You’re Not What You Eat, You’re What You Absorb

July 27, 2016 Dr Daryl Gioffre

Leaky Gut Did you know that you could eat all the nutritious foods in the world, and if your body isn’t processing them properly, you could be as unhealthy as someone who eats a Big Mac and fries every day?

And even more surprising, millions of Americans aren’t absorbing nutrients in their foods properly. Many of them are completely unaware of the problem, which can present itself with seemingly unrelated health issues that can be tough to get to the bottom of.

So what is causing this lack of nutrient absorption that’s affecting the health of so many people? Leaky gut syndrome.

If you suffer from:

Stubborn weight gain
Food allergies
Slow metabolism
Thyroid disease
Joint pain
Fatigue or lack of energy
Autoimmune disorders
Headaches
Constipation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Skin conditions like acne and rosacea

…You may be suffering from leaky gut syndrome without even knowing it.

What is leaky gut syndrome?

Your intestines are lined with a barrier that keeps harmful substances from passing through to the rest of your body, or at least it should.

What happens when someone has a leaky gut is that the lining gets damaged, and increasingly, toxins and harmful substances that are supposed to be making their way out of your body slip right back in.

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The damage to the intestines that leads to leaky gut syndrome is caused by:

Chronic stress
An overload of environmental toxins
Bacterial imbalance in the gut’s microbiome
An acidic diet full of refined grains, dairy products, and sugar

How do you know if you have a leaky gut?

If you have food sensitivities, that’s a big sign of a leaky gut. Gluten and dairy sensitivities are the top signs, but other food allergies or intolerances can be as well. If your intestines are leaking toxins, your immune system starts working overtime, producing antibodies to foods.
If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis, or Crohn’s Disease, you almost certainly have a leaky gut.
If you have an autoimmune disease or disorder, it could have been caused by a leaky gut. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, and Fibromyalgia all have been tied to leaky gut syndrome. Other thyroid problems may also be related to a leaky gut.
If you have acne, rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis, the root cause likely resides in the gut, not in your skin. Healing the gut will heal your skin naturally. If you are dealing with any skin issues, it is an ACID issue. Start to heal the gut and reduce stress and acid forming foods, and the skin will heal itself.

Even joint pain, headaches or fatigue can be attributed to a leaky gut.

So the next question is, for those of you who have symptoms…

How do you heal a leaky gut?

There’s no pill your doctor can prescribe you to fix this problem, although many have tried drugs for the ailments listed above. But they aren’t fixing the root cause, so even if one symptom clears up, another one is likely to follow.

Here are the steps to take to put an end to your leaky gut

Stop the poisoning and remove the foods that are making it worse.This includes refined grains, soy, rice and anything with gluten. Sprouted wheat bread like Ezekiel Bread is fine, but as your body heals, you want to remove all gluten.Stay away from all dairy products. The dairy protein casein that hurts the digestive track is found in even goat’s and sheep’s milk, so only use dairy alternatives like almond, hemp, and cashew milk.Perhaps the worst thing you can eat is sugar. Sugar is one of the most acidic substances on the planet and is just helping the bad bacteria in your digestive system, making a leaky gut worse.You’ll also want to avoid meat, anything that might have been produced using pesticides (choose organic), antibiotics, and even over the counter pain relievers.
Bottom Line – Leaky Gut is an ACID problem and you MUST avoid these types of foods to give your gut a chance to heal.
Eat healing alkaline foods instead.
Add plenty of good healthy fats into your diet like hemp, chia, and flax seeds, as well as all coconut products. Foods rich in Omega 3 like wild-caught Pacific or Alaskan salmon also support your healing gut. You’ll also want to take a good Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplement.Low-sugar fruits like tomatoes, avocados, and citrus fruits other than oranges are the way to go while your gut is healing. Since you’re steering clear of sugar, even high sugar fruits should be avoided (bananas are 25% sugar and a no-no!).Raw and steamed vegetables are a great source of healing nutrients, and soups made with homemade broths can be especially good for the gut.
Add in supporting supplements.In addition to foods that naturally heal your gut and your symptoms, you’ll need some supplements to kick things into high gear and speed up the healing process.Load up on a good, refrigerated probiotic from a brand you can trust. Always go for the kind you have to refrigerate, and you should change your brand or formula up every 90 days as the bacteria gets used to the same probiotic.Digestive enzymes with each meal are also key to starting to absorb nutrients from the good foods you’re eating.L-Glutamine is an amino acid supplement that has anti-inflammatory properties to repair the walls of your intestines.
Licorice root is an herb that supports natural stomach acid production.

Quercitin will help seal the gut, preventing a leaky gut from occurring again.

AlkaMind Daily Minerals every night will ensure you’re getting enough calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the acid that has built up in your system.