Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach I began Phase 4, the reintroduction phase, on July 7th. With this phase I started 2 new supplements Flora Protect and a supplement called PepZin GI. These two supplements are to repopulate the gut with good bacteria and to protect the gut barrier and gut immunity. I will maintain the S. Boulardii with these two supplements and I have continued the peppermint oil. I am reintroducing foods on a 3 day cycle. The first day, I will consume half a serving of a certain food. If I don’t have symptoms, I will continue to day two where I will consume a half serving twice per day. Assuming there are still no symptoms, I will eat a normal serving on day 3. Day 4 is a rest day, to make sure that I don’t experience any delayed symptoms. Sometimes delayed symptoms can occur if you’re experiencing constipation so we’ve built in a rest day to allow any symptoms to subside before we start a new 3 day cycle with a different food. After the end of the cycle, if there were no symptoms, I have been waiting a week or so and then reincorporating those foods back into my normal diet.
Since the last update, I have reintroduced: cauliflower, bran, kidney beans, cream cheese, honey and apples. All have been a successful introduction. I am still working through a list of foods that I had eliminated and this will continue until I have tried all the foods that I eliminated so that I am either back to a normal diet or have identified some trigger foods. I am getting very close to wrapping this phase up, I have 11 more foods that I would like to add. I am taking this phase very slowly to be sure that I can clearly identify if there are some trigger foods. My coach has said that I can probably wrap it up, but I feel more comfortable maintaining this cadence until everything I used to eat is included. I am continuing the supplement regimen that I listed above until I am out of them. When I run out, I will not be refilling those. This includes the S. Boulardii. The only supplement listed that I will continue is the peppermint oil as that will be carried over into Phase 5. After this phase, we will move on to Phase 5 where we will eliminate Nexium and work on increasing my stomach acid levels. I have the protocol and I know what I will be adding, however I am not going to start this until I have completed the current supplementation and the reintroduction phase.
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Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach I began Phase 4, the reintroduction phase, on July 7th. With this phase I started 2 new supplements Flora Protect and a supplement called PepZin GI. These two supplements are to repopulate the gut with good bacteria and to protect the gut barrier and gut immunity. I will maintain the S. Boulardii with these two supplements and I have continued the peppermint oil. I am reintroducing foods on a 3 day cycle. The first day, I will consume half a serving of a certain food. If I don’t have symptoms, I will continue to day two where I will consume a half serving twice per day. Assuming there are still no symptoms, I will eat a normal serving on day 3. Day 4 is a rest day, to make sure that I don’t experience any delayed symptoms. Sometimes delayed symptoms can occur if you’re experiencing constipation so we’ve built in a rest day to allow any symptoms to subside before we start a new 3 day cycle with a different food. After the end of the cycle, if there were no symptoms, I have been waiting a week or so and then reincorporating those foods back into my normal diet.
Since the last update, I have reintroduced: barley, cottage cheese, mayo, and peaches. All have been a successful introduction. I also took a 4 day vacation to Chicago where I ate nearly everything I wanted to without any gut upset or discomfort. I did avoid the key foods like onions and garlic that are known to be harsh offenders, but I ate foods that I haven’t consumed for years and felt totally fine. I did experience some anxiety because I was a little uncertain of how it would settle with me and being out and about and not wanting to miss out on seeing sites in town on my vacation. I am still working through a list of foods that I had eliminated and this will continue until I have tried all the foods that I eliminated so that I am either back to a normal diet or have identified some trigger foods. I am getting very close to wrapping this phase up. I am taking this phase very slowly to be sure that I can clearly identify if there are some trigger foods. After this phase, we will move on to Phase 5 where we will eliminate Nexium and work on increasing my stomach acid levels. Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach I began Phase 4, the reintroduction phase, on July 7th. With this phase I started 2 new supplements Flora Protect and a supplement called PepZin GI. These two supplements are to repopulate the gut with good bacteria and to protect the gut barrier and gut immunity. I will maintain the S. Boulardii with these two supplements and I have continued the peppermint oil. I am reintroducing foods on a 3 day cycle. The first day, I will consume a half serving of a certain food. If I don’t have symptoms, I will continue to day two where I will consume a half serving twice per day. Assuming there are still no symptoms, I will eat a normal serving on day 3. Day 4 is a rest day, to make sure that I don’t experience any delayed symptoms. Sometimes delayed symptoms can occur if you’re experiencing constipation so we’ve built in a rest day to allow any symptoms to subside before we start a new 3 day cycle with a different food. After the end of the cycle, if there were no symptoms, I have been waiting a week or so and then reincorporating those foods back into my normal diet. So far the foods I have attempted are: watermelon, peas, hummus, gluten, Greek yogurt, ketchup, mushrooms, black beans, and raisins. So far all the foods have been tolerated except hummus. It has been hard for me to determine if the issues were actually with the hummus or issues I was having at the time with constipation causing some discomfort. I am still working through a list of foods that I had eliminated and this will continue until I have tried all the foods that I eliminated so that I am either back to a normal diet or have identified some trigger foods.
