I know what you’re thinking.

How can you reduce anxiety by addressing your gut health?

And, Is it true?

Gut-brain connection anxiety

It’s called, the gut-brain axis and it turns out – when your body experiences inflammation it stimulates the HPA axis and releases cortisol – the stress hormone.  source

But, wait up.  Don’t worry, you can heal this.

So, do any of these symptoms sound familiar?

• bloating
• pain when eating gluten or dairy
• skin eruptions
• exhaustion
• seasonal allergies
• recurring yeast infections
• achy joints and muscles

You’re body has an amazing capacity to heal

So, what’s the answer to healing your gut? It’s called, the 4R approach – taught to us by functional medicine doctors.

What is the 4R approach?

This method addresses the underlying causes of gut imbalances and restores harmony, helping to alleviate symptoms and maybe even disease.

The program suggests you: Remove> Reinoculate> Repair> Reintroduce

Gut health anxiety and diet

How do you heal your gut?

• Remove all triggers: i.e. all allergens and cross reactors like gluten and dairy.
• Get off medications (with Dr.’s approval and replace them with natural remedies ).
• Reduce your stress with meditation, exercise, and botanicals.
• Heal your gut lining with the 4R approach below.
  

1. Step #1 Remove

Take out what inflames you. You can get tested for food allergies, but honestly, it may not help.  You probably already have an inkling of what foods bother you.  The foods to create inflammation are:

• wheat 
• corn
• eggs
• dairy
• peanuts
• soybeans

So, what do you eat?

• Add in whole grains (like quinoa and rice), organic vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats.
• Remove these foods for 4-6 weeks {or it may take up to a year to heal your gut if you have an auto-immune disease}
• Encourage whole, organic foods every day

2. Step #2 Replace

After 2-4 weeks on an Elimination diet, introduce a good-quality digestive enzyme containing protease, lipase, amylase, and pepsin.

• This is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, too.
• I like Enzymedica, you can buy it here. 
  
• I also do love the Thorne gut test and supplements suggested.  Take the at-home test here:https://www.thorne.com/products/dp/gut-health-kit

Next, add bitters to stimulate digestion.

• I like  Urban Moonshine Bitters
  • This will trigger the digestive system to produce digestive enzymes, secrete bile, and balance HCI levels in the stomach.  
  • Take bitters 10-15 minutes before your meal.
  • If you have a lot of nausea with meals or when you take supplements, you might also need some additional stomach acid in the form of a supplement called Betaine HCl, or try 1 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar in water with your meals. {click on the links above to see the companies I love}

3.  Step #3 Reinoculate

Wait 2 weeks on the elimination diet or up to 6 weeks before adding in a probiotic.

  Adding in a probiotic can give you gas and bloating if you do not have enough digestive enzymes

• Add a good quality probiotic to restore your gut flora.  I like Klair probiotics.
• You want it to have a minimum of 5 billion CFU in each dose, and a good range of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species.
• Fermented foods such as miso, sauerkraut, and kimchee can also be a helpful advantage to your gut, add it to your diet 3-4x a week.
• Although very delicious, kombucha can be high in sugar so consider using it sparingly.

4. Step #4 Repair

Include the following supplement for 6-weeks or more to repair your gut. The following supplements can be taken for up to 6 months to help to heal the intestinal lining:

• Turmeric
• Aloe vera
• Marshmallow root powder
• DGL licorice (aloe and licorice are not for internal use during pregnancy, and these are fine for children) are some of the most effective herbs for healing the gut lining.

Do you get heartburn?

• • • • DGL or diglyceride licorice is a great alternative to tums and does not raise your blood pressure. DGL licorice is available as chewable lozenges and thus may be the simplest one to give to kids.
      • Klair labs have one here or Pure encapsulation combines aloe, slippery elm, and marshmallow root together!
• Zinc:
  • Dosing suggestions: 5-10 mg/day for children 4-7 years
  • 10-20 mg/day for children aged 12
  • 25-40 mg/day for older children and adults.
• An antioxidant supplement
  • Look for one containing vitamins A and carotenoids, C, E, and selenium. These are often found in a multivitamin.
  • Pregnant women should get these from their prenatal vitamins only.

• Fish oil: I prefer Carlson’s Lemon fish oil.  
  • My kids like the Nordic Natural berries for kids.
  • Fish oil is important for general health in pregnancy and breastfeeding, too.
• L-Glutamine Powder:5-10 gm of powder twice daily for one month. (Much less for kids but talk with your child’s doctor before using and don’t supplement during pregnancy).

Conclusion

Dysbiosis is common after pregnancy due to the stress, possible antibiotic use, and poor diet most of us have; especially because we’re so limited with time!  Elimination diets alone will not work unless you add in gut-healing herbal remedies to help soothe and support the digestive tract.

xo

Tara