Archive for the "Gut Health" Category

Stubborn Constipation – A Surprising Gargle Remedy

After researching remedies for chronic constipation that just haven’t helped the problem, I stumbled onto this simple “exercise”. Practicing it many times per day helps get the nervous system functioning normally. Kick start the motility in the colon.

Even though she  was eating healthy food which takes a lot of stress off of her gastrointestinal (GI) tract, that stubborn constipation persisted. And by avoiding inflammatory food she was giving her gut a chance to heal.

But that stubborn, painful constipation remained. The associated bloat/gas made the pain worse. As I was researching more … Read the rest

Diagram from http://therealfoodguide.com/do-you-have-a-leaky-gut/

How does leaky gut trigger autoimmunity?

The research of Dr. Fasano and colleagues disclosed the relationship of gliadin to zonulin in triggering the leaky gut. Wheat contains a very-difficult-to-digest protein named gliadin (one of the proteins in gluten).  When improperly digested gliadin remains intact and stimulates the production of abnormally high amounts of zonulin which opens the tight junctions between the intestinal cells to let substances into the blood stream.

Folks with the gene for celiac disease (gluten sensitivity) produce 5 times more zonulin than those without the disease. But even the folks without the … Read the rest

What’s the link between a leaky gut, our genes and autoimmunity?

These amazing bodies of ours engage in a marvelous interplay between our genes, environment and our choices. The science of epigenetics brings good news that we control the expression of our genes by the daily choices we make in what we eat and the habits we choose to engage in. Every day we choose life or degeneration and death. Let’s choose life.

In order to choose life we need knowledge and wisdom to make healthy choices. Sometimes we first need to understand what’s gone wrong to lead … Read the rest

In Low Stomach Acid – A Hidden Culprit in Indigestion we discovered that indigestion or heartburn symptoms may be caused by low levels of stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) instead of high levels, especially when the heartburn occurs after meals. Ingesting bitter foods/herbs about 30 minutes before meals stimulates the natural release of stomach acid and regeneration of the complete digestive tract.

Bitters Include Many Familiar Foods

You may be surprised to find out that “bitters” include many foods that you are familiar with already:

Arugula

Bitter melon and gourd

Coffee

Dark chocolate

Japanese eggplant

Jicama (this one surprised me … Read the rest

If you haven’t discovered the first step to healing a leaky gut and decreasing the propensity for food allergies be sure to read 2 Simple Ways to Soothe Gut Food Allergy Reactions Part 1.

This next step adds one or two herbs that provide a protective coating to the mucous membranes of your gut, soothing and rebuilding them to help resolve that leaky gut business.

Herbs that decrease gut inflammation:

Some herbs are known to decrease inflammation in the gut and aid in building a barrier against irritants and stomach acid. You may want to add one … Read the rest

When you think of heartburn or indigestion do you associate it with excessive stomach acid?

Most of us do, and then head for the anti-acids or worse yet the acid-suppressing drugs.

But just the opposite may be causing the heartburn. Low stomach acid, medically known as hypochlorhydria, contributes to heartburn and often goes undetected as the source of that GI burning sensation.

So how can you tell the difference between heartburn due to excessive stomach acid and heartburn due to in sufficient stomach acid?

When does the heartburn occur?

Before meals, then it’s likely due to … Read the rest

Eggs – A Common Food Allergen

Recently my sister sent me a note asking me to look at an IgG food allergy blood panel that her doctor had ordered. Her body had manufactured high levels of antibodies to some of the foods that were tested.

In my prior clinical practice I would tell people to stop eating the foods that showed high antibody levels and rotate their other foods so they were not eating the same foods every day. Some practitioners even advised their patients to utilize a 4 day rotation diet in which they could only eat from … Read the rest

In pursuing restoration of gut health we’ve found out that Part of Me is Missing and how to make bone broth in Bone Broth to Heal Your Gut.

But what does bone broth have to do with healing your gut and why would you want to drink it?

Well, let’s see. It takes a lot of nutrients to make bone and the tissues associated with it like cartilage and ligaments. So if you leech the nutrients out of the bones and tissues by simmering them in water for a long time, wouldn’t that provide you with a … Read the rest

In Part of Me is Missing we found out that our modern lifestyle often destroys the normal flora (microorganisms) in our guts which leads to a leaky gut and inflammatory response in other parts of the body.

So what can we do to restore and rebuild the gut?

For a delicious way to start being kind to your gut drink bone broth.

What? You’ve never heard of bone broth?

Actually it was a healthy staple in the diets of prior generations. Somehow they knew about its nourishing powers even if they didn’t realize how much in … Read the rest

Did you know that 100 trillion cells live in or on you? That’s 10 times more than the total number of cells in your     whole body!

So do you feel like you’re a planet for those microorganisms?

If you get the good guys from your mom when you are born you’re in good shape for living with a healthy, comfortable, well-functioning gut (gastrointestinal tract). And oh, by the way, gut is a medical term.

That is until your first course of antibiotics that wipe out many of the good guys. Makes me think of the way Agent Orange … Read the rest