Module 3 Part 3 - Healing your gut -Summary Document

1 THE GUT-FATIGUE CONNECTION

Healing the gut is a huge part of overcoming fatigue and enhancing your energy levels. Issues

like leaky gut, SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and gut dysbiosis (imbalance of

good vs. bad bacteria) are being linked to numerous diseases and health problems, including

fatigue.

So if you want to get your energy back, healing the gut is an important step in the process.

Several studies have now shown that chronic fatigue is linked with gut problems. Here are a

few of these…

There is also one case report of a 13-year old girl with chronic fatigue syndrome whose

symptoms completely resolved by adopting a regimen to heal the gut.

Gut bacteria dysbiosis and leaky gut syndrome are pervasive in persons with chronic fatigue.

In fact, in some cases of chronic fatigue syndrome, problems have been completely

resolved when subjects were treated with strains of bacteria which helped them to

create a new, stronger lining for their gut and heal leaky gut syndrome.

Increasing amounts of research are pointing that direction, proposing that the gut plays a big

role in most cases of chronic fatigue.

Today, researchers are linking unhealthy gut bacteria and fatigue, gut fermentation and

fatigue, leaky gut and fatigue, toxic leakage from leaky gut and fatigue, toxins invading a

leaky gut and fatigue – in short, all kinds of studies are being done to investigate how a

problematic gut can deplete the body of much-needed energy

In 1998, with his best-selling and widely respected book America Exhausted, Edward J.

Connely heralded this new interest in gut health, drawing much needed attention to the gut’s

impacting effect upon all the systems of the body with his assertion that the gut (and bowel)

the “most important organ in the body” – a revolutionary statement at this time, when we

were looking to the brain and heart as primary organs of importance then.

“The more antibiotics you take the more you will have to take

because antibiotics upset the natural balance of flora in the body. This

imbalance allows antibiotic resistant bacteria to grow, causing more

infection and necessitating more antibiotics, and so on.”

Dr. E. J. Connely America Exhausted: Breakthrough Treatments of Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

His studies have revealed that many patients with CFS have specific strains of bacteria in the

gut which cause health problems, including fatigue such as:

• High levels of enterococcus are associated with symptoms of headache, arm pain,

shoulder pain, myalgia, palpitations and sleep disturbance.

• High levels of streptococcus which are associated with post exertional fatigue,

photo-phobia, mind going blank, palpitations, dizziness, faintness.

• Low levels of e coli which results in foggy brain, fatigue, constipation, food

intolerance, food cravings and fatigue

“A healthy gut needs between 7 million and 90 million E-coli

microbes. E-coli ferments to produce folic acid, vitamin K2 (this

protects against osteoporosis), Co-enzyme Q10 (essential for

mitochondrial function), together with 3 amino acids, namely tyrosine

and phenylalanine (these are pre-cursors of dopamine, lack of which

results in low mood) and tryptophan.”

- Dr. Sarah Myhill

“The liver uses up 27% of all the energy available in our body – much

of this for detoxification.”

- Dr. Sarah Myhill

2 HOW DO YOU KNOW IF GUT ISSUES ARE A PROBLEM FOR YOU?

1. Do you have pervasive fatigue?

2. Do you have GI Symptoms?

3. Gut permeability test

4. Stool test

5. Organic acids test

6. SIBO breath tests

There is no one perfect test.

If you have chronic fatigue and some of the

symptoms of leaky gut or IBS, it’s reasonable to assume you need to work on your gut.

3 3 BIG (POTENTIAL) PROBLEMS OF THE GUT

1. Gut permeability

2. Gut dysbiosis

3. SIBO (and SIFO)

Leaky gut and gut dysbiosis push your mitochondria towards defense

mode

When the body is busy fighting toxins of all kinds -- such as toxins leaking into the blood from

the gut -- for example, the body uses up its vital energy supply trying to fight toxins as

opposed to fueling the body with energy.

It switches the mitochondria into Defense Mode chronically and takes them off line.

4 5 WAYS THAT GUT ISSUES WRECK OUR ENERGY

FACTOR #1 - BAD BACTERIA CAN CHANGE HEALTHY NUTRIENTS INTO TOXINS.

One example of this is with the nutrient choline, which is important for supporting

neurotransmitter production and cell membrane support.

When you have too many bad bacteria in your gut, they can literally turn the choline you

consume in your diet into a toxin called trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), which contributes to

plaque buildup in the arteries

Too much bad bacteria and yeast in the gut produce things like hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, D-

lactate, and alcohols. When you have a gut that is constantly producing low levels of these

compounds, it’s like being hooked up to an IV with a steady slow drip of poison feeding into

you.

