This Diet Is Best Done Under The Supervision Of A Health Care Provider
An elemental diet provides nutrition components like protein, fat, and carbohydrates that are already broken down. The food is pre-digested, so your body doesnt have to do the work if it isnt able to. It is a way to give your digestive system a break.
It is most commonly used for people with chronic digestive problems under a healthcare providers supervision. It is usually purchased but can be homemade. It is a liquid or a powder that is mixed with water.
An elemental supplement can be consumed by the person or given through a feeding tube for severe cases where adequate nutrition can not be taken by mouth. It may be used for people with conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns, or SIBO: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
The elemental diet has been shown to improve a leaky gut .;
What Causes Leaky Gut
The exact cause of leaky gut is a mystery.
However, increased intestinal permeability is well known and occurs alongside several chronic diseases, including celiac disease and type 1 diabetes .
Zonulin is a protein that regulates tight junctions. Research has shown that higher levels of this protein may loosen tight junctions and increase intestinal permeability (
Furthermore, low levels of healthy gut bacteria may have the same effect. This is called gut dysbiosis .
Summary
The exact cause of leaky gut remains a mystery, but certain proteins like zonulin and markers of inflammation provide some clues. Other potential causes include long-term NSAID use and an imbalance of gut bacteria known as gut dysbiosis.
As leaky gut syndrome isnt an official medical diagnosis, there is no recommended treatment.
Yet, you can do plenty of things to improve your general digestive health.
One is to eat a diet rich in foods that aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. An unhealthy collection of gut bacteria has been linked to poor health outcomes, including chronic inflammation, cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes .
The following foods are great options for improving your digestive health:
Summary
A diet that promotes digestive health should focus on fibrous vegetables, fruits, fermented vegetables, cultured dairy products, healthy fats, and lean, unprocessed meats.
Our Guts Role In Our Overall Health
Our guts main role is as a barrier; to let things in that should get in, and to keep things out that should stay out. Think of absorption of nutrients as things we want to let in; and elimination of waste as things we want to pass right through and out.
This seemingly simple role is super-complex! And it can malfunction in so many places.
For one thing, our guts can “leak.” Yes, like a long tube with holes in it, it can allow things to get into our bloodstream/bodies that can wreak havoc . You name it, whatever you put into your mouth can be absorbed by your gut and get into your bloodstream, even if it’s not supposed to. And when your gut wall gets irritated, it can “leak.” When this happens, theres widespread inflammation, which is the culprit for many diseases that don’t seem linked to the gut but have a sneaky connection there.
FUN FACT: About 70% of our immune system lives in and around our gut.
Indeed, one can argue, that our gut is a major component to our immunity and overall health. And any issues there, can cause a tide of problems to proliferate in the body.
A healthy gut is not a leaky gut. It maintains the integrity of its barrier and shuttles things through; to be eliminated.
Maintaining a healthy gut barrier is the first pillar of gut health.
So, keeping your gut microbes happy is the second pillar of gut health!
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Say Hello To Fodmapsthe Four Horsemen Of Your Colon
There is a special group of foods out there. Many of them appear harmless, maybe even healthy at first glance.
But they can cause serious digestive health issues for a lot of us. .
And so youre probably wondering
Richard, youve been holding back this goodness, why you do me like that?
Well, thats because Ive tried to keep my leaky gut protocol as simple as possible for you. Since after speaking to 1000s of you, the #1 determinant of success is a protocol that is easy to follow and thus actually gets done.
But I finally realized not talking about this special group of foods is kind of crazy.
After all, eliminating them has helped 100,000s of people with serious gut problems feel better within just weeks. Including my Aunt and cousin last year!
Plus, this special group of foods was identified by one of the best dietary-focused research universities in the world, Monash University. And best of all, for those of us on a leaky gut diet, it is a fairly easy dietary change to make.
Lowering Inflammation From Leaky Gut
If you are feeling inflamed, heres natural support for managing inflammation naturally, which could lessen the need for pain meds in the long run.
My favorite anti inflammatory supplements are curcumini* , fish oil and zinc carnosine. *It is important to get a curcumin extract without black pepper which can also damage the gut.
Megasporbiotic is a soil based probiotic that is particularly good for sealing the gut lining. You can buy it at this online dispensary.
Other probiotics can also support the biome, but Megasporbiotic is safe for SIBO and also has antibacterial properties which can weaken pathogenic bacteria to help the immune system destroy them.
