Like a leading actor in a movie, our gut and digestive system play a major role in our day-to-day lives and set the stage for our overall health. In fact, studies show that 70-80% of our immune cells are located in our gut and impacts not only our physical health but our emotional health, too.
Remember when we were younger, and our mom or dad told us to “trust our guts?” Well, the truth is they were oh-so-right, especially regarding gut health. Our gut and digestive system are incredibly smart and are always finding ways to communicate with us. Like the villains in our favorite films, those symptoms sneak around behind the scenes, controlling our lives, leaving us stuck with unwanted bloating, gas and food sensitivities, to name a few. There’s a reason why we as a society are experiencing such symptoms, and if not addressed, over time, they will lead to additional health-related issues such as leaky gut syndrome.
Can My Gut Really Leak?
The hard, cold truth is yes! Think of our gut lining as a tiny strainer or a cheesecloth. Our gut lining is supposed to naturally filter and allow for vitamins and nutrients to be absorbed into the body and bloodstream, but those holes grow bigger when your gut is damaged. Thus, it enables unwanted bacteria, chemicals, toxins, and undigested food particles to leak through our intestinal lining. When this happens our gut is also not absorbing the food and nutrients that our bodies crave. Over time, the accumulation, or lack of filtering out those toxins and chemicals, builds up and creates symptoms to tell us our gut needs support. It is time to start trusting what our gut is telling us! Symptoms are common, but they are not normal. While many of us may experience them regularly, they present themselves like clues used to solve a mystery and indicate something that needs to be addressed. And if not confronted in a timely manner, they get worse leading to not only leaky gut syndrome, but diverticulitis, fibromyalgia and other autoimmune related illnesses.
Are you a sufferer of a leaky gut? Read below to discover the most common symptoms related to leaky gut syndrome. The good news is you don’t have to continue living with them any longer. We will share how you can re-write your script and begin to restore and repair your gut moving forward so you can create the happy ending you are looking for (AKA thriving in life!)
7 Symptoms Commonly Associated with Leaky Gut
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Abdominal Discomfort
Let’s be real. Any distress from the gut is a key indicator that our digestive system is struggling to break down, process and filter out the foods we are feeding our system. Over time, the additional stress on our system will lead to deeper issues, which are not comical. Abdominal pain, gas, constipation, bloating and even diarrhea are some of the most common symptoms that our gut is crying out “help me” and needs support. If you’re faced with any of these on a regular basis, it is quite possible you may have a leaky gut.
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Anxiety, Depression or Mood
Did you know that there is a strong correlation between brain health and our emotions? If you find yourself frequently stressed or anxious, this may indicate poor gut health. Are you thinking, “How in the world are these two connected?” So glad you asked. To start, our guts are responsible for transporting and breaking down foods, taking out nutrients and energy the body needs and eliminating waste along the way. Our bodies have a gut-brain axis, which connects the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, allowing the gut and brain to communicate and send signals to one another. For instance, if you see a particular food and are hungry, it may make your stomach churn or make noises. On the flip side, if you’re experiencing gut issues, the gut will release feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety all because of the stress your gut is experiencing during the digestion process.
To be blunt, the food we eat impacts our mood and behavior. In fact, there is a huge correlation between Autism and Leaky Gut Syndrome. The number of individuals who have both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a leaky gut is truly astounding. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, the odds of gastro-intestinal symptoms in children with ASD is 4x more prevalent. Just think of the results if we re-build the gut lining and improve the gut flora! There are so many things we can do to help our guts and our brains.
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Chronic Fatigue & Brain Fog
Raise your hand if you consistently feel tired or struggle with brain fog. Believe it or not, your lack of energy and concentration could directly result from a leaky gut and you probably had no idea. When you hear why, you won’t be surprised in the slightest… When we sleep at night, our body uses that time to restore and repair its cells. During restorative sleep our heart rate goes down, in order for our body to release hormones, recover from stress and build new tissue. And our metabolism is supposed to slow down so all of this can take place. If our gut continues to work overtime or cannot keep up, it remains in overdrive even during the night. As a result, we wake up feeling drained, tired, and sluggish because our body has been working extra hard all night long to digest and process the foods we ate from the day before instead of recovering and repairing.
