Understanding Gut Health
There is a great deal of misinformation on gut health today. The claims around leaky gut and candida are especially prevalent and misleading. It’s essential to understand the truth about commonly diagnosed gut conditions so that you and your loved ones can learn the right information to facilitate healing.
Candida to SIBO
In the 1980s, the conventional and alternative medical worlds were completely separated. The few practicing natural medicine doctors were severely undervalued. And at the same time countless patients complaining of illness were being told by conventional doctors that they were lazy or insane and sent home with antiquated blood test results that appeared to be fine. Also in the 1980s, the number of practicing naturopaths exploded and around this time, the candida diagnosis was born.
When the candida diagnosis first appeared, it was an incredible relief for many people who knew there was something wrong with them, but hadn’t been given answers or support. The trend of killing one’s overgrowth of candida in the gut began. Unfortunately, candida was not the correct diagnosis for those suffering. In actuality, many unknowingly suffered from a proliferation of bacteria in the gut stemming from streptococcus. Today, many in the alternative medicine world have switched from blaming candida for people’s health struggles to blaming SIBO. Although science and research do not understand the cause of SIBO, it will someday learn that SIBO is caused by an overgrowth of antibiotic resistant strep in the gut. Check out the radio show Streptococcus Revealed for more information about SIBO.
Understanding Candida
Without candida in the system, a person would die. Candida is constantly trying to save your life by absorbing any food or debris in your body that could feed streptococcus, E. coli, Epstein-Barr, shingles, or any other harmful virus, bacteria, or toxin. When candida in the system is forced to gobble up too much of the offending food and debris while trying to protect you, an overgrowth of candida occurs. If you are diagnosed with candida, do not attempt to kill off the candida in your system. Instead, eliminate the foods that are feeding the bacteria that is actually triggering the inflammation. Removing dairy, eggs, gluten, and grains from the diet will help starve the bacteria and reduce intestinal inflammation. Adding fruit into your diet, although some doctors may suggest otherwise, is another critical step. You can read my chapter on Candida in my book Medical Medium.
Leaky Gut
Be aware that If you visit a gut health doctor, you might receive an incorrect leaky-gut diagnosis. Many who suffer from intestinal tract issues are told they have leaky-gut. Others, who don’t even have intestinal tract issues, but suffer from Epstein-Barr or shingles symptoms, are incorrectly diagnosed with leaky-gut as well. Even if you’ve been given a leaky gut diagnosis, it’s highly unlikely you have it. If you had leaky gut, you would be suffering from sepsis and an incredibly high fever.
At some point, misinformation surrounding the leaky gut concept widely circulated and even today, books filled with completely inaccurate leaky gut information are being published. The truth is that leaky gut does not involve intestinal permeability as some doctors suggest. If one endures constant heavy stress, eats a fat laden diet or a diet high in processed sugar and fat, the overtaxed liver can become pre-fatty or fatty, bile production in the liver can minimize, and while this is happening hydrochloric acid can decrease. When there is low hydrochloric acid in the stomach, food doesn’t digest properly and begins to rot in the intestinal tract. This rotting food produces ammonia, which is an agent that can move through any part of the body like a ghost through walls. Ammonia moves through even the most pristine intestinal lining and can leak out of the skin.
When ammonia spreads through the entire body, its true name that I’ve given this is ammonia permeability. Although it starts in the gut, ammonia permeability has nothing to do with candida or leaky-gut, but it can result in fatigue, skin problems, restless sleep, anxiety and more. In addition to producing ammonia, the rotting food in the gut is also a perfect source of fuel for streptococcus, C. Diff., E. coli, and MRSA. By rebuilding hydrochloric acid levels, you can strengthen your digestive system and eliminate the issues caused by poorly digested food.
Hydrochloric Acid and Digestive Issues
Although there are many theories as to what occurs, no one knows what happens to food once it enters the stomach. Yes, absorption, digestion, and assimilation take place, but there is much more at work and it will take another thousand years before medical science and research understand much more of this God-given miraculous process.
Unknown to research & science, we are all born with furry, microscopic hair on the inside of our intestinal tracts. These hairs help harbour elevated biotics and other beneficial bacteria. The throng of good bacteria blocks harmful bacteria from getting into the lining and triggering diverticulitis or other painful conditions. Hundreds of years ago, these hairs were plentiful, but today, frequent antibiotic use and poor diet choices quickly wipe off the hairy lining, and the bare intestinal tract and colon become highly susceptible to callous growth and bacteria. You might respond with using more antibiotics, but they only exacerbate gut health conditions. The loss of this sensitive internal terrain is the beginning of digestive distress.
