Articles by Stacey Wirtjes
\ Motivational, Tru Mindset February 26, 2024
The Power of Community During Health Transformation
The word transformation gets a bad rap. When we think of change, we often think of the stressors it can trigger (as if we need more stress). It can throw off our schedules, leave us emotionally vulnerable and force us into life-altering situations that are very uncomfortable. But not all change is bad. Change must happen for all living things to grow. Transformation is essential, especially when it comes to your health.
There’s no right or wrong reason to pursue a health transformation. Health transformation is simply an investment in you1. It can mean getting a better night’s rest to reduce stress and help improve cognitive abilities or eating right, so your body has more optimal energy to use throughout the day. It’s transformative self-care. Giving your body what it needs so you can be your best.
But health transformation journeys aren’t always as straightforward as we would like them to be. It can drain us of energy, discourage our paths and intimidate our thoughts. At this point, we may need a community support system or group to lean on, and that’s perfectly fine. Therapy groups are amazing tools for seeking help. Community support groups aren’t that. In support groups, everyone has a common goal or interest.
Get some good support.
A good support system is like having a personal cheerleading squad. It feels great to hear encouragement from the sidelines, especially when we are going through life changes. They become your accountability partners, helping you stay on track while working through your personal goals2. Regardless of your level of motivation, it’s your support community that keeps you going, and it can be anyone who understands your aspirations. A group of friends you’ve known since high school, co-workers, a Peloton Mom’s group, or someone you’ve just met. Whether you realize it or not, these incredible individuals will play a crucial part in your transformation journey. While yes, you are more than capable of encouraging yourself, sometimes that added energy from people who ‘get us’ is the push we need to run across the finish line.
Community is important because humans fare better in life when they receive support. That’s not us saying it. It’s all research. Studies have found that people with a high quality or quantity of social networks have better overall health and longevity3.The type of support each person requires is based solely on preference and can occur regardless of age3.
Fantastic social groups…and how to find one.
Health transformation can be an exciting but isolating experience. Not everyone will understand your journey. Isolation can cause you to feel alone, unmotivated, or even stuck. One of the great things about our social media-driven society is that technology has made it easier to connect with the world. Having a support group that understands your experience is essential. A non-profit, local clinic, or organization can run this group4. Although we should always be aware of our relationships, subscribing to a community that best fits you is done intentionally, giving you more control over the type of support you need and want.
Your support group preference will depend heavily on your circumstances. If you are trying to lose weight, it probably wouldn’t be in your best interest to join a group of people that want to gain weight. Not that one group is better, but it doesn’t align with your interests. Maybe it’s not the group, and it’s the location you disagree with. You may be an introvert that likes meeting in a more familiar setting. Maybe work and personal obligations have you on a strict schedule, and you aren’t able to meet in person at a given time. It should be all about what is best for you.
Finding the right community for you can be trial and error but stay positive! You will find your tribe. Begin with people you know and trust to point you in the right direction, like a physician or a reputable non-profit website4.These resources may be located online, in-person, or both4. Make sure that you’re surrounded by individuals who understand your goals and can support you through your journey.
Supportive communities have BIG benefits.
The largest benefit of having a supportive community is that you don’t feel alone. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people. Their support will become a positive reinforcement. Community reduces isolation and can motivate you to continue your journey and create ownership of what you seek to accomplish.
How to create your own support community.
Creating a supportive online or in-person community may take work, but if you can coordinate a fantasy football league, or organize your sister’s baby shower, you have what it takes to start one. Here are a few tips on how to create a support group:
1. Know what your group is about and who would be interested.
Before starting your community, you have to know what the meeting will be about and if anyone will be interested in the topic.
2. Spell out the specifics of your group.
After you’ve figured out who is interested in your group, the next task is determining what kind of group it will be. Will it be a monthly meet-up? Weekly? Will it be a support group, a discussion group, or a professionally led group? We shall see.
