If you struggle with digestive issues you’re not alone. Next to the common cold, digestive problems are the most common reason people seek medical advice.  I have helped a lot of people with gastro-intestinal (GI) problems over the years.

 

Improving your digestion is a must it is reflected in skin, mental health, mood, your immune health and your well-being.

This 4-step program can be followed by almost anybody, regardless of health challenges or digestive problem; however, the specifics of the protocol definitely need to be individually tailored, especially if you suffer from a more serious digestive disorder.

 

The 4 R’s of Gastrointestinal Restoration:

 

1. Remove

This step is all about removing the stressors that negatively affect the environment of your GI tract. This includes all allergenic foods and chemical irritants. If you’re unsure of which foods you may be sensitive to it can be helpful to follow the “elimination diet” which consists of removing the most common allergens like wheat, dairy, soy, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, peanuts, corn, eggs or even all gluten-containing products for a period of time.

Some patients chose to do the IgG food sensitivity test which we can be included in your tailored program however, it’s best to also follow the elimination diet and then once we have your blood results from the IgG food sensitivity test then we simply make sure you don’t add back the foods you are sensitive to into your diet.

This step also involves eradicating pathogenic bacteria and yeast.

Also emotional stress can also have serious effects on your GI tract and can’t be overlooked. Take time to rest and relax, and only eat when you’re mentally calm.  When you are in “sympathetic nervous system mode” (fight-or flight; ie. running away from a bear) your circulation is diverted from your digestion to your periphery (muscles) so you can run!!!  Unfortunately, you can’t digest on the run!  So sit and relax through all your meals. Put your fork down between bites and chew your food, a lot!

 

2. Replace

This step refers to adding back or replacing all those factors that may be missing or lacking in the body and diet. In order to digest our food properly we need sufficient amounts of enzymes, hydrochloric acid (HCL), and bile which are all compromised by poor food choices, medications, various diseases, aging, and other factors.

You can think of this step as doing everything you can to support your digestion –

Many people will do well by adding more raw vegetables and fruit to their diet which are naturally enzyme-rich, while others with severely compromised digestion may have to avoid raw foods and only eat their veggies and fruits well-cooked or blended.

 

3. Reinoculate

Our intestinal tracts are host to over 500 different types of bacteria. In fact, you might be surprised to know that you have more bacteria in your gut than cells in your body!  Due to poor diets, overuse of antibiotics and medications, environmental stress, diminished soil integrity, being born by C-section, among other factors, most people have too many bad bacteria compared to the good bacteria.

This step involves replenishing the gut with healthy flora through the use of supplemental probiotics

 

4. Repair

Once your diet is in check and lifestyle has more balance, you can begin to repair the damage done and work at regenerating the mucosal lining of the digestive tract with specific nutrients.

Overtime, the lining of the intestinal tract becomes damaged due to all the irritants and stressors mentioned in step 1.  As the integrity of the lining is lost, a condition called Leaky Gut Syndrome can ensue where the intestinal lining becomes permeable allowing substances such as large undigested food particles, pathogenic organisms and other chemicals to pass or “leak” through the barrier and into the blood stream at large.

There are a number of supplements that can be used to help repair the intestinal tract lining. Some of these supplements/herbs include: L-Glutamine, Deglycyrrhized licorice (DGL), Slippery Elm Bark, Zinc and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine.

 

Don’t hesitate to contact me for guidance and advice:

Suzanne Garaty Nutritional Therapist and Natural Chef. WWW.vitalnutrition.eu