Another primary reason for digestive troubles involves hydrochloric acid. Medical research and science does not know that hydrochloric acid is not one acid, as taught today, but rather a blend of seven acids. Acid reflux occurs when the seven blends of beneficial acid diminish and bad acids produced by bacteria and viruses takeover. Gastritis is another condition that arises with the overgrowth of bacteria. A high amount of gas in the system is not due to a fungus, yeast, or candida as some may think, but due to the bacteria that is overgrowing in the digestive system.
Certain viruses, like the shingles virus, make the nerves in the body extremely sensitive. If you are suffering from viral issues related to shingles or Epstein-Barr or suffer from a heavy load of toxic metals, the nerves in your incredibly sensitive system might feel food rub the lining of the intestinal tract and colon as peristalsis takes place. All these nerve endings are wired to the various parts of the digestive tract, and if you have a sensitive nervous system, you might believe the false notion that you can’t digest anything. That is not true, and eating foods that seem to “go down” easily, such as eggs and cheese, only serves to feed the inflammation and nerve problems you are already experiencing. Try eating a little avocado, boiled potato, sweet potato, or butternut squash, these foods might cause a little discomfort, but they are tremendously healing and just what your body needs at the beginning of your journey.
As the liver becomes stagnant, hydrochloric acid in the stomach lowers and food begins to rot in the intestinal tract, feeding any variety of bacteria in our system. We constantly pick up bacteria from different places. Although adding in fresh, raw fruits and vegetables at home is incredible, when it comes to eating out, sticking with a hot, cooked dish is the best option to avoid contamination and picking up a new bacteria variety. Many people suffer with low-levels of food poisoning in their systems. Throughout life, these levels can increase, the lining of the intestinal tract can suffer damage, and inflammation can arise. Different pathogens create these different types of inflammation.
Another common obstacle to gut health is scar tissue that can be rampant in our intestinal tracts. Scar tissue is not related to leaky gut syndrome but can be misdiagnosed as such. It is generally caused by antibiotics burning the intestinal tract lining, but it can also be brought about by bacteria, pollutants, and heavy metals.
Elevated Biotics
Elevated biotics is the term I have given to the undiscovered microorganisms that sit atop the organic produce you might find in farmers markets, on small patio gardens, and in orchards. These microorganisms are different than the weaker soil-borne microorganisms which hide in the soil and support the plants below ground. Elevated biotics are able to handle a multitude of pressures from wind, rain, and environmental pollution.
When consumed, these elevated biotics nestle deep in the ileum and create an essential bioidentical B-12. Even if you’re only able to once or twice a year, munch on some organic kale from the farmers’ market, pick an organic apple from an orchard, or snack on some tasty organic berries from a neighbour’s garden. In doing so, an amazing amount of elevated biotics floods your body. Elevated biotics from produce eaten 20 years ago are still providing support to your system and keeping you alive. Elevated biotics can even stop scar tissue from forming in the intestinal tract and help reverse methylation issues. Eventually, people will realize the incredible power of these microorganisms to keep us alive and stop disease and will bottle up and sell these microorganisms. Until then, continue to get in the freshly picked fruits and veggies that harbour these gems!
Foods and Supplements to Avoid
Try to avoid eggs, soy, gluten, corn, and dairy products. These foods can feed viruses and bacteria and cause greater issues with many intestinal conditions. Stay clear of canola oil which wreaks havoc on the gut lining and exacerbates any intestinal tract issue. It’s also important to avoid diatomaceous earth particles which are incredibly hard on your intestinal tract. More information about diatomaceous earth can be found in my first book, Medical Medium.
Healing Foods
Plain celery juice is essential for rebuilding hydrochloric acid and overall gut health. 16oz on an empty stomach each morning can start to turn around gut issues and calm an inflamed liver. Aloe water is incredibly anti-viral and anti-bacterial, it goes after harmful bacteria in the intestinal lining and lowers the build-up of bad acids. Simple directions for aloe water can be found on the Medical Medium blog. In addition to celery and aloe water, papaya is phenomenal. Papaya soothes the nerves and is wonderful for anyone suffering from Crohn’s and colitis, IBS, chronic gastritis, or any viral and neurological problems irritating your nerves and affecting your intestinal tract. Wild blueberries, oranges, spinach, all varieties of lettuce, sprouts, sweet potatoes, fresh mint, ginger, and lemon water are all tremendous additions to any diet. Peppermint and ginger tea are two healing drinks you can incorporate.
Healing Supplements
Enzymedica Pro-Bio is a supportive probiotic supplement option. A daily supplement of barley grass juice extract powder is great for the intestinal tract. Chaga mushroom powder supports the liver and subsequently supports gut health issues. Cat’s claw and liquorice both kill off bacteria and viruses in the intestinal tract. Add in B-12 with methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin and magnesium for excellent gut support. And, if you think you might have some type of bug in your intestinal tract, periodically using goldenseal can be beneficial.
