Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or GI Issues

Studies have shown that 80% of all disease starts in the bowels. And you have probably seen the yogurt commercials stating that 75-80% of your immunity is in your gut, that is absolutely true and a brilliant marketing campaign for them. I have seen patients that struggled with headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, and joint/muscle pains improve just by cleaning up their bowels. You are only as healthy as the food you absorb. If your bowels don’t move daily and multiple times throughout the day then food is left inside you causing it to rot inside your body. This will over time break down the intestinal lining decreasing enzymes, probiotics and immunity in the GI tract. The analogy I like to use is take whatever you had for dinner last night, leave it on your kitchen counter and hike the heat in your house up to 98.6 degrees and leave it there for a few days to even a week. It will rot. This is what is happening in your GI tract if you are not eliminating after each meal.

On the opposite end, if you have constant loose stools/diarrhea you are unable to absorb nutrients. I often see patients with diarrhea they’ve had for weeks and months by the time they get to me. We run blood work on them to find they are deficient in B vitamins, minerals, vitamin D, iron and antioxidants because they cannot absorb these when they have loose stools. Sometimes we will see patients with alternating constipation and diarrhea, this is often referred to as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Colitis, or Gastritis. Which in my opinion are all labels for a deeper underlying problem. Both constipation and loose stools must be corrected in order to maintain good nutrient absorption, health, and immunity.

Causes of GI Issues may include:

• A diet high in refined sugars, Gluten, and other Grains. These cause constipation, gas and bloating. These foods are difficult for your body to break down and process.
• A diet low in vegetables and Fruit.
• Stress – High-stress levels cause you to release large amounts of cortisol causing the gut lining to deteriorate leaving ulcers.
• Long use of Antibiotics – Antibiotics will often kill the “good” bacteria in your Gut as well leaving you with poor gut function.
• Lack of Probiotics – If you are lacking probiotics you may have gas and bloating after meals because you are unable to break down food.
• Bacterial Infections in the Gut.
• Intestinal Parasites.
• Candida – Candida is a Fungus that can grow in the gut causing GI distress, weight gain, belly fat and bloating.

Through nutritional response testing, evaluation, stool testing, saliva or blood testing we can determine what the stressors on your body and bowels may be. From there we formulate a program to restore healthy gut function through diet modification, cleansing, or GI repair.

You are only as healthy as your stools! This is often where I begin with patients. If you are not able to break down foods, chances are you will not absorb any other supplements or vitamins you are taking. This is the first barrier to healing we must overcome to get you well. There is defiantly a cause for poor gut function, we just have to find it.. I leave no stone unturned when it comes to the importance your the Gut.

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Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own health professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. As always, results will vary, even when clinical tests have displayed a large success rate.