Tag: digestive health

Resources

Holistic Seasonal Allergy Support For the Active Adult

Jamie

May is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month so I wanted to take this week to talk all about more natural ways to support our body in the peak of seasonal allergies. You might be thinking, ‘why not just take that antihistamine’? Well unfortunately antihistamines come with a host of nasty side effects you can become dependent on them and also experience1:

  • Drowsiness
  • Dry mouth and dry eyes (generally dehydration)
  • Dizziness and headache
  • Low blood pressure
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Difficulty urinating and constipation (also dehydration)
  • Flushing
  • Diarrhea

So where does that leave us? Miserable? Far from. Fortunately, there are a lot of other tools you can use prior to going the antihistamine route.

Seasonal Allergies Defined

Let’s first talk about what seasonal allergies are. They are an allergic response to our natural environment. Things like pollen, grass, mold spores, and trees. It is often referred to as allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis just means “inflammation to the mucous membrane of the nose, caused by a virus infection or by an allergic reaction”2. Spring and fall are the most common times of year for seasonal allergies to peak. This is when the levels of these natural elements are the highest in the air.

Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies

Symptoms can vary widely and are easy to confuse with common cold symptoms. Most weather apps have an allergy section showing the levels (green/yellow/red) for the most common allergens (tree pollen, grass pollen, ragweed pollen) as well as a total pollen count. If you notice that you feel worse when the counts are high, its likely that your symptoms are related to allergies. Some common symptoms include:

  • Runny and/or itchy nose
  • Sneezing
  • Watery eyes
  • Itchy, red, or swollen eyes
  • Hives and rashes
  • Nasal congestion
  • Coughing
  • Post-nasal drip
  • Headaches

The Stress Bucket

We are always exposed to various stressors. This includes more than just mental/ emotional stress, but also environmental stressors. For example, we are exposed to toxins in the air, from our cleaning products, personal care products and fragrances. Unknown food sensitivities may also play a part in our stress load. And histamine from seasonal allergens can also add to this load. You might have been hanging in there with your “bucket” close to full but not overflowing until spring came around and then WHAM, you feel awful. During these seasons of more histamine stress, you need to relieve stress from other areas as much as possible to avoid overflowing your “bucket”.

Ways to relieve stress could include: eating less high histamine foods during these times, support your liver, eating a whole foods diet, filter the air in your bedroom, cleaning up your household and personal care products, or reducing your mental stress by starting a meditation practice.

It Always Ties Back to Gut Health…and Also the Liver

There is growing evidence that our gut microbiome can also greatly impact our tendency for being highly reactive to seasonal allergies. This study3 found that adults with a decrease in microbial diversity (less good gut bacteria) had a higher rate of allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies). Since the gut contains 80% of our immune system and response, this makes a lot of sense. If your gut is out of balance, your immune system will be less likely to be robust enough to handle the extra histamine load.

But lets not forget the liver! The liver is seriously a super organ with functions including detoxification, thyroid hormone conversion, regulating blood sugar, producing bile for fat digestion, protein synthesis and even production of cholesterol! Wow! The liver also plays a part in clearing excessive histamine from the circulation. So supporting the liver can really help with seasonal allergy burden. See below for ways to support this vital organ.

Natural Support for Seasonal Allergies

Most of these supports cost nothing to try. They may take a shift in mindset, but the rewards far outweigh the benefit. If you have struggled with allergies for a long time, you might consider a deeper dive into a GI-MAP stool test to see just how your microbial balance is doing. But I would start with the free and simple options first and then setup a Free Discovery Call if you are still struggling!