Secrets About Gut Health
Have you or a loved one ever experienced a chronic gut health problem or received a diagnosis like celiac disease, leaky gut, IBS, colitis, SIBO, gastritis, or candida? These conditions, while diagnosed frequently, are not yet fully understood by medical communities today. In truth, medical science and research are still very far from knowing the true causes of the symptoms that are given names like leaky gut, candida, and IBS. There are real reasons you or your loved ones are experiencing gut health issues, and here I will be explaining the true cause behind these illnesses and what you can do to heal from them.
Constipation and Other General Digestive Issues
If someone is experiencing regular constipation, it could be due to a variety of factors, which can cause inflammation in the small intestinal tract and colon. When there is inflammation in the intestines, it weakens peristaltic action, which is the wavelike movement created by your central nervous system that pushes food through your digestive tract. The lining of the intestinal tract is covered in nerve endings, and some of these nerves are directly related to the peristaltic action required for proper digestion. Signals cannot be sent and received in the right way when there is inflammation in the colon, which is what prevents the peristaltic action from occurring.
It’s important to understand, however, that inflammation is not the cause. There is something else that is causing the inflammation. In the case of constipation, as I share in my book Thyroid Healing, inflammation can come from either a pathogen that’s taken up residence in the intestinal tract or a toxic, stagnant, sluggish, or fatty liver. Pathogens that cause inflammation are the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), E. coli, shingles (there are undiscovered varieties that don’t cause rashes, which I revealed in my book Medical Medium), HHV6, and/or chronic streptococcus. Medical communities are unaware that these are the true causes of constipation. They are also unaware that these pathogens feed on certain foods along with toxins and heavy metals that helps them proliferate. Thus, the best way to combat pathogens like viruses and bacteria is to first starve them of their favorite foods, something I discuss at length in Thyroid Healing. In my book, I share how to combat EBV specifically, but this information can also be applied to help address other types of pathogens as well.
For example, medical communities believe celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, but this is inaccurate. In truth, your body is incapable of attacking itself. It is impossible for your immune system to harm a single cell in your body. I devoted a whole section of Thyroid Healing to sharing why there is so much misinformation and confusion around autoimmune diseases and conditions and why it’s the wrong answer to mystery illnesses like celiac disease. The true reason gluten is a trigger for celiac disease is because gluten is a favourite food for the bacteria streptococcus. When gluten is consumed, strep is strengthened and the lining of the colon is further inflamed.
When it comes to gut and digestive disorders, it’s also critical to address the health of your liver. The liver plays a central role in gut health issues, more than medical communities know. First of all, the liver acts like a sponge to all the medications you take. Your liver absorbs the medication, which is a natural function because its role is to absorb toxins. However, unlike other toxins the liver is absorbing, medication takes quite a while to leave the body. Therefore, before it finally exits after many years, it can take up residency in your intestinal tract, causing more inflammation and disrupting peristaltic action.
Other toxins that are stored inside the liver are heavy metals, like chromium, nickel, mercury, aluminium, copper, lead, and arsenic. There are also viral toxins, internal dermatoxins (which I explain in Thyroid Healing and are much different to the known versions of dermatoxins), viral casings (dead bodies of pathogens), pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, radiation, and solvents. Additionally, most people’s livers are loaded down with too much fat from their diet that becomes rancid and coagulates the exhausted organ. As you can probably guess, a healthy liver is vital in order to heal from a gut-related illness. When our liver becomes sluggish due to all the toxins, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria, toxins, and fats, it cannot produce the bile it needs in order to break down the fats that are slowly going rancid.
Fats and Protein Breakdown
The breaking down of fats and protein is an essential function of the bile from the liver and hydrochloric acid from the stomach. When fats and proteins start to rot in the intestinal tract and colon, it creates a feeding frenzy for the pathogens. Whatever viruses and bacteria are present at the time will feed and grow stronger and more difficult to fight when there is more fat and protein in the intestinal tract, which then inhibits the regular functioning of the digestive system. When we take away the food from the pathogens, the feeding stops and healing can begin. This is why many people on high fat, high protein diets have digestive issues, regardless of whether they eat animal fat or a vegan diet with too many plant fats. When there is too much fat and protein in the system, the liver is so overloaded that the only thing it can do is let the fat and protein go rancid.
