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Settle in for some truths and gut healing for dummies today.

Alright, now there isn’t actually a book called Gut Healing for Dummies. Although, if you know the publisher, tell them to reach out to me – we should chat 🙂

Therefore, nothing about this post is copyrighted because the book series themselves are copyrighted.

And yet, this post title is very important.

Dummies

The ‘Dummies’ books simply relate to the concept of ‘learning made easy.’ And I have been thinking so much lately about gut healing. Gut healing in the sense of……going from point A to B. More than that, I’ve been wondering, 

Am I helping the Gutsy community move the needle or am I just creating more confusion?

If I’m to be perfectly honest with myself, I would tell you that I’m just creating more confusion. But absolutely, positively not on purpose.

You see, my goal with A Gutsy Girl is to provide the most and best gut health and gut healing information so that you feel empowered. Empowered to heal and/or empowered to live your best gut health life. 

It’s part of the A Gutsy Girl mission I have clearly set.

But there are two trends I’ve been noticing, coming directly from you.

1. The same questions are being asked, just in different ways. 
2. Complexity has reached the ceiling.

With both of these, I realized I have not been doing the best job I can be.

While I have been committed to producing thousands of words each week on agutsygirl.com, I’m not sure they are actually moving the needle.

And if this needle isn’t moving, YOU might not be actually healing.

Today I want to address both trends because they fall under the idea of learning made easy and Gut Healing for Dummies.

Gut Healing for Dummies

Click HERE to save this post for later.

Same question, different ways

There are only about a handful of questions I’m asked, but those few are asked in a thousand different ways. 

Almost every single question you have, I have likely written about in detail.

To arrive at your answer ASAP:

1. Put the search term in the upper left-side search bar on agutsygirl.com. For example, your question is, “What is Hydrogen SIBO?” Look at all of THIS information that pops up from that one search. It’s that easy.
2. For the methods I used and have taught for years now, grab A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut. You’ll find a 21-day journey, ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ to lists. And you can get it via physical copy on Amazon HERE or download the instant PDF below right now 🙂
3. Learn everything. Grab A Gutsy Girl’s Master Resource, which is a compilation of posts found on this website. It’s 367 pages long, and contains good gut health and healing reading you can do anywhere at anytime 24/7!
4. Just Start HERE.

Those are my best and most basic places for you to start your journey.

Complex gut (and health in general) issues

Complex issues have run rampant. On a daily basis, I am asked some of the most detailed and obscure questions. NO question is a dumb question, but here is what you must keep in mind:

1. I am not a doctor.

   Seriously. When you ask me about supplements, medications and other things to do for xyz, during pregnancy, before a Colonoscopy, etc, I cannot answer. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet. If I truly desire what’s best for you then you must accept my limitations for help.

2. But if your question is within my scope….

   If your complex issue is something I can help with (how to swap out high-FODMAP items, grocery shopping, journaling and tracking your health, etc.), then please grab some time with me HERE.

3. Ask yourself this.

   And this is very serious. Why is this issue I’m currently having and/or contemplating that complex? Have I been diagnosed with something that in and of itself is complex or am I making a situation more complex than it needs to be?

So with that, let’s move on to even more.

Gut Healing Information Overload

With all of this information, you are feeling overwhelmed. And I don’t blame you. You see, that is exactly how I felt from (actually prior to) 2008, then 2008 (when I was diagnosed with Colitis) up until the very last time I ever did a round of SIBO antibiotics, June of 2018. 

I was literally like a hamster on a wheel, and it was exhausting. 

So yes, yes I know exactly what the overwhelm you’re feeling feels like. 

And if you want the real, raw, and honest truth, here are some of the ways I believe all those “gut health experts” (I’ve been guilty of some of these in the past) are not doing you any favors:

• alienating with big words and technicality (making it easier for you with the Gutsy Glossary in A Gutsy Girl’s Bible)
• featuring gross, unrealistic recipes 
• using too many uncommon (and/or too many in general) ingredients in recipes
• placing an abundance of unnecessary fear into your life (addressing that for you HERE)
• only focusing on food
• too much selling, not enough healing

So then what am I supposed to do? – you asking me this right now.

Get out of the weeds of overwhelm.

And get into your own magically beautiful and capable self journey.

This is a gut healing for dummies post, right? So here is where I share very practical steps and thoughts.

Overwhelm

You’ll want to save this graphic for later HERE. If you want to save one of the individuals letters in particular, you’ll find them all at the bottom of the post.

This word, overwhelm, and method was inspired from Nicole Culver’s podcast episode, Top 7 Mindset Traps Influencers Get Caught In. 