Aloe, marshmallow and slippery elm are herbs that can also heal and seal the gut lining but may not be tolerated by people with bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine .
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Leaky Gut Diet Foods To Eat
If you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, youre overdue to consider adopting a leaky gut diet. Such a diet contains foods that support healing because they are easy to digest and can help repair the lining of the intestines.
Here are the best foods to include in a leaky gut syndrome diet:
In addition to eating a leaky gut diet, you can help repair your gut with certain supplements.
In a leaky gut treatment plan, there are many supplements that support digestive health as well as protect the gut lining from further damage. I believe the six most beneficial leaky gut supplements are:
Level 3 Foods Fine If You Can Tolerate Them
Most of these foods are fairly healthy .
But certain people simply cant tolerate some of these foods, eg people with autoimmune conditions.
So work with a registered dietitian and do an elimination/reintroduction diet to determine which foods you personally can handle.
Typically, this group of foods will be 10% of our daily calories.
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What Are The Causes Of Leaky Gut Syndrome
A lot of things can result in a leaky gut. These can include anything from stress and eating too much sugar , to antibiotics and hormone treatments. There are some additional factors that may come into play too, such as consuming too much alcohol or not having a properly balanced diet. All of these things can affect your guts permeability. A healthy diet rich in the proper amount of nutrients can help you avoid this condition in the first place.
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What Are Some Ways I Can Treat Leaky Gut
Theres a wide range of things you can do to help get your gut its strength back. A firm sugar detox along with a low-starch, nutrient-rich diet is a great way to begin. Incorporating key gut-healthy foods into your diet can be very beneficial; foods include collagen, apple cider vinegar, probiotics and prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and coconut. These foods are able to promote good bacteria, kill yeast, and strengthen the production of your gut tissue.
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Increase Your Collagen Consumption
Collagen contains the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that are needed to repair and rebuild your gut lining. Regular consumption of collagen containing foods like bone broth, gelatin, and collagen powders can be therapeutic additions to the diet that may help mend and prevent leaky gut. Studies show that supplemental collagen peptides can help to strengthen the gut barrier, making it less permeable and more likely to retain nutrients from food. Eating foods that boost your bodys collagen production like eggs, citrus fruits, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms can also help increase your bodys natural collagen production.
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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A Basic Overview Of The Digestive Process
Digestion works by passing food through the GI tract. It starts right when you chew the first morsel of food and ends in the small intestine.
;As the food passes through the GI tract, blending takes place- food passing through with essential digestive juices, causing huge molecules of food to disintegrate into smaller bits or molecules.
The body then imbibes these smaller molecules through the thin walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream.;
Your blood performs the function of delivering nutrition to the rest of the body, leaving the waste products of the digestion process which passes through the large intestine and then out of your body as a solid matter .
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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Leaky Gut: Foods To Avoid
Be prepared to personalize your list of foods to avoid. Different particles will enter the bloodstream with intestinal permeability, and so the immune system has unique codes that attack dangerous intruders. I was diagnosed with an allergy to corn, which comes with all kinds of hidden names and ingredient derivatives: Ascorbic acid, maltodextrin, mannitol, modified food starch, natural flavoring polenta, and much, much more. If you have food allergies, be sure to look into their hidden names as well, and keep a list if shopping for snacks, bars, or any sort of prepackaged foods.
What to Test Out:
The first step in healing leaky gut and determining your personal okay to eat and avoid list is to remove ingredients individually for two weeks, and add them back into the diet to see how your body responds. Start with the most common allergens by removing them individually, adding them back in, and then removing the next one.
- Dairy
- Soy
- Sugar
Sugar is to be avoided in general, with the exception of natural sugars found in fruits and other wholesome products. If you find that you can tolerate dairy, or even gluten, eat them sparingly in your diet, and be aware of portion sizes.
Other Foods to Avoid Initially:
Caffeine adds stress to the body, while alcohol prevents proper nutrient absorption, and can feed candida. Chocolate and soda are two products often overlooked for caffeine, however they should initially be avoided as well.
What to Constantly Avoid:
Leaky Gut Quiz
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Say hello to Pure Enzymes. It contains 18 enzymes in every capsule, including every enzyme above. Meaning, youll enjoy support no matter what youre eating.
Best of all, it is 3rd party certified gluten free, dairy free and soy free. Making it a true digestive hero we can count on!