As mentioned above, a strong liver is required to break down fats. When our liver is overburdened by excess fat and toxins, it is not able to produce the strong bile that is needed to metabolize them. I will explain below that weakened bile production is the cause of most gut related symptoms and illnesses. The hydrochloric acid (HCL) from the stomach that is required to break down proteins is actually made up of a blend of seven different types of acid, which is unknown in the medical community. This is the reason tests are not able to accurately indicate the hydrochloric acid present in our bodies. Medical communities do not have the full understanding and knowledge they need to make correct assessments. If someone has a blend of the hydrochloric acid but not all seven, they will not be able not to properly break down proteins.
This doesn’t mean you have to avoid protein altogether. There are healthy, bioavailable proteins in fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. You can also eat some nuts, beans, and animal protein if you wish. Regardless of which diet you prefer, just try to lower your protein if you are wanting to heal from an illness so you can allow your liver to function as well as possible. For example, eat nuts, beans or animal protein once a day or every two days, and instead bring in more fresh fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes.
Colitis
The true cause of colitis is an undiscovered strain of the shingles virus in the linings of the colon and small intestinal tract. Due to this virus, some blood vessels may rupture causing bleeding in addition to the inflammation caused by the pathogen sitting in the lining. Colitis is another gut related illness that is incorrectly considered an autoimmune disease. You can find out more about the true cause of colitis and how to begin healing in my book Medical Medium.
Leaky Gut Syndrome (Intestinal Permeability)
Leaky gut syndrome is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions. The way true leaky gut is created is from a perforation in the lining of the intestinal tract or colon. Most of the time this occurs from a very common procedure – the colonoscopy. In a colonoscopy, a camera is inserted into the colon and pushed along to look inside. Sometimes the camera can snag on the colon and create a puncture, which then causes a fever and severe pain, landing the patient in the hospital for many days or even months. Other times, it’s a case of diverticulosis, where deep pockets in the colon can become infected by E. coli, streptococcus and other bugs. These pockets can break through the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and allow the pathogens to leach into the bloodstream.
While the above are the only true leaky guts, tens of thousands of people with symptoms like fatigue, aches and pains, digestive discomfort, and acid reflux are being told they also have leaky gut. Using leaky gut as a label for these symptoms is a trend that has resulted in many people being given a misdiagnosis, and as a result, they are unable to move forward with real healing. What’s actually happening is something that medical communities aren’t yet aware of—ammonia permeability. I have helped many clients heal from ammonia permeability over the last few decades and I also brought it to light in my book Medical Medium.
When someone is diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome, it is usually due to the liver weakening and becoming sluggish. The bile and blend of hydrochloric acid required to break down fat and protein are not strong enough to do their job. When the proteins reach your lower intestine, they won’t be broken down enough for your cells to access their nutrients. And instead the food will just lie there and rot feeding pathogens that are sitting in the colon and intestinal tract. This gut rot creates ammonia gas and can result in symptoms of bloating, digestive discomfort, chronic dehydration, or oftentimes no symptoms at all. That’s just the start. This ammonia gas has a ghost-like ability to go straight through your bones, skin, and out of you. You can read a full description of how gut health symptoms and other symptoms develop from ammonia permeability in Medical Medium. What I have just described is not actually leaky gut syndrome. If someone truly had leaky gut, they would be in the hospital potentially with a high fever. However, ammonia permeability is much more common.
Candida
These days the word candida can cause fear in people because it is believed to be a negative thing and many are afraid of candida overgrowth. In reality, we need candida. Candida in and of itself is harmless. In fact, we can’t sustain life without it in our intestinal tract, and it helps protect us by consuming debris from poor quality food and toxins. In the process, this helps reduce the food supply available to truly harmful pathogens that would otherwise feed on this debris. It also allows absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. The overgrowth of candida is not the problem; it is the indication of one.
Candida can grow and become out of control due to bile salts becoming weak from an overburdened liver. The bile salts are not able to break down fats, the fats go rancid and make a home in the intestinal tract, and the bacteria feed off it. In other words, Candida cells intentionally consume food waste and poisons to prevent harmful bugs, such as E. coli, C. diff, and streptococcus, from feasting on these things and building their armies. The candida is activated to increase its strength because it is programmed to keep you alive. We do not want to kill off candida. We want to kill off the bacteria the candida is trying to fight.
Candida can also co-occur with conditions such as Lyme disease, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes, diabetes, and more. Thus, a large build-up of Candida can serve as a warning sign that something else in your body requires attention—but Candida is often the scapegoat. For instance, a vaginal streptococcus infection could go unnoticed by doctors, while yeast that’s also present is blamed for the patient’s symptoms. Once you put an end to the primary issue, Candida levels will naturally return to normal.
IBS
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is the result of a stagnant or sluggish liver along with a bacterial infection. Fats and proteins rot in the intestinal tract, which then causes poor digestion. An underlying streptococcus infection, which medical communities are unaware is the cause of IBS, becomes out of control and the inflamed colon begins to swell. The Cecum and ileocecal valve become inflamed due to the bacteria along with viral toxins in the intestinal tract, creating diarrhoea and constipation.