In short, you are not going to feel very good.

Hydrogen sulfide is known to directly inhibit mitochondria and decrease the oxygen-carrying

capacity of hemoglobin – that is, it’s basically blocking fuel from getting to your mitochondria

and blocking your mitochondria from using the fuel to produce energy.

Alcohols leaking into the blood from the gut commonly result in brain fog. Moreover, the

alcohols actually cause a vicious cycle because they actively promote leaky gut, and they drain

the body’s antioxidant and detoxification systems by chronically having to neutralize the

alcohol.

FACTOR #2 - BAD BACTERIA DIRECTLY PRODUCE TOXINS.

It turns out that bad bacteria in the gut also come with another big problem – they directly

produce toxins known as “bacterial endotoxin” or sometimes as lipopolysaccharides, or LPS for

short.

Endotoxins are only produced by specific types of bacteria that tend to be the bad guys. So if

you have an overgrowth of the bad bacteria, that can cause endotoxin to build up in the gut

and potentially leak into the gut. If you have endotoxin leaking into your bloodstream

chronically, it’s bad news.

Endotoxins in our system is directly linked to.

• Obesity

• Insulin resistance

• Heart disease

• Cystic fibrosis

• Crohn’s disease and

ulcerative colitis

• Chronic fatigue

• Many autoimmune

diseases

FACTOR #3 - LEAKY GUT LEADS TO UNDIGESTED FOOD MOLECULES, BACTERIA, AND TOXINS GETTING

DIRECTLY INTO THE BLOOD

Normally, endotoxin is not that problematic – as long as they stay confined to out gut and then

we get them out of us and into the toilet. But, if you have gut permeability issues, endotoxin

can leak through the intestinal wall into our blood. When this is happening chronically, it is

very bad news for pretty much every aspect of health.

Increased gut permeability or ‘leaky gut’ syndrome is becoming more and more common as,

again, diet and lifestyle choices lead us into a compromised state of health. Protective mucous

membranes in our intestines, as well as the gap junctions in between cells of the gut wall, can

become inflamed and perforated which, allows a direct route for foreign bodies and endotoxins

to enter the bloodstream.

FACTOR #4 - SIBO DAMAGES THE MICROVILLI AND SLOWS MOTILITY, LEADING TO INCREASED

FERMENTATION

This can lead to malabsorption of

nutrients.

Microvilli are also responsible for

the digestion of small starch

molecules from food. When the

microvilli are not working, the

bacteria use these small starch

molecules to cause fermentation.

This bacterial fermentation

produces methane and hydrogen

gas.

Not only is this uncomfortable,

but causes further damage to the

microvilli.

Research has now shown that

SIBO is a major cause of intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut”, a condition where partially

digested food particles are absorbed through the lining of the small intestines where they can

cause an immune reaction.

Leaky gut also causes bacterial by-products to be absorbed - a major trigger for inflammation

The bacteria cause the motility of the small intestine to slow down or work improperly,

causing further fermentation.

Restoring proper motility in the small intestines is a major focus of eliminating SIBO for good

and your practitioner is likely to prescribe a “prokinetic” supplement or medication

FACTOR #5 - BAD BACTERIA + LEAKY GUT CAUSES TOXIN RE-ABSORPTION.

The wrong bacteria in the gut literally cause you to re-absorb the same toxins that the liver is

working so hard to get rid of. Here’s why: In a process called Phase II detoxification, the body

basically neutralizes toxins by binding them to other compounds in a process called

conjugation. But when you don’t have the right bacteria in your intestines, the bad bacteria

will actually remove the conjugating compound – the compound that the toxin is bound to that

makes it non-toxic – causing it to be toxic again, and then it gets re-absorbed.

Unfortunately, the fact that most people have low-fiber diets and poor gut bacterial

microbiomes in their guts makes this scenario very common. This is why the majority of

people are toxic.

The wrong bacteria in the gut literally cause you to re-absorb the same toxins that the liver is

working so hard to get rid of.

Here’s why: In a process called Phase II detoxification, the body basically neutralizes toxins by

binding them to other compounds in a process called conjugation. But when you don’t have the

right bacteria in your intestines, the bad bacteria will actually remove the conjugating

compound – the compound that the toxin is bound to that makes it non-toxic – causing it to be

toxic again, and then it gets re-absorbed.

Unfortunately, the fact that most people have low-fiber diets and poor gut bacterial

microbiomes in their guts makes this scenario very common.

This is why the majority of people are toxic.

When our liver is overburdened with toxins, the problem is it cannot filter all of them out of

your system and they stay there.

Think about what would happen if you kept filling a coffee filter with more coffee—eventually

the coffee filter cannot hold any more coffee—the coffee spills over and out onto the floor.

