Unfortunately, there are a lot of ways to undermine the integrity of the gut lining:
- Not eating enough fiber, which starves the good bacteria responsible for repairing and maintaining the gut wall lining.
- Eating too much sugar, which feeds bad bacteria growth.
- Overdoing it on foods loaded with gluten, the protein found in many grains, which can be a real gut-basher for people with allergies or those who are sensitive to it.
Look to remove your leaky gut triggers so your belly can begin to heal!
These include:
- Over-the-counter (OCT) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like Advil, Aleve,
Motrin, etc. - OTC products for acid reflux, like Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, etc.
- Prescription meds (proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs) for acid reflux/GERD, like Nexium,
Prilosec, etc. - Antibiotic use (take them as rarely as possible or as a last resort—not when you have the
sniffles!) - Habitual alcohol use or overuse
- Food sensitivities to things like gluten and dairy, legumes and coffee
- Low-fiber and/or diets high in processed foods
- Low-grade gut infections, like yeast, bacteria, and parasites
- Chronic stress
Any or all of these cause damage to the lining of the gut, letting undigested food particles and bits of bacteria into the bloodstream, setting off an inflammatory response throughout the body.
These inflammatory molecules, called cytokines, run amok throughout the system, setting off a variety of responses that may include everything from skin disorders, digestive problems, and
migraines to fatigue, anxiety, and mood swings
Switching to a low-carbohydrate diet can literally save your life. I recommend it to many of my patients, especially those who have metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes,
hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, heart disease or are just overweight.
Here’s why :
Sugar is evil stuff – and many of us are eating way too much of it. It fans the flames of inflammation and weakens immunity, wreaking havoc on the short and long-term health of the body. Excess sugar damages the heart, brain and just about every system in the body. Taking in more than the body can immediately use for energy leads to storage of the excess in the form of
fat, and lays the groundwork for obesity and for diabetes. IA new report from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention says half of us either have diabetes or are at risk for it. That’s a
crazy statistic!!
Drastically cutting sugar intake is essential for good health, and going low-carb is a great way to do it. Start by eliminating sugar, white or otherwise: think soft drinks, desserts, processed foods. But also eliminate all grains, including so-called “healthy” whole grains, and limit beans and legumes, which break down to sugar in the body readily enough. Fewer carbohydrates in the diet means less sugar is being dumped into the bloodstream, so the pancreas doesn’t have to produce so much insulin to bring your blood sugar levels down.
Carb-cutting is a simple, natural, drug-free way to stabilize both blood sugar and insulin by not constantly causing them to spike in the first place.
