Are you one of the many people today suffering from any of the following issues ? :-

• IBS and Digestive problems
• Bloating
• Candida (yeast overgrowth)
• Food sensitivities and allergies
• Thyroid conditions
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Headaches and skin issues
• Mood disorders
• Diabetes and cancer

If so then it’s most likely that your gut needs a bit of TLC :-

Hippocrates is famous for saying “All disease begins in the gut”  and so taking the time to care for your gut should be a good starting point on the road towards health.

The disorders listed above could be leaky gut symptoms – leaky gut arises because the barrier of the gut has been damaged and small microscopic holes have appeared. The inside of your gut is a very toxic environment from which your body needs to be protected. In cases of leaky gut, the toxins are able to leak out into the rest of the body where they can cause chronic inflammation and disease.

Unfortunately, our modern diet and lifestyles seem to be causing an epidemic of leaky gut.  The delicate balance of good and bad bacteria known as our gut flora or microbiome has become disturbed by a wide range of factors. One of the most important ones is antibiotics.  We are taking them in not just as medicines but also from the food we consume such as meat and dairy, where the animals have been treated with routine antibiotics. Other factors which disturb gut flora include environmental toxins e.g pesticides, GMO’s, artificial sweeteners (which cause bad bacteria to multiply), medications e.g Aspirin, NSAIDs, chronic stress and  improperly prepared gluten food –  most processed bread is now made far too quickly and the beneficial bacteria which would make the bread digestible and nutritious are not being given enough time to develop. This is causing havoc for many people’s digestion.

Recent studies are now showing that many illnesses have been linked to the loss of diversity of your gut bacteria.

What you can do to help heal your gut

1. Make your diet as natural as possible and try to cut back on sugar and processed foods which are difficult for the body to digest. For more details see diet clean-up plan. Try and recognise your own triggers by keeping a food diary.
2. Drink more water ( lemon water is an excellent cleanser and body alkaliser).
3. Replace processed fats with healthy healing fats such as coconut oil .
4. Recent studies are showing that curcumin (the active ingredient  found in turmeric) is a powerful medicinal herb which can really help with digestion and gut inflammation.
5. Consider supplementation with good high-quality live probiotics to repopulate gut bacteria especially if you have recently taken antibiotics.
6. Digestive enzymes can help if your diet doesn’t include many naturally enzyme rich foods such as fruit and vegetables. Detoxifying superfood capsules and powders can also really help to restore alkalinity in the gut and expel heavy metals from the body.
7. Juicing is an excellent way to give your body and digestive system a chance to heal. Cucumber juice, particularly has a very cleansing effect on the body. See Juicing for health for more details.
8. Managing your stress levels is very important. The stress hormone cortisol can have a very negative effect on the intestinal barrier so look at your health holistically and focus on how to get calm and reduce your stress levels. Yoga is great for healing body and mind and certain stomach postures can help balance the contractions of the gut which can really help digestive disorders.

The detailed research of Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride has shown just how much your gut can affect all aspects of your health. Her book – the Gut and Psychology Syndrome explains the link between gut flora and chronic disease including neurological disorders such as depression, ADHD and autism. She developed the GAPS protocol diet to help her son who suffered from autism.

Sources for this article :-

Antibiotics and the gut microbiota – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26793178

http://arstechnica.co.uk/science/2015/11/single-course-of-antibiotics-can-mess-up-the-gut-microbiome-for-a-year/

Metabolic effects of non-nutritive sweeteners : –http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26095119

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-shocking-truth-about-bread-413156.html

Probiotics in digestive diseases http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26657927

The effects of curcumin on inflammation www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25861416

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EFA’s are called essential because they have to be taken in as part of the daily diet as they cannot be manufactured by the body. These two EFA’s are called LA  (linoleic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).

LA is the Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid  found in nuts, seeds, avocados,  sunflower, sesame, corn, safflower and other oils.

ALA is the Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is harder to obtain from the diet. By far the best source is in flax seed  and flax oil  It’s also found in  walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds and  in very small amounts in leafy green vegetables.

When the body is supplied with these EFA’s it is then able to manufacture or convert these fatty acids into other fatty acid derivatives needed by the body. These derivatives are GLA ( found in primrose oil), arachidonic acid ( found in meat,eggs and dairy) and EPA and DHA  – the anti-inflammatory fats (found in fish).

Why Do I Need EFA’s?

EFA’s are crucial to life. For two decades Udo Erasmus Ph.D has dedicated his working life to understanding the effects of fats and oils on human health. In his book ‘Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill’, Udo calls them ‘The Healing Essential Fatty Acids.’ He states that ‘ in our frenzy to avoid killer fats, we can easily forget the fats that heal- those fats that we must obtain from foods in order to be healthy.’

They are in fact required for many body processes including energy production, cell activity and communication, heart beat regulation, oxygen transfer, fatigue offset and immune system regulation.

Omega-3 ALA produces smooth skin, increases stamina and vitality, speeds up healing and helps with overall calmness. It also reduces inflammation, water retention, blood pressure and platelet stickiness. It  inhibits tumour growth. It is also a great help with PMS and in treating bacterial infections . Omega-3 fats also turn on the fat burning process and turn off fat production, so they can help with weight loss.

Udo explains in his book how lack of Omega-3 plays a part in every major degenerative condition. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation, auto-immune conditions, motor co-ordination problems, depression, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies, blood sugar problems, excess body fat and digestive problems.

Studies have  shown that body cells deprived of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids become cancerous. This means that it is very difficult to heal from cancer without adequate levels of these essential fats.

Omega-6 deficiency symptoms include joint pain, paper thin skin, dry eyes and skipped heart beats. An Omega-6 deficiency is rare today due to the abundance of omega-6 fats in the western diet.

Of vital importance  is the Omega-6 to Omega-3 balance. Ideally this ratio should be about 1:1 to 4:1.

Unfortunately, the ratio in the modern western diet tends to be in excess of  20:1  and the latest research is revealing that this ratio is contributing to chronic inflammation and disease and a widespread Omega-3 deficiency.

Omega-6 EFA’s are the main fats in processed foods as they are cheaper and easier to use for manufacturing purposes. EFA’s are however, unfortunately easily damaged during processing by light,heat and air . The means that most of the EFA’s in processed  vegetable  oils and margarines have damaged and changed bonds turning them into trans fatty acids which are harmful fats that are not easily broken down by the body. So a diet heavy in processed foods will contain not just too much Omega-6 but too much unhealthy Omega-6. It’s very important to realise the dangers of plastic or synthetic oils and fats and to try and obtain the Omega-6 you need from whole foods such as nuts and seeds, grass-fed meat ( which also contains Omega-3’s)  and from unprocessed oils.

To address a lack of Omega-3, 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds or fresh flax oil will supply your daily requirement of ALA  Omega-3.

Research is still ongoing as to how successful the body is at converting ALA Omega-3 to DHA and EPA. This conversion process can vary from person to person depending on their overall diet and health but it can be greatly helped by eating fewer carbohydrates and trans fats and by increasing your intake of vitamins B3,B6, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C.

To ensure that you are getting the right amount of DHA and EPA, eating oily fish twice a week is recommend.

If your diet is heavy in processed Omega 6’s or you are suffering from a chronic condition, you may wish to supplement with a good supply of DHA in the form krill oil until your condition has stabilised. See Fish Oil vs Krill Oil.

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