Have you ever wondered why certain foods seem to bother some people and not others?  Why some gain weight easily and others not? Why are some more prone to allergies?  The answers to these questions are directly related to the amount and types of bacteria we house in and on our bodies, mainly our intestines.  It’s called our microbiome, and its health is intimately connected with the health of the rest of our body.  We are colonized on every inch of our body by bacteria, inside and out.  In fact, our human cells are outnumbered by these bacteria 10 to 1.  They actually communicate with each other as well as with our cells.  The vast majority are friendly bacteria that want a healthy host, and their ability to communicate, like our own cells, enables them to do the job that has been intended for them.  Without them, we would die.

When our intestines are full of a healthy balance of microflora, these beneficial bacteria will happily help us digest our food, continually creating essential nutrients and antioxidants helping to keep us strong and healthy.  The anti-inflammatory compounds they produce act like antibiotics working to dissolve fungi, bacterial and viral cell membranes.  These friendly microbes are our first line of defense against pathogenic varieties.  When this balance is disturbed, it allows opportunistic pathogenic varieties to proliferate, causing digestion and overall health to suffer greatly.  What can kill or damage our friendly microflora enough to allow pathogenic varieties to take over?  Antibiotics, birth control, steroids, sugar, starch, gluten, hormones, chlorinated water, a food supply laced with GMO’s, antibiotics, chemical toxins and food additives, nutrient and mineral deficiencies and even stress, just to name a few.

Our gut is home for many yeasts and bacteria that would usually live symbiotically in the human digestive tract.  Many are non-aggressive fungi that have the roll as sort of ‘janitors’ in that they ‘clean up’ excess sugars and other debris.  However, constant processed carbs/sugar in our ‘modern diet’ provides enormous amounts of excess food for them to proliferate and become pathogenic.  Now, 60 or so years of creating the conditions listed above, has promoted a massive overgrowth of dangerous yeasts and bacteria, particularly candida albicans, an especially opportunistic yeast that has grown tentacles and burrowed through the intestines of an enormous number of unsuspecting hosts.  With excess feeding, these now pathogenic yeasts, will create ‘communities’, overwhelm organs and protect themselves in their own bio-films, allowing them to flourish: colonizing at will and thriving on starchy carbohydrates and sugar, their preferred food.  A permeable gut lining will allow food and waste particles and more dangerous microbes through. 

While fungal infections were rare 60 years ago they’re now more predominate with each generation.  We have unknowingly passed down this overgrowth of yeast, our imbalanced microflora and weakened immune system to our children.  Now, we honestly wonder why so many suffer from gut issues?  Or, why gut issues are a symptom of so many ‘syndromes’ and ‘diseases’ (autism and auto-immune diseases, for instance)?

To improve your overall health your first order of business will be to heal your gut.  A damaged gut cannot absorb nutrients efficiently and your cells cannot be strong without obtaining the nutrients needed.  Even if you think you don’t have gut issues, my guess would be that you’re so accustomed to your (mal)functioning routine that you don’t even realize you’re not running as efficiently as you should be.  Improving gut function will allow you to create energy for your body to then begin to clean and heal from the inside out and reset your entire being.  The best defense against pathogens and toxins is to keep your immunity strong so invaders are beaten before they’re able to make your body their home.  If you have a damaged or permeable gut, it cannot protect the rest of your body. 

It’s clear that in our world today we have an abundance of gut issues going on.  From IBS to ‘heart burn’, indigestion to SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) to crohn’s, colitis or celiac disease, these issues are rising to epidemic proportions.  Indigestion, while bothersome, has almost become common place, and is often misdiagnosed as ‘too much stomach acid’ when it’s more likely not enough stomach acid.  The multi-billion dollar anti-acid companies are capitalizing while making problems even worse.  Medications, processed non-foods and stress can all lower stomach acid. The symptoms of candida overgrowth, SIBO or FODMAP can cause indigestion by pressing on the stomach.  Low stomach acid means poor digestion of proteins, less bile and enzymes released and a higher likelihood of pathogens and yeast surviving the trip.  This goes on to create mineral and other deficiencies and can have a domino effect in the body.  Improving your diet, taking enzymes, using sea salt, sipping small amounts of acidic drinks like sauerkraut juice, water with lemon or apple cider vinegar with your meal will help correct this issue. Don’t drink liquids with your meals as it will further dilute the acids.