  • Sinus rinse – use a Neti Pot or Xlear Nasal Spray after being outdoors
  • Shower before bed to avoid brining pollen into your bed sheets
  • Run an air purifier (HEPA filter) in your bedroom
  • Upgrade the filter in your whole house HVAC system
  • Support your liver by eating bitter, dark leafy greens, using a liver tincture, and/or a liver castor oil pack
  • Eat a whole foods diet with adequate protein (~1 g protein per 1 lb body weight) to get adequate micronutrients and avoid processed foods and seed oils
  • “Histamine Nutrients” by Seeking Health is very supportive of a healthy histamine response and provides nutrients needed to support the breakdown of histamine – reach out to me to get 25% off retail on this supplement
  • Acupuncture
  • Avoid high histamine foods during allergy season including4:
    • Fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, cottage cheese, kombucha, vinegar)
    • Cheese, particularly aged cheeses
    • Lunch meats and smoked meats
    • Alcohol (if you do not tolerate alcohol well, it may be due to histamine)
  • Other helpful supplements:
    • N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) – can thin mucus and help with nasal congestion (also great for viral infections)
    • Quercetin – can calm down the body’s response to allergens
    • Nettles – in the form of a tincture. I love this Sinus Saver tincture.

I hope you have learned more about ways in which you can naturally support your seasonal allergies. A little extra support can go a long way and allow you to avoid the nasty side effects of an antihistamine. These side effects can greatly impact your ability to recover from physical exercise and can impact your performance. Think twice and try some alternatives prior to grabbing an OTC remedy!

This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.

If you want to learn more about how I work:
Click HERE to book a FREE Discovery Call Today!

If you aren’t ready to jump into a package but want to start making the small shifts to improve your health, check out my new offering:
Activate Your Wellness!
Only $99

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/antihistamine-decongestant-and-analgesic-combination-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20069904 ↩︎
  2. https://www.google.com/search?q=rhinitis+definition&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1077US1078&oq=rhinitis+de&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 ↩︎
  3. https://karger.com/iaa/article/182/2/94/168518/The-Gut-Microbiome-of-Adults-with-Allergic ↩︎
  4. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-histamine ↩︎
Resources

Identifying and Addressing Food Sensitivities for Optimal Wellness and Performance

Jamie

It is still IBS Awareness Month and earlier this month my post “Thriving with IBS – How a Holistic Approach Can Keep You Moving Forward” talked about how you can support your IBS symptoms through a holistic approach. In that post, I touched on food sensitivities and how they can trigger symptoms, but I wanted to do a deep dive this week on how food sensitivities can impact your symptoms. Additionally, I’ll talk about the food sensitivity test I use and how I utilize it to create the most effective recommendations for my clients.1

Food Allergy vs. Food Sensitivity vs. Food Intolerance

Fist, lets discuss food allergies vs sensitivities vs Intolerance. There is a lot of confusion around this and for good reason! Food allergies and sensitivities are both immune-mediated. Meaning, there is a reaction from the immune system that is triggered after eating (or sometimes just touching) these foods. However, a food intolerance is not immune-related. This just means that you cannot digest this food. A good example of a food intolerance is the lactose in dairy. Some people cannot make the enzyme to breakdown lactose in milk. This may cause digestive upset, but it doesn’t mean that they have an immune response.

There are 5 steps in an immune response as shown below. Food is ingested and then recognized as an “invader” or “non-self” and which activate antibodies or other immune “soldiers” (i.e. mast cells, basophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, t-cells…). Once activated, chemical mediators are released from the white blood cells to fight off what the body perceives as a threat. It is the mediators which start the inflammatory response and result in symptom manifestation.

Ingestion —> Recognition —> Defense —> Chemical Warfare —> Symptoms

There are 3 types of immune-mediated food reactions.

  • Type 1 (true food allergy)
    • IgE antibodies released
    • Causes release of histamine and other mediators
    • Can create anaphylaxis
  • Type 3 (food sensitivity)
    • IgM or IgG antibodies released
    • Is usually a delayed sensitivity with varied symptoms
  • Type 4 (food sensitivity)
    • T-cell activation
    • Is longer delayed reaction (up to 3 days after ingestion)
    • There is a reaction with the food antigen on a cellular level
    • Does not involve antibodies

Mediator Release Test
(MRT)

As noted above, no matter what the mechanism of action (antibodies or t-cells), ultimately mediators are released. The MRT test measures changes in the ratio of liquids to solids after whole blood exposure to various antigens (foods and chemicals) and provides a quantitative result to show the severity of the reactions to what was tested. As seen from the sample chart below, each food and chemical tested will display a green, yellow or red bar with a quantitative number next to it. Based on the reactivity, Oxford recommends either removing the food or chemical for a specified amount of time or rotating it (not eaten every day).

