What Happens In The Gut Doesn’t Stay In The Gut

Struggling with gut health? I hear you. I’ve been there. And it’s not easy.

Good news, we’re diving into the 5 R process to help repair your gut health! Ready for it? The 5 R’s are designed to promote gut healing. How this process is applied to each person is highly individualized, but I will be covering the 5 main components in this blogpost:

1️⃣ Remove

2️⃣ Replace

3️⃣ Reinoculate

4️⃣ Repair

5️⃣ Rebalance

REMOVE

A properly functioning GI tract is CRUCIAL to good health. Poor gut health can lead to symptoms beyond stomach aches, bloating, constipation or diarrhea. Symptoms may be present in energy levels, such as sleep, mood, skin health, joint/muscles, hormones, headaches, weight struggles, and sinuses. Additionally, GI issues may ultimately be an underlying factor to several chronic health problems that are typically thought to be unrelated to digestive health. These include autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular health, neurological diseases, and many others.

We must remove/reduce the stressors that are creating inflammation or properly consume the right kind of nutrients are body might be lacking. Possible stressors include things like specific foods, gastric irritants (caffeine, alcohol, NSAIDS), unhealthy bacteria, h.pylori, parasites, yeast, etc. Also, can’t forget the impact of emotional stressors on the gut!

How do you help your gut? In my practice we use food & supplements including herbs (antifungals, antibacterials, antiparasitics, binders, and short term food eliminations). Specifics vary per client case. However, when we remove these things, we reduce the inflammatory response and begin the healing process. It’s a step that can’t be skipped!

REPLACE

Let’s talk digestion!

If there is a lack of stomach acid or digestive enzymes to break down carbs, proteins/fats or poor gallbladder issues- bile releases and problems may arise. If the stomach lacks acidity, bacteria is less likely to be killed and shit can grow. If you’re not digesting carbs, protein, and fats the proper way, digestion problems definitely happen. Not only will you not feel good, but you won’t be getting the proper nutrients you need in order to function. (Certain foods, health conditions, age, medications, and other lifestyle factors can affect your ability to digest your foods).

Digestion and absorption is key for your body! So how do we make sure your body is able to do that?

Some examples might be to replace digestive enzymes through getting the proper nutrients your body is craving (natural supplements come handy). Other helpful tips can include- practicing chewing better, breathing exercises or meditation before eating, diet change, or eating in a relaxed (non-rushed) setting.

REINOCULATE

This step is all about replenishing your good bacteria. Eat the foods that feed the good guys and/or eat the good guys. Supplement when necessary but it’s certainly not always required. This may involve taking a quality probiotic and eating ample prebiotic foods.

Probiotic foods examples:

sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, tempeh, miso, kombucha, yogurt.

Prebiotic foods:

garlic, jerusalem artichokes, onions, asparagus, leeks, bananas, flaxseed, greens, berries, oats.

When was the last time you tracked or assessed your fiber intake? It’s important to make sure you’re feeding the good guys!

REPAIR

You gotta ensure you have the nutrients and healing compounds needed to repair the gut! The mucus lining, the tight junctions, the inflammatory responses … all need to be in tip-top shape for total body health. To help the lining of the gut repair itself, it’s sometimes necessary to supply key nutrients that can often be low in individuals that are struggling with inflammation.

Examples may include things like:

colostrum, immunoglobulins, saccharomyces. boulardii, DGL, zinc, fatty acids, glutamine, licorice, marshmallow root, slippery elm, etc.

How do you know what you need? This is where the expertise of a trained functional medicine provider comes into play. Me! There’s soooo much out there in terms of products and TBH, a lot of it is shit. ;)

REBALANCE

This is really about whole body health. It’s about addressing the reasons your gut issues are showing up in the first place. With simple diet and lifestyle changes, it could help prevent recurring additional gut dysfunction in the future.

Examples:

diet, sleep, movement, stress, environmental exposures, toxins.

If you’re struggling or suspecting that gut issues are a root problem for you, keep digging for answers!

If you want to dig into root causes of your symptoms, let’s chat. You can apply for a free strategy call here. Or nutritionbyrobyn.com/apply

Xoxo

~Robyn