
Andrea Wood Nutrition
gut Health & Immunity
All disease begins in the gut...

And so does immunity, mood and good health!
We all know how stress affects the tummy don't we?
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Nervous tummies in children
Butterflies in the stomach when we're excited or anxious
'Sick to the stomach' when shock or grief affects us and disables our appetite
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Equally, the health of the gut affects our mind and mood due to the vagus nerve which links the two.
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So poor digestive health can lead to:
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Low mood
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Food cravings
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And makes us more susceptible to stress; it's a viscous circle which cannot be stopped without first healing the gut!
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Any digestive problems including indigestion, autoimmune diseases, food intolerances and IBS need attention to enable efficient absorption of nutrients, and rebalancing of the microbiome.
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Our incredible microbiome is actually responsible for our innate immunity, reducing inflammation, making nutrients we don't get from food and digesting insoluble fibre.
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There is also much evidence based research now which links microbiome diversity to longevity, metabolism, weight, the ability to fight viruses and bacterial infections, and even the condition of our skin!
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You may have heard the term 'Leaky Gut', or 'Intestinal hyperpermeability'. This is a chronic state of inflammation in the gut which is common with most digestive issues, especially auto-immune disorders such as Coeliac Disease, and Crohns.
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Sadly most sufferers of gut inflammation are prescribed various meds which only address the symptoms, and the chronic element of the disease is totally ignored; the leaky gut.

As you can see in the photo here, a leaky gut allows toxins, bacteria and allegens to enter the blood.
This is how autoimmune disease starts and is perpetuated.
As long as the immune system is challenged by these molecules that should not be entering circulation it remains in a contact state of high alert, and eventually start to turn on it's own healthy cells in confusion.
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This is why is is really important to heal the gut before any long term health improvements can be seen.
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To heal the gut we must;
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Remove allergens from the diet
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Remove Gluten from the diet
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Rebalance the microbiome
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Eat more fibre and fermented foods
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Consume more anti-inflammatory foods and reduce highly processed foods and sugar.
Need my help?
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Identify the foods that are exacerbating your digestive problems
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I can show you alternative foods so you don't feel like you're missing out
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Advice on nutraceuticals and plant based medicine to accelerate the healing process
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Test for microbial diversity to improve metabolism and longevity
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Boost your immune system.. naturally
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Reduce toxic load in your diet and lifestyle
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