How To Make The Green Hulk Shake
- Grab a decent blender, something that can crush ice, and toss the 1/2 avocado, handful of spinach and lemon juice in.
- Then put a big handful of ice cubes in and fill with 14 oz / 400 ml water. You might want to experiment with the amount of water, as some people like their shake less thick than mine.
- Now add your green powder in, followed by any of the optional add ons. I personally add in all of them, unless Ive already eaten a big meal. And when I do this, I find the green shake keeps me full for hours as it packs a beautiful macro combination of clean protein and healthy fats. What a way to lose weight!
- Finally, make sure to properly blend it of course, to avoid any green chunks of food or powder dancing around your glass as you go to take your first sip.
IDEA #28
How To Repair Leaky Gut Syndrome And Heal Naturally
If you suspect youre suffering from leaky gut syndrome, there are many things you can do to reverse the problem and heal naturally . The points I covered above regarding the causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome suggest ways in which we can remediate the problem.
1. Stop Consuming Inflammatory Foods
One of the biggest culprits of Leaky Gut Syndrome are inflammatory foods. Unfortunately, these are the foods most people grew up to love. Packaged foods, frozen meals, sugary treats, fast food, you name it.
Foods that cause inflammation actually damage epithelial tissue, which is your gut tissue . This damage can lead to intestinal permeability, as it creates small holes in the gut lining.
GMO corn and foods in general Fried foods Wheat Refined sugar and carbohydrates Red meat Highly processed vegetable oils Additives and preservatives found in processed foods Alcohol
As you get rid of the foods above, start incorporating foods that will heal the gut like fermented foods , green juices and smoothies, almost all fruit and vegetables , coconut, spices like turmeric and ginger, and healing teas like peppermint.
2. Reduce Your Stress Load
High stress levels cause chronic inflammation by weakening your immune system . If your immune system isnt functioning well, it wont have as much defence against foreign bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Therefore, they have a higher chance of inhabiting your body and creating inflammation .
3. Boost Gut Bacteria
How Is Leaky Gut Diagnosed
Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, is common. Its hard to know exactly how many people have it because few doctors test for it. Parsley Health doctors usually diagnose leaky gut through a combination of specific specialty testing such as comprehensive stool cultures and detailed assessment of your symptoms and medical history. If you are diagnosed with intestinal permeability, the good news is, there are ways to heal a leaky gut.
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Other Tips For Gut Health
In addition to following the eating plan described above, its beneficial to avoid exposure to potential toxins found in to tap water, alcohol, cigarettes, pesticides, NSAID pain-killer medications and antibiotics, all of which can stress the gut. However, always consult with your physician if he or she has prescribed these for you.
Another tip is to consider following an elimination diet at first. Some foods seem to be in a gray area when it comes to worsening or promoting digestive health. For example, some people do better with certain protein foods than others do.
You may be wondering, are eggs bad for leaky gut? What about beans and legumes?
You may choose to eliminate eggs and legumes at first and then to try reintroducing them after several weeks. This can help you uncover whether they are problematic for you or not.
In place of eggs and legumes, try meat, poultry, fish and collagen protein or bone broth protein powder instead.
Reducing intake of FODMAP foods is also recommended as part of an elimination diet, since FODMAP carbohydrates can worsen digestive issues like bloating and gas.
Testing For Celiac Disease Should Be Done Before Starting A Gluten Free Diet
A gluten-free diet eliminates all food sources that contain wheat, barley, rye . It is the only treatment currently available for celiac disease. It is also used by people who are gluten intolerant .
Gluten has been linked by research to trigger a leaky gut in people with celiac disease . It is not yet proven by research that gluten triggers leaky gut in all people, although the internet may tell you differently .
Studies show that permeability is increased by gluten in people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance . A low gluten diet has been shown to lower inflammation .
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Weight Gain And Obesity
Weight loss resistance and obesity have been linked to an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiome. Studies in mice found that overweight mice had a higher number of the bacteria Firmicutes, while thin mice had a higher proportion of the Bacteroidetes bacteria. In human cases, the beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus was found to support weight loss in women. The microbiome factor may turn out to be a key component for many people seeking to lose weight their body has been holding on to for years.
Pay The Premium And Eat Organic Veg Grass
Yes, I know. This can get expensive. Especially if you are hitting up Wholefoods weekly and going all raging bull in there! Unfortunately, there is just such a wide gap between conventionally farmed food and the organic stuff.
For starters, organic meats and fish will come packed with more omega-3s, vital for taming the inflammation being caused by your leaky gut83.
And these foods, devoid of the toxins from conventional farming , will ensure fewer poisons make their way into your gut and through to your blood stream.
Thats a double win for leaky gut syndrome.