3. Here’s a big one. Where will it be?
Microsoft Teams, Google Duo, Skype, and Zoom. Technology has now made connecting more convenient, especially for people with hectic schedules and long distances between them. The technology that you use must be the most accessible for the group. Despite its popularity, convenience isn’t always desirable for everyone. Some support group members may find that meeting in person offers them fewer distractions than they experience at home. What about a hybrid meeting arrangement? Half technology, half in person. It may be beneficial for some; however, it also has the potential to split your group5. Getting everyone on the same meeting schedule can be difficult. Some people can meet in person, while others can’t. It all depends on what is best for your group.
4. Network!
Post your support group’s info on social media and share it with others. Keeping your support group to yourself is a no-go. Social media is the fastest way to spread the word. Not into social media? Email can get the job done. You can use your current contacts to bring awareness to your community. What if you want to add a more personable approach to your marketing strategy? Passing out flyers or different memorable materials will work. Remember, you may not directly know the people that have interest, but your friends might.
5. Okay, what are we talking about?
What will be discussed in the group? Since each meeting has a designated time frame, every moment is precious. You should decide how you will spend your time. You’re not micromanaging necessarily; it’s being efficient not only with your time but the time of others. It also helps the group to flow.
Staying connected and motivated in your community
Make it a point to keep in touch with members of your group. A friendly check-in or a short chat via phone, email, or social media will do. It’s just to say hi. Be upfront about your needs, wants, and concerns while allowing others to make suggestions and address issues. It’s nice to feel heard6. If you want to go the extra mile, be the chairman or chairwoman of activities outside of the support team setting. It’s great to get people out of their element and know them in a different context.
Sharing is caring, especially during your health transformation journey.
Never underestimate the power of your words. To you, it may seem like a gained experience, but to someone else, it’s gained knowledge. Sharing your story can inspire others to tell their truth, encouraging an endless cycle of helpful information. Communicating your views can be therapeutic for you and others. Speaking your mind allows you to express your thoughts and concerns, setting the tone for a warm, collaborative environment and a wildly successful support group.
Sources
1 Health transformation: How to know when you are ready. South California Hospital Culver City
2 What is an accountability partner. Masterclass
3 Social and Emotion Support and its Implications for health. National Library of Medicine
4 Support groups: Make connections, get help. Mayo Clinic
5 Tips for starting a support or discussion group. University of buffalo School of Social work
6 Social Support: Getting and Staying Connected. Mental Health America
\ Fitness, Nutrition, Tru Mindset February 12, 2024
When it comes to weight loss, listen to your gut.
Below your stomach lies a little-known secret weapon—your gut. When thinking of our guts, we’re more inclined to think of what comes out of it and not necessarily what goes into it. But our intestines are way more complex than that. Many good fungi and bacteria are inside it to absorb the nutrients necessary to help us live our healthiest lives. It can even affect our bodily functions and, ultimately, our health goals. Speaking of goals, what if we told you that the same fungi and bacteria might be the key to maintaining a healthy weight? Sound interesting? Well, it should be! Get ready because, for this piece, we’re going way more than skin deep. We’re getting intestinal.
What the gut?
We’ll start with the gut microbiome. Gastrointestinal tracts are made of a ton of single-celled microorganisms that are either good for you or bad for you. So, the normal structure microbiome (bacteria, fungi, viruses) lives inside our gut naturally. The norm for gut health is when your body can adequately digest and absorb food and nutrients and promote an effective immune system.
This function is important because when the gut microbiome is not at its optimal level, your gut may be affected.
What’s the benefit of a healthy gut? It can help your overall health. Foods containing fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented foods are the best to help your gut stay healthy and happy. Fiber, fermented foods, and prebiotics can be found inside fruit, vegetables, and grains that help to feed healthy gut bacteria. What doesn’t help is adding fast food, sugar, and other processed foods that can take your gastrointestinal system from gut to what.
Bacteria and weight management, is that really a thing?