Gut dysbiosis leads to leaky gut syndrome because we need a careful balance of gut bacteria

just to make a proper gut lining.

Once toxins enter the bloodstream, the body diverts energy away from mitochondrial energy

production and thinks, “dang, I gotta go neutralize these guys now.”

As long as toxins are being pumped into the body, the liver will have no room to

process the stuff that is trying to get out.

How To Heal Your Gut – 3 PHASES TO RESTORE GUT HEALTH

PHASE 1 - REDUCE FODMAPS TO STARVE FERMENTING BACTERIA AND

START REPAIRING THE GUT LINING (2-6 WEEKS)

The goal here is to slowly starve the harmful bacteria while also limiting the side effects of

bacterial and fungal “die-off”. (Which can be very intense for some people)

Die-off reactions occur when bacterial and fungal endotoxins released and get absorbed into

the body.

This way of doing things also prioritizes repair of the gut lining BEFORE the killing of microbes

(to limit the amount of endotoxin absorbed by the body). This means a gentler and faster road

to feeling better.

So you’ll do a lowFODMAP diet for 2-6 weeks in order to slowly starve the fermenting bacteria

and reduce their numbers.

LOW FODMAP FOODS TO ENJOY

HIGH FODMAP, FOODS TO AVOID

If you’d like to see an in-depth list of foods to eat and avoid from Alison Siebecker, she has an

excellent SIBO-specific resource here.

If all this seems complex or hard to grasp, let me summarize what to eat simply and easily:

QUICK SUMMARY OF

FOODS TO EAT • Naturally-Raised Meats and

Poultry

• Fish and seafood

• Eggs

• Low FODMAP Vegetables

• Low FODMAP Fruits

• Low FODMAP Nuts and Seeds

• Healthy oils (Olive oil, coconut

oil, etc.)

• Spices and herbs

USE GUT HEALING SUBSTANCES

The second important part of Phase 1 is to use gut healing substances. Many gut healing

protocols do a kill phase prior to trying to heal the gut (it’s something I used to do with my

clients as well). The problem is that it creates intense side effects due to die-off reactions

getting absorbed into the bloodstream due to leaky gut.

That’s why I’ve now switched to repairing the gut prior to trying to kill off pathogenic bacteria.

So the other important part of phase 1 is to actively start healing and sealing the gut so you

no longer have leaky gut. There are several substances with proven efficacy in stimulating

healing of the gut:

• Turmeric

• Propolis

• L-glutamine

• Colostrum

• Gelatin

• MSM

• Quercitin

• Zinc carnosine

• Cat’s Claw

• N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG)

• Slippery elm

• DGL licorice

COMBO SUPPLEMENT: You can buy these supplements separately if you wish, or I’ve also

formulated a gut healing supplement with many of these compounds, which you can get here.

I also offer a colostrum supplement which you can get here.

(Note: I offer this only as a service – you are free to get these compounds as individual

supplements from other suppliers if you choose. I give you the list of ingredients and links to

those other supplements here so you can do that).

PHASE 2 - KILL PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND KICKSTART GUT MOTILITY (4 WEEKS)

I offer two ways to do the kill phase – the gentle way that doesn’t involve supplements.

This approach is better suited to people with severe fatigue and people who are easily

debilitating with even slight stressors. It’s also designed for people who cannot afford to use

supplements.

Then below that, I have the ”all out” method, which is for people who want to go all out and

use all the supplements and most powerful ways of cleaning out the gut (and who can afford

supplements).

GENTLE (NO SUPPLEMENTS)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

• A couple pinches or ¼ tsp of clove powder

• ½ - 1 tsp of ginger (whole root, or powder – more if using whole fresh root)

• 1 tsp turmeric (or turmeric paste)

You can either make a concoction with these ingredients (be aware that it will NOT taste

very good) or you can take these things separately. Take this mix 3 times a day on an

empty stomach in between meals for 4 weeks.

In addition to this concoction, you should also be doing 1-3 daily servings of fermented

foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir.

ALL OUT (WITH SUPPLEMENTS)

Everything in the gentle approach PLUS…

• Gut Balance or Biocidin

• Monolaurin

• Cinnamon oil + Clove oil instead of powders (note: dilute these 1 drop per 4 oz of

water)

• Caprylic acid

• Berberine

• Grapefruit Seed Extract

• Black Cumin Seed oil

• Propolis

• Black walnut

• Allicin

• (Charcoal and psyllium husk for die-off)

• Biofilm disruptors lactoferrin and NAC and “Interfase Plus”

• Add Atrantil if you have severe gas/bloating issues

(Note: Gut Balance or Biocidin have many of these antimicrobials, so you don’t need to buy

them all separately. A good strategy would be to get “Gut Balance” alogn with caprylic acid,

monolaurin, cinnamon and clove essential oil, and the biofilm disruptors.)