If you havent tried it yet, you can .
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What Are The Signs Of Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut is the spillage of toxins into the blood. This spillage can comes from candida overgrowth in the body. So, the symptoms of leaky gut syndrome can be associated as the symptoms of yeast overgrowth. These include skin infections, digestive issues like bloating, chronic fatigue, headaches, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances. Other symptoms may include thyroid conditions, joint pain and arthritis, and ADD or ADHD. If youre experiencing any combination of these, it may be time to look into your leaky gut diet.
A Keto Diet Was First Used To Treat Seizures
A ketogenic diet or keto is an eating plan that is very high in fat and low in carbohydrates and protein. The preferred fuel for our brain and body cells is glucose, a kind of sugar. If we dont have enough glucose available because of a low-carb diet, our body makes ketones a substitute fuel.
Ketones are then used for energy, but they also suppress hunger. Going into ketosis is a survival mechanism that allows us to stay alive during food shortages.
The ketogenic diet was first investigated as an intervention for those with epilepsy or seizure disorder.; Although currently quite popular, it is very restrictive and difficult to follow long-term .
A ketogenic diet influences the kinds of bacteria that thrive in our gut and may reduce inflammation . There are no known studies linking keto and gut permeability directly just yet.
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Incorporating Healthy Foods Is The Key To Optimal Gastrointestinal Function
Our body is home to a trillion bacterial species, which form the human microbiome. Each microbiome is unique in its own way, leading to a variety of mix microbiomes, each benefiting its human body.;
Cleaning up your diet is the most powerful way to cancel the bad bacteria and embrace the good guys.;
These good bacteria do a lot for you they digest your food, keep your immune system safe and sound, act as soldiers when infectious agents attack you, keep the toxic stuff away, and produce the vitamins and nutrients needed for human nutrition. From feeling anxious or happy to the disorders of the digestive system such as diarrhea or heart disease, your gut feeling truly decides your health.;
Say Hello To Digestive Enzymes A Guts Best Friend
Digestive enzymes are amazing, but the key is knowing which enzymes you need in a supplement, since different enzymes help with different foods. So lets run through that now.
Enzymes for healthy fats
- Lipase is the main enzyme that can help us break down the healthy fats we eat on the leaky gut diet. From extra virgin olive oil to avocados to tasty macadamia nuts, lipase makes turning fats into fatty acids and glycerol much easier. Can help with weight management too.
Enzymes for vegetables
- Amylase can help break down the starches in our vegetables into simple/soluble sugars. An absolute digestive angel.
- Cellulase, Hemicellulase and Xylanase can help us unlock key nutrients from vegetables, as well as fruits, by breaking down the fiber in them, eg cellulose.
- Alpha-Galactosidase can help with cruciferous veg , as well as other carbs , meaning less bloating and gas! One of my favorites, especially since I no longer have to blame poor puppy Mr McShmoogles for ye olde flatulence!
Enzymes for our clean protein
- A blend of alkaline, neutral and acid stable Protease enzymes can help us break down the protein in fish, chicken, meat, nuts and eggs, into peptides and amino acids. A big win with better protein break down is less bloating. Food baby be gone!
Enzymes for the harder-to-digest foods
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Additional Help To Heal Your Leaky Gut
It will take time to heal your gut, so adding in a good probiotic AND making some or all of the above changes is the quickest way to reboot your system.
No matter what supplement you use, you should;take AT LEAST 50 billion units of probiotics daily from a minimum of 10 different sources for best results.
While you dont need to purchase only refrigerated probiotics, make sure the packaging is well sealed. Its also essential that the packaging is dark to protect from light damage.
We have our own brand of Probiotics at Avocadu called Gut-13.
Our specially formulated probiotic supplement contains:
- Over 100 Million CFUs Per Serving
- 13 Different Gut Healing Strains
- Delayed-Release for Deeper Support
- Made in the USA
You can read more about it and why its so important for not only gut health but overall health on;our probiotics page.
Probiotics are one of the best solutions for healing your gut, helping you lose weight faster, and providing you with a healthy source of gut flora every day!
Next, you will need to eat a healthy diet full of whole, natural foods!
Probiotics will help to get your gut started on the right track again, but it wont make a very big impact if you are still eating a diet full of the WRONG foods that wreak havoc on your gut in the first place.
This is a big emphasis of our 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge as its about changing our eating habits and re-learning what we should and should not be eating.