My battles with stomach pain and impaired digestion as a teenager and into my mid-20’s ultimately shaped my belief that you cannot experience optimum health or lose weight without a healthy gut.

For years, I struggled with bloating, indigestion, skin rashes, and the inability to lose belly fat until I was introduced to functional medicine and discovered the root cause of these symptoms.

Under the guidance of an integrative medical doctor, I learned that my history of antibiotic use along with eating foods that my body was sensitive to contributed to my symptoms and how poorly I felt.

My body was inflamed and needed a reset.

Fortunately, I learned which foods to eliminate and which supplements supported me in healing my body and helping me feel better than I ever had before.

This completely changed my life, and now that I am fortunate to run a holistic fitness and wellness center, I’m able to share what I learned to help other people dealing with similar health challenges.

The majority of people who come to train at our center have a goal of losing weight, and they are surprised to learn that their struggles with stubborn weight gain are usually related to a dysfunctional digestive system.

In fact, an unhealthy gut can lead to low energy, a larger waistline, and even imbalanced hormones.

Here’s the good news: there are some specific steps you can take, to turn things around to shed belly fat and build a healthier, leaner body.

Over the past few years, my Boston personal trainer team and I have helped hundreds of busy parents and professionals reach their weight loss goals by designing a meal plan geared toward improving their digestive health.

When a new client comes to our fitness center and wants to know how to lose weight, we teach them that a healthy eating plan is based on a robust 2 step process.

First, you eliminate foods that are inflaming your body, sapping your energy, and wreaking havoc on your metabolism.

Here are a few common examples:

• Vegetable Oils such as Canola, Corn, Safflower, Soybean, and Sunflower

• Artificial Sweeteners such as Acesulfame, Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, and Sorbitol

• Genetically-Modified Corn and Soy (opt for certified organic)

• Factory-Farmed Meat (choose grass-fed for beef and certified organic for other meats) and Farm-Raised Fish (opt for wild-caught)

• Gluten

• Sugar

Once you’ve begun to eliminate these foods, you can focus on providing your body with the nutrients, enzymes, and building blocks for a better gut and healthier body.

A few gut-supportive foods include:

• Bone Broth

• Dandelion Greens

• Garlic

• Milled Flaxseed

• Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale)

• Unpasteurized Kimchi, Sauerkraut and Fermented Veggies

A key point to remember is this: when you eat, you’re eating for 2 . . . you and your bacteria.

Feed them well by exposing them to a wide range of fibrous foods and friendly bacteria, and you’re on your way to feeling and looking healthier.

Start your healthy eating journey today. Become a AUMazing member.