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Achy Joints
Tired and achy joints are a clear sign of inflammation throughout the body. When we eat lots of artificial flavors, fillers and additives, our leaky gut will spilleth over…and also over time, our body has to find alternative locations to store them. Our joints are one of the most common places to deposit them. Until the gut is addressed, our joints will remain stiff, tired, and achy. No, thank you!
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Skin Situations
One remarkable fact about our body is that our skin is the largest organ and is one of the most common ways our body detoxes itself daily. As a result, our gut health and the health of our skin are directly correlated. If our gut is inflamed and leaky, an alternative way for the body to detox is through our skin. Just the way we sweat out toxins when we exercise, our body seeks to find additional channels to release trapped toxins. This often appears as acne, psoriasis, hives or even eczema.
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Food Intolerances & Food Allergies
The body is beautifully designed to break down the foods we eat. But, if our gut is unhealthy and lacks the gut flora and bacteria to digest our food, it most certainly presents tummy troubles. In a 2022 study published in Nutrients, food allergies are associated with increased intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut,) which enables the allergen to cross the gut barrier and activate an immune response. Such immune responses appear as allergies and sensitivities to gluten, milk, eggs, nuts and fish, to name a few.
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Headaches & Migraines
Just like our gut health impacts our energy and emotions, the toxins released through our gut lining also trigger headaches and migraines. It makes a great deal of sense when you think about it. If our body has been bombarded from extended exposure to pesticides, bacteria, food additives and dyes, it will undoubtedly affect our head and clarity as it is processing and filtering such a toxic overload. Let’s not forget about the chemicals and dyes that we find in our day-to-day products like laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos, perfumes and candles. Even though we’re not eating them, they, too, have an impact on our immune system, hormones and affect our mood and cognition. A study in Norway proved the connection between gut and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The study found that those who had GI symptoms had a higher occurrence of headaches as compared to the control group without GI complaints. Quite interesting, to say the least!
Simple Tips to Supporting Symptoms Naturally
Believe it or not, leaky gut syndrome is not a recognized medical diagnosis, so often times, it goes “undiagnosed.” Rather than suffering from these symptoms for years to come, you can take a proactive approach. Our bodies are truly unique and have the ability to build cells and health. Similar to a cut healing on our finger, if given the proper nutrition and supplements, our digestive system can do the same. Check out a few tips we recommend to build a healthy gut biome and restore gut health.
Quantum Nutrition Muscle Testing-How we can help!
Why fight annoying and uncomfortable symptoms day after day, week after week when you don’t have to? When it comes to leaky gut, those feelings of bloating, gas, and even diarrhea are certainly something not to mess with.
We recommend everyone starts with Quantum Nutrition where we muscle test to find exactly what is triggering you to feel so poorly and identify WHY DO YOU HAVE THE SYMPTOMS? It is simple, non-invasive, and extremely accurate and will get you the answers you deserve to have. You can visit our website at www.AtTheLivingTree.com to schedule a consultation.
If muscle testing is not something that is up your alley, then, we encourage you to try one of our other recommendations below. Even if muscle testing is your thing, these are great tips.
Load Your Plate with Whole Foods
Eat whole foods such as organic fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Choose foods high in antioxidants, which will help your body detox naturally. We recommend loading up on tons of leafy green vegetables, which are jam-packed with phytonutrients that assist in alkalizing the gut to detox and cleanse. Whether you make a salad, drink a green smoothie, take supplements or eat them, they offer tons of beneficial nutrition. Our favorites are spinach, kale, lettuce, arugula, avocadoes and even green peas. Please note, as you are making this change in your diet, we encourage you to do it slowly. If you are not working with us where we monitor you each step of the way, then we suggest making one change per week so your system can adjust to the new and healthy foods you are feeding your body. If you go from eating no nutrients to eating lots of nutrients, your body will feel badly and your ability to function can be compromised. That’s why we love slow and steady.