After this phase, we will move on to Phase 5 where we will eliminate Nexium and work on increasing my stomach acid levels. Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach Throughout this process, I have continuously surprised myself. Phase 3 that I thought would last 6-12 weeks, I completed in 4. My body has been responding very well to the treatments. I have eliminated all symptoms after 4 weeks of fighting SIBO with diet and supplements. I started Phase 3 on June 3rd and ended on July 3rd. When this phase began, I was to discontinue the mastic gum and the DGL encapsulations and immediately begin the 4 SIBO supplements. The 4 new supplements were: Oregano Oil, Berberine, GI Detox and BioFilm Defense. Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has also been shown to help stabilize intestinal flora balance. Berberine is usually a natural alternative to some diabetes medications including metformin. Studies are showing that it has a benefit to gut microbiome and has shown to improve symptoms of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The BioFilm defense helps support healthy levels of biofilm and provides nutritional support for detoxing the gut. It is also an aid for bloating, gas and GI distress. Lastly, the GI Detox is exactly what it sounds like. This is a supplement that will help bind all of the harmful microbes we are trying to flush from the body and get them out of the body. I also continued the Phase 1 practices during this phase. Those steps included diet changes, starting S. Boulardii, starting colostrum, walking after meals, managing stress, getting good sleep, and keeping my workout intensity lower. These are all in place to help my body naturally detox and heal. The diet changes are to keep inflammation to a minimum. The S. Boulardii and colostrum help support the gut during the detox and die off process. Walking after meals aids with digestion and minimizes bloating and discomfort. Managing stress, getting good sleep and keep my workout intensity low are all about reserving my energy for my body’s healing and fighting the infection. It is normal to experience fatigue during this phase so keeping some energy is vital for allowing your body to recover. The typical expected symptoms associated with die off include: fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and flu like symptoms.
I did not experience any adverse symptoms during this phase. I was able to maintain consistency with the supplements and the protocol which is probably why I was able to get out of this phase within 4 weeks. Now, it’s time for Phase 4. Phase 4 is going to be continuing most of the Phase 1 protocol things. I discontinued the 4 SIBO supplements and the colostrum. I have also started taking a probiotic called Flora Protect and a supplement called PepZin GI. These two supplements are to repopulate the gut with good bacteria and to protect the gut barrier and gut immunity. I will maintain the S. Boulardii with these two supplements and I will be continuing the peppermint oil. So far the introduction of these new supplements has gone smoothly. The first day I had some cramping, but I believe this to be caused by a 3 hour window between taking the pills and eating my first meal. The supplements are to be taken on an empty stomach however I learned that my first meal needs to be shortly after I take them. The basis of this phase is reintroduction of foods. All the items that we discontinued in Phase 1 will be added back in. This is a gradual reintroduction, we aren’t just throwing caution to the wind. We are implementing a 4 day cycle. I will be choosing one food from each category and introducing it on a 4 day cycle. Day 1 will be a half a serving. If there are no symptoms, day 2 will be the same size serving twice per day. On day 3 if there are no symptoms, I will eat a normal serving. Day 4 is a rest day to allow the gut time to rest. Day 5 starts another 4 day cycle with a different food from a different food group. As we go through this process, I will be tracking what foods I’m introducing and what symptoms I experience. By the end of this, I will have identified my trigger foods, if there are any, and can avoid them to maintain gut health. I anticipate I will be in this phase until I have cycled through all the foods that I would like to add back into my diet. After this phase, we will move to Phase 5 where I work on increasing stomach acid and titrating off Nexium. Of course, you will receive an update in 4 weeks on progress. Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach I have now begun Phase 3 of my journey to gut health. Phase 3 is the SIBO kill/die off phase. When this phase began, I was to discontinue the mastic gum and the DGL encapsulations and immediately begin the 4 SIBO supplements. The 4 new supplements are: Oregano Oil, Berberine, GI Detox and BioFilm Defense. Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has also been shown to help stabilize intestinal flora balance. Berberine is usually a natural alternative to some diabetes medications including metformin. Studies are showing that it has a benefit to gut microbiome and has shown to improve symptoms of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The BioFilm defense helps support healthy levels of biofilm and provides nutritional support for detoxing the gut. It is also an aid for bloating, gas and GI distress. Lastly, the GI Detox is exactly what it sounds like. This is a supplement that will help bind all of the harmful microbes we are trying to flush from the body and get them out of the body. I will also be continuing the Phase 1 practices during this phase. Those steps included diet changes, starting S. Boulardii, starting colostrum, walking after meals, managing stress, getting good sleep, and keeping my workout intensity lower. These are all in place to help my body naturally detox and heal. The diet changes will keep inflammation to a minimum. The S. Boulardii and colostrum help support the gut during the detox and die off process. Walking after meals aids with digestion and minimizes bloating and discomfort. Managing stress, getting good sleep and keep my workout intensity low are all about reserving my energy for my body’s healing and fighting the infection. It is normal to experience fatigue during this phase so keeping some energy is vital for allowing your body to recover. The typical expected symptoms associated with die off include: fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and flu like symptoms.
