GUT HEALTH
Are You Menstrual Gut and Skin Connection
Gut Health and Fertility Podcast
Taylor Dukes is the gut expert so I highly recommending following her and her work!
Antibiotics wreak havoc on your gut microbiome.
While it wipes out all the harmful bugs that are causing you infections and issues, antibiotics wipe out all the beneficial bacteria as well.
But there are things you can do after taking antibiotics to REPLENISH your good gut bacteria to offset the negative impacts.
Restoring gut flora after antibiotics doesn't have to be intimidating or a foreign language!
Here are 6 things that help replenish your good gut bacteria after antibiotics:
Varied diet (Without the Sugars!)
Probiotic-rich foods
Prebiotic & Probiotic supplements
Gut-Healing Supplements
Consider Anti-fungal supplements
Unwind and Unstress (Without the glass of wine, sorry!)
Antibiotics are overprescribed but I am not anti-antibiotics.
They certainly have their place and can not only be helpful, but also life-saving, when medically necessary.
With that being said, antibiotics can do a number on your gut health so here are a few of my favorite things to help repair the gut during and post-antibiotic therapy.
Want to stock up on some of these things to have on hand? Head to the link in my profile to access all of my favorite supplements discounted!
Gut health is everything.
Sometimes people come to see me and gut health isn't even their main complaint but when we change their diet and lifestyle and heal their gut, other things fall into place.
You can go to the dermatologist and get put on oral antibiotics, birth control and topical creams for your skin, but what happens when you get off those meds?
You can go to your OBGYN or urologist and get treated for recurrent UTI or yeast infections, but do you know how to prevent them from coming back?
You can go to the GI doctor and get an endoscopy and get put on PPIs, but what happens when you get off the meds?
I don't fault the practitioners because this is what we were taught in out current medical system. However, as a functional medicine expert, I am always looking for the root cause.
So, have I ever called in a med to treat a yeast infection or UTI? of course! But would I let my patient continually come back without assessing the gut and root cause? no way!
If you have any of the above symptoms, dig deeper, healing is possible
Not sure that your provider will ever ask you this ..
But did you know that having a history of colic as a baby, having been vaginally birthed or breastfed, your childhood diet, past antibiotic use, stress and family history can all provide insight into your digestive issues?
Pretty sure my provider NEVER asked me anything related to these topics when I was so desperately searching for answers.
I don't fault them because they could never spend a quick 15 minute visit digging that deep but the sad part is that I underwent expensive invasive procedures, imaging studies, and even tried prescription medications before doing a stool test or being told these factors could affect my gut.
I thank God for leading me to functional medicine, even when I thought it was “woo woo”.
Doing a comprehensive stool test, following a gut healing protocol, changing my lifestyle and working with an experienced provider literally changed MY LIFE and the trajectory of my career.
Do you want in on this type of gut health care? Head to the link in my bio today!!
We would love to have you join us in the Get Your Gut Right program and get you access to a stool test, a personalized protocol and more!
Yes, it’s real. Intestinal permeability is real.
It can be a measured marker on stool tests.
Leaky gut is when your gut lining becomes damaged, and undigested food particles, chemicals, bacteria, and toxins have the ability to leak through your gut barrier. So, really, leaky gut is another way to say “intestinal permeability”.
Your gut lining is made up of a single layer of epithelium cells. What happens is the small holes in your intestine lining, which normally only let in necessary nutrients, get larger and larger. Eventually, molecules that are supposed to stay in your digestive track get into your bloodstream.
This is not good! Because those chemical are seen as foreign substances or invaders, your immune system attacks. Because this isn’t a one-time thing and foreign molecules are getting into your bloodstream with each time you eat, your immune system is on all-time alert mode, which may cause constant inflammation.
Here are some Causes of leaky gut
☠️Toxins
BPA, heavy metals, pesticides, medications
🍬Inflammatory foods
Conventional dairy, gluten, processed foods, sugar, corn, soy
🦠Gut infections and imbalances
Parasites, candida, SIBO, dysbiosis, H pylori
Gut Health Is More than Bone Broth & Probiotics
Gut health means getting down to the root of what YOUR gut needs to get rid of or replace.
It means stool testing. I use @dxsolutionslab in my practice with patients.
It means identifying imbalances and personalizing a protocol.
It means finding and removing food sensitivities and allergies.
It means consuming food that make YOU feel good
If you’re on a gut healing journey raise your hand 🙋🏼♀️
Have you ever said, "I eat clean and exercise but I still experience ___"
I've said it & I get it - we know that the very foundation of our health requires a nutrient-dense, organic diet and movement that improves our strength and cardio, but what happens when that's only one piece of the puzzle? 👀
A lot of people demonize supplements and will tell you they're not needed, but for centuries humans have relied on supplements for healing - they just look a little different now.
