Tagged: leaky gut

Functional Nutrition for Leaky Gut

Your chronic stomach issues, bloating, mental fogginess, and skin issues are not normal! Leaky gut or intestinal permeability is a newly researched condition that doctors often look over. Unfortunately, this syndrome is precisely how its name describes it: the intestinal lining has cracks and large holes, letting bacteria and other toxins into our gut, causing inflammation, fibromyalgia, mental health problems, and arthritis.

Our Holistic Wholeness Nutritional Team will uncover what is causing inflammation and disruption of gut flora.

What causes a leaky gut? Researchers believe that leaky gut is induced by our Standard American Diet (SAD). The greasy meats, processed sugars, and heavy fats inflame the gut causing this disruption. In addition, other factors are reported to disrupt our intestinal linings, such as heavy alcohol use and genetics. Those who have undergone radiation or chemotherapy in the past can also be prone to this condition.

Our Holistic Wholeness Nutritional Team will uncover what is causing this inflammation and disruption of gut flora. We will then reintroduce foods back into your system to see what exactly is triggering your leaky gut. Each person is different in terms of which foods bother them, but the most common foods that cause intestinal permeability are:

Gluten Products: Bread, pasta, baked goods, oats, barley, rye, cereal
Alcohol Products: Leaky gut is very common in those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Patients should replace their evening beverages with flavored water or low sugar kombucha.
Processed and Cured Meats: Bacon, deli meat, hot dogs, and fast food meats are culprits of inflammation in the body.
Dairy Products: Milk, ice cream, cheese, and yogurt react poorly with many individuals gut bacteria
Processed Foods: Chips, sweets, fast foods, sugary drinks/ juices, sauces, and salad dressings are just a few of the many processed foods available to us today. However, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods completely! There are many healthy alternatives to your favorite foods, such as healthy banana pancakes and air-fried potato chips!
Refined Oils: These are the oils that have been treated with chemicals such as acid or have been bleached. Examples of these oils include vegetable, canola, peanut, and soybean. Instead, opt for cooking with extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil!

When your diet is clean, you will start to see an improved quality of life. Our team will work with you beyond your nutritional needs to get your body back to normal. We conduct functional testing which helps identify the things causing your leaky gut. We will evaluate other health factors, such as stress, sleep, and exercise, to help determine these issues’ root cause. Schedule a consultation with us today to get started on your path to a healthy gut again!

Nutrition Education

Functional Nutrition for Allergies

Allergies are a common condition that can have a variety of side effects depending on the person. The reaction occurs when your body responds to a foreign substance that it doesn’t know how to handle. It releases antibodies to fight this substance which causes you to react. There is a wide range of allergies, such as seasonal, food, and drug. People have different responses to these sensitivities as well.

Our Nutrition Team at Holistic Wholeness Institute helps individuals with allergies alleviate their symptoms naturally with food and lifestyle habits. First, we take a look at what you are currently eating, and then we understand which foods are causing you to have a reaction, so we know to limit them. We use both in vivo (real-life) and in vitro functional lab tests) to figure out the right diet for your unique makeup. We also will implement more symptom-fighting superfoods into your diet!

Here are some of the common types of allergies we specialize in and an overview of how we tackle them:

Seasonal Allergies

Treating your seasonal allergies each year with over-the-counter medication can cause drowsiness and increase blood pressure. However, by implementing nutritional changes to your diet year-round, you can decrease your reactions to irritants. The Holistic Wholeness Institute’s goal is to keep our clients at a stable, healthy weight, as those who are obese suffer from more allergy attacks. We also replace foods that cause inflammation with anti-inflammatory options containing Vitamin C, bromine, and omega-3’s.

Food Allergies

Eating a wide variety of foods is vital for obtaining all of our fundamental vitamins and minerals. However, when individuals have food allergies that cut off major food groups, they eliminate essential nutrients. Those with common allergies such as nuts, soy, eggs, milk, and fish are at risk of developing these deficiencies. Our team is here to help you understand which nutrients you lack and give you recommendations on which foods or vitamins to supplement with to be wholly nourished. We also take a holistic look at our patients to see if they are experiencing conditions such as leaky gut or migraines, as these conditions can all link together.

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

A typical nutritional plan we recommend to our patients with allergies is the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet. This regime aims to reduce inflammation to defeat allergen symptoms. This diet is also aimed to help those with migraines, leaky gut, IBD, arthritis, and other autoimmune disorders. AIP is broken down into multiple stages. First, we will eliminate certain foods and products that are known to cause flare-ups. Some examples are:

Grains
Nuts/Legumes/Seeds
Coffee
Alcohol
Eggs and Dairy
Nightshade Vegetables (such as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers)

In the following stages, we slowly reintroduce each food back into your diet in a particular way. Here, we understand which foods may be aggravating you.

At Holistic Wholeness Institute we are eager to help you understand how you can use nutrition to advance your quality of life.

If you feel drained from having seasonal allergy flare-ups, looking for nutritional supplements for your food allergies, or seeking guidance for your Autoimmune Protocol Diet, please schedule a consultation with us! We are eager to help you understand how you can use nutrition to advance your quality of life.

Nutrition Education

Gut Health Supercharge: Unleashing the Power of Bone Broth for a Vibrant You!

Bone broth is well known for its gut health benefits.

Bone broth is different from soup stock because of the time that’s spent simmering. The longer the bones and vegetables are allowed to cook, the more nutrients and minerals are pulled from them.

Some of the great ways that bone broth benefits your body include:

Heals leaky gut
Further protects the lining of your gut
Contains glucosamine, which protects your joints
Great source of collagen
Contains glycine, which promotes better sleep and wards off fatigue
Supports a healthy immune system
Increases bone strength
Supplemental source of amino acids, which are important for muscle recovery and energy

Luckily, there are many ways to incorporate bone broth into your diet – whether you’re a vegetarian, pescatarian, or aren’t sure where to start. Check out this list and try a few to see which suits your lifestyle the best.

For more information on how your gut health affects all other processes in your body, contact our office today!

Clean Living Blog