Healing From Within€¦ · (preventing/healing ‘leaky gut’) •Play a role in detoxification •Regulate the immune system •Produce some nutrients (B-vitamins & vitamin K)

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Go With Your GutHealing From Within

The information covered in this session is for personal interest purposes only,

and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, nor medical care.

If you have specific concerns, please consult your healthcare provider.

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

About Me:Fully qualified naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist with 6 years experience.

Bachelor of Health Science (Complementary Medicine)Advanced Diplomas:

Naturopathy

Nutritional MedicineWestern Herbal Medicine.

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Meet Your Innards • 8.5m in length!• 40m2 surface area = 10 King size beds• You will eat around 35 tons of food in your lifetime

Your Microbiome:• Individual collection of gut bacteria – unique to you• Weighs around 2kg • Outnumber your cells by a factor of 31

• The genes in the microbiome outnumber your own genes by 1001

• Has evolved with us

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

The Microbes Did It• Help to break down & absorb food

• Break down drugs and medications

• Control the growth of ‘bad’ species that can cause problems

• Assist in protecting the barrier between the gut and the bloodstream (preventing/healing ‘leaky gut’)

• Play a role in detoxification

• Regulate the immune system

• Produce some nutrients (B-vitamins & vitamin K)

• Neurotransmitters – e.g. serotonin (moods)

• Appetite

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Diversity – The More, The Merrier

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

A balanced ecosystem

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

‘All Disease Begins In The Gut’ - HippocratesOur gut health, and our microbiome can play a role in....

➢Mental health – depression, anxiety➢Skin – eczema, psoriasis➢ Immune system – allergies, frequent infections, autoimmune conditions➢Weight➢Diabetes➢Hormones ➢Cardiovascular health➢Autism?➢ Inflammation➢Food intolerances – how many children had food issues when you were growing up?

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Signs Of An Unhappy GutCommon symptoms:

• Bloating & gas• Constipation• Diarrhea• Alternating constipation & diarrhea/irritable bowel• Reflux/indigestion• Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease• Food intolerance• In children – sore tummy, night waking, behaviour

These may be common, but are NOT ‘normal’

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Dysbiosis – Growing Weeds

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

‘I want to go out for a nice meal every now and then without having to plan everything around where the bathrooms are’

‘I know where every toilet is located between home and work!’

• HUGE impact on quality of life, relationships, careers, family etc.

• ‘Functional’ disorder – nothing is actually wrong (on tests)

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

IBS• Heightened sensitivity

• Brain influences the gut, and vice-versa. Stress can affect.

• Leaky gut – gut lining becomes ‘porous’

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)• May be factor in IBS

• Normal gut bacteria grow too far up the intestine

• Hallmark – bloating approximately an hour following a meal

• Testing methods are available (but not always 100% accurate)

Natural strategy:

• Antimicrobial herbs and probiotics to restore the proper balance

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Food Intolerance• Delayed reactions to foods – different from an allergy• Can be difficult to pinpoint which food is the problem• Most common – wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, nuts, seafood, legumes, onion family• Usually about the gut health, NOT the food itself• Leaky gut allows particles through to the bloodstream, where the immune system

over-reacts• An indication of how our gut health has been deteriorating over time? How many kids

were intolerant or allergic to foods when you were growing up?• Removing foods is not a solution. Very common to start reacting to other foods over

time because the underlying cause has not been addressed.• Restricting foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies and poorer gut health.

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Just How Important Is The Gut?• 62 children aged 1-10 years with peanut allergy

• Treatment was simple – building up tolerance with gradual increases in peanut quantity, combined with a specific probiotic strain

• At the end of the original trial, 82% of children could eat peanuts safely (5-45/week)

• Four years later, 80% were still eating peanuts regularly

(Please DO NOT try this approach at home!)

https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/research-trial-shows-evidence-cure-may-be-possible-peanut-allergy

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Reflux & Indigestion• Usually treated with antacid drugs – symptoms only

• These are not designed for long-term use

• Can affect the health of the microbiome

• Increased risk of osteoporosis

• Safer alternatives are available

• Food and lifestyle

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Can We Test?• SIBO breath testing – not always accurate• Digestive stool analysis – can be useful for parasites (eg giardia) or yeasts. May need

several tests over a few days. • Microbiome testing? Not useful!• Food sensitivity testing – blood test for antibodies. Not 100% accurate• Markers of healthy digestion eg butyrate (fuel for gut cells)• In-clinic general markers – inflammation, absorption

➢Symptoms always give the best indication

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

What Can You Do? • Nutrition • Gut-healing foods and supplements• Medicinal herbs• Stress• Lifestyle

Build a healthy microbiomeRestore gut lining/heal leaky gutAssist production of enzymes

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Probiotics

✓For gut and microbiome (healthy bacteria population) support – encourage growth of beneficial species, prevents colonisation of unhealthy species.

