If You Like Spirits Then Make Sure You Drink Them Heavily Diluted
Spirits are not as bad as many think, especially if you drink them like I do i.e. heavily diluted.
For example, I typically order a tall glass with 400ml soda water, a shot of vodka and a fresh wedge of lime. Plus minimal ice. That combination is so diluted you can barely taste the vodka. And thats how you know youve nailed it.
Importantly, I never use pop/soda/soft drinks as a mixer due to the sugar content.
But if I get sick of mixing with soda water, then I will mix with something like kombucha43. This can be pleasantly delicious, especially if you get a little naughty and choose kombucha with natural flavoring in it!
Heal Your Gut With The Help Of Centrespringmd
It is important to note that prolonged inflammation that is not addressed and taken care of, can lead to long-term GI tract damage and disease .
At CentreSpringMD, all of our providers are well versed on leaky gut syndrome and can assist you in making these choices to help heal your microbiome. We understand just how vital a healthy gut is and the discomfort it can bring.
As Atlantas leading integrative family medical center, CentreSpringMD has helped men, women, and children with a variety of medical conditions and overall health and wellness.
Contact CentreSpringMD today for an in-person or virtual consult with one of our integrative providers on how to heal leaky gut. A healthy gut makes for a happy and healthy body.
Resources:
How To Fix Leaky Gut
Leaky gut leads to inflammation that can cause a range of issues from gastric problems, acne, and dandruff. At its most extreme, leaky gut can even lead to autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.
Instead of treating leaky gut symptoms, you need to get to the root of autoimmune disease, and it starts by healing leaky gut. To restore the health of your intestinal wall, I recommend following functional medicines 4R Approach.
How To Heal A Leaky Gut
Are you concerned about your gut health? If not, you should be. The health of your digestive system is crucial to the functioning of your immune system. In fact, 70-80% of your immune system is located in your gut. Your stomach is particularly important it is home to trillions of cells that work with the rest of the body to repel foreign invaders and keep you healthy.
However, stomach-related issues can be very mysterious. They may seem to arise suddenly and have no direct or immediate cause. Or you may experience symptoms like rashes, acne, brain fog, anxiety or fatigue, which are seemingly unrelated to what’s going on with your digestive system, but in reality, they are connected. The sooner you can restore your gut to balanced function the better, but it could be necessary to try more than one treatment.
Why Coconut Products Can Actually Be Good For Gut Health
The science has jumped ahead as we now know that the caprylic acid / medium chain fatty acids in coconut products are rich in antimicrobial properties89 that work fantastically well to decrease levels of bad yeast and bacteria in the gut .
I should note that you can also get isolated caprylic acid90 , which might be more helpful if you are tackling something like candida / yeast overgrowth head on.
What Causes A Leaky Gut
We all have a degree of leaky gut, as the security barrier is not supposed to be completely impermeable. However, genetics, diet, stress, and age can all potentially impact the permeability of this lining for each individual. The factor that can be modified the easiest out of this list is diet.
It is important to determine with your healthcare provider any foods that are causing inflammation on a daily basis at the gut level. The most common offenders are excessive intake of alcohol, processed foods, sugar, and in some cases gluten and dairy. For example, celiac disease is one of many harmful autoimmune diseases that causes inflammation when eating gluten . Chronic inflammation can lead to inflammatory bowel disease and more serious issues. One could try eliminating these food groups as a whole, trying a thirty-day elimination diet, or visiting a practitioner that test for food sensitivities in order to be more specific about what to remove.
How Do You Know If You Have A Leaky Gut
There are tests for leaky gut, which can be useful if you want hard evidence that you need to address your gut health. In other words, having proof that something is going on in your body might help to motivate you to make changes in your lifestyle or stick to a protocol.
For a more detailed rundown of how you can know if you have leaky gut, read our blog How do you know if you have leaky gut? Some quick answers
At Healthpath we use a PEG test to look at leaky gut. Together with your symptom survey, our Registered Nutritional Therapists and Functional Medicine Practitioners use the results to build you a personal diet, lifestyle and supplement protocol to get you great gut health.
For all you need to know about leaky gut testing, read Testing for leaky gut syndrome: the complete guide .
For most people, we recommend a deep-dive into the workings of your gut: a Gut Health Test. Some of our Gut Health Tests look at your zonulin level, which is one marker of leaky gut.
