These Simple Steps Will Help Bring Your Gut Back Into Balance

Uncomfortable every time you eat? Unsure if you are sensitive to a food, questioning why you have gas or bloating and/or inconsistent bowel movements? We have more than one solution to help get to the bottom of this. Naturopathic Doctors believe gut health is the foundation for all optimal health so we take this topic very seriously and have many effective testing and treatments to help you.

Addressing gut imbalances or dysbiosis is not just for those suffering from a disorder of the digestive tract. Your gut is the cornerstone to health and wellness and can impact mood, immunity, autoimmune disease, even chronic illnesses. Getting it healthy and keeping it in balance is essential for anyone that wants to achieve optimal health.

Here are simple steps that will help bring your gut back into balance:

Remove

The first step is to remove anything from your diet and lifestyle that is bringing your digestive system out of balance. Food sensitivities and allergies should be tested and eliminated during your healing journey. It is also important to remove anything that is feeding bad bacteria or candida such as sugar and yeast. Symptoms of fungal and bacterial overgrowth include itchy rashes, athlete’s foot, nail fungus, and thrush. While you can try an elimination diet to help determine what foods you are sensitive to, your Naturopathic Doctor can use functional testing to pinpoint exactly what foods you should avoid.

There are other things to avoid too, like certain medications and stress. Ibuprofen and antibiotics can negatively impact your gut, as can chronic and acute stress. Without removing these things, your digestive tract will continue to be aggravated, no matter how much support you give it.

Replace

Next, you should focus on replenishing the gut’s natural ability to digest. Digestive enzymes are beneficial to your healing journey because they help the body break down food molecules. Try adding some fresh pineapple, papaya, and mangoes for natural digestive enzymes, or ask your Naturopathic Doctor about the right supplement.

If your digestion is sluggish, you might benefit from betaine HCL or bile salts. This will help you if you have low stomach acid or trouble digesting fats. This is especially true if you have had your gallbladder removed. Your Naturopathic Doctor can help you determine if these supplements are right for you. Fiber is another good thing to add back into your diet in higher amounts. This provides lots of healthy food for your microbiome and helps with healthy elimination. One added bonus of adding fiber to your diet is that it can also help with weight loss because it decreases hunger.

Reinoculate

Supplementation and probiotic-rich food and drinks are great ways to replace the bad with the good. Probiotics, whether through natural food sources or nutritional supplements, will help support your microbiome. Fermented foods provide the body with natural probiotics and include sauerkraut, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, and non-dairy yogurt.

Added benefits of including probiotics in your diet include a boost to your mood and immunity. If natural sources are not an option, or if you need extra support, your Naturopathic Doctor can help you find the right supplement. It is important that the probiotics reach your small and large intestines without being destroyed by your stomach acid. This means investing in a high quality brand. In addition to probiotics, increasing your intake of fresh organic produce and antioxidants can also support your gut health.

Our naturopathic providers can provide you with the functional testing and walk you through your individualized plan to optimal digestive health, following these simple steps. Book with one of our naturopathic doctors today to start your journey to a healthy gut!

Repair

If you have gut dysbiosis, or other imbalances in your digestive tract, there’s a pretty good chance you have some damage to your mucosal lining. This can come in the form of inflammation. Adding in vitamins and nutritional supplements to help soothe and repair the damage will help your overall healing. For example, Slippery Elm will help coat your stomach lining and ease irritation while you are healing. Other foods like peppermint, ginger, and licorice also help soothe and heal the gut.

Vitamins and supplements like vitamin A, zinc, and Glutamine will all help heal the thin membranes of the gut. For more natural food sources, you can add in bone broth and cabbage juice.

Rebalance

The final step is regaining balance. Once you have eliminated the bad and reintroduced good elements, your goal is to craft a lifestyle that supports your overall gut health. This, of course, includes a diet with fresh organic fruits and vegetables from all the colors of the rainbow, one that is high in fiber, organic lean protein sources, plenty of water, and fruits for antioxidants and natural enzymes.

But diet is not enough, you have to also address your lifestyle. Stress can put an enormous amount of strain on your digestive system resulting in ulcers and other problems. It is important to get enough sleep and exercise, and find ways to reduce stress. Meditation, relaxation, and tai chi are all gentle ways to manage stress.

Click HERE to watch SIBO talk with Dr Martinez