The MRT test has been shown to be accurate and reliable (both >90%). What it cannot do is detect a Type 1 (IgE) food allergy because mast cells are not found in the blood, but in the tissues. Food allergies are best tested under the care of a doctor via oral tolerance testing or skin testing.

Not Just for IBS

The MRT is a tool that can be used to support many conditions. Oxford sites a number of studies on their website2 that show the benefit of the MRT: IBS, depression and anxiety, Sinusitis, migraine, fibromyalgia and even PCOS. The list goes on. However, when I utilize the MRT it is far from just a way to tell a client “ok, here is a list of foods I recommend you never eat again”. This is NOT addressing the root cause. You didn’t suddenly develop a reaction to lettuce! Below I talk about how the 5R approach to identifying the root cause and the process of supporting a client through this 5 step process to resolve imbalances and food sensitivities.

How Do Food Sensitivities Develop?

The term “leaky gut” is pretty common these days but I want to discuss what it means because it is typically the reason that someone develops multiple food sensitivities. “Leaky gut occurs when there is damage to the lining of the intestinal tract making it more permeable to substances that should not cross the delicate lining.”3

The intestinal lining might become damaged for a number of reasons. Inflammation from consumption of too much ultra-processed food, an undiagnosed autoimmune reaction (i.e. celiac disease), a gut infection or parasite, or undiagnosed food sensitivities.

As shown in the diagram below, when the microvilli become damaged and the tight junctions of the intestinal lining start to open up due to damage from inflammation (shown on the right), it allows undigested food particles, bacteria and toxins directly into circulation. The body’s defense (immune) system responds by ‘attacking’ these invaders which cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms.

The 5R Approach To Gut Health

I always use the MRT test in combination with a GI-MAP Stool test. I talk more about the GI-MAP test in this previous blog post. The GI-MAP gives us a snap shot of your microbiome and what types of imbalances could be impacting your symptom burden. I then recommend a bio-individual protocol to rebalance your system. In order to support your body in rebalancing as quickly as possible, the most inflammatory foods and chemicals as identified on the MRT are temporarily removed to facilitate faster recovery.

The 5R approach is a 5 step process used by all functional and holistic practitioners to resolve gut imbalances and includes the following steps. 4

  • Remove
    • Remove all inflammatory foods (MRT)
    • Remove all pathogens via the use of antimicrobials, antifungals, antiparasitic or antiviral agents (using herbs and synergistic supplements).
  • Replace
    • Replace missing digestive agents like enzymes, hydrochloric acid, or bile through supplemental support.
  • Reinoculate
    • Reinoculate the gut flora with supplementation of probiotics and prebiotics as well as live fermented foods (kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut).
    • Start reintroduction of foods that were removed.
  • Repair
    • Repair and restore the integrity of the gut mucosa and also support the immune system through the use of gut healing agents and foods.
  • Rebalance
    • Implement an ongoing healthy lifestyle habits to prevent future GI dysfunction.

During the Reinoculate phase of the 5R’s I guide you though reintroduction of the high reactivity foods that you removed from the MRT test. This must be done slowly and deliberately so you can identify anything you may still not have tolerance for. Ideally, once the gut is healed, you would be able to reintroduce most of your foods. It is important to reintroduce as many foods back into your diet as possible! It is in food diversity that we get the benefit of a variety of diverse micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.

It is important to reintroduce as many foods back into your diet as possible! It is in food diversity that we get the benefit of a variety of diverse micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

“The gut is the gateway to excellent health”
Vincent Pedre, MD

I hope you have learned more about food sensitivities and how they can impact your health. If you suspect you have some gut imbalances or are dealing with a health condition and don’t know where to start, always start with the gut! I have a package “Optimize Your Gut” which includes the MRT and GI-MAP testing as well as 6 month support.

If you want to learn more about how I work:
Click HERE to book a FREE Discovery Call Today!

