By Camilla Nichols, M.S.
Our guts are sometimes called our sixth sense or second brain. We get physical or emotional messages such as: don’t go, or this doesn’t feel right. We may feel a sense of unease. Haven’t you experienced it? We all have. Do you listen or ignore it? Have friends told you stories of how they averted a bad situation or relationship, because they listened to their gut?
Trusting your gut challenges what you may otherwise think. Listening and acting upon gut instinct requires trust in the physical or emotional signs your body is sending you, instead of facts you typically and logically rely upon when making decisions.
Have you ever disregarded your gut instinct and regretted it, physically or emotionally?
A sudden clear “out of the blue” thought, tension in the body, a flash of coldness, goosebumps, butterflies or nausea, that sinking feeling in your stomach or repeated uneasy thoughts about a person or situation may be your gut trying to talk to you. These signals may be a whisper or a scream. Without question, there is a connection between our brain and our gut. Have you experienced physical distress, such as a stomach ache or nausea when you are under stress or in a situation you’d rather not be in? This could be a work or social environment, a relationship, or an upcoming event.
Many gut instincts are in fact based on subconscious observation and prior personal experience. Others simply can’t be explained. Do you listen? If not, begin to practice what your body is telling you. You can hone your intuition by becoming aware of all the signals your body gives you. Practice paying attention. From a health perspective, many of my clients ignored the small warning signs that something was wrong. Your pre-diabetes has become diabetes; your unexplained weight loss was in fact the early manifestation of a potential chronic illness; the small pains are an undiagnosed injury, or your unmanaged stress has manifested as a skin rash.
A healthy gut is critical to one’s overall health. If you are not digesting, you are not assimilating whatever food or supplements you may take regardless of how organic or expensive. Good bacteria and the proper pH in your stomach and intestines are essential for digestion. Take probiotics half an hour before bed on an empty stomach to allow your healthy gut bacteria to recolonize. Like most supplements, don’t take them daily.
We can be proactive in changing what we may need to change at early onset, by learning to be aware of and trust the signals our bodies send us. If you don’t listen to your body who will? Don’t wait until what is reversible becomes irreversible or chronic.
Holistic health involves wellness in all aspects of your life. Dis-ease is often just that. The trick is listening and discovering where to begin. I can help you do that.
Please contact me by email at info@simplethings.world or give me a call at 727-534-1406 to schedule a consultation at The Centre SPB or at Peaceful Warriors Wellness Center downtown. Until then, trust your gut and be well.