Gastritis
It is possible to have gastritis without having a lot of noticeable gas; in fact, it may be difficult to diagnose if you are only experiencing bloating and pain without moving any gas through. Sometimes there is sharp pain due to tiny pockets of gas that are so toxic that they hurt the nerves. There are so many nerves in our intestinal tract that the digestive system is very sensitive to toxins and pockets of gas that can cause pain.
Insatiable Hunger
Many people with insatiable hunger are being told they have either hyperthyroidism or a mental disease. However, there are more people struggling with insatiable hunger than are dealing with hyperthyroidism or any other kind of thyroid problem at all. Insatiable hunger is actually a liver glucose deficiency. If glucose storage in the liver is low, a vicious cycle of constant hunger, binging, and, often, calorie restriction occurs, leaving the person feeling like they are weak and undisciplined. However, this disorder has nothing to with discipline or a weak mind. Rather, it is due to a lack of glycogen, also known as carbohydrates, in the liver. The best way to heal from this is quite simple: eat potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, dates, apples, mangoes, persimmons, winter squash, and other carbohydrate-rich foods to bring back your glycogen storage. Refrain from eating too many of the foods that your liver is having a difficult time handling, such as fatty foods. Too much fat in the bloodstream prevents glycogen from storing up in the liver.
Trends to Avoid
There are many trends circulating the health world that attract those who know the importance of having a healthy gut. While many of these trends were initiated with good intentions, people searching for answers to gut health fall into their traps and suffer repercussions. Sodium bicarbonate is one such trend that is touted as having the ability to make us more alkaline and drop candida levels. Unfortunately, this ill-informed remedy is much too harsh on the intestinal tract and liver to be healthy. In fact, sodium bicarbonate kills off the good bacteria that we need, rather than only fighting the antagonistic pathogens we want to eliminate.
Stay away from diatomaceous earth particles as it is too abrasive for the intestinal linings. It saturates the linings, smothering the good bacteria that exists there, and does not exit quickly. Diatomaceous earth particles can create malabsorption and do not allow candida to do its important job.
Avoid taking clays internally as, again, they are too harsh for the intestines. They are like severe sandpaper scraping the sensitive sides of the colon and small intestine; it rubs against it and does not clean it, as many believe. And when we eat, the food creates even more pressure as the clay is pushed into the linings more. Some people may question this understanding of clay consumption, referring to many creatures in the animal kingdom that are able to eat clay with no negative effects. However, your intestines are not built like a deer’s. A deer can eat many things that we cannot eat, like twigs, toxic leaves, and pieces of tree that have poisonous alkaloids that would severely harm us if we were to consume them. Therefore, refrain from making conclusions that because one animal can eat clay, we should be able to as well.
Be careful with liver flushes and gallbladder flushes, which are very trendy, because our body does not like to be pushed in that way. They are best avoided. Instead, find consistent healthy habits you know you can sustain long term so you can find yourself at your destination of a truly happy gut with no chance of going back. You can refer to the Thyroid Rehab plan in my book Thyroid Healing and the 28 Day Cleanse in my book Medical Medium for ways to intelligently cleanse your body. These plans can be followed long term also.
Steps for Healing
Celery juice is the first thing I always recommend to people when they have gut issues. It contains undiscovered mineral salts that build up hydrochloric acid, making it a powerful tonic that should be included into your daily morning routine on an empty stomach. Celery juice makes your liver stronger, which, as you now know, is behind so many gut health symptoms. If you do not like celery on its own, you can add a bit of apple and lemon to it but it’s most effective on its own. Drinking at least 4 ounces of celery juice daily, and ideally 16 ounces per day, heals the linings of your intestines, soothes nerves, eliminates poisons from the liver, and makes you less sensitive in your digestion process. Additionally, you can include plain cucumber juice daily.
It’s best to stay away from eggs if you have a gut health issue or any health symptoms as they feed the very pathogens that you are trying to eliminate. Eggs, while often considered a perfect food by many, are a favorite food for viruses and bacteria. They create feeding frenzies and inflammation in the colon and intestines.