Instead of capsules and powders, our ancestors used teas, herbs, roots, and plants to heal. 🌱
My Sicilian dad always says how his mom used to pick & feed them dandelions when he was a kid, surely more for the medicinal benefits, and not because dandelions are a balanced meal. 🌻
Many underlying issues would take a lot of time, preparation, education, and consistency to eradicate with diet, so knowing when supplements are needed is important. 🤝🏻
Poor bile flow: a sluggish gallbladder can lead to issues like gas, floating stools, and constipation. Good diet is important when it comes to your gallbladder, but sometimes an extra nudge with bitters, bile salts, and digestive enzymes can be really supportive (especially if you've had your gallbladder removed)
High beta glucuronidase, the enyzme that sends estrogen back into the bloodstream, can lead to period problems, weight gain & estrogen dominance - and it starts in the gut.
H pylori & low stomach acid, two common issues I see with my clients, can cause indigestion, poor nutrient absorption, and poor digestive enzyme function (alongside symptoms like heartburn, bloating & bad breath). With herbs & antimicrobials, we can usually eradicate this in 60-90 days and restore GI function.
Parasites causing low magnesium, histamine intolerance, GI issues, fatigue, constipation...which we know can domino into many more issues down the line.
If you're looking for a deep dive into your health through functional lab testing, September enrolment for fit + functional is now open, where we dive into all of the above factors using the GI Map + other supportive testing to ensure you're getting to the root of your imbalances - not quick fixes. 🫶🏻
FOOD FOR YOUR BUGS 🦠// How cool is it that the good bugs that do a ton of great stuff for the gut have an appetite for certain foods in the diet❓
Here’s what bugs I'm talking about & swipe through the graphic to learn what they love 👇
🦠Faecalibacterium - Faecalibacterium prausitzi is an important energy producer for intestinal cells. It regulates mucous production & creates a more acidic environment that prevents unfavourable bacteria & yeast from growing out of control.
🦠Lactobacillus bacteria belong to a genus of bacteria that form a large portion of your large intestine microbiome. They are very important for facilitating healthy digestion.
🦠Akkermansia is by far one of the most important bacteria you want to have healthy amounts of in your gut. Akkermansia is especially important for your mucosal lining, gut barrier and immune system.
🦠Butyrate is not a bacteria but it’s a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced when some bacteria break down and digest plant fibers. Butyrate has countless benefits including maintaining your gut barrier by feeding the cells lining your gut, suppressing inflammation in the gut, boosting your immune systems defences against disease causing bacteria, helping you maintain a healthy weight and maintaining blood sugar levels.
Swipe through to learn more about what foods and/or supplements feed these guys.
Are you in a rut with your gut health? Feeling like you’ve tried everything, but your uncomfortable bloat, digestive discomfort and unsatisfying bowel movements persist? Let us help! Tap the link in my bio to learn more about how we can help here at the SIBO Clinic. Drop me a question, or shoot me a DM if you’d like to chat further.
…and the best part is that taking care of your gut can be so simple. the first step is plant diversity - which can be as simple as switching from red apples to green apples or from red bell peppers to yellow bell peppers.
The diversity of plants you eat feed the diversity of bugs in your gut - leading to more balance and an overall better gut. And with a better gut that you get all the benefits of hormone balance, immune health, skin health, and more. So you can start today by just adding a bit more diversity to your plate ❤️
In my previous post, I talked about how to know if your gut needs support. Today we are digging into what foods you can use to provide that support.
I divided this up into 5 main categories:
1. Digestion
2. Detoxification
3. Beneficial bacteria
4. Gut lining/integrity
5. Immune system
One important thing to note is that we have to be eating enough in order for us to benefit from these foods. Under eating and/or skipping meals is a stressor, which can further increase inflammation and impact our immune system and overall gut health. We also need energy to detoxify.
Under eating also leads to a slower metabolism, which impacts our digestion. If you're struggling with constipation and/or bloating and you're not eating enough, adding in more bitter foods may not be enough to help.
This is just another reminder that we cannot skip the foundations.
Swipe through to see what foods can help support the 5 main areas you want to focus on for gut health.
If you have been enjoying this series and want to learn more about stool testing, make sure you're on my email list. This Sunday I will be talking about how to understand stool test results. DM me "email list" to get the link to sign up!
I know this post might seem confusing, especially since I recommend drinking bone broth. I even have an entire post on the benefits of drinking bone broth, BUT this alone will NOT heal your gut issues.
Bone broth is amazing because it contains high amounts of anti-inflammatory amino acids, protein, and can heal the gut lining for some.
However, there was a root cause to your gut issues that you need to also address. Just drinking bone broth won't fix your issues...
Your gut issues stemmed from multiple factors such as low stomach acid, stress, processed foods, inflammatory oils, lack of sleep, and more.
You may have an underlying bacterial or fungal overgrowth, infection, lacking digestive enzymes, parasites, inflammation, etc.
Not everyone needs a stool test, so please do not freak out and think you have an infection. Address the basics first and then go from there.
If you’re struggling with diet, hormones, or gut issues, sign-ups for my group coaching program are LIVE! I go over what to eat, how much, minerals, supplements, stress, gut health, hormones, and MORE!
I teach you how to heal your entire body, including your gut. Most people do not need my 1:1 help, they need education and guidance to learn the foundations of how to heal.
Every single member will also be getting a FREE HTMA and 1:1 session! Go to my website and click on the “Trust Your Gut” tab for more info!
*This is not medical advice.