If you aren’t ready to jump into a package but want to start making the small shifts to improve your health, check out my new offering:
Activate Your Wellness!
This session offers SO much for the price.

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

  1. Clinical and Subclinical Intestinal Inflammation Assessed by the Mucosal Patch Technique: Studies of Mucosal Neutrophil and Eosinophil Activation in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ↩︎
  2. https://www.nowleap.com/research/PublicationsResearch/ ↩︎
  3. https://www.nowleap.com/leaky-gut-and-food-reactivity/ ↩︎
  4. https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/5r-framework-gut-health/ ↩︎
Resources

From Work to Workout: Understanding Stress and Its Effects on Your Body

Jamie

April is Stress Awareness Month so I wanted dive into all of the types of stress our bodies can experience as well as the impact it can have on our health. Stress can really hinder our ability to recover from workouts, heal imbalances in the body, stay in a homeostatic state where our hormone signals are optimal, and just feel energetic enough to take on what life throws us!

Some people think of stress as just mental/emotional stress…from work, family dynamics, and ‘adulting’ responsibilities! But it is WAY more than that. Your body doesn’t know how to differentiate stress from emotional reactions, external environmental toxins, and internal stressors (which I’ll dive into below).

What is Homeostasis Anyway?

Homeostasis is just a word to describe the body’s steady state of operation where the body reacts to a stimulus in a way to bring the effected system back into balance. Body temperature is an example of this. When cold, a healthy body will increase blood flow to the skin to reduce heat loss, sometimes through shivering. However, if the stress is too overwhelming for the body, your body will go into an “Alarm Stage” where a fight or flight response kicks in.

General Adaption Syndrome summarizes the 3 stages in which the body attempts to maintain homeostasis.

  • Alarm Stage –
    • Body goes into “Fight or Flight”, releasing cortisol and adrenaline to increase energy and prepare you to face the stressor.
    • This is very ancestral and tied to the need to flee from predators or enemies thousands of years ago.
  • Resistance Stage –
    • After your body realizes it doesn’t have to fight or run, it starts to bring cortisol, your heart rate and blood pressure down back into homeostasis.
    • You might feel: irritable, frustrated, and have an inability to concentrate
  • Exhaustion Stage –
    • After prolonged or chronic stress on the body, your body systems may not be able to find homeostasis any longer.
    • You might feel: fatigue, burnout, depression, anxiety, lack the ability to fight disease

Types of Stress (Much More Than Emotional)

As you can see from this diagram, emotional stress is just one component of overall stress burden. Any, or likely many, of these things are all part of your stress load. I like to think of stress as a bucket with all of these things dripping water into the bucket. When you practice self-care, you create small pin holes in your bucket that relieves the stress. However, when there is imbalance for too long, your bucket just overflows.

Stress is a strange thing. Its often after you come out the other side, that you realize how bad it was! I’ve been there! And when your in it, it feels impossible to identify where to start.

This is Where Working With a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Can Be Powerful!

Working 1:1 with an NTP can be SO helpful in navigating what is stressing your body and where to start. I work with clients on much more than nutrition strategies. We talk about sleep, lifestyle habits, exercise, environmental exposures (from work or home), hydration, and digestive imbalances that might be impacting their overall stress burden. And hint – its NEVER just one thing!

Stress Management Tools

I want to leave you with some tools to help you manage stress and keep your bucket from overflowing. One method might feel better one day over another, so try switching it up occasionally. And, this is far from an exhaustive list so find what feels good for you. Here are some of my go-to tools I use personally and recommend to clients to help manage stress.

Breath and Movement Techniques:

  • Yoga – find a form of yoga that works for what you need. I like a class that utilizes the Ujjayi breath as it is very calming to the nervous system and helps you deepen your practice.
  • Shaking Grounding Technique – This is a somatic practice to get you grounded into your body
  • 4-7-8 Technique: 3-4 rounds of breath – in through the nose for 4 counts, hold at the top of the breath for 7 counts, and exhale through the mouth (with a ‘whooshing’ sound) for 8 counts.
  • Box Breathing: 4 seconds breathe in through nose, 4 second hold at top of breath, 4 seconds breathing out through nose, 4 seconds hold at bottom of breath. Repeat
  • Tapping: A way to get into your body and clear pain, stress and anxiety.
  • Exercise – find something that brings you joy without overly exerting your body. Dance, hiking in nature, or other forms of gentle movement.

