Two years ago I learnt that the inflammation markers in my gut were high, and I needed to follow an anti-inflammatory diet the FODMAP diet and I went sugar-free completely for 1 year before reintroducing some fruit again only recently in the past 5 months. Healing my gut has been the no. 1 thing I've been focussed on. 

Awareness of how my food, lifestyle, stress all impact on inflammation in my body: As a Neurophysio listening and reading so much information indicates that the inflammation starts in the gut first before spreading via the leaking gut into the bloodstream and thus is how autoimmune disorders start. It's my aim to stop mine completely. What's so important is making sure you have the right bacteria the good kind in your gut. So along with my AIP (autoimmune plan) and fodmap diet, I also did a parasitic and bacterial cleanse. The evidence out there has shown that some conditions are linked to certain kinds of bacteria being prevalent in the gut and that this affects your digestion. Yes; it's challenging at the time. Yes; it can be frustrating, but boy is it work it! My review with my naturopath in March this year (one year later) showed my markers had significantly improved. And it feels bloody amazing when you've worked tiresomely and you reap the rewards. 

My journey is not over yet but 17 months into my AIP; I'm healthier on the inside. Yes, I have always been health conscious and have eaten healthy, but now it's about healing my gut fully and to reverse the inflammation all the way so nothing else has the opportunity of developing. So what do I take? 

I have bone broth protein shakes twice daily. 

I have bone broth drinks. 

I eat clean food and I choose from a few places to eat out in

I eat loads of vegetables all organic 

I choose organic fish, meat and chicken

I choose low GI fruits 

I follow a keto/paleo diet 

Yes it can be challenging when you go out but there are ways around things

I've shared my journey personally with some of my clients on a 1-2-1 basis as a way of sharing knowledge and information especially my MS clients as not many people talk about the importance of gut health in MS in the UK but more so abroad. I believe information is there to be shared and can empower all of us to make better health decisions and hence I'm sharing it with you. But I believe it goes deeper than this. We have one brain and one stomach. Heal your stomach so you can protect your brain. 

Over the past 2 years, I've made many changes in my personal lifestyle to help influence my life for the better. There is nothing like a few health scares to really make you pay attention. I see health scares as warnings... I have listened to the warnings as I am working on managing and reversing things. But stress management is a big one to manage. And I have made a lot of lifestyle changes to manage and reduce stress in my life with a better work-life balance.