I began the Phase 3 protocol on June 3rd. This phase could last anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 weeks, however based on the length of time I’ve been experiencing discomfort, it’s more likely going to be closer to 12 weeks for me. So far I am 2 weeks in and I am experiencing some discomfort. Nothing has been intolerable at this point. I have noticed some nausea and some heartburn, which I suspect to be from the Oregano Oil. I haven’t noticed a huge change in bowel habits as of yet. The biggest challenge has been the medication schedule. The GI Detox has to be taken in the morning with a full glass of water and has to be kept an hour away from other medications, supplements and food. So I have to wake up earlier to take this pill, then an hour after I can take my BioFilm Defense and my other supplements and medications, but I can’t eat until 20 minutes after my BioFilm Defense, so my morning routine, I have to make sure I have an hour and 20 minutes plus whatever time it will take for me to eat my breakfast before I need to be somewhere. This makes things a bit challenging sometimes and I have to make sure I am planning ahead. All in all, things are going smoothly considering how long I’ve been sick. I have been much more ill in the past when I tried to correct my gut with the Western medicine approaches. The symptoms I’m experiencing are mild and I still feel better than my previous “normal” state. I will do another update in 4 weeks. At that point, I should be at the halfway point so it will be interesting to see how I am at that point. Blog Post by Coach Julie NCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 • NCI Certified Mindset Coach I am now well into Phase 2 of my journey to gut health. Phase 2 is the H. Pylori kill phase. I started the DGL encapsulations on Friday the 22nd. I have been taking just one capsule at dinner. I tolerated the supplement well. The following week I started the mastic gum supplement. I have been taking two capsules every morning before breakfast. These are the two supplements that are specific to the H. Pylori infection and protecting the gut lining.
Keep in mind, I have to maintain the steps that were prescribed in Phase 1. Those steps included diet changes, starting S. Boulardii, starting colostrum, walking after meals, managing stress, getting good sleep, and keeping my workout intensity lower. When we moved into Phase 2, we simply added the two H. Pylori supplements. Since starting the two supplements, I have had some side effects. These side effects are typical of any treatment of H. Pylori. When you begin a treatment to kill an H. Pylori infection, it is typical to experience some nausea, burning sensation in the gut, heartburn, and in some cases diarrhea. Diarrhea is predominantly present when utilizing prescription medication therapy to fight the infection. I have not been experiencing diarrhea. I attribute this to the supplements. Antibiotics typically disrupt the gut because they kill the good gut bacteria as well as the bad bacteria in the body. This causes diarrhea commonly. I have been having a touch of nausea and some burning sensation. These side effects have been tolerable. I haven’t missed any work due to illness since I started the protocol. My bowel movements are becoming more complete and more regular. I will maintain the Phase 2 supplements for about 4 weeks. At that time we will proceed into Phase 3 which will be to kill the SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). When we start Phase 3, I will stop the two H. Pylori supplements and I will add in 4 more supplements. I will add in Oregeno Oil, Berberine, GI Detox and BioFilm Defense. Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, antioxidant and anti inflammatory. It has also been show to help stabilize intestinal flora balance. Berberine is usually a natural alternative to some diabetes medications including metformin. Studies are showing that it has a benefit to gut microbiome and has shown to improve symptoms of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The BioFilm defense helps support healthy levels of biofilm and provides nutritional support for detoxing the gut. It is also an aid for bloating, gas and GI distress. Lastly, the GI Detox is exactly what it sounds like. This is a supplement that will help bind all of the harmful microbes we are trying to flush from the body and get them out of the body. The 4 week mark is Saturday May 28th. At that time I will be making the transition from Phase 2 to Phase 3. Blog Post by Coach JulieNCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 • NCI Certified Mindset Coach We are well into phase one of my gut health protocol. So far this has consisted of moving my diet to a gluten free, lactose free and low FODMAP diet. The purpose of this phase is to bulk up the gut, strengthen it and increase the gut immunity so that it is prepared to kill off bacteria and infection.
