Signs You Might Be Suffering From Leaky Gut

Let talk about something that might make you a little uncomfortable. Something that I talk to my clients everyday about.

Do you look 👀 before you flush? Did you know that what’s going on down there tells you A LOT about your gut health. Your brain’s 🧠 neurotransmitters or feel-good chemicals like serotonin are synthesized in the gut and it is where 70% of your immune system 🤒 lies.

I had a client two months ago who came to me looking for help with weight loss. He was diagnosed with IBS by his doctor because he complained of frequent constipation. He had tried gluten 🍞 free, dairy 🥛 free, you name it – nothing had helped. After working with me for a month he started having bowel movements DAILY and the weight started slowly coming off. I could share about 100 stories of clients that looked just like this man.

Signs that your gut is off:

1. You are sprinting to the nearest bathroom: Along with gas, bloating, and constipation, diarrhea gets placed under the umbrella term “irritable bowel syndrome” (IBS), which gives these symptoms a name but does nothing to clarify the true underlying cause(s) or the treatment.
2. Your tummy becomes progressively distended throughout the day. Ever had a stranger congratulate you and ask when you are due? This can happen for a few different reasons reasons. But if it happens no matter what you eat and you feel uncomfortable, it very well could be a sign that your gut bacteria is off.
3. You go a few days without having a bowel movement. Things like travel and stress can throw off your normal bowel movement, but suffering from constipation is not normal. This includes that feeling that you are not completely emptying when you finish going to the bathroom.
4. You are suddenly sensitive to foods you never used to be. The gut barrier is your gatekeeper that decides what gets in and what stays out. When these tight junctions become loose, the term “leaky gut” is used to describe bacteria and toxins that are able to “leak” through the intestinal wall leading to an undesirable immune response.
5. You’ve been on antibiotics: Antibiotics wipe out bad bacteria, but they also wipe out many of the good bacteria in the gut that are essential for your health. Research also suggests that good bacteria wiped out by antibiotics don’t replace themselves unless you intervene. Other medications, including NSAIDs, steroids, antacids, birth control, and hormone replacers, can also harm those probiotics. If you need medicine to get and stay well, by all means, take it, but whenever possible look for effective natural alternatives.
6. You frequently feel anxious or depressed. As your “second brain,” your gut can affect your mood and the way your brain functions. Unfavorable gut bacteria interfere with your brain’s ability to do its job, triggering mood disorders including anxiety and depression.

What can you do about it? Have yourself evaluated by a gastroenterologist to rule out small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and have your diet evaluated by a Dietitian. Certain foods such as high FODMAP foods, fruit, and lactose are common foods that will not settle well if you have a leaky gut. Don’t go cutting out dairy or gluten blindly assuming that these are the issue. Gluten is a high FODMAP food which means that if high FODMAP foods are what is causing discomfort, then you aren’t addressing the root cause and putting yourself at risk for nutritional deficiencies Probiotics can help if the issue is in the balance of your gut bacteria. It couldn’t hurt to take an over the counter broad spectrum probiotic to see if that helps, but its usually a bigger fix than that.

Make a free consult with me today if you are unsure if your gut issues could be solved simply through your diet.

“All Disease Begins in The Gut.” – Hippocrates