Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How To Determine Leaky Gut

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How I Megadose L

How Do You Know If you Have Leaky Gut? Ask Your Doctor For These Tests
  • Days 1-3 I work up over the first 3 days from 10g to 30g. This gives the body time to get used to the L-Glutamine and should stave off any upset stomach effects. Simply mix the powder with water. Make sure you spread the dose throughout the day and take each serve on an empty stomach so that the L-Glutamine does not have to compete with other amino acids for uptake.
  • Days 4-8 take 30g each day. This is best done via 1 rounded teaspoon every 1-2 hours.
  • Days 9+ take a maintenance dose of 10g a day. Split this into 2 serves, so you take one 5g serve when you wake up and the other later in the day whenever is convenient and you have an empty stomach.
  • How Bone Broth Helps Leaky Gut

    Not only will the fast give your digestive system a much needed break, it will also ensure no more big food particles are making their way through your leaky gut and into your bloodstream.

    That means inflammation can cool down and your immune system will also get a chance to regroup.

    Meanwhile, the bone broth itself has a huge benefit for our gut, because the collagen in it delivers a huge serving of the types of amino acids our GI tract feeds on in order to repair itself eg glycine, proline and hydroxyproline4,5.

    These amino acids work great together to mend the damaged cells lining the wall of our gut. Amazing!

    How To Sleep 8 Hours A Night

    • Firstly, you need to cut things from your life. This is the only way you can make time to get the sleep you need. I cut weekday social dinners out completely, cut my TV down to 20 minutes a day max, reduced my exercise sessions to tight 20 minute blocks , capped my reading time at 1 hour a day. There were a few other things too, but these big cuts were enough to boost my time available for sleep from 6-7 hours to 8-9 hours a day.
    • Get to sleep on time and stay asleep. Thats the only way to get a good quality 8-9 hours. To do this follow my sleep protocol. Simply turn off all electronics around 9pm . Limit liquids. Pop 200-400 mg magnesium citrate34. Eat a handful of fat, eg some walnuts. Meditate for 10-20 minutes using Headspace app. Read a relaxing book, especially fiction, until you fall asleep. This should get you to sleep and keep you there nicely. Of course you might want to add in sleep mask and ear plugs for noise.
    • Sleep is also built on what you do during the day. So each day I recommend you get some light exercise in, enjoy some sunlight or Vitamin D supplement35 and dont drink too much caffeine36 .
    • Finally you want to make sure you are sleeping fairly similar times each night, so you dont disrupt your circadian rhythm too much. I try to keep a very tight 10:30pm to 7am schedule.

    IDEA #9

    Recommended Reading: Can Undereating Cause Diarrhea

    Where I Am Today:

    I feel like a newborn baby. A completely different human. I look back on who I was when my GI was at its worst before gut healing protocol, I cant even believe that was me.

    I would consider my GI to be mostly normal now. I can eat many of the higher FODMAP foods I had to steer clear of, like onions, garlic, asparagus, etc. The gas is completely gone, I have regular bowel movements, and my small bouts of constipation are short-lived. My anxiety has lifted, my energy is great, and my skin glows!

    My thyroid function is in the normal range.

    My hormones are still whacky, but Im fine with that being a work in progress. The process of balancing them is not an anxiety-ridden concept the way healing my gut was.

    Im in a healthy, loving relationship with an individual who knows my health history and cares that I remain healthy. Hes the most honest and giving person I know and I cant believe I lucked out to have him in my life.

    I take it one day at a time. I try not to get stuck in the feedback loop of needing to control, needing to micromanage my health.

    It has been a little less than one year since I began my gut healing protocol with Dena, and I am constantly shocked by the difference between my health today versus my health a year ago. I hope one year from now, all of this will be just that thing that happened that one time. I truly believe it will.

    Love, squeezes and kitty cat sneezes.

    xoxo

    Leaky Gut Tests: How To Determine If You Have A Leaky Gut

    What Causes Leaky Gut and How To Fix It

    There is no standardized test that is foolproof for determining the presence of leaky gut, however many options are available to establish the likelihood of intestinal permeability. One speculation for the absence of direct testing and analysis is that leaky gut syndrome is not recognized as a real condition in the medical field, however, it is gaining traction as a recognized condition. Intestinal permeability, the medical term for leaky gut, uses the same tests for identifying the likelihood in the body.

    The main reason that no one test is accurate is that leaky gut has many culprits, and each person will have different symptoms and levels of permeability in the gut. The best anyone can hope for with results is to determine the likelihood that they have leaky gut through lab results for their most common symptoms. Each test has different guidelines: some may not want you to avoid foods normally eaten when evaluating the presence of allergies, while others require fasting or avoidance of certain ingredients.

