Is Your Tummy Making Your Ill? Treat the Gut and Restore Your Health!
I often see clients with an array of tummy complaints such as bloating, burping, gurgling, wind and erratic bowel motions. Other complaints include fatigue, lack of appetite or food cravings, headaches and simply feeling €off€. Many symptoms seemingly unrelated to the gut are actually related. For example, there may be an association between the digestive system and respiratory problems (runny nose, sinusitis, asthma); musculoskeletal problems (arthritis, achy joints& muscles); central nervous system problems (headaches, migraines, poor concentration, depression, anxiety etc) and skin problems (rashes, itching, eczema etc).
There may be a variety of causes for digestive problems commonly including an imbalance in the micro flora (gut bugs) and the presence of Candida, noxious bacteria or parasites. Other contributing factors include poor digestive capacity related to weak stomach acid or digestive enzyme production. A third category of problems relates to food intolerances - either overt immediate symptoms when the offending food is eaten but far more common is a confusing pattern that does not clearly indicate which food is the problem. Furthermore, it may not be a food or food group per se (eg gluten containing foods for example) but rather it may be certain constituents in a variety of foods that when eaten in too close proximity lead to symptoms. Symptoms may be immediate or delayed two to three days which makes tracking down the problem really difficult.
Unlike a food allergy which usually has a rapid onset and can lead to a severe if not life threatening immune response, food intolerance is a common, more subtle and less easily identified problem. Less than 2% of the population suffers from food allergies; however up to 45% of the population is estimated to suffer from some form of food intolerance. So if you have ill health and even if you don't seem to suffer overt gastrointestinal symptoms it is worth maximizing gut health and considering testing for food intolerances which may be driving the problem.
The easiest approach is to test your blood for antibodies against specific foods. The test indicates not only which foods you are prone to reacting to but also the degree of reactivity that can be expected. For many people there is a €threshold€€ below which they are asymptomatic. Determining your particular food sensitivity profile helps you avoid the most problematic foods and minimize the less problematic ones.
It is also important to address other causes of gut dysfunction such as promoting normal microflora (good bugs), treating dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bugs) and ensuring the digestive enzymes and stomach acid production is well supported. Specialized probiotics and prebiotics as well as excellent anti-microbial herbal and digestive support supplements can help to restore gut health and function,
There may be a variety of causes for digestive problems commonly including an imbalance in the micro flora (gut bugs) and the presence of Candida, noxious bacteria or parasites. Other contributing factors include poor digestive capacity related to weak stomach acid or digestive enzyme production. A third category of problems relates to food intolerances - either overt immediate symptoms when the offending food is eaten but far more common is a confusing pattern that does not clearly indicate which food is the problem. Furthermore, it may not be a food or food group per se (eg gluten containing foods for example) but rather it may be certain constituents in a variety of foods that when eaten in too close proximity lead to symptoms. Symptoms may be immediate or delayed two to three days which makes tracking down the problem really difficult.
Unlike a food allergy which usually has a rapid onset and can lead to a severe if not life threatening immune response, food intolerance is a common, more subtle and less easily identified problem. Less than 2% of the population suffers from food allergies; however up to 45% of the population is estimated to suffer from some form of food intolerance. So if you have ill health and even if you don't seem to suffer overt gastrointestinal symptoms it is worth maximizing gut health and considering testing for food intolerances which may be driving the problem.
The easiest approach is to test your blood for antibodies against specific foods. The test indicates not only which foods you are prone to reacting to but also the degree of reactivity that can be expected. For many people there is a €threshold€€ below which they are asymptomatic. Determining your particular food sensitivity profile helps you avoid the most problematic foods and minimize the less problematic ones.
It is also important to address other causes of gut dysfunction such as promoting normal microflora (good bugs), treating dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bugs) and ensuring the digestive enzymes and stomach acid production is well supported. Specialized probiotics and prebiotics as well as excellent anti-microbial herbal and digestive support supplements can help to restore gut health and function,
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