Avoid Inflammatory Foods
Most of us love a good bag of chips or find comfort in a piece of bread. Unfortunately, processed foods lack nutrients and are filled with preservatives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, fillers and yucky preservatives. None are beneficial and feed our body more inflammation and digestive-related issues. Additionally, while you are intentionally focused on rebuilding your gut, we recommend kicking gluten, grains, dairy, alcohol, canned foods and refined sugars to the curb. More importantly, note that most of these foods are convenient and cheap. They have lots of additives and preservatives in them so they will last longer on the shelves at the grocery store. It is vital that you begin to read the labels and ingredients on packaged foods. If you don’t know what the ingredient is, then it is probably not for you. And you can be certain they, too, promote inflammation, which is precisely what we want to help eliminate.
Add Collagen
Collagen has two specific amino acids that are beneficial for gut health. Both glycine and glutamine have been known for decreasing inflammation in the gut and helping build the tissue that lines the colon and GI tract. Try adding collagen to your daily routine, and you will begin to notice a difference. Sipping on and enjoying nourishing bone broths provides additional protein, collagen, and amino acids, as well. And…we lovvvvvvvve the Young Living Inner Beauty Collagen, which has prebiotic fiber that helps balance the gut microbiome (it is type one marine collagen-biovailable and better absorbed too.)
Drink Lots of Water
Getting the proper amount of hydration daily is essential to maintaining a happy and healthy gut. And, drinking water enables the body to release additional toxins from the body. The more toxins you can release, the happier and healthier your gut will be.
Move! Move! Move!
We know your days are full of to-do lists, but body movement is worth adding to your daily checklist! This can come in the form of walking, stretching, or a moderate workout, depending on your athletic abilities. Believe it or not, body movement allows for a healthier and more active gut, which in turn helps to reduce inflammation. Try to find ways to sweat 2-3 times a week and move every day.
Probiotics and Prebiotics
Probiotics and prebiotics are living organisms that reside in the digestive tract. They’re known as healthy bacteria that our gut must have in order for healthy digestion, and our goal is to have the good bacteria outweigh the bad bacteria. These healthy strands of bacteria also support and allow our gut to absorb and take in the nutrients it needs. Not all probiotics and prebiotics are the same. We recommend reaching out to us or your natural health practitioner to find the best option for you.
Supplementation
Ok, let’s be real! There are thousands of supplements out on the market, yet unfortunately, not all brands are equal. Many brands may look great on the front label, but when you look at the list of ingredients, you may find it, too, has fillers and even sweeteners. What a shame!
The good news is At the Living Tree, we can help. When you speak to one of us, you will find we only use and recommend the highest quality supplements to ensure that you’re getting the most nutritional benefits out of each capsule or drop that you take. On top of that, it is crucial that your supplements are organic, pure and are not grown using pesticides or made with additives. We were all created differently, so when it comes to supplements or any other recommendation to support a leaky gut, there is not a one-size-fits-all magic trick that we can offer. That is why we love what we do. As Quantum Nutrition practitioners, we can test each individual to determine which supplements would benefit their system the most. Even better yet, we can uncover the root cause to your digestive concerns and we are able to determine the exact right dosage your body needs. It’s time for a wellness turnaround!
3-2-1 Action! Now it is time for you to be the star of your own life by taking small, yet powerful steps toward upleveling your health. You, alone, get to write your own script by the choices you make along the way. We’re here every step of the way and eager to help you along your health journey! Feel free to reach out to us to schedule an appointment.
-XOXO-
Robyn & Julie
