Healing Your Gut - The 5 R's To Restore Gut Health

Your gastrointestinal system is home to trillions of bacteria that play many crucial roles - from nutrient absorption to immune modulation, toxin removal, metabolism, and more. An unhealthy gut microbiome has been linked to inflammation, autoimmunity, mood disorders, and numerous chronic diseases. Rebalancing your gut flora and restoring a diversity of beneficial microbes is foundational to overall wellbeing.

Here is a guide to the 5 R’s of gut healing:

1. Remove

First, remove the bad. Eliminate inflammatory triggers that can damage the gut lining and perpetuate a cycle of dysbiosis.

These include:

• Processed foods, additives, excess sugar
• Common food sensitivities like gluten, dairy, eggs, soy
• GMO foods sprayed with glyphosate
• Non-organic produce with pesticide residues
• NSAIDS, antibiotics, acid-blockers
• Toxins from household cleaners, metals, mold
• Chronic stressors

Give your gut a break from these irritants and allergens so it can start the healing process. Follow an elimination diet to identify your unique trigger foods.

2. Replace

Replace problematic foods with gut-healing alternatives.

Focus your diet on a variety of:

• Organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices
• Grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood
• Nuts, seeds, healthy oils - olive, avocado, coconut
• Bone broths and collagen
• Fermented foods and beverages
• Soaked/sprouted grains, beans, nuts and seeds

Emphasize whole foods that provide nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants to create the ideal environment for your microbiome to flourish.

3. Reinoculate

Reinoculate your gut with beneficial strains of bacteria to restore diversity through fermented foods and high-quality, multi-strain probiotic supplements. Target specific strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in doses around 25-100 billion CFUs. Also consider spore-based probiotics, which are shelf-stable.

4. Repair

Support gut barrier repair and healing of intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut,” through supplements such as:

• L-glutamine amino acid powder
• Licorice root extract (DGL)
• Aloe vera juice
• Colostrum
• Zinc carnosine
• Quercetin
• Marshmallow root
• Slippery elm

Reducing inflammation while providing gut-repairing nutrition lets the lining heal.

5. Rebalance

Herbal medicines and antimicrobials help rebalance gut flora by targeting bacterial, fungal, or parasitic overgrowths, including SIBO, Candida, H. pylori infections, and parasites.

Examples include:

• Oregano or berberine for bacterial overgrowth
• Caprylic acid, garlic, or grapefruit seed extract for Candida
• Mastic gum, matula tea, or monolaurin for H. pylori
• Wormwood, black walnut, clove for parasites

Work with a functional medicine practitioner to test and determine your microbial imbalances.

Following the 5 R gut healing protocol removes inflammatory triggers, provides gut-nourishing nutrition, restores beneficial bacteria, supports barrier repair, and rebalances microbiome function. With consistency, you can resolve chronic digestive issues, improve wellbeing, and achieve optimal gut health.

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"Information courtesy of www.mebykatie.com; Katie Marshall is a certified Medical Esthetician, Acne Specialist, Functional Nutrition Counselor, Holistic Chef, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Specializing in skin health, gut health, hormone health, and the whole body. The basic premise is that functional nutrition addresses the root cause and resolves it. This differs from conventional medicine, which often prescribes multiple medications to address symptoms without addressing their underlying causes. Functional nutrition is more personalized, holistic, and customized. My job is to work with your medical team and advocate for you if necessary."   

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