However, theres really no comparison to a stand-alone leaky gut test and a Gut Health Test, which is a fully comprehensive analysis of the goings-on of your gut. It looks at:
- Your microbiomes health: stool consistency, pH levels, microbe diversity, enterotype, and dysbiosis index.
- Bacteria, yeasts , moulds, parasites, worms, H. pylori and pathogenic bacteria.
- Advanced biomarkers: digestive function, immune system and inflammation.
Bonus elements on more advanced tests include:
Who Does Intestinal Permeability Affect
The known causes of intestinal permeability involve systematic erosion of the intestinal lining. This is not a simple feat. Your intestinal lining has many layers of defense. And while it can be injured temporarily, it is designed to constantly repair and replenish itself. To actually wear it down enough to penetrate the lining requires a significant assault. That usually means a chronic disease, chronic drug use or alcohol abuse or radiation therapy.
The theory of leaky gut syndrome suggests that anything that injures your gut lining can lead to intestinal permeability if the injury is persistent enough. Therefore, common everyday factors such as diet and stress may cumulatively wear down your intestinal lining until it becomes permeable. Scientists arent sure about this, but they do agree that these everyday factors may cause inflammation in your gut lining and uncomfortable GI symptoms for you.
When To See A Doctor
It is always important to visit your doctor anytime you notice a change in your digestive system after consuming fatty and gluten-based foods. Most people ignore such mild symptoms, as they mostly disappear within hours or a couple of days. However, it is essential to immediately contact your doctor, even when experiencing mild symptoms, especially when those symptoms keep recurring. However, as we have already mentioned, symptoms can also become very severe.
Therefore, when you start experiencing signs like bloody stools or abdominal pains that last for several days, then you should visit your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will conduct the necessary examinations to confirm your condition before starting the appropriate treatment.
Leaky Gut Solutions: What You Need To Know
At the biostation, our experts believe in helping clients achieve optimal health by bringing the body back to a natural state of balance. Weve developed a number of unique and specialized treatments to heal leaky gut, also known as intestinal hyperpermeability.
This chronic health condition causes high levels of inflammation throughout the body and has many uncomfortable symptoms, including diarrhea, gas, bloating and stomach or abdominal pain. However, people with leaky gut often experience no symptoms at all, or symptoms that they would never connect with a gut issue. If you want to find out if you have leaky gut, and heal your microbiome, we offer these options:
So You Might Also Want To Consider Temporarily Cutting
- All nightshades. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers etc. These guys come packed with their own form of bug repellent, alkaloids. Suffice to say, not everyone responds well to them and they can cause inflammation and digestive issues93.
- Eggs. These can spike a high allergy response in a lot of people, and the lysozyme in egg white especially may be troublesome94.
- Nuts. Like eggs, these may not react well with your body95.
- Seeds. Seeds are meant to survive dormant for long periods of time and through varying conditions so, due to being constructed of natures tough-to-crack materials, even the sprouted ones can cause issues for some people.
- All vegetable starches. If youre still struggling 30 days into the diet, well then sadly, even that innocent looking sweet potato has to go96.
- All fruits. That low sugar berry shake you started loving on the leaky gut dietwell, that is out!
- All dairy. If you were eating raw unpasteurized yogurt for the probiotics or sheep cheese, stop. Its out as well97.
Of course the best news is that these eliminations arent necessarily permanent.
In idea #36 below, well look specifically at how to reintroduce these borderline foods in later to see if they still cause issues or whether some can be permanently added back into your diet.
IDEA #24
How To Reintroduce Foods The Smart Way
- Order of foods Start with the least potentially reactive foods, eg in week 1 maybe start by adding some soaked and pressure cooked legumes back into your diet.
- Time for each food Wait 2-3 days after eating a new food, until you reintroduce the next food. Thats important, because some foods can take a day or two for any ill effects to be felt. So this means you will typically add just 2 foods back into your diet each week.
- Track with a diary Use a food diary to keep track of what foods youve added back in and how youve felt the hour after eating it, the next day and the day after. ie a food and symptoms tracking journal.
- Review with a health professional Once youve reintroduced everything, take your journal to your doctor or other health professional, and work out which foods can be permanently allowed back into your diet, which ones can be allowed now and then and which ones really shouldnt ever be a part of your diet.