I am where I need to be for my diet. In the initial blog post, I was easing my way into it to clear out my pantry and finding substitutions that would still allow me to hit my ideal macros for the cycle I am in right now. I have been able to move entirely to gluten free, lactose free and the FODMAPs are kept to a minimum. Keep in mind the diet is not FODMAP free, but low FODMAP. This has been the biggest adjustment. I have previously completed this type of diet before but it has been quite awhile and there have recently been changes to the diet’s protocols. Learning where FODMAPS are hiding in foods has been quite a challenge. I was able to download a PDF of FODMAP foods and the appropriate serving sizes of select foods that can be consumed if kept to a smaller serving. I also found an app for my phone called, FIG, that allowed me to scan barcodes of products to obtain a detailed readout of what is in the product and which ingredients are not diet friendly. That has been a huge help for me in both adherence and education. I did have to lower my protein goal now that the dietary changes have been made. I was aiming for 185g of protein per day, but without cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, it was very difficult for me to hit that number. We lowered it slightly to 170g and added 15g to my carbs. This has been much easier to adhere to my macros and the gut health dietary protocol. Lactose free cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are options, however, I have not been able to find them locally. I did receive the colostrum supplement and I implemented it on March 26th. This was added to the current regimen of the S. Boulardii that I was taking. I am taking one capsule of each per day. So far I have not experienced any adverse effects. The colostrum is a supplement that helps repair the gut lining. This will strengthen it so that while we are fighting infection and the bacterial overgrowth, I don’t experience a leaky gut. Remember the S. Boulardii is to help increase the gut immunity to help head off the H. Pylori. The implementation of the supplements and the diet has had a remarkable improvement on my situation. I am assuming the inflammation is dropping in my gut. There is really no hard and fast way to know this without lab testing, but judging by the way I feel, I am guessing that is a big component of the improvements. I have noticed that my scale weight does not fluctuate as much as it used to. Inflammation can cause scale fluctuations and even measurement fluctuations depending on severity. I am also experiencing more regular and less painful bowel movements. Previously I would frequently go 4 days without a bowel movement and then have super painful large bowel movements. As of now, this has been resolved. I am having bowel movements nearly daily and sometimes twice per day. Inflammation can cause constipation and vice versa. Inflammation/constipation can become cyclical for sufferers of gastrointestinal issues. I am slowly becoming more confident with my gut. Previously I would eat my lunch at work at a certain time so that I would know I would be able to leave for lunch if I got sick. Now I’ve been finding I’m more confident in eating at random times. This seems insignificant, but my life previously revolved around my stomach. Literally, the fear of being sick and not being confident with my gut determined everything. I am slowly finding freedom from my gut and we are only in phase one. I am also completing the other necessary tasks to help with digestion. I am training at a reduced intensity, walking after meals, focusing on sleep and trying to manage stress. Because of the work I have put in and being able to be comfortable being uncomfortable, I have seen success with phase 1 of the program. We are now going to proceed with phase 2. Phase 2 will be moving on to kill the H.Pylori infection. I will be maintaining the habits of phase 1 and simply adding on 2 supplements that will kill the infection. I’ll be taking Mastic Gum twice per day with meals and DGL twice per day with meals. Mastic gum supports the gut and duodenal health as well as promoting healthy stomach acid production. DGL stands for deglycyrrhizinated licorice. See why we abbreviate? DGL is a combination of deglycyrrhizinated licorice, aloe vera, slippery elm, and marshmallow root. All of these elements are very protective of the GI tract. The combination helps support the defense mechanisms by stimulating the mass, quality and production of mucus which is a major component of the stomach’s protective lining. You will notice that a lot of the supplements I’m taking are for the gut lining. This is because H. Pylori attaches to your gut lining and can cause ulcers so we have to take care to protect the gut lining. This is why we have to kill the infection before we work on correcting my lack of stomach acid. Introducing acid into my stomach while I have an active infection can speed up the formation of ulcers. When the H. Pylori infection is gone, I will stop taking Nexium (finally) and we will work on improving my stomach acid levels. I will be ordering the supplements and as soon as I get them, phase 2 starts. I will update you again in 2 weeks and let you know where we are. I don’t know how long phase 2 will last, but I will keep you updated as we go along. Blog Post by Coach Julie**Please Note: This