@Outdoctrination: READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO FIX Y...

READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO FIX YOUR GUT.

If you have IBS, bloating, gas, poor bowel movements or brain fog, you NEED to see this.

This is a comprehensive DEEP dive into fixing your digestive health:

The first & most important thing to address is dysbiosis (“bad bacteria” in the gut)

It will drive:

⬩Pain⬩Gas⬩Sensitization⬩Bloating⬩Food intolerances⬩Diarrhea⬩Poorly formed stools⬩Constipation⬩Acid reflux⬩& more

2 easy and free ways to tell if you have dysbiosis:

1. Coated tongue in the morning (especially in the back)
2. Consistent foamy urine

If these are prevalent along with other gut symptoms - you can bet dysbiosis is an issue.

I go more into that here:

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Stool testing can be useful, but the results are highly questionable.

Ultimately the results will typically not have much impact on how you move forward.

Plus, high quality ones can be quite expensive.

There are exceptions, but this is the rule.

Start with a low residue or low fiber diet that limits bacterial fermentation.

All cuts & types of meat, eggs, seafood, dairy as tolerated (cottage cheese + Greek yogurt typically)

Easily digestible carbs like fruit juices, cane sugar and honey.

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A low FODMAP diet can be effective if the problem is more upper GI (belching, upper bloating, lack of appetite).

Keep polyunsaturated fats LOW (seed oils mainly).

The fats in these oils are absolutely horrible for the gut.

I've gone into that here:

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Avoid food additives: added iron, colors, gums, dyes, etc.

If you don’t recognize an ingredient, then it’s best to avoid it.

These additives disrupt the mucus layer, foster a pathogenic bacterial load, and drive inflammation.

More on that here:

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As your gut begins to heal, the more you should expand the diet over time.

⬩Fruit⬩Well cooked potatoes / rice⬩Cooked grains (sourdough)⬩Well cooked vegetables⬩

You don't want to have a restrictive diet long term, as this can backfire and limit your progress.

In general - over or under-eating will make things worse.

Listen to your body.

You also want to eat a diet that is enjoyable.

Eating foods you don’t think are tasty and that you don’t want to eat measurably impairs your digestion:

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ANTIMICROBIALS are a huge part of fixing gut dysbiosis.

Very low dose, safe antibiotics can be an absolute life saver.

I know a lot of people don’t like to hear this, but using at a microdose & duration is incredibly powerful. Just easy to overdo it.

Some natural antimicrobials:

⬩Oregano oil⬩Allicin (garlic/onion)⬩Mastic gum ⬩Pau D'Arco⬩Rosemary⬩Thyme⬩Activated charcoal⬩Wormwood⬩Camphor⬩Carrot⬩Berberine⬩Vitamin D⬩Vitamin K2⬩Zinc⬩Lactoferrin⬩

One herbal protocol that was studied for SIBO.

2 capsules each of proprietary blends (you can get these online) FC Cidal + Dysbiocide or Candibactin-AR + Candibactin-BR, 2x a day for 4 weeks.

Equivalent to standard antibiotics in terms of effectiveness.

PROBIOTICS:

I wouldn't start with these if the problem is really bad, but the closer you get back to normal, the more important they become.

⬩Antimicrobial/anti-biofilm effects
⬩Essential for gut immunity
⬩Enhance gut motility
⬩Can metabolize food components

There are a few key types of probiotics:

1. Lacto/Bifido blends
2. S. Boulardii
3. Spore based probiotics

There are more, and each has shown effectiveness in their own right.

The keys to success using probiotics seem to be:

1. Using multiple strains / types
2. Consistency & duration - 2 months is a good starting point
3. Taking with antimicrobials - counterintuitive but works better

Fermented foods can also be good.

GUT MOTILITY is VITAL for fixing digestion.

If you don't:

⬩Greater bacterial fermentation
⬩More inflammation from food lingering
⬩More gas production, retention (bloating)

Some hallmarks of gut problems are slowed motility & greater fecal mass.

Some tools to enhance gut motility:

⬩Coffee⬩Cascara⬩Triphala⬩Raw carrot⬩Mushrooms⬩Mastic gum⬩

More on mastic here:

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A HUGELY underrated & important factor for gut health (specifically motility) is the circadian rhythm.

This controls the gut’s immune system, motility, enzyme secretion, and more.

People with disrupted rhythm’s are at around double the risk of getting IBS.

KEYS to a robust circadian rhythm for optimal gut health:

⬩Consistent sleep / wake times
⬩Sunlight exposure to the eyes (especially early morning)

More on that here:

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Gut motility is largely governed by the vagus nerve - the main nerve of the "rest and digest" system.

The primary neurotransmitter of the vagus nerve is acetylcholine, and its synthesis is supported by:

• Choline • B1 • B2 • B5 • B9 • B12 • Glycine • Creatine •

Other ways to support the vagus nerve:

⬩Pregnenolone⬩Progesterone⬩Carnosine⬩Butyrate⬩Humming⬩Acupressure points⬩Breathing practices⬩Sunlight⬩Maintaining circadian rhythm⬩Grounding⬩

More on grounding here:

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STRESS will destroy digestion.

⬩Worsens gut immunity - allowing for dysbiosis
⬩Slows motility (but can also cause diarrhea)
⬩Impairs energy production
⬩Directly drives inflammation

More on that here:

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Deficiencies of pretty much any nutrient can cause stress, but the most noteworthy anti-stress nutrients IMO are:

⬩Magnesium⬩Vitamin D⬩Carbohydrate⬩Salt⬩Potassium⬩Vitamin C

Vitamin D specifically is often low in IBS, and supplementing is therapeutic.

Excess estrogen can also wreck gut function.

Women are more susceptible to IBS, especially during points in the cycle with higher estrogen ratio.

Androgens, especially DHT, have been shown to protect against the sensitivity & pain in the gut, while estrogen causes it.

Estrogen ALSO causes the degranulation of immune cells called mast cells.

These cells also produce histamine and other proteases that can lead to symptoms.

The levels of these cells are elevated in conditions like IBS.

More on histamine here:

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Tools to lower / oppose estrogen:

⬩ Saturated fat ⬩ Vitamin A ⬩ Vitamin D ⬩ Vitamin E ⬩ Progesterone (most important)⬩ Aspirin ⬩ Vitamin B2 ⬩ White button mushrooms ⬩ Insoluble fiber (raw carrot) ⬩ Naringin, naringenin, apigenin (citrus fruits) ⬩Calcium D-Glucarate⬩

If your metabolism sucks, good luck digesting anything.

You need energy for:

⬩Stomach acid⬩Digestive enzyme secretion⬩Motility⬩Immunity⬩Maintaining bacterial balance⬩

The gut is extremely energy demanding.

Some keys to enhancing energy production:

⬩Thyroid optimization / supplementation⬩B vitamins⬩Copper⬩Limiting polyunsaturated fats

This is only scratching the surface, but thyroid health seems to be a low hanging fruit for many.

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Something NOBODY talks about but is important to consider is SEROTONIN.

You WILL have excess gut serotonin if you have these issues. It directly drives:

⬩Nausea⬩Pain⬩Sensitivity⬩Diarrhea⬩Bloating⬩Loss of appetite⬩

and more.

Serotonin is primarily the result of dysbiosis and gut irritation.

Some tools that can directly lower serotonin:

⬩Ginger⬩Lysine⬩Vitamins A & D⬩Zinc⬩Cyproheptadine⬩Benadryl⬩Zofran (Ondansetron)⬩Famotidine⬩

A deep dive on gut serotonin here:

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