One reason many people with gut problems consume eggs is because they feel it is one of the only things they can digest. However, there is something different going on when eating eggs compared to eating something like lettuce. When something you eat is painful, either slightly or more so, it does not mean you are not digesting it; it means it is hitting sensitive nerves as it is being digested. If your intestine is full of neurotoxins and inflammation, the nerves are primed and hot. Additionally, if you have Epstein-Barr Virus inside the liver or in the thyroid, it feeds off of pollutants, solvents, and toxins. Those poisons and toxins are released into your bloodstream then into the linings of the intestinal tract, making the nerves extremely sensitive. This is why when you eat something with fibre like celery, lettuce, cauliflower, or berries, it feels like you are not digesting it, when actually it is merely hitting the sensitive nerves as it is digesting. When you eat an egg, you feel like you digest it well because eggs do not touch the intestinal linings. They sit in the middle like a glue, not triggering any sensitive nerves, but they cause further health problems and will worsen your symptoms in time.
You are able to digest fibrous foods. It just may feel a little uncomfortable when you eat them if your nerves are very sensitive. If it is too painful, try instead to eat things like avocado, ripe bananas, winter squash, steamed potatoes, and other steamed vegetables that are cooked so much that they are very soft.
It’s also best to avoid all dairy products, as these also feed pathogens. Avoid milk, cheese, yogurt, and kefir, no matter if it came from a cow, goat, or any other kind of animal.
Fruit for Gut Health
There is a common trend that suggests fruit should be avoided if you have a gut problem. Fruit should actually be a food you enjoy in abundance when trying to heal from colitis, gastritis, IBS, SIBO, celiac disease, candida overgrowth, or leaky gut. Try making fruit the first food of your day, right after your daily celery juice. Also, eating fruit on its own is the best way to easily digest it and you may find you can consume more fruit when eaten this way. For breakfast, make yourself a large fruit platter of various fruits, like berries, a variety of stone fruit, or some tropical fruit if you have access to that. If you’re just eating fruit, you can consume a large amount of one kind of fruit in one sitting. Eat two or three ripe bananas, a half to one cantaloupes, two to four persimmons, a large handful of dates, or a big bowl of sliced oranges. Graze on grapes throughout the morning. Make yourself a smoothie for breakfast. Eating your fruit in the morning and then bringing other types of foods you eat later in the day will ensure better digestion.
Banana and papaya are two of the most important foods to eat when dealing with gut issues. I have seen people recover from the most tragic health problems from eating banana and papaya, as they are among the greatest foods to heal the intestinal tract. Consider blending banana and papaya together with a little water for a restorative tonic. Blending celery juice with papaya is also one of the best tonics for gut health issues.
If you still feel you are quite sensitive to fruit, just focus on getting a little bit in you every single day. Then you can slowly increase the amount of fruit you include as you begin to heal. You can also focus on bringing in more fruits like winter squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Also, consider the possibility that fruit is not the culprit for your digestive issues, inflammation, or poor health. Sometimes we have indigestion or intestinal pain when we eat one thing, but it is in fact caused by something that we ate several days before. The fruit, like an innocent person accused of a crime, is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps you ate something a couple days before; then you take a bite of fruit, which then triggers peristaltic action and moves the previous piece of food down lower in your intestines to an area that is inflamed. The unhealthy foods we know we should avoid actually take very long to digest, which is why sometimes it can remain in our colon and intestines for days after consumption. Fruit, on the other hand, digests very quickly and efficiently. Therefore, do not blame the apple for any indigestion you may experience and remember that fruit is your greatest friend when healing from gut issues.
Probiotics
Many people these days buy expensive probiotics because they heard they are good for gut health. Probiotics are not unhelpful. There are some probiotic supplements that I recommend to those who are interested. However, there is a much more important biotic that most people are unaware of, and it is vastly less expensive and more down to earth. Elevated biotics are microscopic, life-giving organisms that cover the above-ground surfaces (leaves and skins) of raw, unwashed (or lightly rinsed) organic produce. The elevated biotics’ probiotic film can make a world of difference when it comes to digestion. Unlike factory-produced probiotics and soilborne organisms, elevated biotics are able to survive your digestive process and make it to your ileum, the final section of your small intestinal tract that creates the vitamin B12 critical to your body’s functioning. You can read more about Elevated biotics in my book Life-Changing Foods.
If you want to take part in this amazing gut saver, you have plenty of options. First, get yourself to a farmers market near you and introduce yourself to the farmers. Begin asking about their growing practices and see which farmers take the most care in their organic farming. Remember, many small farms cannot afford to label themselves organic, but their practices might be even better than the organic standards of the USDA. The more produce you buy from these farms, as well as certified organic farmers from your market, the better. Not only are you supporting local farmers who are working hard to produce quality food for their communities, you also get to take advantage of the powerful elevated biotics that sit on the leaf of the kale, on the skin of the apple, and on the fuzz of the peach. When you buy, for example, an apple from a trusted organic farmer, there is no need to scrub that apple clean, otherwise you would wash off all the elevated biotics. However, if there is a bit of soil on it, feel free to give it a light rinse or rub it off with your fingers.
