When You Know (or don't know) in Your Gut that Something is Wrong!
You know in your gut that something is wrong!
Your gut is telling you something is wrong! Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea! You might think "Why can't I just be normal? How do I know where to start?"
The answer is right in front of you, but your doctor may not know about it. The answer is this: When in doubt, start with the gut!
Your gut is a complex biological ecosystem.
The gut is comprised of 30 trillion types of bacteria, 100 trillion in number. This represents 10 times the cells in your own body! They act and react to everything you do, especially to everything you eat. Like loyal or angry pets, they can reward you or turn on you in a day-- and this is what creates disease (dis-ease or the lack of ease), the lack or balance in your body.
This lack of balance, or dysbiosis causes you to feel bloated, pain, constipated, diarrhea, tired, joint pain, mood swings--the list goes on and on. So what are you supposed to do about it?
Can you measure the bacteria in your gut?
Yes you can! If you have hormone problems, gut problems or chronic pain and you haven't found the answers at your traditional doctors office, you can take matters into your own hands. You can find the imbalance and begin the journey to correction.
Why should I start with my gut?
To answer this question, let me tell you a story about my roof. One day, I looked up at the front porch to see sagging drywall on the ceiling and that dreaded black mold. My heart sank because I knew that this was a symptom of a bigger problem.
Higher up on the tile roof, water was slipping between the tiles and into the barrier that should have been there but wasn't. The roofers didn't correctly install the waterproof barrier and over time, over years in fact, the water dripped and dripped until there was a completely porous barrier, allowing anything to get through. Once water got down onto the drywall, mold festered and literally ate through the bottom layer of the roof.
Fix the root cause, not the symptom.
Would it make any sense to repair the drywall and not address the problem higher up? Of course not! Sooner or later I would be right back where I started. So why is it that doctors just give antacids for months, or antispasmodics, or anti diarrheals or constipation medications without questioning what is actually causing the problem?
What is "leaky gut," or intestinal permeability?
Just like my roof was leaking and developed mold, your gut can be leaky, with mold overgrowth, bacterial overgrowth and imbalance. And it can be fixed.
What can I do now, if I can't afford the testing?
Keep a food diary to answer the question of what is triggering your symptoms. Is it carbohydrates or sugar? If so, you may have SIBO or SIFO (small intestinal bacterial or fungal overgrowth). Is it fermenting proteins? Low stomach acid may be the culprit. Do fats cause pain? Bile acid deficiency or malabsorption may be the cause. Bringing this simple diary of symptoms to a qualified functional medicine health care provider is the first step.
How do I find someone I can trust to guide me through this?
Visit ifm.org and use there simple search tool to find someone qualified to help.