It’s Monday, and time for another food to focus on. All month long here, we’ll be zeroing in on that second pillar of work it takes to build, in order to have that foundation to reduce your own personal Burden of Stress.
What is pillar number 2, you ask? Why loving up your guts. So add to your grocery list, if you will:
A WATER FILTER.
I’ll give you three reasons why using a filter for your water will provide you with some insta-gut-lovin:
BECAUSE CHLORINE
Listen. I don’t want anyone to die of some bacterial disease, brought on by dirty water. So let me start by saying I love that our water is treated, here in Treaty 7 territory. (And let me be clear: clean water is a human right. I wish this for all humans. Yeah, Prime Minister JT. Get on it.)
But listen. Treating water means adding chlorine to kill those bacteria. While that’s good to prevent dysentery, I am now wondering what impact that chlorine can have on the bacteria living in your gut lining - yeaaaahhhh, THOSE little guys. Your microbiome.
Drinking straight up tap water delivers chlorine right to the bugs at the gut level, and has the potential of decimating them. We want to keep the happy bugs going at your gut: we don’t want to eradicate them! So encourage a happy microbiome balance by filtering your water. And make sure to swap out your filter every few months, to make sure you continue to remove that chlorine in order to protect your all important microflora.
BECAUSE GLYPHOSATE
There are studies showing that glyphosate residue has been found in soil and waterways adjacent to agricultural fields (1). This inevitably makes its way in to the water table of the areas affected, which then has the potential of contaminating our drinking water sources.
The chemicals found in this pervasive pesticide have been shown to decimate certain strains of bacteria at the gut level (2). For the love of your microbiome, make sure that the filter you are using with the water in your home is able to filter this stuff out!
BECAUSE MUCOSAL SUPPORT
You have three layers at the gut level: the first is your intestinal tract, one cell thick. The next level is your mucosal barrier, you know, much like the lining inside your mouth. That slimy layer. The third layer is your microbiome, your personal collection of bacteria, fungi and yeast that reside in your intestinal lining. Good work.
That second layer, your mucosal barrier, she relies on some good hydration on your part to function well. And that barrier is an important part of the overall picture of gut health: she is a protective barrier, and offers a place for your microbiome to hang out. Pretty important work. So drink that filtered water for gut health, my friend!
There are many filters to choose from, and ones that will fit every budget.
Do your research, and find the one that will best suit your budget, and do the most filtering you can get. And always make sure to swap out your filters often, including the ones in your refrigerator, as outlined in your manual or the product information.
Aiming to Keep Well? Looking to start working on improving your gut health? Need some help in feeling real good?
Get in touch by clicking here. Let’s meet up to start drawing up your road map to support you in both quantity and quality of life.
*This is not medical advice.