I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Karen Wolfe about Leaky Gut recently and thought I would share her advice with you. She likes to call it an inflamed gut rather than leaky because that is what is happening in your body.
So many people are struggling with this and don’t even know it. Imagine that the lining of your digestive tract is like a net. The holes let through all the nutrients that your body needs, but with stress and poor eating habits, the holes get large enough to allow microscopic food particles into the blood stream. This is not where they should be and this alerts your immune system, which springs into action. That action can actually be an autoimmune response.
What causes the holes in the lining of the gut?
- Poor diet is the first thing.
- Chronic stress.
- Toxins.
- Bacterial imbalance.
What are the symptoms of leaky gut?
The symptoms can be non-specific like bloating, thyroid issues, skin issues (eczema, rosacea, or acne) weight gain, or joint pain. These can be autoimmune issues that you can actually do something about if you heal your gut. [tweetthis]Most doctors will tell you that autoimmune issues cannot be healed, but I have seen otherwise. [/tweetthis] Did you know that autoimmune diseases are now 3rd on the list of diseases after cancer, diabetes?
How do you heal the gut?
1. Remove Gluten
Start simply, as everyone is in different stages of their healing process. First start by removing all grains and gluten from your diet. Look at your sugar intake. Do a 5-day sugar cleanse. I have a great one on my website at HealthCoachDonna.com. Grains wreak havoc on the digestion system and feed the bad bacteria that create toxins that cause bigger holes in the net of the intestines. So reduce your overall glycemic load by reducing or eliminating all processed white foods. Dairy can also be an issue so it’s good to reduce or eliminate it. Pasteurization kills the enzymes that normally help your body digest dairy. So, you might want to try some raw dairy, if that is available in your area.
2. Reduce Stress
Get more sleep and schedule fun. Sounds simple, but so many of you don’t go to bed early enough and are running around sleep deprived. And how can that be any state to have fun? I actually schedule fun activities for my family on the weekends. If I don’t, then we just end up doing chores or playing video games. Hang around positive people. You know how you feel after you’ve spent time with an energy vampire or a Debbie Downer. Not good. So make time to be with people who uplift you and give you energy. Also, be mindful about the amount of stress you have in your life. You get to choose how you react to any situation. So start choosing to feel less stress. Deep breathing and meditation on a daily basis can be essential tools for reducing the stress feelings.
3. Avoid Toxins
Pesticides and medications can add a toxic load to your body. Skin care is important too. What you put on your skin goes into your blood stream and if it’s full of chemicals that can cause a toxic overload to your system. I like USANA’s Sensé line, as it’s completely preservative free.
4. Regulate Bacterial Load
Take a probiotic and a digestive enzyme. That’s the absolute minimum that everyone should do.
If you could work on these 4 areas, you would feel so much better.
So, what’s left to eat if I take out sugar, white foods, grains, and gluten? Well, think about fast carbs and slow carbs. Fermented foods, like sauerkraut, miso, or tempeh, and veggies like asparagus, squash, sweet potatoes, those are slow carbs unlike processed foods which are fast carbs. They are fast because they turn to sugar very quickly. Go easy on the fruit because it does contain fructose and that is sugar. Stick with healthy, clean proteins and lots of veggies. Just try 1 new recipe per week. Think about what you are adding into your diet rather than what you are taking out of your diet. Even if you don’t like cooking, you can just make very simple meals of baked chicken and steamed veggies.
What is a digestive enzyme?
It makes sure the food you are eating is fully digested. If you’re eating processed foods, the body really doesn’t know how to use that and that food is exactly what damages the gut lining. Take the digestive enzyme before you eat your meal. Take them with every meal. This will reduce the damage to the gut and adding food particles to the blood stream.
Probiotics
You need to take these to replenish the good bacteria in the gut. You can also eat fermented foods to feed the good bacteria. If you are taking an anti-biotic, which will kill all of the bacteria in the gut, then take the probiotic separately from the antibiotic. Remember to slow down and chew your food thoroughly as well. This will help with digestion too.
Stress reduction techniques
Do what works for you. I like a walking meditation. You can move and meditate. It needs to be a place of quiet, in nature, and being fully mindful of everything around you. Be in gratitude while walking and this will take you out of your busy mind. Remember the gift of this present moment. If you live near the ocean, walk on the beach and just watch the waves. Stay off of your cell phone. Try even leaving it at home or in the car. Yoga is another great option or reading inspirational materials can be helpful too. Find the thing that works best for you. When you do this daily, you’ll bring down your cortisol levels.
4-Week Clear the Way Program
Another option is the Clear the Way program. Just go to HealthCoachDonna.com and click on the Work with Me tab. It’s an easy to do 4 week program that will support you to eliminate the foods that cause leaky gut in a very easy to do system. After the 4 weeks, you’ll be completely changed in your lifestyle of eating. Your taste buds will change and you’ll no longer crave sugar and carbs. When you change your life, you’ll have an impact on the people around you. Change your life and your eating habits in 4 simple weeks.
