“The road to progress is paved with imperfection.” Unknown
Housekeeping from last week...
We discussed fermented foods and the need to expand our horizons. I'm happy to report there is one reader that is going to take a Natto challenge!
Just to recap, Natto (fermented soybeans) is incredibly good for you, provided you can get past the rather pungent smell. To date, it is the most interesting, fermented food I've tried because the surprisingly good taste did not match the smell...not even close. Good luck Craig and report back so I can share the experience!
Progress over Perfection
It's no secret, I love to talk about gut health.
Anywhere.
Anytime.
And I've learned a lot. Heck, I learn new stuff every day. But let me tell you a secret, I don't have a perfect gut. Not literally especially. Everyone reading this newsletter is starting off better than I did. (at least I don't think anyone has parted with 3 feet of their colon!)
This applies to virtually everything, to include gut health. Don't wait around for the perfect time and place to start. Don't talk yourself into trying to find the holy grail of perfection. In the exercise and nutrition circles, some call this optimizing.
I don't have perfection. I don't have optimal gut health. What I do have is 4.5 years of progress. And I have 4.5 years of not getting tired of or being bored with doing the same things over and over. BECAUSE THEY WORK! They can work for you too.
Progress
Depending on your goals, your progress might look different than mine. It might come quicker, it might take longer, but you won't see anything measurable until you start.
My story is not your story- never will be, and that's a good thing. But since I had the misfortune to get a head start and I have some tangible receipts, I can give you an idea of what you might see.
Adding fermented foods and fiber to your diet will require a transition to increasing the whole foods in your diet. And when I say whole foods, I mean the ingredient list IS the food. You can't make this switch without increasing the number of whole foods you eat every day.
I intentionally use "adding" because the way I've managed to have success and make continued progress is by adding to my diet, not taking away.
I can't do too many things at one time, so I made it easy and just focused on adding fermented foods to my diet. ONE AT A TIME. Having a big list of do's and don'ts is like an obstacle course and you're destined to fail.
Get good at some simple things and you'll start to shy away from the foods and activities that take you farther from your goals.
Then I knew from reading the Good Gut that good bacteria need to feed, and fiber is their #1 choice for nourishment.
So, I added fiber to my diet. When you add these two things, and you are consistent about adding these two things on a regular basis, you will likely see progress very quickly.
Remember, our guts are very malleable. Bacteria can multiply every 20 minutes or so. The balance of good and bad bacteria can change quickly, for better or worse.
And if you're eating for the good guys? Progress will follow.
How might you see progress?
This is where I can give you some ideas because I've seen changes in a bunch of areas. The overall goal should be for a strong, functioning gut lining and barrier that protects us from ALL the pathogens trying to kneecap us on a daily basis. It really is central to our overall health.
But Jeff, what have you done for me lately? How can I see some immediate results along the way?
Few people will have their guts get to the point of dealing with colon cancer. And maybe not everyone will need to focus on blood sugar management like we diabetics do. (although everyone stands to gain from eating like a diabetic!) But on those subjects, both will be positively impacted.
On the former metric, I've gone from having a cancerous, dumpster fire on my initial colonoscopy, to a polyp or two on my 1-yr post-surgical scope, to a polyp-free trip on the 3-year colonoscopy. And blood sugar management has me down from the 9's to the mid 6's on the A1C test for diabetics. This stuff works folks!
Sorry to get distracted.....SQUIRREL!!.
Back to your progress. Progress will show up in some very obvious ways.
First and most immediately, resetting the balance of gut bacteria will produce changes in how things leave your body. It's not something we like to talk about a lot, but this is a HUGE way to measure progress. Regular, uneventful, and consistent should be the way you describe your bathroom activity. Consistent eating habits will produce good results.
The flip side of this is another advantage to tuning up your gut. When things are NOT regular, uneventful, and consistent, it becomes much easier to identify where the deficiencies are. Is my fiber intake too much or too little? Am I drinking enough water? The evening out with friends and family was great, but is it time to get back on track? Being able to identify what is causing change is a mini superpower. it helps us to be proactive, not reactive with our digestive health.
Next has to be weight. Whether you're trying to lose, gain, or maintain weight, eating a whole foods diet with fiber and fermented foods will exponentially help you on this mission. Nutrient-dense whole foods, to include lean protein, will leave you feeling fuller (satiety) and help you achieve your goals. Maybe it won't be 70 lbs like my story. Hell, maybe you don't have or need to lose 70 lbs. Even better.
Much of gut health success occurs in the deep, dark niches of your GI tract. Dropping weight or a pants size is the most visible reward for your hard work.
Last but not least on the progress front is your mood. Gut health done right will have a direct impact on your mental health and mood. We talked about the gut-brain axis before. This is an obvious benefit to getting your gut in shape. I promise you your mood will improve.
Now on to the subject of perfection.
Perfection
It doesn't exist. Don't wait for it. Don't lose sleep when you don't achieve it. You can strive for it to make yourself better, but just get to work. Your gut thanks you in advance.
That's it on perfection.
Let's close with this. After 4.5 years at this gut health stuff, this process is almost as much mental as it is physical. You can quickly learn from me and others how to do this stuff. But you need to mentally have your head in the game for the long haul. There will be ups and downs. And yes, there will be plateaus. Initial success and gains will level out if you do.
Try delaying gratification and backslapping when you lose that first bit of weight. Remember how good it feels when you're on your game and things become very uneventful in the water closet. And when you plateau or stumble, remember what you did to see results....and do it some more! Gut health is a game of consistency and honing your ability to do the same stuff over and over and over.
It isn't sexy, but it damn sure works.
Next week- I'll give you a glimpse into how I setup my daily routine to give the best chance for success.
Thanks for reading,
Jeff
