Good digestion is a prerequisite for good health.
As we continue living with chronic stress in our life, an abundance of toxins in our environment, poor diets, bacterial imbalance, and gastrointestinal issues are becoming more and more common. One of the most common issues we see with adrenal fatigue sufferers is intestinal permeability.
What is Leaky Gut Exactly?
Intestinal permeability also known as "leaky gut" is a condition when essentially, the intestines become damaged and are unable to protect foreign invaders or larger food particles from the digestive tract, from leaking into the bloodstream. The intestines are typically lined with tight junctions that carefully protect what makes it through to the rest of the body. When damaged, these loose junctions begin to let bacteria, incompletely digested food matter or waste through to the blood, setting off an immune alarm in the body. Cortisol and histamine surges are part of this alarm. This scenario leads to increased food sensitivities, digestive issues, auto immune conditions and a plethora of symptoms.
The symptoms of leaky gut are vast, and the truth is that gut health issues could very likely be a root level cause behind many of today's common health issues.
Just like the symptoms of leaky gut, figuring out the cause can be quite complicated.
Luckily, the body has an incredible ability to heal itself if you provide the right environment for it to do so.
When it comes to repairing a leaky gut, there are 5 steps, that when followed correctly will support creating an optimal environment for healing to take place.
THE 5 STEPS TO REPAIRING A LEAKY GUT
1. REMOVE
Remove anything that is creating to inflammation or negatively affects the digestive tract.
This starts with removing problematic foods, any common or known allergens, processed foods and excessive sugar. It also includes removing unwanted microflora like yeast (candida), parasites or unfriendly bacterial overgrowths.
2. Replace
This stage begins with replacing problematic foods in the diet with nutrient dense, whole foods.
It also includes restoring the naturally occurring digestive aids that may be lacking, things such as hydrochloric acid, bile acids and digestive enzymes.
3. Repair
In this phase, the focus is on restoring the mucosal lining of the G.I. tract.
Food plays a large role here, focus on eating foods that are easily digestible like smoothies, soups and cooked vegetables and quality proteins. Foods that are high in healing vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zinc and other antioxidants, along with fatty acids like omega 3. Bone broth is a particularly gut loving food and is a wonderful addition to a restorative diet. Supplements can also be used to help repair the lining more quickly, to help protect and soothe the lining and help ensure there are no nutrient deficiencies that could be slowing down the recovery process.
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4. REINOCCULATE
In this phase beneficial bacteria are re-introduced. Ideally, this is done with a high quality probiotic supplement, but naturally occurring probiotic rich foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha can be consumed to help support this via food as well.
The correct balance of healthy flora supports more than just digestion.
Click here to learn how our microbiome affects the brain, behavior, mood, and more.
5. REBALANCE
The rebalance phase is one that is on going, one that will help support a healthy and happy gut long-term.
This phase largely correlates with general good health practices such as mindfulness practice, sleep, healthy exercise, good food, and finding time for fun.
When combined and worked on consistently, these 5 steps will guide you well on your way to abundant energy, easy digestion, a flat tummy, glowy skin and so much more. Leaky gut recovery does not need to be a lot to swallow- it comes back to changing the GI environment and creating one that allows the body to recover, repair and come back into balance.
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