7 Signs You Have A Leaky Gut And How To Heal It!

7 Signs You Have A Leaky Gut And How To Heal It!

A healthy gut is central to optimal health. In fact, if your gut isn’t healthy, then neither are you. Many people today suffer from a condition known as leaky gut. Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is a condition where undigested food particles, bacteria or viruses penetrate the intestinal wall and make it into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, these prematurely digested particles stimulate an immune response. Thus, every time you eat, your immune system is activated.

Due to the chronic immune activation created by this, having a leaky gut increases the risk for a number of modern day diseases such as heart conditions, cancer, autoimmune conditions, asthma, and diabetes. It may also masquerade as depression, anxiety, skin conditions, digestive issues, obesity, and fatigue. As more research surfaces, it seems that no matter what your ailment, a leaky gut could be at the root.

If you are suffering from any of the above ailments or simply don’t feel well, it might be in your best interest to investigate the possibility that you have a leaky gut. To help you do this, here are 7 signs that your gut may be leaky taken from an article entitled, 9 Signs of a Leaky Gut (and how to heal it) posted by eatLocalgrown. Read the full article here.

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

2. Seasonal allergies or asthma.

3. Hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis, or celiac disease.

5. Mood and mind issues such as depression, anxiety, ADD or ADHD.

6. Skin issues such as acne, rosacea, or eczema.

7. Food allergies or food intolerances.

According to this article, here’s how you can heal a leaky gut…

1. Remove.
Remove the bad. The goal is to get rid of things that negatively affect the environment of the GI tract, such as inflammatory and toxic foods, and intestinal infections.

2. Replace.
Replace the good. Add back the essential ingredients for proper digestion and absorption, such as digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid and bile acids.

3. Reinoculate.
It’s critical to restore beneficial bacteria to reestablish a healthy balance of good bacteria.

4. Repair.
It’s essential to provide the nutrients necessary to help the gut repair itself. One of my favorite supplements is L-glutamine, an amino acid that helps to rejuvenate the lining of the gut wall. If you still have symptoms after following the above recommendations, I would recommend finding a  physician in your area to work with you and to order a comprehensive stool test.

My take on this:

As a former sufferer of a leaky gut, I am very familiar with the healing protocol. Just know rectifying a leaky gut will not happen overnight. Many times it takes several weeks (or years) of diligent adherence to a gut healing protocol in order to fully recover. The benefits are undoubtedly worth the investment.

To the 4 R’s protocol listed above, I would just like to add an emphasis on replacing toxic and inflammatory foods with restorative foods. Though, certain supplements (probitoics, digestive enzymes, HCL, bile salts, licorice root, etc) can be very helpful and are often necessary, there is a lot that you can accomplish through your diet.

Here are a few additional strategies I used to heal my leaky gut…

• Incorporate fermented foods like sauerkraut and low-sugar kombucha approximately 3-4 times per week to restore healthy levels of bacteria. Probiotics are also helpful, but fermented foods have been shown to have much higher levels of healthy bacteria than even the most potent versions.
• Add prebiotics like Jerusalem artichokes, raw onions, raw leeks, raw garlic, dandelion greens and chicory root to your diet 2-3 times per week which serve as food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
• Opt for a daily low-glycemic greens juice or shake as chlorophyll is incredibly healing to the intestinal tract. My favorite recipe includes romaine, celery, cucumber, carrot, 2 strawberries, ginger and turmeric root and coconut milk or lemon.
• Drink bone broth 4 times per week as it is contains minerals, vitamins and amino acids that help to heal a damaged intestinal tract.
• Drink one capful of organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother!) 15 minutes before every meal which helps to stimulate your body’s own HCL (hydrochloric acid) production.
• Consume a tiny bit of drinkable aloe vera diluted in water each day.
• Eliminate sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, low quality animal products, non-organic and GMO produce and rancid fats (soy oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil)

So there you have it! Hopefully you are not suffering from a leaky gut, but if you are I hope that you use these tips to start healing it today! Your life (and health) will truly never be the same 😊

Here’s to a healthy gut for a healthy life.