✓Protecting lining of the gut – healing and preventing leaky gut

✓Help stimulate the movement of the intestines (peristalsis)

✓Help produce vitamins

✓Helps produce enzymes

✓Enhance absorption of nutrients

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Probiotics

Fermented Foods:

• Have been used as far back as 5000BC!• Provide extra enrichment to foods – protein, vitamins, essential fatty acids• Break down some compounds – pesticides etc.

• Eg. yoghurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi• Drawbacks of using fermented foods?

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Probiotics? Do you need a supplement if you are eating plenty of fermented foods?

• Refrigerated are best

• VITAL to choose a probiotic that has been researched and scientifically validated –many have not!

• My favourite supplemental probiotics – Lactobacillus Rhamnosus LGG, L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis. 1 capsule twice per day.

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Prebiotics• Food for the good bacteria.

• Help to dislodge bad bacteria in the gut (such as E.coli & clostridia)

• Enhance immunity

• Eczema

• Help repair the gut after antibiotics

• Foods – garlic, onions, oats, legumes, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, bananas, asparagus

• Supplements:• Lactulose• Resistant starch

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Going All OutStart low and slow with prebiotics & probiotics

Side effects can include:

• Bloating & gas

• Headaches

• Fatigue

…these can be a sign that you are triggering a change in the microbiome

➢ Increasing good bacteria – producing gas as they grow

➢ ‘Die-off’ effect of bad bacteria – producing inflammatory compounds

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Food For Gut Health• Fruits & vegies – prebiotics and gut-building properties

• Quality protein - helps protect gut cells against damage, and aids repair

• Bitter foods – stimulate the digestive process

• Natural enzymes – help to break down food easier

• Zinc – helps to heal the gut. Most people do not get enough zinc in their diet

• Vitamin D – assists in maintaining a strong gut barrier

Check your ‘cheat sheet’ download for ideas for foods that contain these nutrients

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Stress • Your stress levels are…..?

• Stress changes the balance of bacteria in the gut

• Taking steps to manage stress will help many digestive issues

• Gentle walking (in a park, forest or garden is particularly beneficial)

• Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation

• Hobbies – often these are neglected in our busy lives!

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Natural Options for Bloating• Eat mindfully – avoid TV, working or reading while eating

• Chew thoroughly – your stomach doesn’t have teeth!

• Avoid liquids with meals

• Stay away from overly processed foods, preservatives, deli meats

• Herbal Medicines:➢ Aniseed➢ Dill➢ Fennel➢ Ginger➢ Lemon Balm ➢ Peppermint

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Natural Options For Diarrhea/IBS• Stress management, regular ‘time out’

• Probiotics – daily. Strains - Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v, Saccharomyces bouliardii

• Herbs:➢ Chamomile➢ Lemon Balm➢ Globe Artichoke➢ Slippery elm bark

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Natural Options for Constipation• Plenty of water• Exercise to help encourage the digestive tract to move along• Probiotics & prebiotic foods – an unhealthy microbiome can be a cause• Bitter greens to help stimulate the digestion process

• Herbs:➢ Slippery elm bark➢ Liver herbs such as Dandelion or St Mary’s Thistle

• Also consider other causes – eg thyroid problems

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day...

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Why see a naturopath?• The gut is the foundation of health• Tailored treatment – you are unique• Treating the underlying cause• Best quality and high-strength

Practitioner-Only herbal and nutritional medicines

• Access to naturopathic screening tests – may provide clues to what is happening in your body.

• Fastest results

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Health Programs

Upcoming Workshops:

Go With Your Gut: Healing From Within

© Linda Back 2018

Wednesday 27th June – Menopausal Mayhem: Balancing Body & Mind

Wednesday 8th August – Allergies & Eczema

Wednesday 19th September – Thyroid Health

Wednesday 24th October: Food Sensitivities & Intolerance

Wednesday 28th November: Energy