We all want to be a little bit more resilient right? Having that ability to bounce back from the things that stretch us to our limits or during times of adversity and stress. This can be from busy schedules, demanding jobs, balancing family life, tight deadlines. These can all test our resiliency and lead to exhaustion and fatigue that characterize burnout.  

What does having resilience look like? 

Having the energy to handle your daily demands

Having some back up energy reserves to cope with unexpected stressors 

Having clear and focused thoughts to get through your tasks with efficiency

Having a nourished and balance nervous system

Having restful and restorative sleep to revitalize your mind and body

Where to get started?  

To have the energy to be resilient, we must start with the digestive system. The saying you are what you eat, really means you are what you digest and absorb.   In order to get the nutrients from food for our body to create the energy it craves; our digestive system has to operate at optimal levels. Our digestive tract is the first step to creating energy by way of the helpful bacteria in our gut microbiome. This army of bacteria does an amazing job of assimilating all the good things our body needs whilst fighting off all the unhelpful things that come our way.   This is the basis for creating hormones, optimizing immune function, mood and much more.  However, the job of the gut microbiome can be majorly hindered by various environmental and lifestyle factors such as chronic stress, antibiotics and certain medications, alcohol, environmental toxins and more. This can damage the digestive system and it can create symptoms such as 

• Sleep issues
• Poor absorption of nutrients
• IBS symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain and discomfort
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Unintended weight gain 
• Hormonal issues such as poor muscle growth, low libido and more 
• Food sensitivities 

With an impaired digestive system, this reduces the ability to create energy and tap into our resilience.   We end up relying heavily on coffee and other stimulants to get our energy during the day, reaching for sugar to curb our cravings because we are not absorbing nutrients from our food and left feeling tired but still wired at night and preventing us from getting restorative sleep.  

5 ways to boost resilience from your digestive health 

1. Cut back on your sugar intake.    Sugar is highly inflammatory to your gut lining and feed the bad bacteria instead of the good ones.  This damages the gut microbiome and makes us susceptible to illness.
2. Avoid overuse of antibiotics.  Antibiotics are of course necessary at times but overusing this medication can negatively impact your digestive function by imbalancing the bacteria in your gut.  
3. Eat fermented foods.  They are full of probiotics, which add more helpful bacteria to your gut and increase the diversity of your microbiome which is key to building resiliency 
4. Manage stress.  This is easier said that done but keep in mind that it is known that stress is a trigger, like diet and antibiotics, that can cause major imbalance of your gut bacteria and lead to symptoms
5. Adaptogens.  These are herbs that help your body buffer the physical and mental stress.  Ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi mushroom are all examples of herbs that give you that added boost to help you build your resilience along with these other lifestyle changes.   Speak to a healthcare provider before considering these herbs to find out which ones are right for you.   

If you desire to have more resilience and energy then I would love to help you! Book a complimentary discovery call with me and we can create a strategic plan to build resiliency for your unique health and lifestyle.

 Click below to book an appointment with Dr. Ramlal, Naturopathic Doctor.

Dr. Ramlal believes that we can all be the best version of ourselves and this starts with taking care of our health.  We are worthy of having the life we want and doing all the amazing things we want to do. She is passionate about looking at the bigger picture of the factors that shape our health and curating strategies to help others reach their greatest potential. Dr. Ramlal has a strong belief in creating a space to cultivate growth, awareness and fostering the mind-body connection to nourish the foundations of health. As a clinician, her area of focus is helping those with digestive concerns such as irritable bowel syndrome, break free from the constraints of diarrhea, bloating and constipation that are keeping them from living and feeling their best.

I would love to hear from you, let’s connect on Instagram @drroxanneramlal