How I healed postpartum anxiety by addressing my gut health

I know what you’re thinking.

How can you reduce anxiety by addressing your gut health?

But…Does this sound familiar?

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

Imagine ….

….what if would be like to not have to worry about your digestion so much

…to feel at ease, when you eat out or at your mother-in-laws

…to not have to bring your own food to parties

The interesting part?

We are never taught how to heal our bodies after having children.

There is only one postpartum doctor’s appointment for you, yet there are several for your child.

Why is that?

So, what’s the answer? The 4R approach.

First… click below for your FREE gut health questionnaire.

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

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. Remove

Take out what ails you.  

The top allergens are:

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

Add in whole grains (like quinoa and rice), organic vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats.

• Remove allergens 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
• Consider shopping the perimeter of the grocery store

2. Replace

#1 After 2-4 weeks on the 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. 
  

#2 Add in bitters

• 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 links above to see the companies I love}

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 remove the allergens first.

• 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 into your diet 3-4x week. Although very delicious, kombucha can be high in sugar so consider using sparingly.

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:

• Tumeric- I personally like to take turmeric in a blended tincture like Adrena nourish
• Aloe vera
• Marshmallow root powder
• DGL licorice (aloe and licorice are not for internal use during pregnancy; these are fine for children) are some of the most effective herbs for healing the gut lining.
  • They are best taken in capsule or extract form, though turmeric can also be added to foods.
    • 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 has one here or Pure encapsulation combines aloe, slippery elm, and marshmallow root together!
• Zinc: 5-10 mg/day for children 4-7 years, 10-20 mg/day for children to age 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 vitamin 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 in pregnancy).

Conclusion

If you scored high on the gut health questionnaire, these herbal supplements will help you heal your gut and reduce unwanted digestive issues, along with healing anxiety.  Elimination diets alone will not work unless you add in the gut-healing remedies.

Have questions? Send me an email or book a women’s health consultation.