Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Have you noticed reactions to more and more foods that you used to be able to eat with no problems? Do you get sick often? Do you suffer every day with bloating, gas, and general gut discomfort? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be dealing with leaky gut.
Our gut lining is naturally semi-permeable to allow micronutrients to pass through into your blood stream. This is how we absorb nutrients from our food. But sometimes the gut lining weakens causing “holes” to form so that bacteria, microbes, and larger particles of food can enter the blood stream. These things are seen as foreign invaders and trigger an immune response. This triggers inflammation in the gut and body and causes reactions like gas, bloating, cramping, food sensitivities, and more.
So what causes these “holes” to form in the intestinal wall? There are many possible causes including NSAIDs, antibiotics, candida overgrowth, a microbial imbalance, prescription medications, gluten, highly processed foods, and stress. Any of the things from this list can lead to a weakening of the gut lining and if several are added together you get the perfect storm.
What are the signs of leaky gut? Some signs that you may be dealing with leaky gut include chronic diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating, nutritional deficiencies, poor immune system, headaches, fatigue, join pain, and autoimmune diseases.
So what can be done about leaky gut? Is it something we have to live with? Not at all! There is a four step approach to healing leaky gut and restoring your gut healthy and immunity
Remove: Remove inflammatory foods from your diet. These include thing like gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar, caffeine, processed food, corn, soy, and alcohol. Gut infections like candida overgrowth, SIBO, parasites also need to be removed .
Replace: Replace the bad with the good. Support optimal digestion by adding digestive enzymes and hcl (if needed). These enzymes will help facilitate the breakdown of macronutrients for maximum nutrient absorption which will help your body begin the healing process.
Reinoculate: Taking a high-quality probiotic and eating foods high in probiotics and prebiotics (fiber) will help reestablish a healthy microbiome.
Repair: provide your gut with the nutrients it needs for repair. The best repair tools include things like l-glutamine, mucilage herbs, and zinc. These will help restore the mucosal layer of your intestinal lining.
The process of gut repair can take time and patience but it is the first step in restoring your health and digestion! Healing the gut can help you reverse allergies and chronic digestive complaints so you can live a life free from pain and discomfort. If you’d like more information on how to begin this healing process I’d be happy to chat with you! Click here to contact me or email me at adelle@adellenutrition.com
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