is my journey. The protocol that I am following is individualized to my situation. I am not a doctor nor am I offering medical advice. Should you wish to seek coaching for your individual situation please fill out the coaching call application and Coach Kayli or I would love to help you. This is going to be the beginning of a blog series that will also have podcast episodes and social media posts to supplement it. This series will be a case study and a documentary of my journey to better gut health. I have been on a mission since 2008 to figure out what was wrong with my gut and fix it so that I could have a better quality of life. I had not been successful finding answers regarding what was wrong with my gut so that I could start the process of healing and getting better. Now, in 2022, 14 years later, I have the answers I need, the coach to guide me and support me and the protocol that will hopefully put me in the place of healing and a normal functioning quality of life. Through this series I will outline my journey. What we are doing, why we are doing it and how I am doing with the process. At this point, not even I know if the method I have in place will work, but I’m going to document each step and any changes we make along the way. Let me start by giving you the backstory. In 2008, I started having severe diarrhea. It was so bad, I couldn’t control my bowels. I would have diarrhea as soon as I woke up and it would continue until almost dinner time. It didn’t matter what I ate. I was always sick. My doctor at the time ran a bunch of lab tests to try and diagnose an issue. All labs were normal. I was negative for Crohns’, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac, etc. They couldn’t find anything abnormal. There was nothing they could do. I couldn’t function at a normal capacity. I couldn’t work and I had to do my college coursework via email. This persisted until around 2011. In 2011, after a procedure by my chiropractor to close my ileocecal valve, the diarrhea stopped. The ileocecal valve is a valve in your intestinal tract that can get stuck open and cause what’s called “dumping syndrome.” After the diarrhea stopped, I began feeling a little bit better, but I had started having nausea. I returned to the doctor. The doctor had previously run abdominal sonograms and ultrasounds but found nothing of note. At the time she had mentioned a test called a HIDA scan to check the function of the gallbladder. This test requires you to lay still on a bed for an extended period of time, which I knew I would not be able to do without getting sick. Now that the diarrhea had resolved, I asked if we could discuss the HIDA scan again. We decided that would be a good course of action. The test showed that my gallbladder was only working at 7%. The gallbladder is usually removed at 50%, it should have been removed a long time ago, but since I didn’t have gallstones and I wasn’t full of sludge and uninsured, I wasn’t an emergent case. I knew part of the key to feeling better would be removing the gallbladder. I borrowed money from my grandmother to pay for my surgery. In December 2011, I had my gallbladder removed and I asked for an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time to check for other issues. While they were removing my gallbladder, it actually ruptured. It was actually full of sludge. Coming out of surgery, I felt much better. I had to avoid certain foods but I felt much better than I had in a long time. I was able to proceed with a better quality of life than I had the 3 years prior to. I also used this as an opportunity to stop smoking. In 2015, I had a flare up of diarrhea again that wouldn’t stop. I was even hospitalized and given strong medications to help the condition, but instead of healing, I ended up with C. Diff, which is a horrible bacterial infection in your bowels. I sought help from a GI specialist. Without running any tests, the doctor handed me a prescription for a very high powered anti-diarrheal medication and told me to be careful. He said some people end up with obstructive bowels after using that medication. I decided I would start with half a tablet per day and slowly increase until I found the dose that worked for me. That seemed to work ok. But I wasn’t satisfied with using a pill to mask a symptom. Something had to be causing the diarrhea. I sought the help of another GI specialist in 2016. He completed a colonoscopy and found nothing of significance. He found a had a tortuous colon, which means that I have a sharper bend in my colon than most people so things sometimes don’t move through as smoothly as they should, which can cause pain. Again, an answer but not quite the answer. I finally was able to get into a specialist program at KU. I was pretty sure that would be my ticket to wellness. KU is supposed to be the gold standard of treatment. On the day of my appointment my doctor came in and said that I had IBS and I needed to continue to use the medication for the diarrhea but because it was causing a little bit of constipation, I needed to add a laxative to that as well. That was not an answer. Those medications counteract each other. I left very displeased. I have been able to manage my condition so far with diet and exercise, but I still have cramping, pain, bloating, constipation, fatigue and just overall feeling of malaise. I have been living this way