If you are like most of the population stomach issues plague you. Maybe you feel bloated after meals or have IBS related issues. There are some simple things you can do to give your digestion a restart. The best news is most are relatively easy and low cost. Give yourself two weeks on this program and see how you feel. Your mission is optimal gut function, so start with the following: 

1. Start the Healing Process with a Two-week Elimination Diet or Cleanse.

A leaky gut is an unbalanced and inflamed one, so the first order of business is to tame the flames and restore bacterial balance. A gut-calming elimination diet or cleanse is a great, healthy way to do that, as either method will eliminate virtually all of the usual leaky gut triggers from your diet and enable the helpful bacteria in your gut to thrive. See some guidelines below. 

2. Eat Whole Foods.

Purge your pantry of processed foods. They offer few nutrients, lots of extra sugar, and chemical additives, as well as plenty of genetically modified ingredients, all of which can wreak havoc on your gut lining, making leaky gut and inflammation matters worse. Healthy, whole foods, however, have the opposite effect. 

3. Get a lot Greener.

Care for a no-brainer, easy fix? Then eat or drink your greens. Add leafy greens at breakfast, lunch, and dinner as often as you can, and supplement with a green juice on those days when you fall short. Greens–and all the nutrients and chlorophyll that go along with them–are great gut-healing helpers.

4. Shovel in Some Tasty Good Bacteria and Probiotics.

Another gut-fortifying no-brainer that also happens to be a tasty one is fermented foods. Add a daily serving to help feed your good gut bacteria, so they can keep immunity strong, fend off pathogens, and help protect the gut lining. For extra fortification, also add a probiotic, preferably a high-quality one with at least 30 billion active cultures.

5. Get to Know Glutamine.

Another easy way to support your gut health and help keep leaks at bay is with the amino acid L-glutamine, which is plentiful in sources like bone broth, grass-fed beef, asparagus, and broccoli, or it can be taken as a supplement.

6. Don’t Irritate Yourself.

Gluten and dairy (and possibly genetically modified foods) are heavy contributors to gut flora imbalances and can trigger allergic responses in some people. If your gut reacts badly to them, avoid them. 

7. Break free of OTCs, NSAIDs, and Antibiotics.

Instead of taking pills at the drop of a hat, use as few drugs as possible, as they undermine your gut health, promoting imbalances in gut bacteria and weakening the gut wall, which in turn sets the stage for leaky gut and chronic inflammation.

8. Hold the Highballs. 

Will a glass or two of wine a week kill you? Probably not, but it may increase the gut’s permeability, which again, leads to inflammation, and in general does little good for your health. And as for the resveratrol-in-wine-is-good-for-you argument, the jury’s out on the appropriate “dosage,” so for now, go easy on all types of alcohol or quit altogether if you’re plagued by gut troubles.

9. Cut Stress.

Easier said than done for many of us, but even a few minutes of meditation, or simply sitting quietly a couple of times a week, can also help quiet, calm, and ultimately help heal your gut.

10. Remove any Low-grade Infections.

Very often, low-grade infections like yeast, bacteria, and parasites are present and need to be treated. One can start with a general antimicrobial supplement, but it is always better to work with a functional medicine practitioner who can help you determine the cause and treat it accordingly.

 Start with these guidelines below. Contact me and let me know how you are doing; I’d love to hear!

• Your ideal plate at each meal should contain mostly veggies-  then add in healthy fats and high-quality proteins. A bonus would be to add in a probiotic-rich food- like fermented veggies or a healthy high-probiotic yogurt or kefir.
• Eliminate all foods that trigger microbial imbalances like processed foods, genetically modified anything, all refined sugars, conventional dairy products, beans/legumes and grains/wheat/gluten.
• Stick to low-glycemic fruits.
• Take out foods/drinks that are high in sugar or turn to sugar in the body – these feed bacterial overgrowths – like corn and white potatoes, alcohol, juice and soda.
• Nightshade vegetables are smart to eliminate as well while restoring the gut as they tend to be a common trigger for digestive distress.
• Avoid all factory-farmed meats that come loaded with antibiotics and wreck havoc on your system.

 Other things you should avoid include:

• Over-the-counter (OCT) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like Advil, Aleve, Motrin, etc.
• OTC products for acid reflux, like Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, etc. 
• Prescription meds (proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs) for acid reflux/GERD, like Nexium, Prilosec, etc.
• Antibiotic use (take them as rarely as possible or as a last resort—not when you have the sniffles!)
• Habitual alcohol use or overuse
• Food sensitivities to things like gluten and dairy
• Chronic stress

Any or all of these cause damage to the lining of the gut, letting undigested food particles and bits of bacteria into the bloodstream, setting off an inflammatory response throughout the body. These inflammatory molecules, called cytokines, run amok throughout the system, setting off a variety of responses that may include everything from skin disorders, digestive problems, and migraines to fatigue, anxiety, and mood swings. Read more about this in the article: What is the Microbiome anyway?

Supplement Wisely

• Get your blood tests done and supplement where you may be lacking.
• Omegas, vitamin D, B vitamins and magnesium areall commonly deficient in most Americans who consume a standard American diet (SAD).
• Take a high quality probiotic daily to boost good bacteria in the gut. This is easy to add to an AM shake and start your day with a boost of nutrients.

Relax and Restore

• Value your sleep! Aim for 7-9 hours a night. Aim for higher-quality sleep with these simple tips.
•  Try incorporating 10 minutes of meditation per day to lower your cortisol – use an app like Headspace or Insight Timer.
•  Maybe try some restorative yoga to ease stress.
•  Get outside and enjoy nature.
•  Be patient with your body while it balances.

With reporting from Chalkboard Magazine.