The 4 R's for Optimal Gut Health

The 4 R's for Optimal Gut Health

All disease begins in the gut. -Hippocrates

Constipated? Bloated? Nauseated? Diarrhea? Gas? Fatigue? Feeling blah? Poor immunity? Eczema? Acne? Migraines?
Do these words ring true to you? If so, your GI systems needs some attention.

60-90% of your immune system is concentrated in your gut mucosa.

Trust your gut and heal!

1. Remove- Remove the following highly inflammatory foods:
♦ Gluten
♦ Dairy
♦ Soy
♦ Corn
♦ Sugar

These foods can create inflammation in your gut lining, causing the loose junctions in between cells of the GI tract. This is termed as leaky gut. A leaky gut allows undigested food particles and other substances into the blood stream. This can lead to an array of Gi symptoms, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc. In addition to GI symptoms, this can also cause other systemic conditions, such as fatigue and autoimmune conditions.
Remove these foods for a minimum of 4 weeks, and then re-introduce one food group at a time and monitor symptoms.

Another component to this step is a GI health panel. This is a test that looks for parasites or other pathogenic bugs that may be causing problems. Consult your Naturopath for more information.

2. Reinoculate-Your gut contains 100+ trillion viable bacteria with more than 40 different species. It is necessary to populate the gut with good or beneficial bacteria to out-crowd the bad or pathogenic bacteria. Take a probiotic with lactobacillus and bifidobacterium daily. Keep them in the refrigerator.

3. Replace- Once the gut has been cleaned up (through diet and probiotics), we want it to stay that way! To encourage an adequate amount of stomach acid, take 1-3 tsps of apple cider vinegar in water 15 minutes before meals. This allows for optimal absorption of vitamins and minerals from your food. See previous post on Apple Cider Vinegar.

4. Repair- A leaky gut needs some repair and rejuvenation. The following nutrients heal the GI tract by maintaining healthy gastric lining…thus keeping those toxic particles out of the blood stream:
♦ Licorice
♦ Glutamine
♦ Flavanoids
♦ Slippery Elm