Leaky Gut Leaky What!?

Without getting too deep into science, I’ll try and explain why grains and sugar are unnecessary and can actually lead to serious health problems.

Let’s consider your intestine analogous to your local sewage system. Your intestine is the organ responsible for processing and absorbing nutrients from your consumed food and beverages. Similarly, when we fill the toilet with food waste and flush it, it runs down the sewage pipe and makes its way to the treatment plant to be processed. But what happens when there’s a crack in the pipe, there is a leak that occurs somewhere between point A. the mouth to point B. the toilet? Toxins will leach into the drinking water, or if it’s the human body, toxins will leak into the bloodstream. EW!

Your intestinal lining acts as a barrier between your gut and your bloodstream. When you have a healthy gut with solid walls it prevents potentially harmful substances from entering your body. According to some health experts, long-term malnutrition ie. too many carbs, and not enough good fats, the walls of the intestines become thin, weak, and permeable, allowing large protein molecules to leak into the bloodstream. The body’s immune response is to attack the foreign material in the blood. Experts find that leaky gut can lead to autoimmune disease, chronic inflammation, skin problems, asthma, obesity, diabetes, joint pain, and heart and mental health problems. Leaky gut is reversible, mendable, repairable through changes in nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle habits.

If you don’t repair the leak you’re eventually going to get really sick. For some who have highly sensitive digestive systems and are gluten sensitive the irritating effects of ingesting grains are bloating, gas, constipation, and other digestive and bowel irregularities. On the other hand, less sensitive systems barely notice the effects. However, a long-term diet including flours and processed grains can have an immune-compromising effect that manifests as a couple of colds each year, a pattern that is unfortunately considered normal and acceptable, rather than dietary related. 

Things to consider:

1. The gut is home to 100 trillion microorganisms in the form of bacteria and yeast, call flora.

2. The body depends on this flora to help regulate immune function, digestion, and intestinal mechanisms, and to help defend against infection and inflammation.

3. Gut flora accounts for approximately 70% of the immune system, plugging up holes in the gut lining so pathogens don’t enter and spread infection.

4. Studies have associated increased intestinal permeability with several chronic and autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.

5. Processed grains can aggravate autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including skin problems, joint pain, and even cognitive problems.

6. The pro-inflammatory effects of processed grains can also manifest as nagging joint or connective issues, such as arthritis.

Here are 7 simple things you can do to heal leaky gut syndrome for good.

1. Cut out toxic foods from your diet. ...

2. Reduce stress.....with mindful meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, EFT the list goes on…

3. Take digestive enzymes… eat more fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha

4. Eat more healthy fats like salmon, flax seeds, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, butter, heavy cream

5. Increase your collagen consumption. ...

6. Up your cardio. 30 mins 3-4x per week aerobic heart rate = 180-age

7. Get some sleep.

You can do plenty of things to improve your general digestive health. One is to eat a diet rich in foods that aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. An unhealthy collection of gut bacteria has been linked to poor health outcomes, including chronic inflammation, cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (18Trusted Source).

The following foods are great options for improving your digestive health:

• Vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, carrots, kale, eggplant, beetroot, Swiss chard, spinach, ginger, mushrooms, and zucchini

• Roots and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, squash, and turnips

• Fermented vegetables: kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso

• Fruit: coconut, grapes, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, oranges, mandarin, lemon, limes, passionfruit, and papaya

• Sprouted seeds: chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and more

• Healthy fats: avocado, avocado oil, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil

• Fish: salmon, tuna, herring, and other omega-3-rich fish

• Pastured, Grass-fed meats and eggs:  bone-in chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, and eggs

• Herbs and spices: all herbs and spices

• Cultured dairy products: kefir, yogurt, Greek yogurt, and traditional buttermilk

• Beverages: bone broth, teas, coconut milk, nut milk, water, and kombucha

• Nuts: raw nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, brazil

For a more in-depth dive into gut health by Kriss Kresser click here.