Today I want to share a few tips on how to heal the gut naturally. I'm sure many of you have heard about Leaky Gut Syndrome. For those of you unfamiliar, Leaky Gut occurs when the intestinal lining becomes permeable and food particles are able to pass into the blood stream. The immune system views these food stuffs as foreign and launches an attack! This can give rise to food intolerances/allergies, asthma, seasonal allergies, candida overgrowth, hormonal imbalances and auto-immune disease among other issues. Symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways, even those that seem unrelated.
If you suspect you have a possible Leaky Gut situation going on, there are many things that you can do at home to start the healing process. Below are a few strategies that I have found to be useful with my clients.
1. REMOVE gut irritating foods. Sugar, corn, wheat, dairy and soy are the top most common food allergens.In order to determine if any of these foods could be contributing to poor gut health, try eliminating them for at least 21 days. Then reintroduce the foods, one at a time and record any symptoms. Typically you will want to consume the the food for up to two days and on the 3rd day record any symptoms. If you have a strong reaction sooner, don't wait until day number 3 and instead eliminate the food immediately. Give your stomach a few days to recover before introducing the next suspected food item. Continue until you have identified all the foods causing distress in your gut. Also, do not limit yourself to only the top allergens. If you suspect another food might be causing trouble, try eliminating it just the same.
2. CHEW your food! This is an easy one. Undigested food in the small intestine can cause blunting and inflammation of the villi and microvilli which increases permeability. Chewing your foods can help your enzymes work better and reduce the impact to the intestinal wall.
3. ADD fermented vegetables and foods into your diet. Support the good bacteria in your intestines by consuming fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchee, and kombucha.
4. HEAL the gut lining by consuming homemade bone broths regularly. Be sure to add a few chicken feet for extra gelatin. The minerals and gelatin in the broth heal and sooth the gut lining.They also provide a good source of minerals that are easily assimilated.
5. ADD foods rich in L-Glutamine. This powerful amino acid is one of the best healing supplements for the gut lining. Good sources include grass fed bison, pastured eggs, and red cabbage.
6. HYDRATE. As with any healing process in the body, you need to add plenty of clean fluids to transport nutrients and flush toxins.
For a further in depth look at Leaky Gut Syndrome, I would recommend reading the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride. Dr McBride is a brilliant physician who has done extensive research on diseases caused my a leaky gut. She recommends healing the body, starting with gut health through the implementation of the GAPS diet. http://www.gaps.me/
*Always consult your physician before starting a new nutritional protocol.
No comments:
Post a Comment