since 2016. I struggle with anxiety and depression which could very much be caused by this constant ill feeling. Toward the end of 2020, I started pushing again to find the answers to my gut issues. My doctor and I ran so many tests. Finally a stool test showed that I had pancreatic insufficiency. I was elated. Finally an answer that wasn’t “it’s all in your head” or “it’s your anxiety.” They prescribed me a pancreatic enzyme to correct this issue. It seemed to work really well, I was feeling pretty good, but I started feeling more constipated than before. I decided to try and stop my anti-diarrhea medication. I was able to stop that and feel ok. No diarrhea returned and I was feeling ok, not quite great yet. I saw another gut health specialist at KU in December 2021. This doctor hadn’t looked over my medical records that he required before he would see me. He had to ask me what lab testing had been done and after telling him what my test showed and my diagnosis he told me “that is a trash can diagnosis.” He wanted to put me under anesthesia to prove the other doctor wrong and that my pancreas was fine. He said you have IBS and I am going to give you medication for constipation but it may cause diarrhea. This time I actually spoke up for myself. I told him I wasn’t interested in taking another medication and ending up back where I was. I have been chasing my tail for over a decade now. His solution was to take peppermint oil, which I wasn’t super happy with but at least it was natural. After this disappointing appointment, my wife and I decided to seek the help of a functional medicine doctor. I was getting nowhere so it was time to change the path. I saw the new doctor in January. She gave me a great plan of action but the testing was going to cost me around $700 out of pocket to figure out what was going on, but she thought I had a parasite. The issue is, the tests she wanted me to complete weren't for the gut. I wanted my gut addressed, I wasn’t in a place where I wanted to mess with everything else first. I mentioned all of this stress to my nutrition and fitness coach, who, like Coach Kayli and I, is a gut health speciailst. He stated that he thought that he and I could do this together for less money and less invasive. I agreed. This is where we are now. I ordered a GI MAP test online. The mail you the testing materials, you complete the stool test and mail it back to the lab. My results were back within 2 weeks. The results showed high inflammation, H.Pylori and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.) These are things that can be healed and treated. Brandon and I have come up with a protocol that we think will work. The protocol is coming from his experience and his wide network of other coaches and specialists that have completed this protocol before. The protocol I am following has also been reviewed by a functional medicine doctor and my primary medical provider. They approve of the protocol and are supervising me throughout this journey. This is very much a collaboration as everyone involved has been given the lab results and the protocol and knows where we are every step of the way. The first phase of this journey that is required is the diet. Before we can do anything, we have to prepare the gut for treatment. Temporarily changing my diet will help reduce inflammation which will not only help me feel better but also make my gut more susceptible to the treatment. The diet changes I am implementing are moving toward gluten free and low FODMAP diets. We are also cutting out caffeine and alcohol, although I don’t drink. I will need to eat 3 to 4 hours apart to allow the gut time to recover and digest each meal. I will also be reducing the amount of intensity and frequency of training. The body needs to dedicate the energy to healing the gut so I will be lifting 3 days per week and not exceeding 7 RPE/3 RIR. No high intensity cardio, only walks, yoga and mobility. I will also be taking 10 minute walks after meals to aid in digestion. I have also started peppermint oil to help soothe the GI tract and Saccharomyces Boulardii. S. Boulardii is a good bacteria that acts as a probiotic in the gut. This is used to help boost intestinal immunity and also helps with diarrhea. I will also be starting a colostrum supplement. This will be used to help repair the gut lining and make it stronger so that it can treat the H.Pylori infection. I have not received the colostrum supplement but I have received the S. Bouldarii. I started it on Saturday March 19th. I have tolerated it well. I am having some cramping but it isn’t terrible. No diarrhea or vomiting. My diet changes have started but I am not fully at gluten free or low FODMAP quite yet. It’s a gradual process and I had some groceries that I needed to finish so they didn’t go to waste. I seem to be doing well so far. I will start the colostrum as soon as I receive it. I will continue to move the diet toward gluten free and low FODMAP and will take the two supplements for 2 weeks. After two weeks, if I’ve handled the protocol well so far, we will progress to phase 2, but that phase will be dictated by my progress over these 2 weeks. |
AuthorKayli is a certified personal trainer and online coach that specializes in fitness, wellness, nutrition, mindset, mobility and everything in between. Categories
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