As I sit on a plane waiting to be swept away to an exotic destination, I am sadly reminded that not everyone has a good gastrointestinal support program, as demonstrated by the passenger that I am sitting downwind from, yuck!
Everyone requires a specific individualized program when it comes to gastrointestinal issues, not any of us will have the same food sensitivities, gut microflora, and possibly pathogenic organisms (bad bugs) hanging around in our bodies at the same time and in the same amount. Unfortunately, many of us will experience the not so nice grumbles down below when we eat certain foods, whether it is on vacation or at home.
There are many different reasons for having stomach discomfort, gas, bloating and diarrhea.
- Bacteria related
- Food Intolerances
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Celiac Disease
- Parasites
- Certain Foods
- Artificial Additives
- Medications
- Too much Vitamin C or Magnesium
In most of these situations there is 4 Step Gastro-Health Program which can be beneficial in decreasing your risk of these embarrassing episodes of diarrhea and gas, and helping your gut heal and become stronger for its next unknown encounter.
- Remove – eliminate the cause: stop eating the foods that cause the discomfort whether it is apples or sweeteners, become aware of your intolerances. There is some very good Food Sensitivity Testing that can be done to help you identify these sensitivities. If pathogens such as bacteria or parasites are present and causing inflammation, simply adding probiotics or nutrients won’t be enough to eliminate it, they need to be killed off first!
- Replace – digestive factors or enzymes whose functional secretion may be inadequate. These will facilitate the breakdown of foods in order for proper gut absorption. Some of these include Hydrochloric acid, gastric lipase, and pancreatic enzymes. There are specific laboratory tests that can tell you specifically what enzymes are lacking.
- Reinhabit – you need to introduce good bacteria/probiotics to rebalance the guts microflora; most commonly used forms are Acidophilus and Bifidus. The probiotic should be of high quality and consist of an adequate number of viable organisms.
- Repair – providing nutritional support to heal the gastrointestinal mucosa. There are supplements that contain nutrients that are critical to the function and structure of the intestinal wall. These include Vitamin C, E, A, zinc, manganese, and amino acids cysteine, NAC, glutamine, and glutathione.
If you are one of these people who suffer from embarrassing gas and diarrhea, or just someone who think that they may be carrying around an extra little friend (parasite of bacteria), just remember you’re only a couple steps away from gastrointestinal freedom. Make your gut and the people around you happy, try the 4 Step Gastro-Health Program, you won’t be sorry you did.
Danielle O’Connor ND, Natural Care Clinic
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