I have seen many articles popping up on my social media feed talking about leaky gut. I never thought to look into it until my own immune system attacked my joints and I felt like I had been hit by a train. Now I totally understand what some of my patients go through with autoimmune diseases such as Lupis, Fibromylagia, or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Determined not to have to live life with this debilitating condition I began researching auto immune and it’s causes and found that Leaky Gut is being looked at as the culprit to these diseases and more.

What is Leaky Gut?

It’s important to know that our digestive system has over 4000 square feet of surface lined with intestinal mucosa. This a semi permeable barrier, meaning that it is meant to let some nutrients through and prevent bigger particles from entering. It is maintained by the healthy microbiota in our gut but when it is out of balance cracks or holes can form that allow larger food particles and toxins through. When these foreign objects enter the bloodstream the immune response is initiated and when we don’t fix those cracks and holes then this inflammation becomes chronic.

How do I know if I have Leaky Gut?

While studies have been done to show that a weak intestinal lining is linked to diseases where the body attacks it’s own tissues, it is still a relatively new thought process and many doctors still do not know about. So if you suffer from any chronic inflammation such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, type 1 diabetes, arthritis, asthma or even mental illness consider healing your gut and see if your symptoms improve.

This was totally making sense to me. I was having some symptoms of irritable bowel and then underwent a couple of rounds of antibiotics due to a tooth abscess. My gut was already irritated and then I killed it with the antibiotics. As I continued to eat and drink as I pleased the things that I was sensitive too became full blown inflammation.

How do I heal Leaky Gut?

There are two steps necessary to not just healing your leaky gut but to prevent it from returning. First a short fast of bone broth. It’s best to give yourself 2-3 days so try to do this at a time when you can relax and take care of yourself. During this time you will stop the continuation of small food particles entering the blood stream which will slow the inflammation response and ease symptoms. The second advantage to doing a bone broth fast is that the collagen, proline, and glycine in the broth will help to heal damaged cell walls and repair the gut.

After fasting it’s important to be careful what you add back into your diet. Start small. Mainly meats, vegetables, nuts. Keep the most inflammatory foods like wheat, alcohol, legumes, oats, dairy, and sugar out of your diet and then slowly add one back at a time. It sounds very limiting but as your gut begins to feel better you will find that when you do eat these foods the negative response will be rather quick. Bloating, gas, constipation or loose stools, and heartburn are all signs of food intolerance. If you experience discomfort then remove that food once again.

My mother in law has been healing her own gut due to ulcerative colitis for over 30 years. By strictly watching her diet she has been able to avoid a colostomy bag. She instantly put me on a fast of bone broth and apples which allowed my gut to heal and muscle tested me for foods that I could tolerate. I have maintained with no pain by eliminating wheat, eggs, dairy, and sugar.

Gut Health on the Road

As summer approaches many of us will be spending sometime on the road or in distant locations. It’s difficult to maintain a consistent and healthy diet when we are on the move but this can’t be a time to throw caution to the wind. It’s important that we make good choices and continue to take care of ourselves so that we come home in as good of shape as when we left.

Consider carrying some bags of nuts, or an apple or banana along with you for a better alternative to roadside foods. Limit your alcohol intake and avoid beer. Take a daily probiotic. Decrease the stress in your life, get plenty of rest daily, and exercise but don’t overdo. Life is a balance whether we are home or on the road.

The low fiber, over processed American diet, excessive alcohol use, high stress, and medications are killing our guts. Processed foods we buy out of convenience weaken our balance of good bacteria and allows for the breakdown of the intestinal wall. A healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh foods, prebiotics, and probiotics can heal the gut and quell symptoms. Pay attention to your body, it’s trying to tell you something and it has an amazing capacity to heal itself if you listen.

Lori Oase-Clark RN BSN

For more information here is a link to an interview with Dr Susan Blum with my friend Laura Ingle.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.foxnews.com%2Fv%2F5783810265001%2F&h=AT2jNVNXhd4X84aRcpr4j6YVCpBVcOUYotdcYiNjjy1TGX0LNAa2nHnDzL7MF13JoBhlB37QuqnFLSTNF4gkJ_ZEk_gs4iX76OZobPx5rYEwRUYOo9uzP2dfPOhO99kyiGrE4Eh5c7ej-I95fQ

Resources
Leaky Gut As a Danger Signal for Autoimmune Diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, May 2017.
Leaky gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you? Harvard Health Blog, September 2017
4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut and Autoimmune disease. Midwest Sinus Allergy, May, 2017.
http://midwestsinusallergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4-Steps-to-Heal-Leaky-Gut-and-Autoimmune-Disease-Midwest-Sinus-Allergy-in-Columbia-MO.pdf