From your poos to your farts, what comes out of your rear – and how it smells – end can give you a real clue about how healthy you are on the inside.
I see a lot of people who feel bloated all the time, which often is a sign that you’re full of air. Unfortunately this tends to come with embarrassing levels of wind and flatulence, with varying degrees of smell attached to it. If your farts are sending family members running for the hills, gut fermentation could be to blame.
Why do farts signify gut fermentation?
We all fart, fact! But for some of us, we seem unable to control how much wind we release, and it can be really embarrassing. What may be going on inside is too much fermentation. This wonderful process is what makes alcohol, but inside our digestive system, gut fermentation can create a vicious cycle of toxicity and overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria.
The lovely friendly bacteria in our guts feed on fibre, and this fermentation process helps to create fatty acids which in turn, keep our guts healthy. The problem comes when too much fermentation is happening – particularly when it’s fuelled by sugar and white refined carbohydrates. These kinds of carbohydrate feed the wrong kind of bacteria, helping them to grow and proliferate.
The result? Over production of gas, cramping, poor absorption of nutrients and the potential for unwanted organisms to overgrow, from parasites to yeasts.
What do your farts say about you?
This is not scientifically tested, but there is some thought amongst gut specialists that different types of farts may suggest different issues in your gut.
Really smelly farts: These may be a sign that you’re not breaking down proteins as well as you should.
Really noisy farts: These may be a sign of poor carbohydrate break down
Wet farts (you know the ones I mean): These may be a sign of poor fat breakdown.
Of course, this may not be the case for you, and if you’re finding it difficult to control your farts, you may want to look at working on your gut health and bacterial balance. Here’s how…
How to support gut microflora balance…
- Reduce sugar and white carbs – switch to wholegrains, sweet potato and lower sugar foods.
- Don’t eat too much fruit – yes it’s healthier than sweets and other naughty treats, but it can cause gut fermentation and wind for some people. Try cutting back to a couple of pieces per day, and increasing your veg.
- Slow increase your intake of beneficial bacteria from natural yoghurt, sauerkraut and cottage cheese. Also consider a beneficial bacteria supplement such as BioKult.
- Take time out every day to reduce your stress hormones… a gentle walk, a meditation, yoga, or gentle exercise class. Stress hormones can affect the blood supply to your bowel and affect the delicate balance of gut microflora.
Do you suffer from uncomfortable bloating and uncontrollable wind? Then do get in touch and apply to work with me.