    Read Also: Does Peanut Butter Cause Heartburn

    Are There Dietary Changes That Could Help With Leaky Gut

    Again, leaky gut is not a disease in itself. Any dietary treatment of leaky gut would focus on the underlying cause of leaky gut. In the case of celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, avoiding all foods with gluten can help heal your gut lining and improve your symptoms.

    Since leaky gut is associated with an unbalanced gut microbiome changing your diet may help to balance your gut microbiome. Again, whether this directly affects the disease associated with leaky gut is not fully understood.

    Diets high in sugar, saturated fats, and animal proteins can lead to the growth of more unhealthy bacteria in your gut. Diets like the Mediterranean diet can help restore the balance of good bacteria. Bacteria in the gut also take fiber and prebiotics and convert them to short-chain fatty acids, which help protect the gut lining. Probiotics have also helped restore the gut lining.

    Beware of extreme elimination diets or supplements that claim to treat leaky gut syndrome. Eliminating foods can lead to nutritional deficiencies, and supplements have their risks.

    Any time you have any unusual symptom in your body, it is important to see a qualified healthcare provider right away.

    Ditch All Sugars And Dairy Except For Some Gut

    First I asked you to ransack your house and bin all the grains and legumes.

    Now Im asking you to find anything with sugar or dairy in it, and add that to the scrapheap as well! By the end of today youll probably have no food left in the house

    But thats alright.

    In fact, the process of elimination is without doubt the most important step towards healing your leaky gut and feeling great again.

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    Testing Options For Intestinal Permeability

    So if you look at the research, there are a number of different tests that have been used to define or identify intestinal permeability. And some of these are more common than others, but Im just going to mention a few different ones and then Ill tell you what we use in our practice and what I recommend.

    So the first is the lactulose/mannitol permeability assay, and this uses molecules, sugars, long-chain sugars called oligosaccharides, and Ill explain a little bit more about it in a moment.

    The second is an antigenic permeability screen, and this looks at antibodies to particular antigens like lipopolysaccharides and then also antibodies to endogenous molecules like actomyosin and occludin and zonulin. So these are proteins that the body produces in the gut that help to regulate tight junction permeability and the structure of the gut and determine whether the gut is permeable or not.

    But in terms of clinical practice and whats readily available and whats been most validated by the scientific research, the lactulose/mannitol test and the antigenic permeability screen, I think, are the two most useful tests.

    Avoid All Grains And Legumes For The Next Month

    Leaky Gut: How to Heal

    Life without any grains or legumes whatsoever can be tough. Whenever you plan a meal that is just meat/fish and vegetables it can feel like something is missing.

    But if youre suffering from leaky gut and are really motivated to repair it fast, then leaving grains and legumes off the table, at least temporarily, is a no brainer. Especially GMO grains, which by design are the highest in anti-nutrients like lectins7,8.

    Now, I will say, most grains & legumes dont quite irritate the gut lining as bad as those with gluten , but they are still loaded with anti-nutrients like lectins and phytates9,10, which your digestive system simply cant necessarily handle when it is in already poor shape.

    Also Check: Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Diarrhea

    Consider A Megadose Of L

    First of all, its worth explaining that L-Glutamine is just an amino acid . And in fact, it is the most abundant amino acid naturally found in our blood!14

    But heres the cool thing about it

    you see, just like protein powder feeds your muscles so they can repair and grow stronger, L-Glutamine can fuel your gut lining15 so it too can repair damaged cells and come back healthier.

    This Condition Is Not Typically Diagnosed But Could Be Affecting The Health Of Many People

    This article has been archived. We will no longer be updating it. For our most up-to-date information, please visit our digestive health information here.

    My body never completely bounced back after I had my first child15 years ago. I’ve told myself that my symptoms were part of being a busy mom: fatigue, digestive problems, joint pain, insomnia, low libido, even mild-grade depression. Many moms I know suffer the same ailments, or worse. They’ll subside at some point, I told myself. My health care provider tested me over the years for various medical conditionsfrom anemia and thyroid disorders to mononucleosis and Lyme disease. The tests always came out negative. “You just need to sleep more and manage your stress better,” he told me.

    I found an answer four months ago when I went to see Willie Victor, a nutritionist in Mill Valley, California, whose practice is based on the healing properties of food. She asked me to keep a food diary and take a blood test for food allergies and sensitivities.

    The results were shocking. It turns out I was “highly sensitive” to a number of foods that had been a regular part of my daily dietdairy, soy, sugar, caffeine and gluten.

    10 signs you have a leaky gut:

    According to Dr. Leo Galland, director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, the following symptoms might be signs of leaky gut:

  • Chronic diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Headaches, brain fog, memory loss
  • Excessive fatigue
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    Use A Brita Jug Or Other Filtering Device For Your Water

    This is definitely not the most important idea on this list for leaky gut!

