Problems Digesting Fats

Good healthy fats are critical to our health, particularly our brain, as we age. If you've been a client of mine you will have heard that it's really important to get plenty of avocados, coconut butter, olive oil, pastured eggs etc... into your diet.

The problem is, if you haven't been on an optimal diet for a long time, your body may have adapted to life without fats and you might even have trouble digesting them. For your long term health, it's crucial that we take steps to reverse this.

What's so important about fats anyway?

Fats help balance your blood sugar, optimise hormones, keep you feeling full and less 'snacky', help you absorb fat soluble vitamins and nutrients, and is the best source of energy for your body.

What are the symptoms of poor fat digestion?

* low energy

* energy slumps

* sugar cravings

* irregular bowel movements

* nausea

* gas and bloating

* cramps

* nutrient deficiencies

* migraines and headaches

* difficulty losing weight

* skin problems (itchy, yellow colouring, rashes, eczema)

* constant runny nose

* bitter taste in the mouth

* and further health complications like hypothyroidism, chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia etc...

What's the root cause?

Often, many of these symptoms are treated with over the counter medications (piriton for a runny nose, ibuprofen for pain or even candy for sugar cravings), but what we really need to do is treat the root causes of why you aren't digesting fats well.

The first issue is usually stress. Stress is a primary cause of many diseases because it wreaks havoc on your digestive system. When you are in 'fight or flight' mode, the body pulls blood away from the digestive tract and pumps it into the muscles ready for escape, leaving you with a very inefficient digestive system.

Reducing stress and learning to control stress is critical. You could also try fasting during stressful period, or consuming something very gentle on the digestive system, like a freshly pressed juice, during the morning/working hours and then saving your largest meal for the evening when you are able to relax afterwards.

Low stomach acid is also a hindrance to digesting fats. Poor stomach acid production can lead to a malnutrition and imbalances in the gut microbiome. It's important to address this. If you have a history of antibiotic use, heartburn medication or H. Pylori infections, undigested food in your stool, lots of food sensitivities, anemia or asthma/allergies, the chances are you have low stomach acid and may need some help addressing that.

The third major concern for your ability to digest fats is poor diet. If your diet is high in inflammatory sugar, processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, digestion will be inhibited. Make sure you understand the difference between healthy fats and unhealthy fats!

The fourth issue may be gut dysbiosis. If you have a poor gut microbiome, then you will have all kinds of health issues, but poor digestion of fats becomes a viscous cycle which is hard to escape.

Finally low thyroid function and poor fat metabolism go hand in hand. This is because the thyroid hormones regulate the liver detoxification. Then the liver is slowed down, bile production is slowed down too, and therefore fats cannot be easily digested.

Studies have shown that 1 in 4 women tested (the test was done on 12 year old girls, so not even adults at menopause, the number are likely to be MUCH higher) has low thyroid function. If you aren't sure, get your thyroid tested. In my personal opinion, the NHS T4 and TSH test is not good enough. Find a private health care provider who can do a full thyroid panel.

If you know you need help digesting fats, why not book an appointment so we can work on an individualised plan to help address your root cause issues and get your back on track for better health.