Not sure where to start when it comes to weight management? Check your gut. Your gut helps with digestion and metabolism, so you want it functioning at its optimal level. Diets high in fat and sugar have been linked to weight gain and metabolic changes. A recent National Institutes of Health study has identified the ties between weight and gut microbes using mice. During this study, researchers placed a group of mice on a diet high in fat and sugar and another on a low-sugar diet. Yes, mice and humans have very different anatomies, but the findings in the study could help draw a connection between gut health and weight.
Researchers noticed that after only a week, the mice with a high fat and sugar diet had changes in their guts and fewer T helper 17 immune cells (known as Th17), which help maintain a healthy weight and metabolism3. Segmented filamentous bacteria, which are good bacteria typically found in the guts of rodents, fish, and chicken, saw a sharp drop in T helper 17 production. As a result of the study, they found that without the T helper 17 cells, fat absorption and gut irritation increased.
So, what does this mean to you? While there isn’t a definite relationship between gut health and weight, it does provide an association between both, giving some validity to the case of gut health and weight management.
The great thing about gut health, as it relates to weight, is that you don’t have to jump through hoops to see results. Here are a few simple ways to keep your gut and weight in check:
Broaden your fruits and veggies color pallet.
Don’t get us wrong. Leafy greens are amazing, but you benefit more from eating vegetables and fruits of all shades. Adding more color increases your chances of absorbing more than one type of nutrient, which is great for feeding the good bacteria in your gut4. It’s also a safe way and healthy way to lose weight5. Eating yellow bananas, green peppers, and red grapes in addition to your tasty salad is a great example.
More fiber? Yes, please.
Fiber can help keep your bowels “regular” and your gut giddy. But are you consuming enough of it? Men’s and women’s recommended daily fiber intake is 35 grams and 25 grams, respectively. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and insoluble fiber doesn’t. For example, oatmeal liquefies when water is added, and nuts tend to do nothing at all. Each food contains a high level of fiber yet behaves very differently. Both types of fiber are essential to gut health4.
Fermented foods are fantastic.
The word ferment may sound gross; yet, if you’re a yogurt or kombucha fan, consider yourself fermented, but don’t worry; it’s a good thing. Fermented foods can produce vitamins like B12 and K (an undervalued participant in gut health), giving your gut some of the good bacteria it needs, lowering the PH levels in your intestines, and reducing the survival rate of bad-acting bacteria4.
Stressing doesn’t help.
Stress can affect your mental and physical health, and your gut is no exception. Tension triggers cortisol, a hormone released during stress. Cortisol can also restructure your gut’s good bacteria, releasing toxins and neurohormones (hormones secreted by the nervous system) and encouraging poor diet choices and eating habits, which can trigger weight gain or loss6. You can reduce stress by doing something that brings you calm, like going for a walk, reading a book, or getting more sleep. If you can’t shake off your stress monster, here are a few more options that may help.
Circadian rhythms don’t just apply to sleep.
Believe it or not, even microbiomes are on a schedule too. Eating late throws them off because they are not used to metabolizing at that time of night4. When your food is slow to metabolize, it may make your weight management journey that much harder. There is a way around it, though, to try and consume well-balanced meals consistently each day4.
Are you team pre or probiotic?
Both are winners in our book. Probiotics and prebiotics are types of fiber that can be found in food and or supplements. Prebiotics supports the growth of good bacteria in your gut4. Apples and artichokes are great examples of natural prebiotics. Probiotics are good live bacteria that balance your gut’s microbe levels and digestion4. Foods such as yogurt with live cultures, kombucha, and miso are categorized as probiotics. Different types of probiotics can help promote naturally healthy gut flora and can impact overall health4. The most important thing, however, is choosing the one that is best for you.
Foods that can hurt or help your gut.