Your other option to find ways to get elevated biotics in your system is to grow some of your own food. I know it can feel intimidating if you are not an experienced gardener. However, there are many simple things you can grow, even if you do not know what you are doing or if you have no backyard. Grow sprouts on your counter. They take one minute a day to manage and the outcome is an entire tray full of delicious sprouts you can put in your salad or even in your smoothie. Herbs are often very easy to grow on your windowsill. Basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano only take minimal space, and they can double as pretty houseplants. If you do want to put in the extra effort to set up some raised plant beds in an outdoor space available to you, you will receive many benefits from growing some of your own food. Furthermore, you will probably grow a greater appreciation for the nurturing required to grow fruits and vegetables.
Healing Bloating
Why do we bloat? Everyone has experienced bloating at some stage, or if they haven’t yet, it’s very likely they will in the future. And yet despite it being so prevalent, medical science and research know very little about what is really behind bloating. Even the trendiest diets today don’t have accurate answers for bloating. Many of those diets blame lectins, but lectins are not the problem—as I share in my book, Liver Rescue, there are lectins in every single fruit and vegetable. The lectin information that tells you to avoid certain fruits and vegetables is misinformation that you need to know the truth about so you don’t deprive yourself of their healing nutrients. Others blame gluten, and while the unknown truth is that gluten does feed pathogens like Epstein-Barr virus, HSV, shingles, and streptococcus bacteria, which science and research hasn’t yet discovered, the real cause of bloating lies much deeper.
Bloating really stems from an overburdened, toxic or sluggish liver that can then lead to digestive troubles. I cover how this happens in-depth in my book, Liver Rescue: Answers to Eczema, Psoriasis, Diabetes, Strep, Acne, Gout, Bloating, Gallstones, Adrenal Stress, Fatigue, Fatty Liver, Weight Issues, SIBO & Autoimmune, but let’s take a look here at what’s happening in your body so you can get started with healing.
A Sluggish Liver
Currently, nine out of ten people have some level of a sluggish liver. As I share in Liver Rescue, it will be ten out of ten people in the future. This means that eventually everyone will experience a symptom or health condition that stems from a compromised, overburdened and toxic liver—whether it’s acne or other skin issues like eczema or vitiligo, digestive issues like bloating, fatigue, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder problems, and more. These all have a sluggish or fatty liver at their core.
How does the liver become sluggish? Over our lifetimes we are exposed to a countless number of toxins and pathogens, what I call “Liver Troublemakers.” In Liver Rescue, I share a list of hundreds of these Liver Troublemakers and how we get exposed to them. We are also born with Liver Troublemakers already sitting inside our livers. This is not because of genetics; it’s because at conception and when we are in the womb we inherit toxins and pathogens carried in our family line that have been passed down from one generation to the next. That’s why some babies are born with or can quickly develop issues like jaundice, PANDAS, eczema, digestive troubles, and more.
One of the major causes of a weakened liver is the presence of toxic heavy metals, like mercury, lead, cadmium, or copper in your system, which are one of the groups of Liver Troublemakers. Environmental chemicals and toxins also play a role in weakening the liver. Detergents, colognes, gasoline, insecticides, pesticides, and preservatives are all examples of toxins that we are constantly surrounded by. It would be impossible to avoid all of these on a regular basis, but what we can do is eat the right foods to protect our livers and keep them strong and healthy. Another reason is because of pathogens and their byproduct can also move from the liver into the intestines. These can all bleed from the liver when it’s overburdened and sluggish and coat the lining of the small intestine and colon, causing more bloating as it hampers any good bacteria that are present and feeds bad bacteria and other unproductive microorganisms.
Another factor that impedes the liver is a high fat diet, which are the same as high protein diets whether they are based on animal foods or plant foods. In both cases, the high fat content of the diet leads to bile production being inhibited, which prevents food from being broken down fully. This alone can lead to bloating. I discuss exactly how this process occurs and why high fat and high protein diets can cause this in Liver Rescue.
Even more important than bile production is immune support, one of the liver’s thousands of chemical functions. Medical science and research are unaware that the liver has its own immune system of miraculous fighter and protector cells to keep you as safe and healthy for as long as possible against the onslaught of toxins and pathogens we face and the high fat foods almost everyone eats. When your liver is stressed, which by now you know is the case in nine out of ten people and soon to be every single person, the liver will divert its energy to the immune system and bile production will continue to suffer. And, when bile suffers, so does the stomach’s production of hydrochloric acid, preventing the small intestines from absorbing nutrients. Next, proteins and fats begin to rot and go rancid in your gut. This gut rot also can result in bloating.