Other Home Tools:

I am also a ThetaHealing Practitioner and for those interested, I offer 1:1 healing sessions. ThetaHealing works on the subconscious level to clear energetic blocks that are keeping you stuck. Oftentimes this results in a big stress relief because the body internalizes these old patterns that no longer serve us. If your interested in learning more, book a Discovery Call or ThetaHealing session today!

This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.

“It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.”
Tony Robbins

I hope you have learned more about stress and some simple tools you can start using today to manage your stress. If you feel like your stress is an from external toxins, I encourage you to start to start by cleaning up your household products. Refer to last weeks blog “Clean and Green” How Natural Cleaning Products Support an Active Lifestyle” for some easy ways to start ditching the toxic cleaning products today.

If you feel like your stress is from an internal imbalance (like gut imbalances), lets chat about the ways I can support you with a bio-individualize protocol to get you back to your old self ASAP! We can deep dive with functional labs like the GI-MAP stool test or start small. I find that even small shifts can often make a big difference.

This week, I’m launching a brand new offering called
Activate Your Wellness!
This session offers SO much for the price. If you want to start moving the needle but your not ready to jump in with the cost of my Intro Session, this offering was made for you! Check out the link to see all that it offers.

Looking for 1:1 support but not sure where to start?
Click HERE to book a free Discovery Call Today!

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

Resources

Clean and Green: How Natural Cleaning Products Support an Active Lifestyle

Jamie

Unfortunately, our modern world is full of environmental toxins. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to “clean up” our products at home, but I’m here to tell you the easy steps you can start taking today! I also want to dive a bit more into the “why” behind cleaning up our household products and how it can support our health and our performance!

Why Should We Care About Cleaning Up or Household Products?

Two of the biggest ways we “absorb” toxins is through our skin and into our bodies via our lungs and gut. You skin is your largest organ and easily absorbs anything that comes into contact with it – think soaps, lotions, serums, cleaning products and even chemicals in the water we swim and shower in. And what we breathe goes right into our bloodstream. And of course there are toxins in food but that will be less of the focus for this discussion.

Plastics, perfumes, and solvents contain chemicals called endocrine disruptors, also referred to as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s). The endocrine system is a messenger system to various glands (and tissues) that create and release hormones. This system uses feedback loops to keep the body in balance (homeostasis). Some examples includes your thyroid gland, adrenal gland, and the ovaries and testis. Unfortunately these EDC’s have been shown to negatively impact our estrogen levels, our androgens (sex hormones), create disruptions in our thyroid function and also impact our steroid hormones.

Did you know that a single product might contain 100-300 chemical substances and that fragrances are the biggest offenders of EDC’s and can greatly (negatively) impact our health?! “Exposure to fragrance products such as air fresheners, deodorant agents, and scented laundry products can trigger a variety of health effects, including respiratory problems, mucosal symptoms, headaches, asthma, and allergic contact dermatitis.”1 Not only does this list of symptoms sound awful; over time it can impact your hormone function and when that gets disrupted and your toxic load becomes too much, you could have a host of other health impacts – gut imbalances, weight gain, low thyroid function, low libido, eczema…the list goes on and on. The study cited above deep dives into over 11,000 different household chemical products and over 1700 different ingredients found in them and identified nearly 300 chemicals that were related to endocrine disruption! Geesh!

And even more concerning is that “The low-grade estrogen effect from the plastics, perfumes, solvents, and hormones in our foods and personal care products has been linked to early menstruation in girls as young as 7, falling sperm counts worldwide, increased problems with erectile dysfunction in men in their 20s… and infertility in women due to polycystic ovary syndrome. They are also implicated as contributing to the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.”2

So How Do You Avoid EDC’s?

