I am so, so thrilled to be sharing my conversation with Amanda Sauceda with you! Amanda is a gut health specialist who, as she shares with us, wanted to be a dietitian since she was in high school for one reason and one reason only – she loves food, but mindfulness about her gut health didn't come until much later when she realized that she and some of her family members seemed to have some issues with indigestion. Her first step was to explore intuitive eating because when it comes to gut health, there are a lot of food rules, and we don't want food rules!

Amanda is here in this episode of The SociEATy Podcast to discuss being mindful of your gut health! She talks about honoring your gut feelings and addresses the difference between not eating a food because it doesn't agree with your body and not eating a food because of a food rule. (Again, we definitely don't want food rules when we're eating intuitively!)

Although Amanda teaches clients how to be mindful of gut health, she also stresses the fact that, contrary to what social media will often tell you, indigestion is not always a bad thing. It is actually often a sign of a well functioning digestive system, not an unhealthy one. She advises that only when problems are persistent and painful should there be a cause for concern. She also advises keeping a journal to address how food is making you feel to establish a baseline regarding how your body is working and to journal what you ate (but to only document what you see, not specific measurements or weights), when you ate, and how you felt before you ate. I love this piece of advice because if you've been listening to the podcast regularly, you know how much I love journaling! After all, thoughts lead to emotions which lead to actions!

Amanda, in closing, offers some actionable tips – to look at the areas of your gut (hunger, variety, and building trust with your gut). To build trust with your gut, she suggests grounding yourself and connecting to nature, getting good quality sleep, and physically moving your body in a way that you enjoy, such as dancing. Be sure to hit Amanda up at her Instagram page and/or at her website, and as always, please be sure to screenshot this episode and tag me! You can also share your stories, tips, and ideas, as I would so love to hear from you!

Time Stamps

[1:47] – Colleen reveals this episode's topic – all things concerning gut health. She also introduces the guest of this episode, her friend Amanda Sauceda who is a gut health specialist.

[3:05] – Amanda talks about who she is and why/how she got involved in dietary work.

[6:44] – Amanda explains the relationship between gut health and food freedom, stressing that there is no such thing as a perfect gut or perfect digestion.

[10:41] – Amanda offers advice on how to proceed if your digestive process feels different when you start breaking food rules.

[16:01] – Amanda walks us through what a food and mood journal entry might look like.

[20:53] – Amanda and Colleen discuss how stress has a major impact on gut health and how stress is often the sneakiest cause.

[23:28] – We discover the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance.

[27:00] – Amanda addresses the difference between an intolerance and your gut adjusting to a new food being introduced after breaking food rules.

[29:20] – Amanda reflects on tests used to identify food intolerances, asserting that they usually are not helpful.

[32:00] – Amanda advises us on what the first step should be – keeping a journal.

[34:34] – We receive advice from Amanda regarding how to implement an elimination diet, and she stresses how important that it is to work with a dietician and not try to do it on your own.

[39:20] – Amanda offers some actionable tips that anyone who wants to start improving their gut health can put into effect today.

Links and Resources

Colleen Christensen Nutrition – Website

The SociEATy – Website

Colleen's Instagram Page

The SociEATy's Instagram Page

Amanda’s Instagram Page

Amanda's Website