How to Fix Your Gut, part 4
We made it to part 4, the final article in this series on healing your gut!
In this segment I want to give you common symptoms and general rules for figuring out a gut issue. I also want to give you my favorite at-home tools for fixing them.
TLDR:
All gut symptoms are a signal of low energy.
Determine if the issue is upper or lower GI by the time after eating. If within 6 hours, its upper GI. The closer to eating, the more to do with digestion.
The baking soda test helps assess stomach acid and if failed usually means poor digestion and absorption. The charcoal test helps you determine if you have SIBO.
Gas, bloating and cramping are either from SIBO/SIFO or plant anti-nutrients. The charcoal test can help you determine which one is the cause.
In all cases you should take measures to fix leaky gut.
Dysbiosis is best solved by increasing the good guys.
Symptoms of Poor Digestion
Coated tongue
Acid stomach/reflux
Bloating/gas/intestinal pain/cramping
Constipation/Diarrhea
Poorly formed stool/lots of toilet paper
Failed baking soda test
Failed charcoal test
The first place you can see problems with your gut is in your mouth. I’ll do a bioenergetics dental article at some point in the future but for now the easiest gut symptom to spot is a coated tongue.
If you see it after you wake up, this signals reverse peristalsis and low gut motility. If you see it develop throughout the day, especially as you increase carbohydrates then it signals either SIBO/SIFO (candida) or anti-nutrient sensitivities.
Gut motility is definitely the first step address in any case of gut dysfunction. You should have two to three movements per day. Bowel movements (BMs) are your body’s primary way to lower LPS. Remembering back to part 1 and part 2, both peristalsis and the MMC are the mechanisms driving bowel movements. Restoring this flow is the first and most important step in gut health!
I like the herb cascara sagrada for increasing poop frequency. This should only be a short-term therapy since hypothyroidism and chronically elevated cortisol are usually the root cause. Natural dessicated thyroid (NDT) from grass-fed cows is the first and easiest step to restoring thyroid function. NDT is freeze-dried thyroid that contains T4, T3, T2 and T1 among other peptides.
We’ve already talked about managing cortisol via carbohydrates, sufficient calories, good sleep, moderate exercise. Additionally, meditation, extended exhales, nose breathing and breath practices aimed at increasing CO2 will stimulate vagal tone and lower cortisol. Cortisol can also be a response to pro-inflammatory cytokines so fixing leaky gut is a crucial.
If you already have good motility and you’re seeing a coated tongue develop throughout the day, especially if you’re increasing or eating higher carb, then you likely have other symptoms further down the gut chain like gas/bloating/reflux.
A baking soda test can help you determine if the issue is coming from your stomach. If you drink a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 4 ounces of water on an empty stomach and you burp in less than two minutes, you likely have sufficient stomach acid. If not, you likely have low stomach acid.
If you fail the test, I like to use Betaine HCL with additional enzymes until sufficient stomach acid is restored. This will ensure proper digestion and potential absorption. Low stomach acid can be caused by low thyroid/high cortisol, lack of B vitamins, zinc deficiency or the bacteria H. Pylori (SIBO).
Activated charcoal is a fine carbon-based powder from coconut hulls and is widely used to bind toxins in the gut. Medically its used to bind poisons in the event of specific overdoses and in acute food poisoning cases (bacterial). Its safe, cheap and natural.
To do the test you’d take 2-3g of charcoal near bedtime (3 hours away from food) for 7-10 days. If your SIBO/SIFO symptoms decrease, you have SIBO/SIFO. If they don’t, then you have a food sensitivity that’s causing the gas/bloating/cramping and likely its from a plant-based anti-nutrients. In this case refer to the list here and go about eliminating them.
You can also forego the test and jump straight to taking herbal anti-microbials. This also happens to be a proxy test to determine gas/bloating/cramping. My favorite all-around is wild oregano oil which is both anti-biotic and anti-fungal. If your symptoms get better, you know you have SIBO or SIFO. If they don’t, you’re reacting to plant-based anti-nutrients.
Polyunsaturated fats, specifically the omega 6 linoleic acid found in seed oils, has been shown to easily oxidize in the gut and cause damage to the gut lining, increase leaky gut and inflammation. Additionally, linoleic acid can pathologically change the microbiome. Limiting your PUFA intake to 2g/1000 calories is a safe target. If you’re not sure, use Cronometer to see how much dietary PUFA you’re getting and eliminate the foods causing you to go over this standard.
In addition to handling the SIBO/SIFO or the anti-nutrients, you’ll need to address leaky gut since both will increase Zonulin, the substance responsible for leaky gut.
My favorite tools for this are Ion Biome, bone broth then colostrum.
Ion Biome contains humic acids that Dr. Zach Bush has demonstrated are very effective at sealing tight junctions and protecting against glyphosate-induced damage.
Bone broth contains high amounts of amino acids glycine and glutamine that are regenerative to the epithelial cells.
Colostrum aka “first milk” and contains many beneficial compounds that heal leaky gut and improve SIgA like lactoferrin and immunoglobulins. My favorite is Mt Capra Goat Colostrum since most people can handle goat better than cow.
And finally, if your gut symptoms occur more than 6 hours after eating you are likely dealing with colonic dysbiosis. This timing is based on having three meals/day and three BMs/day. If you’re having fewer the 3 BMs/day, transit time is obviously slower so notice how long after you eat the symptoms occur. This helps you can determine whether the issue is in the small or large intestine.
As I mentioned last week restoring keystone bacteria with SuperHMO is my first intervention here. Additionally, its been shown that cranberry, pomegranate and grape (whole fruit or juice) polyphenols feed Akkermansia. If you use a bottle of SuperHMO and the issue persists, a further step of taking spore-based probiotics aka soil-based organisms (SBOs) may be in order.
SBOs are found in soil and are the only probiotics I’ve seen that can make it to the colon for colonization. They produce natural anti-biotics and assist in the restructuring of microbiome. My favorite is Terraflora.
Lastly, high dose vitamin B1 is very effective to restore vagus nerve function and autonomic nervous system balance, enhance intestinal motility and support the intestinal barrier function. If you’ve done all the above steps and are still having issues with motility, B1 could be the answer. I like the TTFD version of B1.
How to Heal Your Gut Protocol
Restore gut motility with well-aged cascara sagrada, space meals at least three hours apart, correct thyroid status with
Lower cortisol with carbs, calcium, good sleep, moderate exercise
Eliminate plant anti-nutrients causing reactions
Eat low PUFA
Ion Biome, bone broth and/or colostrum for healing gut barrier and mucosa repair
Betaine HCL with digestive enzymes (if fail baking soda test)
Oregano oil if fail charcoal test
If you get herx reactions/dieoff symptoms from oregano oil, follow it 30 mins later with Ultrabinder
SuperHMO, grape/pomegranate/cranberry juice to restore Akkermansia and Bidifo families in the large intestine
If dysbiosis persists, spore-based probiotics can help
High dose vitamin b1 for vagus nerve support
To your health,
Jonathan
This is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Consult with your physician or other health care professional if you have any concerns or questions about your health.
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