Leaky Gut, Heal your Belly, Hope for your Body & Brain

Have you considered that your gut health could be the cause of an illness or symptom you are suffering?

Leaky gut was once thought by some physicians to be a made up condition to help holistic practitioners support probiotic supplementation and overall alternative care. That is no longer the case. Study after study provides us with insight that our belly just may be a significant connector to our brain health and overall body health. It has even been said that our belly is our second brain!

Without a healthy gut, we risk inflammation, inflammatory disease, and even depression. When our gut is not well, our body is not functioning optimally; we open the door to illness opportunities such as colds and flu as well as a whole slew of debilitating disease.

I am amazed that even with this information we still have medical providers treating only symptoms and not the root cause of issues.

Yesterday, I was in the crowded doctor’s office waiting to get my yearly physical required by my 9-5 job. If not needed there is no way you would have found me sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office while I was perfectly healthy in the midst of a terrible flu season!
There I sat observing the flu-filled room and praying I did not catch the bug bringing so many down listening in on a very perplexing  conversation.

A patient, close to my age (middle age mom) , apparently sick with the virus plaguing so many this season was checking out. As she paid for her visit, the patient, chatting with the doctor and office staff went on to thank them for yet again another round of antibiotics; She stated she had been in the doctor’s office so many times this year she lost count! She joked with the office staff about her regular visits and the fact that the pharmacy knew her by name!

She complained she felt depressed and struggled to get out of bed in the morning and said she was “so sick of being sick.”

She belts out her list of meds she takes on an ongoing basis and then announces none of them work but what the heck!  “I would add an allergy medication to your care plan just to make sure.” The Doctor said. At this point the lady next to me in the waiting rooms looks up from her magazine and gives me a worried look. Sick patient lady nods, assures him she would and walks out the door.

The office staff went back to work, no one thought it strange her health was poor and vitamins and minerals were not on her list of meds she so proudly claimed. Except for me sitting in the flu zone secretly wanting to chase her down and hand her some info on gut health and sickness before she drove away.

In my perfect world, the doctor would have said: “how is your diet?” before anything else. “Let’s talk about foods that heal and foods that don’t.” But, he didn’t. That information was left out.

In my fantasy wellness world, that doctor would have prescribed a no sugar, no gluten, and no processed, real food diet! Then sent that patient on her way with a list of foods that heal and probiotics and mineral supplementation to repair her body from the inside out.

Why am I so passionate about a stranger’s belly? Why do I even care?
I have studied the connection of brain health to gut health these last months. So intently that my head now filled with studies shouting out “THERE IS MORE”! If only we slow down and take a look at what we put in our guts and why it may be leaking out.

Leaky Gut, It sounds terrible, doesn’t it?

It is….Leaky Gut Syndrome or increased Intestinal permeability is the state in which the tight junctions of the epithelial cells that line the digestive tract become damaged. Once damaged they do not provide the barrier in which they were designed. The now damaged lining is unable to protect the body’s internal environment or filter needed nutrients. The result, invaders such as bacteria, toxins, waste, undigested proteins and fats, leak out of the intestines into the body.

Your immune system now sees these invaders as pathogens and start its attack. This is the mico war that many people face each day within their gut. Often times not realizing they are holding an ongoing battle until the battle is lost.

This is the very war that plagued my sweet boy when he was just a toddler. Later, my own system ruined by the foods I was eating. Trip after trip to the doctor only showed me a list of useless medications that still did not work.

What Causes this battle, and Leaky Gut?

 

Stress can be a contributing factor in gut health.

The Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology published a report (you can read here) that reviewed how brain-gut connections are altered by stress; this included an increase in intestinal permeability or LEAKY GUT Syndrome.

Bathroom health or lack of is another leading cause of permeability issues.

Constipation, or chronically backed up toxic stools can irritate the intestinal lining, leading to inflammation and later leaky gut. I admit this subject has been rather tabu all of my life. Not one to talk publically about the subject matter that comes out, I will just say that it is essential for optimal health to be regular and eliminate toxins and waste. For the benefit of our gut let it all GO! Our bodies meant for daily elimination, and so it must be to keep our bodies healthy. That song from the Disney Movie Frozen comes to mind…Let it go. Let it go….Let it Go! I will say no more on a personal note except to say there will be future posts on helping this elimination process along in the form of “detoxification” and one of my favorite caffeinated drinks.

Healthy Gut flora is essential for the overall health of our gut.

Beneficial bacteria maintain a healthy digestive system, immune system, and emotional wellbeing. When harmful bacteria dominate the small intestine creating unhealthy gut flora, inflammation occurs irritating the lining, causing pores to open. Gut permeability is the result. We must feed our gut the good bacteria, avoiding foods and toxins that cause bad bacteria. You can read about one of my favorite gut healers here. We must consume a diet low in sugars, carbohydrates and toxic filled foods to have a healthy gut. Gut flora can be improved with healing foods like Sauerkraut, kimchi, kumbucha and raw yogurt.

Overuse of antibiotics can be harmful as they kill all bacteria good and bad.

If we do not restore the balance of our bodies after antibiotic use, we risk the bad bacteria taking over causing inflammation. This very reason is exactly why I was so disheartened sitting in the doctor’s office watching a patient walk out the door with another prescription for an antibiotic and no direction on gut healing foods or how to eliminate toxins. I am not against antibiotics at all, only the over use and not educating on rebalancing the gut flora with use. I believe a prescription for natural probiotics should accompany each antibiotic prescription.

