To the editor:

As someone who has been “through the trenches” regarding family health crises (preCovid), I would like to help empower people to improve their health circumstances. Now, to condense it all in one letter to the editor may prove difficult. Over the past 16 years I have diligently researched various healing modalities and have discovered that optimal health boils down to one basic component, our digestive system. If we don’t have a proper functioning gut there are all sorts of things that can go wrong throughout the body.

Mental health is but just one. Have you ever heard the term “the gut is the second brain”? Well, it’s true. If our digestive system is damaged we can’t produce the chemicals our brain needs to function optimally. Environmental chemicals, antibiotic overuse, stress, processed foods, and unclean water all play a part in the destruction of our gut wall. For many of us (myself included), this destruction began in our childhood. When our gut is healthy we are better able to defend ourselves against the overgrowth of bacteria and viruses that make us sick. When our gut is healthy, we can absorb the vitamins and minerals we need for proper growth and maintenance. Children inherit their gut bacteria from their parents, believe it or not.

One analogy I can think of, is that our gut is like the soil that the roots of a tree are planted in — if the nutrients aren’t there the tree (the body) won’t thrive.

It’s not easy keeping this balance in today’s world, I am still working on healing my own gut while trying to help my family with theirs. I hope I have helped someone reading this, as that is my goal. I especially have a heart to help children and families who are struggling. Besides, we need to be healthy so we can continue to debate each other about various topics within our community, haha! To better health in 2022!

Hope Friese

New Ulm