Leaky Gut
What is leaky gut?
When we eat food it is digested, metabolized and absorbed into the body. The process either supports health or it leads to inflammation. Leaky gut is when the lining of your intestines form holes, which allows bacteria, toxins, and food particles to leak towards the intestines. This causes inflammation in the body, which weakens our immune system. There are an estimated 35,000 strains of bacteria in the gut, which informs many of our functions. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut so it the gut even regulates our mood. Leaky gut symptoms can take many forms from acne to GI issues to anxiety and more.
Gut Irritants
Alcohol, antibiotics, caffeine, soda, processed foods, sugar
Gut Healers
Removing inflammatory foods for a period of time; diary, soy, gluten, sugar, alcohol processed meat and snacks
Probiotic Rich Foods: Yogurt, Miso, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kimchee, Pickles, Fermented Foods, Olives, Kombucha, Sourdough
Prebiotic Rich Foods: Onions, Chicory, Garlic, Leeks, Bananas, Soy beans, Asparagus, Pea, Legumes, Eggplant, Honey, Green Tea
Bone Broth
Some potential causes of leaky gut
Mode of delivery as a baby, diet during infancy, diet during adulthood, antibiotics, age, genetics, stress
My experience with leaky gut
I always had gut issues, which I just ignored them and they’d come and go. The breaking point was when I was sick every single day any time I ate anything starting in late 2018. I was getting UTIs and kidney infections over and over so I was on antibiotics a lot and I was in a lot of pain. Everything is a very foggy blur from that time. I remember crying a lot and not knowing was what wrong. I could barely do anything because I was so sick and exhausted. It was also my last semester of college so I was incredibly stressed. I went to so many doctors and they told me nothing was wrong or that I had IBS or maybe even some autoimmune disease.
Intuitively I knew it wasn’t that and the antibiotics made me sicker. I also did food sensitivity testing with Everlywell in February of 2019, which provided some answers. Eventually I figured out that one piece of it was the birth control I was taking so I stopped and that provided some relief. However, my gut wall wasn’t strong enough and wasn't replacing good bacteria quickly so I was still having issues. Then I started having panic attacks every day for months and again could barely do anything because it was so crippling. I was on the waitlist for Parsley Health and I finally got in in July of 2019, which really helped me get the support I needed.
After a couple months of figuring out what worked for me I started to feel like myself again for the first time in years.
Here’s what works for me:
Keeping a food journal and figuring out what my food triggers were
21 day cleanse; no dairy, alcohol, sugar, nightshades, gluten, soy,
No Alcohol
Doing yoga and meditation regularly
Bone broth everyday
Eating 3 plant heavy organic meals at regular times especially cruciferous veggies and healthy fats
Glutagenics Powder
Magnesium supplements
Vitamin C, D, B12
SLEEP
Resources
https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/what-is-leaky-gut-syndrome/
https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/heal-leaky-gut-5-easy-steps/