Does Your Poop go Plop-Plop when it Hits the Water? If so, Your Brain is Shrinking to!

It's so important that we be Warriors to heal our GUT.

When you think of the CAUSES... you know where to work on FIXING it.

1. Digestion
2. Elimination
3. Gut Mucosa Integrity
4. Microflora

When we think of Digestion - we need to think of the ACID in our stomachs that breaks down food and the ENZYMES too that are responsible to assure proper digestion - both in the stomach and small intestine.

As we age, the acid in our stomach decreases. Doctors often respond to a patient's complaint of reflux or digestive disorders by putting you on a drug that decreases acid production even more.

This is often the OPPOSITE thing that a person needs! Functional medicine AND Conventional medicine has proven this to be absolutely a POOR choice of treatment!

When you lower the acidity (make the stomach juices more basic) you DECREASE digestion even more. Often people actually need MORE acid, or MORE digestive enzymes.

By giving long term Antacids, many nutrients go UNABSORBED and the body gets more and more depleted of nutrients. It's really a problem.

Proton Pump Inhibitors, which are now over the counter, such as Protonic, Nexium, Prevacid, etc actually shut down acid production. They have also been shown to increase the risk of developing a serious bowel infection called Clostridium Difficile.

H-Pylori, a common infection inside the stomach is often associated with ulcer formation. But so is DIET and over the counter anti-inflammatories. Too much alcohol is a HUGH problem for many people - causing inflamed stomach lining and sometimes Ulcers.

And the NUMBER ONE cause of GI BLEED? Guess! Over the counter Ibuprofen and Naproxen! STAY AWAY from those!

Also the RATE of digestion is important. Many people don't digest their foods fast enough. This is called Gastroparesis. And it causes REFLUX! If the food sits in your stomach too long, it causes you to feel excessively full too quickly during eating - or causes excessive bloating.

Licorice (deglycerolized) has been shown to help move food through the stomach and intestine as quickly as some medications... so this is a wonderful tool for a Functional Medical doc like me! This is probably why DG Licorice is also so successful treating reflux conditions (heartburn)!

So that's a short synopsis on digestion. Supplementing with digestive Enzymes, DG Licorice and sometimes Bile Ox Acid to INCREASE your pH to help you digest foods better and faster are often your best treatments.

When if comes to Elimination... Ladies... it's about a HEALTHY GUT! Don't ignore it! If your stools go "plop plop" when they hit the water, or you have to push to get them out, or they are little balls either separate or clumped together... you have CONSTIPATION! And if you have more than 3 stools per day... or you have frequent loose stools... That isn't optimal either! There are 3 main things that cause constipation - not related to low Estrogen. 

1. DIET low in FIBER and or FAT
2. INADEQUATE WATER intake that must match the Fiber content
3. SLOW TRANSIT time

You could also have a combination of them all - and GUESS WHAT?! They ALL cause Leaky GUT!

Fiber - you NEED 25 grams of fiber EVERY SINGLE DAY gals! I swear, I have discovered that people would rather bury their heads in the sand than do anything about this. And I have never understood that because the solution is so easy!

Well... I guess for those who want to gain weight as they age... or for those who can't wait to develop arthritis, age more rapidly, feel fatigued and dragged down, deal with headaches, bloating, and so much more... then they are doing the right thing - burying their heads in the sand!

USE FIBER SUPPLEMENTS! It's next to impossible to get adequate fiber. We recommend it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Fiber is one SKINNY SECRET!

The best Fiber on the market HANDS DOWN is by the company we recommend for MANY products - DESIGNS FOR HEALTH - and it's called PaleoFiber.

You can't taste it... It does not clump up - even if you let it sit for a little while after mixing it into a liquid, and it is VERY FILLING - AND IT WORKS!

Fiber has been show to decrease weight gain, heart disease, and colon cancer! It's part of a SQUEEKY CLEAN GUT I can tell you. It's one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.

It WILL help you lose weight!
It WILL lower your blood sugar!
It WILL keep you full longer!
It WILL create huge fluffy stools that you can be proud on! 🤣

Remember that Alkaselzer Commercial from the 60's and 70's... Plop Plop fizz fizz... Oh what a Relief it is? Well - THAT's FIBER!

Fat is super important too. If you don't eat enough FAT, like Avocados and Nuts... you won't have enough lubrication to go around. It doesn't take THAT much Fat though... Just a tablespoon or two a day along with the fat in your other foods is all you need such as eggs, cheese, meats, coconut (which also has great fiber!)

Now for water. It never ceases to amaze us at how LITTLE water people drink. You really NEED water - 100 ounces a day! At the least. Your body is 60% water! To get 100 ounces of water in every day, you have to think about it at first. But eventually you get really good at it and don't even notice that you are reaching for your water.

You see we have something called a Thirst Mechanism. The Thirst Mechanism actually shuts off if you don't drink enough water. It literally just turns off. So you don't even feel thirsty when you are even dehydrated. If you have ever spent a whole day with an elderly person, you often will witness that they drink very little water (or liquid of any nature). Their thirst mechanism just shut down.

It kind of goes along with Brain Shrinkage (another typical Geriatric finding on CT scans of the brain). Who wants Brain Shrinkage?

Now for the slow Transit time... When you correct the fiber, fat and water components of your diet, this USUALLY fixes the "slow transit" problem. We have found that this even fixes Diabetic Gastroparesis! And that proves that this Functional problem responds to Adequate Fiber mixed with Adequate Water.

There's another good reason this works.

Did you know that the GOOD bacteria in your gut FEED OFF of fiber? That's right! The good bacteria grow and flourish when there is a lot of fiber to feed on. And these Good Bacteria help maintain a healthy GUT mucosa! So there is less inflammation from allergens, drugs, toxins and so forth... allowing the GUT Microflora to thrive and function properly.

And that's where it all really comes together! Good Gut Health, High Fiber, Lots of Water, Strong Microbiome... One big Happy Family!

Here are 3 favorite things for a STABLE GUT that needs a "pick-me-up".
1. Designs for Health Paleo Fiber - 1-3 tablespoons a day (you can't find a better fiber product!)
2. Probiotics - 50 Billion daily with a meal
3. Digestive Enzymes with large meals (and small meals for certain individuals)

And with that... ADD
4. 100 ounces of clean water every day - at minimum.

This in and of itself will actually help clean up Your GUT.

But... what if you've waited too long... and you actually have Leaky GUT? Maybe you've had to use antibiotics throughout your life. Or maybe you are a frequent alcohol enjoyer... or have been drinking a decent amount of coffee for years. Or maybe you have developed food allergies and sensitivities that you haven't figures out yet? Maybe you take over the counter pain and inflammation relief drugs. Or maybe... just maybe... you have been eating out more frequently (ANY eating out), or eating foods high in pesticides.

How will you know? Your GUT will tell you!

You could find that... no matter what you do... you can't lose weight, or you feel bloated frequently, or have frequent aches and pains (especially in the morning)... or you have intermittent rashes or itchiness. Or your moods are often a mixed bag of feeling down while also feeling a bit anxious.

These are signs you need to take your GUT to the next level.

Fiber, Digestive Enzymes and water aren't likely going to be enough to fix a "Inflamed Leaky Gut. Likely Not. It's just gone too far at this point... and you really need a good Healthy Gut CLEANSE! You need stronger plan - and THEN you'll be ready for just fiber, Enzymes and Water!