How to Eliminate Gut Indigestion | The 5R Overview

Turns out Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was right when he stated that “all disease begins in the gut.” 2,000 years later we know that the diversity of your gut bacteria strongly influences your health.

Almost 80% of your body’s immunity is found in the gut, or the lining of your gastrointestinal system. It’s there to stop invaders from getting through the lining and into the body. Over time, stress, poor diet, medication and antibiotic use, environmental toxins, blood sugar irregularity, lack of digestive enzymes, and a lack of beneficial bacteria break down the barrier and create what’s known as “leaky gut.”

What Comprises a Healthy Gut?

A healthy gut has an approximately 8:2 or 80/20 ratio of beneficial bacteria to opportunistic or “bad” bacteria. We want both. The beneficial bacteria help create a wall of defense against pathogens and keep them from escaping the intestine. When this ratio is out of balance, the walls of the gut get worn down, pathogens escape and enter the bloodstream, and the immune system is activated. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re sensitive to shrimp suddenly when you never were before, a leaky gut might be the reason.

Some other signs and symptoms of leaky gut are fatigue, headaches, joint pain, frequent colds, food sensitivities, skin irritations, digestive upset, anxiety, and then all of these can lead to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Celiac Disease, and Type I Diabetes to name a few. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or conditions, addressing the health of your gut can help prevent further damage and help you feel a lot better.

Five Steps to Healing Leaky Gut

Fortunately, there’s a way to close the gaps and heal the intestinal wall to restore your health! The five steps outlined below help reduce factors associated with leaky gut and introduce foods and supplements that support gut healing. The 5R protocol is to REMOVE any pathogens and foods that can be causing inflammation, RESTORE those foods with nutrient-dense foods to calm and heal, RESEED your gut with beneficial bacteria, RELEASE and manage emotional and psychological stress, and RESEAL your gut using targeted supplements and herbs.

REMOVE

• Pathogens

• Alcohol

• Gluten

• Food Additives

• Refined starches and sugar

• Saturated and trans-fatty acids

RESTORE

• High-fiber foods

• Omega-3 fatty acids

• Mushrooms

• Herbs and spices

RESEED

• Probiotic supplement

• Fermented foods and drinks

• Raw local honey

• Walk around barefoot

RELEASE

• Stress

• Lifestyle

• Social

• Movement

RESEAL

• L-glutamine

• Omega-3 fatty acids

• Marshmallow root

• Aloe vera

• Collagen

• Digestive enzymes