One other advantage is that these products dont suffer from the omega imbalance84 found in conventional meats and fish ie the overload of omega 6 that is so pervasive throughout the Western world.
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Can Leaky Gut Contribute To Autoimmune Disease
The case for leaky gut being a major contributing factor in the development of autoimmune disease is becoming stronger and stronger. Recent research has shown that in individuals with a genetic predisposition for autoimmune conditions, leaky gut syndrome may allow environmental pathogens to enter the bloodstream and trigger the initiation and development of autoimmune disease.
Additional research also shows that a leaky gut has been found in a number of autoimmune conditions including MS, type 1 diabetes, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, it was found that the intestinal lining of mice with lupus was improved with the addition of Lactobacillus probiotics.
The Most Effective Ways To Help A Client With Leaky Gut Syndrome
Everyone and their mother seem to be talking about “Leaky Gut Syndrome” lately. As a wellness professional, you may even have clients coming to you with symptoms asking, “Do you think it might be leaky gut!?”.
Leaky Gut Syndrome refers to an increase in intestinal permeability or intestinal hyperpermeability in extreme cases. A healthy gut lining allows only specific components of food to pass through into the bloodstream. This is how nutrients enter the bloodstream and promote health. However, poor diet, stress, and certain medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can damage the gut lining over time. The result is a more permeable gut lining, which allows larger particles to enter the bloodstream while failing to properly absorb key nutrients.
Undigested food particles, gut bacteria, proteins, and toxic waste shouldnt be able to enter the bloodstream. But when the gut lining becomes compromised they do, causing negative consequences.
While Leaky Gut was once thought to affect only those with serious medical conditions such as celiac disease, we now know that even slight increases in intestinal permeability can cause chronic health issues such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as systemic diseases or diseases involving other organ systems like type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and autism.
Today we will be discussing the most effective ways to help a client with leaky gut syndrome including:
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Eat Prebiotic Foods To Fuel The Good Bacteria In Your Gut
Prebiotics are types of fiber that are indigestible , but digestible by the bacteria in our colon/large intestine. They just love to break it down and ferment it. In other words, prebiotics are the fuel they need to grow strong98.
And when our good bacteria is strong they can help us digest food better, support mood, improve immune system function, fend off bad bacteria, and of course, help with bowel movements and intestinal wall strength.
Since prebiotics feed the probiotics/good bacteria in our digestive system, we can think of them as actually being equal to probiotics in terms of importance. In fact, theyre a team!
But before you go crazy eating all types of prebiotic-rich foods, it is important to know that during the very early stages of fixing your gut health, you should be careful to avoid prebiotics that are high in FODMAPs, which I explain in my FODMAPs & leaky gut article.
Why Vegetable Oils Are Bad For Leaky Gut
These industrial vegetable oils are high in omega 6s, and known to be a vast contributor to the imbalance of omega 3s to 6s in the western diet87 (that now sees us typically consuming 20:1 omega 6s to 3s, when historically we consumed 1:1 or 2:1!
By contrast extra virgin olive oil88 and coconut oil which are non-industrial vegetable oils deliver much more balanced omega fatty acid profiles.
Most industrial vegetable oils are also susceptible to oxidation when cooked and typically GMO based.
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Consider These Other Ways To Eliminate Toxins From Your Life
Toxins can potentially cause leaky gut, but more likely is that they can exacerbate leaky gut and its many flow on effects, since they can get through your permeable intestinal wall and and into your bloodstream121.
Obviously the first step to eliminating toxins is not consuming them in the food, drinks and drugs you take which weve discussed in the ideas above.
But after youve done that it can be worth investing in a few products to decrease the amount of other toxins that get into your system.
In fact, you should think about this as the final missing piece in your leaky gut recovery protocol.
And thankfully unlike the earlier steps you took eg throwing out all delicious bread and milk this will be easy! You simply need to buy a few things and youre done.
The Role Of Leaky Gut In Overall Health Remains Unclear
“Leaky gut could be the cause of some health problems, or a sign of something larger,” says Dr. Fasano. “The science is still up in the air.” For example, digestive conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and Crohns disease share many of the same symptoms as leaky gut, and all are linked with chronic inflammation, but its not known how, or if, they are connected.
“The challenge is that its difficult to measure the strength of a persons gut barrier, so you cant know for certain when leaky gut is really present, or what influence it may have elsewhere in the body,” says Dr. Fasano.
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The Definitive Functional Medicine Guide To All Things Gut Health
Your guts influence over your health cannot be overstated. The trillions of microbes and colonies located in your microbiome are the manufacturers and managers of how you look, feel, and think. It makes up 70-80% of your immune system, produces a large amount of your happy neurotransmitter serotonin, and contains 10 times more bacterial cells than you have human cells!