NSAIDs such as Advil, Ibuprofen and other painkillers are often taken to reduce inflammation in the body but are difficult to break down and can irritate the intestines.

When used occasionally there is no issue, but long-term or overuse is where the problem lies. I grew up with this method of inflammation reduction and thought nothing of popping a Tylenol for any ache or pain. Read this interesting Article on NSAIDS and gut health written by leading gut health expert Dr. David Perlmutter. What is even more interesting is the connection not just to gut health but the the link to gluten sensitivity. This leads us to the next belly beast on our list.

Gluten, a highly inflammatory food, It is the next culprit on our list of causes of gut permeability.

Why has Gluten received such a bad name and how is it destroying your gut you may wonder. I did too. It turns out eating wheat, is not all it is cracked up to be. Each grain of wheat is one microgram of wheat agglutini (WGA). Even in small quantities, WHA can have adverse effects on your health. WHA has also been described as a neurotoxin and immunotoxin. For reference look at this list of studies, GreenMedinfo has compiled on wheat alone.

We must also look at the way gluten is grown in our country and harvested. Did you know its common harvest protocol to drench wheat fields with roundup. This practice allows for earlier and easier as well as more abundant harvests of wheat. This has been a routine practice for the last fifteen years which correlates with the rise of gluten sensitivity. We need to look into this ongoing practice and ask ourselves how this can this method be beneficial for our gut health. How is it helpful for our children to consume Roundup in their bread and pasta? If you love research as I do dig deep into this journal found at MDPI.

Consider also this list of inflammatory causing foods to avoid:

• Corn
• Conventional dairy
• Soy
• Wheat and gluten
• Highly processed vegetable oils
• Refined Sugar
• Additives and preservatives found in processed foods

There are plenty of other offenders leading to leaky gut syndrome.

Artificial sweeteners, junk foods, alcohol, caffeine, chemical additives (dyes, preservatives, and flavorings) are all unhealthy in your gut. Overeating, excessive fluid intake without meals, enzyme deficiencies, exposure to environmental toxins and heavy metals all lead to the destruction of your gut. Prescription hormones, parasites, mold and free radicals can also damage your gut flora.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms:

Gas and Bloating
Mental Fog, Confusion, Memory problems or Concentration
Mood Swings/Depression
Fatigue
Joint pain and or Swelling
Food allergies and Intolerances
Chronic headache
Sinus Congestion after eating

Leaky Gut Syndrome is something you need to consider.

The list of illnesses connected to Leaky Gut Syndrome is long.

ADD / ADHD, Acne, Auto-immune diseases, arthritis, Autism, dyspraxia, depression, eczema, dermatitis, IBS, malnutrition, colitis, yeast overgrowth, the list goes on and on.

Now that we know a few of the causes of the leaky gut syndrome and some of its symptoms we need to evaluate our lifestyle and apply strategies for healing our gut and removing the cause.

Follow these steps to get on track, heal your gut and prevent symptoms of Leaky Gut.

1. Use tools like Mindfulness, exercise, and meditation to alleviate stress. Work at lessening obligations that induce stress and prioritize family, friends, fellowship, and wellness.

2. Repair and Rebuild. Although I believe Food is the first medicine, today’s soil and food supplies do not always contain all of the minerals and nutrients we need. Supplementing is mandatory in my opinion for optimal health and gut healing. Supplements such as Glutamine powder which is an essential amino acid is anti-inflammatory and crucial for the repair and growth of your stomach lining. Additionally, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and plant-derived mineral supplements can also contribute to effective gut healing.

3. Consume Healing non -inflammatory foods such as Bone broth, non-starchy vegetables, and fermented vegetables, Grass-fed meats, RAW cultured dairy, antioxidant rich superfoods like the wolfberry, and healthy fats such as avocado, walnuts, coconut oil and eggs. I only recommend organic, grass-fed, free-range animal products as they contain fewer hormones and antibiotics. Those hormones and antibiotics act as toxins and contribute further to the destruction of the gut lining.

4. Work hard at reducing environmental exposers. We use an app on our phone called Think Dirty to review household products before we purchase. Our family uses toxic free products from Young Living, or we make our nontoxic products.

5. Detoxification with dietary improvements, cleansing programs, and detoxification therapies can be an efficient way to improve your overall health. Look specifically into heavy metals in your system. There have been studies connecting leaky gut to Candida overgrowth, and mercury/aluminum poisoning.

This information is provided as a resource to prompt you to self-discovery and wellness evaluation.

I am not a medical Doctor so cannot diagnose or treat any one person’s situation. We as humans have the ultimate resource at our fingertips, intuition. If something in your body does not feel right, research it further. Seek the support of a practitioner schooled in functional medicine. One, who is willing to dig deep into the cause of your symptoms and not treat you with a quick fix.

The good news is we all have a choice in what we put into our mouths.

As parents we are the gate keepers of our homes, as humans we are the gate keepers of our bodies. I always tell my children to make wise choices in their day as they leave for school each morning. As you do your shopping ask your self “is this the wisest choice to feed my family? Is this the wisest choice to pack for lunch or prepare for dinner? Will this product (personal care, cleaning, household) hurt me in the long run? Is there a natural solution for prevention before we find we are too sick?”

The foods we eat, the chemicals we surround ourselves with and the medications we choose have a direct impact on our gut health.

Unhealthy gut flora leads to leaky gut syndrome, which leads to inflammation. Inflammation is the destructive flame that ignites depression and disease. I challenge you to change. Are you up for it?
Cheers to a healthy gut and mind!