What Nicole does and teaches is far different from everything I do. But when she said ‘overwhelm,’ I felt that word deep down for how you’re feeling right now.

Use the word for doing a deep, introspective, dive into your personal journey today.

• O

  Observe. Just stop for 5 minutes. Shut off the noise of any and all gut health and gut healing education out there. Yes, even this blog post (well, after you finish reading this post, of course). Now, write down a few lines about how you are feeling. Honestly, how are you feeling right now? Do not take into consideration knowledge; just feelings. 

• V

  Vertical. Stop looking horizontal. And I’m being serious. What I mean by this is you’re looking to so-and-so who has Crohn’s just like you. They are more healed than you are, so you’re trying to mimic their every move. Don’t. It won’t work. And instead, you’re going to make your own healing journey much longer. Stay vertical; in line with your own journey.

• E

  Exercise. I used to feel as though I was walking a tightrope saying this one, but I don’t care anymore. Because I know the truths.

If you are working out a lot, with too much intensity, and/or just even a little more than what your body can currently handle, stop. This is a piece to the equation women have an extremely hard time letting go of and understanding.

Don’t run 5 miles or do that HIIT workout if you are unwell. Resist this one as long as you want, but as soon as you stop resisting, watch for the real change to occur. 

• R

  Ready? Are you even ready to heal your gut? You see, people stay sick and miserable for years because they think it’s “just how it’s supposed to be.” They are also not ready because they have told themselves that for so long, and don’t want to put in the work.

You’ll have to be ready for more than just swapping a Little Debbie for something else. You will also have to be ready to not workout so much, spend the money for adequate testing, dig deep to find underlying issues, and more.

It’s not easy. And if you’re not ready, then you are simply not ready. (Read: 14 Things to Know Before Changing Your Diet to Heal Your Gut)

• W

  Why? Do you even know know yours? If you don’t, I can guarantee you’ll never be ready and/or fully committed. Most of you will relate to one of THESE 5 Reasons to Heal Your Gut. If you don’t see yourself in those, you must know what your own, personal why is.

• H

  How is this working for me? Think of every single thing you’re doing for your gut-healing journey right now. Consider even writing them all out. Like, “taking xyz supplement,” “drinking 3 glasses of water a day,” “running 3 miles x 5 days a week,” etc. Then, for each, ask yourself, “How is this working for me?” Be honest. That supplement you’ve been taking for 6 years. Is it truly working? After you run 3 miles, are you left drained and starving for hours on end? Again, you must be honest with yourself during this exercise. (Read: How is this working for me?)

• E

  Exhausted. Have you made healing your gut a full-time job? And are you absolutely exhausted by it? Have you reached burn-out phase yet? No judging here. I felt like that so many times. The exhaustion lead to pure stress. And that stress kept me on my hamster wheel. Exhaustion is not part of the gut-healing equation.

• L

  Living somewhere other than the present. Are you living in the past or future? If so, both could be part of the reason you are not healing. This idea of living in the past or in the future is a topic in and of its own. It’s something that should be broken down and deciphered so you understand how either/both are no good for your healing journey now. Stay tuned. 

• M

  Medical diagnosis. Dr. Google is not a medical diagnosis. My website is not a medical diagnosis. And if you don’t have an appropriate or accurate diagnosis, healing your gut forever is going to be virtually impossible. How do I know? Because when I was diagnosed with Colitis in 2008, that was not my real bottleneck and underlying issue. I stayed miserable because I didn’t seek out more and real answers until 2014 when I was finally diagnosed with SIBO, adrenal fatigue, and a low-functioning thyroid. So, yes, the medical diagnosis is critical. In fact, even if you’ve already been diagnosed with something, it might not be all and/or the right diagnosis. A different perspective could be necessary.

This is a big picture gut healing for dummies. 

Each of those could and do break down into more topics, ideas, and tactics.

But remember, let’s try to get back to the basics today.

The Tool that Will Significantly Help Your Personal Gut Healing Journey

In early 2020, I asked you what you wanted me to work on next for the gut-healing community and your own gut-healing journey.

Your response was for me to create and publish my own gut-healing journal that was used throughout my own journey.

If one of my goals is to empower you, then this journal is definitely part of the answer.

Every single piece to the overwhelm can be addressed with the journal.

And if you think I haven’t thought of and done it all in a decade+, think again. 

Now THIS, my friend, is hands down the very best way to go about gut healing. 

Because you are no dummy. You are special and unique. Trying to fit yourself into a mold will never work. 

Besides, you don’t actually want to be like anyone else, right?!

Xox,
SKH