The same good “fuel” (food) you need to maintain a healthy weight is exactly what is required for optimal gut health. Prebiotics such as fruits and vegetables of all colors that are rich in fiber, like asparagus, bananas, beans, berries, oatmeal, onion, garlic, leafy greens, and wheat, are excellent for feeding your gut healthy bacteria. Probiotics such as sourdough, kimchi, kombucha, and yogurt with live cultures are great for aiding your gut microbiome. If the mention of beans and fruits isn’t fascinating enough for you, not to worry. Your gut and weight health journey is what you make of it!
For breakfast, maybe you could try an apple cinnamon baked oatmeal, chocolate chip banana pancakes or an easy one pot red beans and rice that can cleverly and deliciously satisfy your savory cravings as a way to incorporate good bacteria into your diet.7
Making healthy food choices can be more challenging than it sounds. From food inflation to busy schedules, sometimes, you have the best intentions regarding gut and weight health, but it’s an uphill battle. We get it. It happens to all of us. It’s awareness of what we’re putting into our bodies that can change the way we eat. The occasional fast-food trip or chocolate bar isn’t bad. Regular visits to your favorite burger joint, fructose or sugar binges and excessive drinking can set your weight goals back and impact intestinal health. Foods high in fructose are commonly found in processed foods that we eat and drink and can do a number on our intestines. Even healthy foods like apples, pears, and dried fruits can be naturally high in fructose8, so like everything else, moderation is the key. Surprised? Here’s something that may have way less shock value. Fizzy feel-good beverages like soft drinks, seltzer water, and caffeine (not limited to coffee or tea but also chocolate and over-the-counter pain relievers) can be a punch to your gut if consumed often8.
Keep it moving, for gut’s sake.
If you need extra motivation to get moving these days, do it for your gut. That’s right. Studies have shown that regular exercise isn’t just for getting back into shape; it can also change your gut for the better! But how? Exercise enhances the number of good gut microbes, that in turn increases microflora (bacteria and fungi growth living freely in your gut) and improves the growth of good bacteria, essential to maintaining healthy intestines. Let’s revisit the importance of microflora in this process. It not only provides the nutrients and tissue development found in the gut, but it also affects our immune system. It’s like having an organ inside another organ, making it… an organ’s organ, keeping your gut running smoothly9. The verdict? Exercise is critical to maintaining a healthy weight and gut.
Be good to your gut, and it’ll be good to you.
When thinking about health, your gut may not register high on your radar. The fact is, your gut affects more than just your digestion. It can directly affect your immune system, skin, brain, and heart, improving mood and promoting healthy sleep.
If you have ever felt your emotions in your gut, it’s not in your head (no pun intended). Your brain is responsible for it10. Thus, the connection between your brain and your intestines. Consider them confidants. If something happens in your gut, it quickly sends signals to the brain, and vice versa, especially when stressed. Cortisol (stress hormone) can affect your mood, sleep quality, and gut. So, it is not far-fetched that you’re affected by bad mood and lack of sleep.
A few tips for a top gut.
Healthy guts make for better digestion and nutrient absorption. Getting the proper nutrients from your food significantly impacts your physical and mental well-being11. Eating colorful fruits, veggies, fermented foods, prebiotics, and probiotics, managing your stress levels, and getting a great night’s rest are great starts to improving your gut health and launching you toward your weight goals. It’s a dietary win-win!
Sources
1 Microbiome – National Institutes of Health
2 Building a healthy gut microbiome – Mayo Clinic
3 How diet may disrupt gut microbes to promote weight gain – National Institutes of Health
4 How your gut microbiome impacts your health – Cleveland Clinic
5 How to use fruits and vegetables to help manage your weight – Centers for Disease Control
6 Stress, diet, and the gut microbiota: human – bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition – National Library of Medicine
7 Recipes – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
8 5 Foods to avoid – John Hopkins Medicine
9 Exercise modifies the gut microbiota with positive health effects – National Library of Medicine
10 The gut-brain connection – Harvard Health Publishing / Harvard Medical School
11 How to improve your gut health – MD Anderson Center