel essential oil is included in two of doTERRA’s proprietary blends? Fennel plays an important role in both ClaryCalm® the monthly blend for women supporting us women on any steps in our menstrual journey, as well as ZenGest or DigestZen® digestive blend.

The other super power oil we use for our digestive health is Celery Seed. You may remember hearing that drinking celery juice is good for our health and for good reason, due to its cleansing properties. When taking Celery Seed oil internally you absorb the maximum cleansing benefits. To support our gut, twice a year we love to do a Five Day Celery Seed Cleanse where we take a drop of Celery Seed oil in a veggie capsule every day for five days.

What else can we do to keep our digestive system healthy?

We love having a proactive approach when it comes to our health and wellness. Now we know how to ensure we get enough sleep, how to support our healthy weight goals and how to prop up our healthy immune system. After learning about how important our gut health is and the foundational role of probiotics and enzymes, we started taking PB Assist+ and TerraZyme in addition to the LifeLong Vitality supplements. PB Assist+ is a proprietary formula of pre-biotic fiber and six strains of probiotic microorganisms that supports the community of friendly bacteria in our GI tract, which is needed to maintain peak function TerraZyme includes a variety of whole-food enzymes that help with the digestion of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and other food nutrients.

Taking these two supplements are a convenient way to ensure our digestive system is healthy and able to support our whole body and mind. So the next time you think about trusting your gut, think to yourself – ‘what have I done to support my gut health, since I rely on it so much?’