You are, in truth, more bacteria than human. And researchers are quickly learning just how much it regulates all aspects of your health.
When your microbiome is healthy your health is likely to be quite good. However, many lifestyle behaviors, toxic exposures, and dietary choices can compromise gut health and lead to many downstream health issues.
For example, when your microbiome is weakened or damaged, it can switch on a number of potential disease processes throughout the body that may, on the surface of things, seem to have very little to do with your actual gastrointestinal system.
That is why its vital to educate yourself on the microbiome. By doing so you are taking back control of your health. Read on to learn more about what happens when your gut is unhealthy, what causes poor gut health, natural ways to heal your gut, and more. This is your definitive guide to all things gut health.
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How To Get Your Kraut In
- You can ferment your own vegetables. But this is going to take some work. Ive tried to make the simplest possible recipe for you, which you can see in the graphic just below.
- Alternatively you can buy it ready made. The key is to avoid the canned stuff in the supermarket dry aisles, as it is pasteurized and thus devoid of live probiotics. To buy the good stuff youll need to hit your local health store and look for glass jars sitting in fridges. Youll know youve found high quality products when you see the price tag! But trust me, its worth it. One large jar should easily last a week for 1 person, ie 3-6 servings.
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How I Megadose L
Intestinal Dysbiosis Pathogenic Infections And Low Beneficial Bacteria
Intestinal dysbiosis, whether from an overgrowth of bacteria , or parasites or fungi, are a well-recognized contributor to leaky gut by triggering the release of zonulin, and reducing the protective mucous layer in the large or small intestine . Poor diet, chronic stress, frequent antibiotic use, and regular lack of sleep have all been shown to contribute to dysbiosis as well.
Similarly, decreased beneficial bacteria in the gut are also associated with leaky gut, because beneficial bacteria help maintain the healthy mucous membrane in the gut and keep pathogens in check [61
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Putting A Stop To Leaky Gut
Leaky gut gets blamed for everything from everyday stomach issues to pain to anxiety, yet it is one of the most mysterious ailments to diagnose and treat.
Part of the reason for this medical mystery is because the gut is such a vast and complex system. “Science continues to find new ways that the gut can influence everything from heart health to keeping our brains young,” says Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “There is much we know about leaky gut in terms of how it affects peoples health, but there is still so much that is unknown.”
Underlying Causes Of Leaky Gut
Leaky gut is thought to be moreof a side effect of other digestive issues,rather than a specific disease.
A number of diet and lifestyle factors contribute to leaky gut.Understanding what these are can help you take steps to avoid them.
Here are some of the possible underlying causes of leaky gut thatneed to be addressed to resolve it.
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Diagnostic Tests For Leaky Gut Syndrome
If you have been experiencing any of the signs and symptoms listed above, then that is a good indicator that your gut health is not optimal. However, poor gut health does not automatically produce increased intestinal permeability.
The cells that make up the gut lining regenerate every two to three days. So, while treatment can be started to support the gut lining without confirming increased intestinal permeability, there are tests available to evaluate the degree of intestinal permeability. These tests include the Lactulose/Mannitol Test and the Antigenic Permeability Screen.
While these diagnostic tests do not offer a 100 percent accuracy in confirming Leaky Gut Syndrome, they can serve as invaluable measures of gut permeability, active immune response, and current level of inflammation.
Usually offered by independent laboratories, intestinal permeability tests are no more invasive or involved than the need to fast for a short period or drinking a sugar solution followed by a simple blood test. For more information or to schedule an appointment, consult an integrative healthcare provider.
So What Actually Is Leaky Gut
To understand leaky gut, you first need to have a bit of background on how the digestive tract works. Your digestive tract includes over 4,000 square feet of lining, all of which is just one cell layer thick. These cells, called enterocytes, are like security guards, forming a secure barrier between your body and the outside world. The digestive tract isnt just responsible for getting the good stuff from the food you eat its also responsible for keeping the bad stuff out.
As foreign items food, drink, medications, air particulates, etc enter your digestive tract through your nose and mouth, theyre broken down and digested as they pass through your gut. The enterocytes maintain a tight barrier, ensuring that only fully digested nutrients that your body can properly absorb pass through the gut lining and into your bloodstream and organs. Intestinal permeability refers to how easily substances pass from your gut into your bloodstream. In a healthy gut, intestinal permeability is low. But when the gut isnt functioning as it should, the gaps between the enterocytes loosen, resulting in increased intestinal permeability, aka leaky gut. These bigger holes allow substances that are only partially digested to get into your bloodstream, which has a cascade of negative health effects.
- Digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, gas, and cramps
- Fatigue
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