Ok, I think you see where I’m going now. So where do you start? For the love of all things good, PLEASE walk up to any “Plug In” type air freshener you see and throw it into the trash! For real, these things are literally wrecking your health!

And after your done with that, here is a longer list of options to detox your cleaning products!

  • Discard any and all products that contain fragrances that do not come from essential oils.
    • Laundry detergent and Fabric Softeners are big ones here! Look for those scented only with essential oils or the fragrance free versions which are available most everywhere now.
  • Purchase a diffuser and utilize high quality essential oils for fragrance in your home or office. Its not just more healthy, its also a much more affordable way to freshen a room!
  • Shop Revive Essential Oils for some great priced oils (not an MLM) as well as diffusers and cleaning products. I also love some of their blends!
  • Shop a small business like Earthly Wellness who values natural products (I’ve recently become obsessed with their products!).
  • Shop at Thrive Market (an online grocer) which carries only natural and safe personal care and cleaning products at great prices! Use this link to get 40% off your first order!
  • Look for products that have been certified safe by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) “EWG Verified”
    • Skin Care Products
    • Hair Care Products
    • Makeup
    • Sun Care – I’m a big fan of ThinkSmart Sunscreen!
    • Cleaning Products
  • Try making your own cleaning products using white vinegar and essential oils. I have some “make your own” recipes below.

By the way, I am not affiliated with any of the companies below. However, if you use my Thrive Market link and decide to become a member, I do receive Thrive cash for the referral.

Homemade Cleaners

All-Purpose Cleaner

  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 15-20 drops of essential oils (tea tree + lavender is a great combination)
  • 1 tsp of phosphorus-free dish soap, castile or washing soda
  • 2 cups of filtered water
  • Fill 1 cleaning spray bottle with ingredients above and shake well before each use.

Glass Cleaner

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 10 drops of essential oil (peppermint is an option)
  • Fill 1 cleaning spray bottle with ingredients above and shake well before each use.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

  • 1/2 cup of borax
  • 1 gallon hot water
  • Mix solution and squirt into basin, then scrub.
  • Borax will help remove stains better than baking soda.

“Chemicals are not currently tested for their endocrine disruption potential before they are approved for use and enter our environment, and there are endocrine disruptors in a vast array of products we come into contact with every day, including organochlorine pesticides, plastics, fuels, and other industrial chemicals.”
Joel Fuhrman

I hope you will try some of the recipes above and start to cycle out some of the toxic products you may have defaulted to because you grew up with them. Smelling of synthetic scents is unhealthy and unnecessary. Lean into natural essential oils and fragrance free options to support you and your families long-term health. I have only scratched the surface here, but I hope this will spark you to do some research and look for healthier products for you and your family.

Looking for 1:1 support so you can start feeling optimal again ASAP?
Click HERE to book a free Discovery Call Today!

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651322005176?via%3Dihub#bib46 ↩︎
  2. The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, Terry Wahls, M.D. (p 276) ↩︎
Resources

Thriving with IBS – How a Holistic Approach Can Keep You Moving Forward

Jamie

IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and is really a diagnosis for “we don’t know what’s wrong with your gut”. And sadly 15% (or more) of the worldwide population suffer with IBS (more common in women). Approximately 20-40% of all visits to the gastroenterologist are due to IBS symptoms which include: abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. That’s a LOT of people suffering with digestive issues!

New research is just starting to scratch the surface of the gut/brain/body connection such that more traditional doctors are starting to slowly take a more holistic approach, but it can take 20-30 years for allopathic medicine treatments to catch up with current research. And even those doctors who have ‘seen the light’ and want to do more can’t because of a broken medical model that prevents them from spending enough time with patients. This is where Nutritional Therapy Practitioners and Functional Practitioners/ Doctors come into play.

The functional approach takes the time to look at the WHOLE picture of the body and systems at play. Everything is connected in the body! One example of this is how 90% of our serotonin (feel good hormone) is produced in the gut – this means that even hormone production and our neurotransmitters are impacted by gut imbalances!

Can IBS be Healed?

