Gut Healing Recommendations From a Functional NP & RD
HOW TO SET NEW YEAR’S HEALTH GOALS FOR GUT HEALING
by Mary Miller-Wilson ANP-BC
I have been practicing Functional Medicine for almost 12 years. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of Functional Medicine, it is a paradigm shift in medical thinking. It takes a look at how a medical problem has evolved, what went wrong in the body and most importantly, how it can be fixed. It’s the “WHY” of medicine. It’s making a concerted effort to put our prescription pads down and become “medical detectives,” quite the departure from the “pill for every ill” mentality that drives conventional medicine!
Over the course of the last 12 years, I have come to the conclusion that just about about every American has some degree of leaky gut.
What is leaky gut?
Leaky gut is a condition where the small intestinal lining has been breached, it lacks integrity, and is more permeable than it should be, allowing the entry of foreign substances (known as antigens) into the bloodstream. These substances that can “leak” include:
Bacteria and associated toxins
Fungus (yeast, Candida) and associated toxins
Inflammatory food particles (gluten, soy, dairy particles, to name a few)
Chemical toxins
When these substances enter the bloodstream, the immune system reacts with symptoms, sometimes gut-related such as bloating, nausea, constipation/diarrhea, and often non-gut related such as joint pain, headaches and fatigue, to name a few.
Leaky gut or intestinal permeability often starts with certain medications that Americans are commonly prescribed, such as antibiotics, NSAIDs (Motrin, Aleve), steroids, birth control pills and PPIs (Prilosec, Nexium). These medications have the potential to wear down the gut lining and make it permeable. Additionally, inflammatory food categories such as gluten, dairy, processed foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeine can have the same erosive effect on the gut lining. The gut lining is delicate but durable, all at the same time. Once the CAUSE is identified and eliminated, gut health can be restored and the lining can heal quickly, often within 28 days.
Many patients need gut-support supplements during the healing process; glutamine powder, digestive enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics.
If you feel that leaky gut is affecting your overall health and wellness, make an appointment with myself and our registered dietitian, Lisa. Gut healing is truly a “full court press.” Patients sometimes need specialized testing to determine if certain foods are exacerbating the problem (food sensitivity testing), or they might need gut testing through a specialized lab to determine if they need digestive enzymes, if they have a yeast/bacterial overgrowth, etc. Also, if certain foods are discovered to be part of the inflammatory process CAUSING leaky gut, deleting the foods and then re-introducing them slowly and methodically should be done under the guidance of our Functional Medicine dietitian.
Approximately 70-80% of the immune system resides in the gut. A healthy gut equals a healthy immune system. In the Age of COVID, a robust immune system has become paramount in the fight against this novel virus. Make 2021 the year of the HEALTHY GUT!
NUTRITION TIPS TO REDUCE LEAKY GUT
by Lisa Mislevy MS, RD
There are changes you can make in your diet, starting now, to help improve gut health! The #1 most addictive food that Americans eat too much of is....🥁...sugar! I realize most of you know that sugar addiction/overconsumption is a widespread issue, but until you eliminate 100% of it from your diet, you won't know. Have you tried it? Many patients tell me they don't eat sweets or sugar, but as soon as they start reading labels and see that sugar is everywhere, they are so shocked!
Signs you might be addicted:
You need something sweet after meals
Uncontrollable cravings for foods with sugar in them
Irritability if you don't have a food that has sugar in it (not always a dessert!)
Eating sugar to "stay awake"
What could improve during the 30 day sugar elimination:
Improved energy and brain function
Decreased cravings for sugar-containing foods/beverages
Decreased inflammatory responses
Decreased water retention
Weight loss
Blood sugar stabilization
General sense of wellbeing and improved gut function
I would like to propose a challenge to you. Let's give up sugar for 30 days, using this handout to understand where it's hiding and how to avoid it.
Reviewing the above handout will tell you exactly what to do, so download it and give this challenge your all! I would love to hear your results, send me an email and share them :)
If you need help on any of the above topics, give us a call at 313-290-2250 to set up your appointment today!
Visit our website at www.inmmed.com to learn more about our services.
Thank you for reading,
Dr. Shah and team