You know what’s not normal? Here is a list:
-pooping less than once per day (yeah, let’s talk about poop first)
-feeling groggy or tired after meals
-feeling tired in the afternoon
-burping and farting your way through the day
-waking up and not being able to fall back asleep during the night
-waking up frequently during the night
-waking up groggy and cranking and not being able to function before coffee
-struggling with cravings
-constant hunger
-being chronically depressed
-being in pain
-debilitating menstrual cramps
-foggy thinking, not being able to concentrate

Many people are so used to experiencing the above issues that they believe it’s normal. This is especially true with digestive issues and energy levels. You may be used to poor sleep, waking up exhausted and needing to fuel yourself with coffee to keep going throughout the day, or having heartburn (or do you treat it with Prilosec?), feeling gassy and bloated, or constantly being overweight because you are constantly hungry and subjected to cravings. You may be resigned to thinking that’s just how you are.

These are all signs from the body that something is off balance. Ideally, you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and clear. You should be able to make it through the day without fueling up on coffee. You poop once or a couple times a day. You feel energized by your meals rather than tired after or bogged down by them. You can make it through the day without succumbing to overwhelming cravings, and you’re not mindlessly snacking. You fall asleep by 11pm and sleep well during the night. You should be able to relax without drinking wine, and fall asleep without Ambien. Does it sound too good to be true?

Bloating, belching, farting, constipation, and heartburn are NOT normal, and taking meds to relieve these issues only addresses the symptom, not the underlying cause of the problem. And while we’re at it, poop consistency is important. Do you look? It should be roughly banana shaped and formed and without a disgusting odor, not loose and stinky. If you see undigested food particles, you could have low stomach acid that’s not properly breaking down your food. This also means you’re not absorbing all the nutrients you need from your food.

Of course we all experience the above issues from time to time, but if you’re facing these problems regularly, it is a sign that your body is off balance. These initial pesky problems are often the body’s first way of alerting us to an imbalance. You can pop a pill and forget about it or uncover the reason why it’s happening and correct that. Which do you choose? Medicate and forget, and wait until your body is so far off balance that you’re hit with a serious illness? Or nip it in the bud?

Mary Vance, NC

Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.