“Did you know that up to 84% of IBS may be caused by an overgrowth bacteria in the intestines?”1 The good news is that bacterial imbalances can usually be resolved. This is where working with a holistic practitioner is key. Those trained in gut health (like myself) know how to create protocols using herbs and antimicrobials to support your gut synergistically and rebalance your microbiome. Antibiotics can be harsh on the gut as they kill not just the ‘bad guys’ (dysbiotic bacteria) but also the ‘good guys’ (beneficial gut bacteria) as well. We would also recommend removing any foods that trigger your symptoms to allow the gut to reset while you work to rebalance the bacterial load. You can think of this as weeding the garden. You picking out / clearing and rebalancing bacteria (it could also be a parasite or yeast imbalance) that are creating the stress on the gut. Most people will begin to feel symptom relief during this phase of the protocol.

Once the the weeding is complete, then we want to plow and re-seed the gut with more of the good guys. We need a healthy amount of beneficial bacteria to keep the system in check. You can think of these beneficial bacteria as your ‘soldiers’ who ramp up and ‘fight’ any pathogens that come into the body. There is a big connection with the number of beneficial bacteria and your immune function! In this step we support healing of the gut lining with various foods and supplements and incorporate more probiotics and probiotic-rich foods back into the diet. We also focus on getting more prebiotic-rich foods. Pre-biotics are the foods that our ‘good guys’ like to ‘eat’ in order to proliferate and thrive.

The unpopular truth is that stress also impacts our gut health and must be part of the holistic equation. Stress impacts our bodies in more ways then we even realize and comes in the form of food sensitivities, environmental stress, and also emotional stress. Emotional stress can stem from past unresolved traumas and/or family dynamics (loss of a loved one, divorce, children with behavioral struggles, etc.). A holistic practitioner will discuss with you ways you can support your nervous system and stress balance.

Other Supports for IBS

As mentioned, even traditional medicine is starting to see that other more holistic therapies can improve IBS symptoms. Two sites, WebMD 2and Harvard Medical3 both site the following alternative therapies as helpful in managing IBS:

  • Acupuncture
  • Changes in diet
  • Stress reduction
  • Supplements – fish oil and probiotics were noted as well as some herbs
  • Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
  • Yoga
  • Hypnosis

Many of these modalities calm the nervous system and assist with stress management. This just shows how powerful our minds are over the health of our body!

“I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me.”
Dr. Maya Angelou

Diets That Support IBS

A low-FODMAP diet is cited as the most common recommendation for IBS. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. To simplify, this category of foods includes wheat and beans, lactose (dairy), some high fructose fruits and high fructose corn syrup, and a number of non-caloric sweeteners (sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol). Many internet sites do not accurately list all FODMAP foods, but the Monash University FODMAP Diet App could be beneficial if you are trying out this way of eating.

A low-FODMAP diet is very restrictive and unless clients are very symptomatic, this is not necessarily where I would start with recommendations. And if you do go this route, I do not recommend it for longer than 2-6 weeks. Be sure to use a slow reintroduction of foods to find ones that trigger symptoms, but bring back as many foods as possible. This article is a great reference for trying out this diet on your own. Food diversity is key to a healthy gut so long-term restriction of certain food groups can work against you!

For severe symptoms sometimes an Elemental Diet or modified fast can be beneficial to allow the intestines to heal from severe inflammation. I highly recommend working with a practitioner if you go one of these routes.

Life After an IBS Diagnosis

I hope you have gathered that an IBS diagnosis is not a reason to give up! There IS something you can do…many things in fact! While this doesn’t mean you will never have a flare again, you can add holistic tools to your tool box and pull them out when needed to get back to living your best life as quickly as possible. Don’t struggle in silence. Reach out and get support. You might be surprised how quickly you can feel good again after suffering with these symptoms for so long!

If you still don’t know where to begin, reach out! We can figure this out together!
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  1. https://store.drruscio.com/products/healthy-gut-healthy-you ↩︎
  2. https://www.webmd.com/ibs/alternative-therapies ↩︎
  3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/using-alternative-and-complementary-treatments-to-manage-ibs ↩︎