Healing your leaky gut
Healing your leaky gut requires a comprehensive approach focused on addressing the root causes of your issues and supporting your body through the recovery process. Here's a breakdown of the five key areas we'll focus on for effective and lasting healing.
Diet: Start by eliminating inflammatory foods and those known to damage the gut lining. This includes identifying and removing specific food sensitivities through testing. Cut out gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, processed foods, and GMOs. Avoid raw foods as they can be hard to digest. Instead, focus on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and consider layering the low-FODMAP diet if needed. Incorporate cooked and fermented healing foods like bone broth, fermented vegetables, omega-3-rich foods, coconut products, and blueberries.
Rest: Prioritize rest as an essential part of your healing journey. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, ideally going to bed before 10 pm. Practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding screens before bedtime and engaging in relaxing activities like reading or meditation.
Exercise: Opt for gentle forms of exercise such as walking, yoga, or restorative pilates to avoid putting additional stress on your body. Once your gut health improves, you can gradually reintroduce more intense activities.
Stress Reduction: Reduce stress on all fronts, including mental/emotional, physical, and internal stressors. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, acupuncture, or journaling. Identify and eliminate hidden stressors like hormone imbalances or pathogens.
Supplementation: While it's challenging to obtain all necessary nutrients from food alone, supplements play a crucial role in restoring gut balance and repairing intestinal damage. Probiotics - work with a practitioner to find out what is right for you, digestive enzymes, zinc L-carnosine, L-glutamine, quercetin, licorice root, and aloe vera juice to support gut healing.