Even probiotics and healthy cultured foods can cause problems if you’re suffering from SIBO.  Your diet, along with other factors mentioned, has likely caused an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine (where there typically is far fewer bacteria than in the large intestine).  If you’re experiencing gas and bloating and other symptoms, there are herbs and antibiotics that can help, but a juice fast works wonders here.  It gives you nutrients without feeding the bacteria, giving your body time to correct the issue.

It can be very confusing when even ‘healthy’ foods seem to cause problems.  If this is the case with you, you will want to research a low FODMAP diet.  Here we go with the big words again!  FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. FODMAPs are short and long chain carbohydrates high in fructose molecules which, are not efficiently broken down in the small intestine.  Most research suggests this is due to the lack of the correct essential bacteria and enzymes and/or the lack of sufficient ‘fructose carriers’.

 

Once these sugars reach the large intestine our gut bacteria begin to break them down and can cause extreme amounts of painful gas, bloating and bouts of constipation and diarrhea.  This reaction inhibits the large intestine from properly absorbing electrolytes and other nutrients.  Some researchers believe that IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and SIBO are due to this problem as well because a diet heavy in processed carbs combined with these ‘low digestible fiber’ can promote bacterial overgrowth.  Couple this with a damaged gut lining and we’ve got real problems and confusion on what we can and cannot eat!   The good news is that given the opportunity our mucosal linings heal fairly rapidly and once you’ve changed up your diet and your symptoms wane, it’s very likely you’ll be able to enjoy these foods again.     

 

It’s possible that a diet high in processed carbs, the unnatural fructose in our processed diet, low stomach acid and a lack of enzymes has changed our intestinal microbiome and could be the root cause of this imbalance.  Because the villi (hair-like structures responsible for nutrient uptake) on the wall of a damaged gut cannot produce the enzymes necessary to break down carbohydrates, the job is left for the microflora which causes these painful symptoms. Whether this is the case or not, the simple fact is the situation needs to be improved in order to promote healing.  In the beginning you’ll need to eliminate the foods high in these carbohydrates along with enzyme supplementation to help restore a more normal flora.  A doctor can test for fructose malabsorbtion, but a temporary food elimination plan is a more reliable way for you to know which foods are most problematic.

Examples of high FODMAP foods include:  Sugar alcohols such as xylitol (erythritol may be fine since it is fermented), artichokes, asparagus, onions, cabbage, garlic, snow peas, tomato sauce, cherries, blackberries, apples, pears, grapes, mangos, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cheese, milk, yogurt, honey, even avocado and maple syrup can be bothersome.  The full list of possible offending foods is much longer and even more confusing; however, once you identify which sugars you have trouble with it becomes easier to navigate.  You may then re-introduce foods one at a time, taking notes as to your reaction.  Make sure to supplement with enzymes to help your body’s efforts.

For a detailed list, classifications and more help on this subject Sue Shepherd, PhD has written the Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook and Chris Kesser addresses this in his book Your Personal Paleo Code.  You can also find more information on line. 

HELP for HEALING YOUR GUT

Aside from eliminating foods that may be aggravating a damaged gut, here are additional ideas to help speed recovery:

1.    Supplement with Omega 3 oils from fish, and/or eat lots of oily fish like sardines, mackerel, trout, herring and salmon.  Omega 3’s from plants are not as easily converted for use.

2.    Get tested for H. Pylori if you seem to have low stomach acid symptoms (SIBO, food intolerances) or have been taking anti-acids.

3.    Help low stomach acid with the ideas from the previous section, or supplement hycrochloric acid pills from your doctor, if necessary.

4.    Drink sauerkraut juice, eat sour cream and cultured butter (all preferably raw)

5.   Take digestive enzymes and probiotics with and between meals (as large a dose as you can handle).

6.    Drink homemade bone broth.

7.    Drink aloe vera juice.

8.    Supplement with L-glutamine.

9.    Supplement with DGL (licorice root).

10.Supplement with collagen.

11.Gelatin, pysillium husk powder and guar gum can also be helpful.

12.Practice food-combining principles 

13.Juice fast.

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