Lets Talk Leaky Gut
We are on a roll now! This is our second Facebook live and we are tackling the topic of LEAKY GUT. Why? Well, it is sooo very common, and could possibly be the root of all your ills! So watch the video below or check out the summary. If you struggle with symptoms of leaky gut, get help now, there are easy steps you can take to get feeling better.
1:12 Leaky Gut!
This guy says it’s more than a gut feeling
It’s caused by our modern lifestyle so, as a modern person, you probably have it or will at some time!
All disease begins in the gut.
He wasn’t far off when Hippocrates made that statement over 2,000 years ago! So many issues and ailments can be traced back the gut. Obviously, IBS, gas, bloating, and stomach upset are prime suspects, but you may be suprised at how many other issues have roots in your guts. Symptoms of Leaky Gut can show anywhere in the body—brain fog, anxiety, depression, joint pain, muscle aches, lack of motivation, fatigue, food sensitivities, allergies, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, autoimmune conditions of all kinds and more.
2:37 Your Digestive Tract = One Long Tube
Because of this when we eat, food doesn’t necessarily enter our body in the sense that is not yet a part of us. It simply moves through that long tube, start to finish. Our body allows some elements of what we eat to be absorbed into our system, to become a part of us. The rest merely passes through. This absorption happens mainly in our intestines. Interesting to note that all the separates us from what we eat is a thin membrane that is one cell thick. That’s right, the width of one cell is all that separates you from your food.
4:00 Zonulin and it’s role as the gate keeper
Zonulin is a protein that regulates the tight junctions in your gut lining, opening them to allow nutrient through and closing them tightly to prevent unauthorized particles passing into the bloodstream. Unfortunately, zonulin is not infallible. It is regulated largely by organisms in your microbiome, so if your gut flora is imbalanced (as most of ours is!) then your tight junctions may be loose or left open! In addition to that threat, gluten and gluten mimicking substances—so prevelant in our modern diets—confuse and dysregulate the production of zonulin, causing it to oversignal openings in the gut lining.
Other threats? our processed, toxic food supply; pesticides and chemicals; natural and artificial sugars; medications; environmental toxins such as cleaners and beauty products; chronic stress and more!
8:04 Stress is particularly hard to escape!
8:35 Medication and Antibiotics
Medication damages our gut flora and directly contributes to leaky gut. Antibiotics are the biggest culprit, but not only the ones you are prescribed. Did you know 80% of the antibiotics made in the United States goes to animals in feedlots? They are needed to control illness in a population that is at high risk due to close confinement and unsanitary conditions but even more disturbing is the fact that antibiotics are given to meat animals to fatten them up. Gross! So when you are eating conventional meat, you are unwittingly getting a dose of antibiotics.
Prescription drugs also have an impact on our gut flora. Care must be given to avoid overuse and, when necessary, to be used correctly.
Ibuprofen is one of the most common over the counter drugs and can have devastating effects on our gut flora with prolonged exposure. Do not use them lightly!
11:15 Are you too clean?
Overcleanliness is also a leaky gut contributor! We are meant to get microexposures to a range of micro organisms by coming in contact with dirt and diversity, but we are so eager with the hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps we are missing out on natural inoculations. Consider playing in the dirt or walking barefoot once in awhile to foster a robust microbiome. Eat an apple right off the tree or peas straight off the vine without washing!
12:13 So what does Leaky Gut Actually do?
These particles that are allowed to leak through open junctions freely are immediately flagged as invaders by our ever vigilant immune system and an attack is mounted.
13:09 Food Allergies are everywhere
Part of the reason is because leaky gut is allowing food particles where they don’t belong and harmless foods become branded terrorist threats by our body.
13:50 Inflammation everywhere!
Our primary immune response is to cause inflammation. Intestinal inflammation can wreak havoc and cause so many gut issues.
14:22 Nutrient Malabsorption
Unable to absorb food at the correct time after proper digestion, we become undernourished. Lacking any or several key nutrients can cause a host of problems for us!
15:04 Suppressed or Faulty Immune System
Busy attacking foreign invaders, our immune system has it’s hand full and suddenly we find we have less tolerance for exposures to sickness. We get ill more often and once we are sick, it lingers longer. Think of that cold you just can’t shake. 70% of our immune system resides in our gut.
15:45 Allergies vs Intolerances
Allergies show up in a panel of tests your doctor can run. But intolerances may not show up in a screening and can range greatly in severity. An intolerance causes low grade and chronic inflammation that can show up anywhere in your body, which is why it is hard for many people to associate their symptoms with an actual food intolerance.
Where inflammation occurs in your body will determine the symptoms. For me, personally, food intolerances caused mood issues ranging from mild anxiety to panic attacks and from sad moods to crying episodes. I never would have guessed what I ate was turning my life upside down so drastically! For others, inflammation can cause joint pain, stomach aches, rashes, head aches, acne and any number of physical symptoms. They can be immediate or delayed…making them even harder to correlate with food!
18:38 Autoimmunity
Chronic inflammation from leaky gut and food intolerances can absolutely lead to a host of autoimmune issues! But don’t worry, if it can be caused by food, it can be fixed with food, right?
19:50 Fixing Leaky Gut
We need to heal and seal your gut lining, to restore it to full function so it can protect us the way it was meant to.
20:30 Remove
Remove foods that are irritating your gut and all the toxins you can reduce from your life.
21:51 Replace
Replace those elements that are compromised. This may mean you take digestive enzymes, digestive acids, bitter herbs and other things to optimize digestion.
22:15 Reinoculate
You need to regain balance in your microbiome by reintroducing healthy strains of bacteria and yeasts through the use of fermented foods and probiotics.
22:30 Repair
Healing herbs and bone broth will help repair your gut lining and add integrity to your defenses.
23:00 Leaky Gut Diagnosis?
You will rarely find a doctor who diagnoses leaky gut. But, if you or any of your loved ones have any of the following diagnoses, there is a high chance you have it and it is ruining your health:
Celiac, Diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Acne, Asthma, Bronchitis, Obesity, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, ADHD, Anxiety/Depression, and more.
Symptoms of Leaky Gut include: brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, high stress, joint pain, muscle pain, gut issues, headaches and more.
24:45 Call me
There are lots of things you can begin doing NOW to fix this and start feeling better.
25:30 Testing & Healing
click here to check out the easiest way to hone in on what’s bugging you!
I mentioned in the video that I tested my family for intolerances. The site I used (and there are many now) was www.testyourintolerance.com. That is actually the UK site, but the US site is allergytest.co
The great thing about intolerances is that more often than not they are not a life sentence. After treatment—elimination for 30-90 days along with a gut healing protocol—you are often able to eat them again with no problems. Retest and you will see! Many of the intolerances in my family went away entirely or decreased in severity.
You can order testing directly from me for $75. I make a small commission when you order from me and because of that, I will read your results with you! If you are interested, email me.