    But it is still worth considering given that the chlorine & fluoride in your tap water120is a toxin and when it enters your body and potentially travels through your overly permeable gut barrier and into your bloodstream it may contribute to chronic systemic inflammation.

    Most of all, this idea is so simple and cheap, why wouldnt you add it to your bag of leaky gut tricks!

    Why Collagen Protein May Be Even Better Than Bone Broth

    How to Fix Leaky Gut Fast in 2020

    The most absorbable & tasteless form of collagen is hydrolyzed collagen protein powder like this one .

    It has no beefy taste, is really easy to take any time of day, and best of all, since it is pure collagen, you can get a huge serving of helpful amino acids for intestinal support. Super convenient!

    So try collagen peptides today and get ready to send your body all the collagen goodness of bone broth, but in a much easier and more absorbable way.

    IDEA #3

    Also Check: What Does It Mean When You Keep Having Heartburn

    Limit All Cow Milk Based Dairy

    So there are 2 reasons to consider avoiding this bad boy of gastrointestinal health.

    For starters, cows milk comes packed with lactose. This is the milk sugar that the majority of us struggle to digest23. It is a high FODMAP ingredient too. So if youre on a low FODMAP diet, it is out as well.

    Secondly and less importantly normal cows milk also comes with another potentially troublesome sidekicka protein called A1 Casein24. It often does not play well with our guts, especially in the early healing phases.

    In response to both issues above you can consider lactose free milk, but then you have the casein problem, or you can consider A2 Casein milk, but then you still have the lactose problem.

    All a bit confusing I know. So my approach in the first 30 days of a gut healing diet is simply no cows milk dairy, eg milk, milk chocolate, ice cream, cheese etc.

    Ill Run Through How I Have Done This In The Past

    First, I compared my personal health history against all the signs of leaky gut.

    After seeing I had several signs of digestive problems , and previously suffered from other signs that indicated leaky gut 10, I decided that there was more probability of leaky gut than not.

    Given I had not been able to find any other reasoned diagnosis for my collection of symptoms, I was more than happy to finally have a working hypothesis.

    Next I decided to embark on a 90-day leaky gut diet, paired with smart gut-supporting supplements like L-Glutamine, Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics .

    I figured that if after 90 days the 7 signs I had of leaky gut were gone or severely diminished it was because my gut had healed .

    Within the first month of this protocol I already experienced a decrease or elimination of the majority of symptoms.

    Stomach pains gone. Heartburn non-existent. Asthma 80% reduced. It was amazing!

    And after the full 3 months I was in amazing health.

    For example, I no longer carried antacids with me, rarely reached for my inhaler, woke up in the morning full of energy, worked all day with intense focus , and I even noticed how much easier it was to gain lean muscle . Talk about a big difference!

    Whilst I could not be 100% certain I had leaky gut, I can be certain that the leaky gut recovery protocol, which you can find in my free guide here, worked to fix my health problems. And for me that is all the proof I need.

    Of course n=1.

    Also Check: What Does It Mean When You Keep Having Heartburn

    Intestinal Permeability A Review

    The small intestinal lining is a single-celled mucosal layer that is the bodys largest and most important mucous membrane surface. GI inflammation and damage to the brush border allow molecules to leak directly into the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and bloodstream, which activates the immune system. Damage to the brush border can result in poor nutrient absorption, bacterial dysbiosis, and inflammation, all of which can be contributing factors in many chronic disease processes, including:

    • All autoimmune diseases
    • Endocrine diseases
    • Neurological disorders
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Inflammatory diseases
    • Chronic infections

    Much research has focused on the particular importance of the paracellular transport mechanisms and their role in increased intestinal permeability. The paracellular proteins were originally thought to act like cement, tightly adhering the intestinal cells together at all times to create a snug intestinal barrier. We now know that the tight junction is a dynamic space that can adapt to the bodys absorption needs. The paracellular junctions between the intestinal cells dramatically change in size in response to the modulator, zonulin, with the tight junctions being the most sensitive to this protein.2

    Replace Your Morning Cup O Joe With Some Herbal Teas

    How do you determine if you have a leaky gut? – Part 2 of 6

    This need not be forever, but it should definitely be your approach for the next 1-3 months whilst you are recovering from leaky gut.

    You see coffee, including decaf, is not good for your intestinal lining79. .

    You can read my in-depth article here on coffee and leaky gut, but the exec summary version is that coffee irritates the gut , causes inflammation , gets confused by our bodies as gluten 80 and the caffeine itself spurs on adrenal fatigue.

    Read Also: Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Diarrhea

    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.

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