IDEA #37
How Does A Leaky Gut Affect My Body
Erosion of your intestinal lining is one thing, and intestinal permeability is another. Most people who think they may have a leaky gut have certain common gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, food sensitivities, bloating and indigestion. These types of symptoms are common and may have many possible explanations, and many of them may injure your intestinal lining. You dont have to have a leaky gut to experience those effects.
Erosion of the intestinal lining
If your gut lining is under constant assault, eventually it wont be able to fend off erosion by chemical irritants, abrasive particles or bacteria inside your gut. This is what happens in peptic ulcer disease and SIBO . The wrong kind of bacteria overwhelms the other bacteria that would usually balance them. The erosive acids and enzymes in your gut overwhelm the protective mucus that usually neutralizes them.
Erosion of your gut lining will affect your digestion, your immunity, and your sensitivity to pain in your intestines. And in some cases, it may lead to intestinal permeability. But it doesnt have to go that far for you to feel unwell. If you have gastrointestinal symptoms, these are likely related to the underlying condition that would be injuring your intestinal lining in the first place. Many gastrointestinal diseases share these same symptoms.
Intestinal permeability
How To Get Rid Of Leaky Gut
Several leaky gut syndrome tests are available that can help confirm a diagnosis and point you in the right treatment direction. Tests are helpful for identifying specific sensitivities and uncovering which types of toxins or deficiencies are contributing to your symptoms.
Available tests include:
- Organic Acid Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies Tests
- Lactulose Mannitol Test
What leaky gut treatments are available?
After years of research and patient care, I developed a four-step process for helping treat leaky gut. I cover this process in my leaky gut diet and treatment plan.
If youre concerned that you or a loved one may have this condition, I encourage you to read the detailed instructions, food suggestions and recommended supplements listed in that article.
The basic steps to healing leaky gut are as follows:
Two of the most common questions people ask are:
The 3 Things To Look For In A Great Digestive Enzyme Supplement
Say Goodbye To Sugar In All Forms
Not only will excessive sugar consumption fuel the growth of yeast / candida21, but also can also cause dysbiosis in your gut22.
Whilst refined white sugar found in popular foods/drinks like soft drink, ice cream, sauces etc is obviously bad, when you have leaky gut so are the more innocent sounding sugars like brown sugar, raw sugar etc.
Simply put, avoid all blatantly sugary products like sodas, sweets, desserts, etc, and also avoid the less obvious ones like sauces, low fat products.
Heres How To Make This Happen
IDEA #4
Is Leaky Gut Real
Your gut, also known as the gastrointestinal tract, includes over 4,000 square feet of intestinal epithelial lining that controls what gets into your bloodstream.
If unhealthy, this lining may be leaky with holes or cracks that allow bacteria, toxins, antigens, and partially digested food to penetrate the tissues beneath it.
That can trigger inflammation and changes in the gut flora , which could lead to problems within your digestive tract and beyond.
Although leaky gut is not recognized by mainstream medical professionals as a condition, its generally recognized as a symptom.
According to a
currently available specifically for leaky gut. The treatment recommendations youre likely to receive from your doctor will be focused on the underlying condition theyve diagnosed, which might include leaky gut as a symptom. For example:
- If youve been diagnosed withceliac disease, following a gluten-free diet may help heal your gut.
- If youve been diagnosed with IBD, anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, pain relievers, and supplements such as iron, calcium, and vitamin D may help the lining of your gut to recover.
- If youve been diagnosed with IBS, anticholinergic medications, tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, antidepressants, antibiotics, pain relievers, or medications specifically for IBS may help reduce your symptoms.
After The Starve & Kill Phases Reinoculate Your Gut
This is such an important step, because if we mess up here or simply avoid step 3 altogether then all the hard work weve done up until this point may end up being for nothing.
You see, in order to support healthy candida levels , we need to reinoculate our gut with good bacteria. This ensures the good bacteria, just like bouncers at a club, will be strong enough in numbers to support a healthy balance of the candida population going forward78. Meaning we will have no need to constantly be fighting candida with antifungals.
To reinoculate your gut all you need to do is
1) eat probiotic-rich foods like fermented vegetables several times a week and
2) consider taking a 40-50 billion CFUs probiotic supplement with 10+ different strains, like this probiotic my research team at Essential Stacks and I developed.
IDEA #13