Due to this low bile and hydrochloric acid production, the undigested food debris composed particularly of fat and protein ultimately feeds the pathogens as well, further coating the intestinal tract and creating even more symptoms. A condition I call ammonia permeability—which medical communities confuse with leaky gut—develops, with food decomposing in your intestinal tract and producing ammonia gas that both causes even more expansion of the intestinal tract (creating bloating, cramping, discomfort, and distension) and also rises up the gut into your stomach, contributing to further diminishment of hydrochloric acid and even the reserves in the stomach glands and tissue of the components that make hydrochloric acid.
In addition to the Liver Troublemakers and a high fat and high protein diet, an increase of adrenaline in the body also weakens bile. Added adrenaline could come from drinking too much coffee, eating a high fat diet, traumatic or emotional events in your life, or simply a very busy or high-stress lifestyle that keeps your body in a fight or flight response. Almost everyone today is dealing with the impact of excess adrenaline due to the speed and nature of our lives here on earth today. To properly understand how adrenaline works and how to support your adrenals, liver and digestive system, please refer to Liver Rescue.
The Do’s and Don’ts
If you are trying to heal your liver and bloating, it’s important to reduce the amount of high-fat, high-protein foods you eat. Whether you eat a plant based or or animal foods diet, too much fat and protein will only result in more bloating and digestive issues eventually.
I know that high protein and high fat diets are the popular trend right now, but unfortunately these diets are misleading people. While their benefit is that they remove processed foods from the diet and can give some results for someone who was eating worse foods before, unfortunately these diets are not the answer for chronic illness and symptoms long term. Whey protein, pea protein, coconut oil, milk, yogurt, peanut butter and almond butter—all of these additions to your morning smoothies will aggravate bloating.
Instead, try the Liver Rescue Smoothie in Liver Rescue or the Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie, which contains the five critical ingredients for safe and effective heavy metal removal: wild blueberries, spirulina, barley grass juice powder, Atlantic dulse, and cilantro. Remember, low levels of bile results in your body’s inability to breakdown foods, especially more fats and proteins, whether you are eating too many avocados or too much grass-fed beef. Vegans and meat-eaters alike need to lower their fat intake. And as I have said before, high-protein equals high-fat. Eggs and dairy products will feed any dormant viruses in your liver, further weakening your bile.
If you can, consider a temporary plant-based diet while you are trying to get rid of bloating. But do not be fooled by trends like nutritional yeast, which saturates your liver in glutamic acid, or apple cider vinegar, which may be good for your skin topically, but pickles your organs internally. The Liver Rescue 3:6:9 Cleanse in Liver Rescue is an ideal way to jumpstart your healing from bloating and any other symptom or condition.
The best foods to incorporate into your daily routine are fresh leafy greens that are rich in essential mineral salts. Butter leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and spinach are all excellent options. Sprouts, kale, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus are all healing foods for bloating. Fruits are incredible for healing bloating. Papaya, bananas, figs, pears, kiwi, apples, and apricots are excellent choices for bloating. Really, the options are endless when you consider the variety of fruits and vegetables out there—and you can eat all you want.
As you probably know from my other radio episodes and books, straight celery juice has amazing healing properties. Try drinking 16 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach every morning. The key is to be consistent. Bloating is not going to go away overnight, but these foods are going to help build up the strength of your liver. Keep in mind that your liver has a lot of healing to do and it takes time for bile reserves to build back up. Everyone is different but you some may also notice that as they begin to include straight celery juice and more fruits, leafy greens and vegetables into their diet, it may seem like their bloating is worse.
If this happens and it’s not because of other foods you are still eating that are too high in fat or protein or are unhealthy foods, it’s due to your body pushing out toxins, killing off viruses and bacteria, and restoring your bile and hydrochloric acid and doing its other amazing healing work. Bloating can stick around for a while because as you start to heal you are giving your liver an opportunity to rid itself of toxins that have been long buried. And everyone’s liver is different, so healing can take a different amount of time for different people. Most people eliminate their bloating symptoms right away when consuming straight celery juice on an empty stomach every day, but for some it may take longer.
Moving Forward
Digestive problems, including bloating, can all be traced back to the liver. If you are interested in learning more, check out my book, Liver Rescue, for a complete understanding of what’s happening in your body and exactly how you can heal. As I have shared, undigested food and bloating are signs that the liver is overburdened, and a liver under stress will not only affect bile production, but also cause toxins to leak out into the intestines for reabsorption. Increased toxins in the intestines then results in conditions like SIBO from an overgrowth of the streptococcus bacteria. This chain reaction only weakens the liver and bile further, causing more bloating. The only way to truly resolve bloating long term is to learn these truths about what’s really behind your bloating and take the correct steps to heal it. Now that you have the truth in your hands, it is not something you have to get used to living with forever.