Over the past few decades, the healthcare industry has been rife with changes. From new diets to Ozempic, nothing has been left untouched. Superfoods became a part of our diet, sometimes at the cost of traditional food. Gut health has finally entered the chat. From studies on preventing amnesia to decreasing the chances of anxiety or depression, gut health is now scientifically supported to enable better brain functions.
How gut health impacts women’s reproductive health
“Gut health is more than just digestion, it is the control centre for hormonal health,” says Dr. Shylah Schauer, an integrative doctor who specialises in gut-brain microbiome axis, with a clinical focus on women’s healthcare.
Gut bacteria estrobolome is primarily responsible for how estrogen moves in and out of the body. Gut health is significant in the detoxification of hormonal health. Irregularity in estrogen can lead to symptoms such as “PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, irregular cycles, infertility, metabolic dysfunction, weight gain, and increased risk of cancers,” Dr. Schauer tells us.
Back to our roots
While there is no shortage of treating gut health and reproductive health through extensive medical procedures or supplements, diet becomes the cornerstone of working on it for the long term.
One of the very popular nutritionists in India, Rujuta Diwekar, who has worked with Bollywood celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, famously talks about a concept called, “Eat local, think global.” This sentiment harbours down on sustainable food, often what is local and traditional to us.
The modern way of eating, with a decline in traditional methods of preparing food, and consuming processed food, is leading to the destruction of healthy microbial function and diversity, Dr. Schauer shares.
“The best nutritional gut health advice is to eat in a relaxed state, eat foods like your ancestors, and eat at least 30 different types of plants weekly to help your microbiome diversity,” concludes Dr. Schauer. And she is not alone in thinking that superfoods, supplements, or even advanced medical procedures, can help our health only temporarily.
But is there a cost to it? The gendered labour of cooking traditional meals
Often, the labour of cooking traditional meals falls on the woman, and a modern woman is now occupied, for good feminist reasons, with her career, friendships, and building an expansive life. In these moments, it becomes integral to caution that a woman’s fertility is a matter of importance for both men and women.
Cooking is not a gendered role and it is the responsibility of each member of the family to ensure a woman sustains a stress free lifestyle where she is able to prioritise her needs without sacrificing on her health. A healthy gut will lead to a healthy reproductive system, which can positively affect mental health, sexual wellbeing, and physical fitness, leading to an empowered lifestyle.
Cultivating a lifestyle that allows for a slowness when it comes to consuming our food, can go a long way. What can be a better soft girl era core than to eat in joy, ease, and diversify our eating to include what is found around us.