KICKSTART GUT MOTILITY

After you finish SIBO treatment, whether traditional antibiotics or herbal antibiotics, you

should immediately start taking a prokinetic agent to stimulate the MMC. Usually, prokinetic

agents are taken at bedtime because your body is repairing and detoxifying without food to

complicate things.

• Cheap and easy-to-get compounds: ginger, vitamin C, magnesium

• Supplements: MotilPro or Iberogast

WHY ANTIBIOTICS BY THEMSELVES AREN’T A PERFECT SOLUTION

SIBO is commonly treated with antibiotics. This helps reduce the problem bacteria but also kills

off the beneficial bacteria, and gets people into cycles of needing more and more cycles of

antibiotics in the long-term.

In fact, in one study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers

concluded SIBO patients treated with antibiotics have a high recurrence rate and that

symptoms were worse on the recurrent bouts.

SIBO - ANTIBIOTICS VS. HERBALS - ANTIBIOTICS VS. PROBIOTICS

One study has shown that herbal antimicrobials are as effective as three courses of

antibiotic therapy in patients who don’t respond well to rifaximin. This study mentions

a variety of herbal remedies like berberine extract, wormwood oil, oregano oil and lemon balm

oil.

One study concluded that probiotics have a higher efficacy rate than metronidazole for

individuals with SIBO.

In this study, probiotics were administered for five days to half of the study group, while the

other half of the study group received antibiotics for five days. All participants ate the same

diet, which limited consumption of dairy products, legumes, leafy green vegetables

and alcohol.

The results?

• 82% of the group receiving probiotics showed improvement.

• Only 52% of the group receiving antibiotics showed improvement.

PHASE 3 -RE-INTRODUCE FIBROUS PLANT FOODS AND TARGETED FIBER AND

GUT HEALING SUBSTANCES, AND INOCULATE THE GUT AND PREVENT FUTURE

DAMAGE

RE-INTRODUCE FIBROUS PLANT FOODS AND DO TARGETED FIBER SUPPLEMENTATION

TO SELECTIVELY FEED THE GOOD BACTERIA AND HEAL THE GUT

You may now re-introduce (SLOWLY) many of the high FODMAP plant foods, and resistant

starches. Remember that being on a highly restrictive diet forever is actually

counterproductive. It is important to reincorporate a wide variety of foods, including foods with

fermentable fiber.

Now that we have starved and killed off many of the bugs in our intestines, we now want to

selectively feed the good guys without letting the bad guys come back.

Here are some great ways to introduce the good guys to your system.

EAT PLANTS, LOTS OF PLANTS While many people focus on specific

toxins or food additives that contribute

to leaky gut, new research is actually

suggesting that plant fiber deficiency

may be a primary cause. It appears

that the bacteria in the gut need to

feed on something. So if you don’t

provide the food for them (lots of plant

fiber), they end up eating YOU – that

is, they end up consuming the

protective lining of your gut.

RESISTANT STARCH This is another incredibly important and

powerful healer of leaky gut. Next to

plant foods in general, this is the single

most powerful gut healer.

CONTINUE GUT HEALING SUBSTANCES

You want to continue to stimulate gut healing.

HEAVY DOSES OF FERMENTED FOODS AND/OR PROBIOTICS

Now that we have starved and killed off

many of the bugs in our intestines, we

now want to selectively feed the good

guys without letting the bad guys come

back.

Build up gradually over the course of a week or two to higher doses.

Keep cycling through the different probiotic brands.

A note on fermented foods vs. probiotic supplements

Remember that I am NOT saying that you NEED to buy probiotics. Fermented foods like

sauerkraut and kim chi are much less expensive and actually much MORE effective.

A single serving of 2 ounces of home-made sauerkraut had more bacteria than an

entire BOTTLE of a probiotic supplement.

Translated this means 16 ounces of sauerkraut = 8 bottles of probiotics.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD: “With every mouthful of sauerkraut you’re

consuming billions of beneficial microbes which will be killing the pathogens in your

gut driving them out and replenishing the beneficial flora in your digestive tract.”

(Keep in mind that I’m telling you this as someone who sells probiotic supplements). :)

ONE SPOONFUL OF HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT IS ROUGHLY

EQUIVALENT TO AN ENTIRE BOTTLE OF PROBIOTIC

“Over 100 species of microorganisms were identified

in kimchi fermentation. Several strains of microorganisms that produce

bacteriocin have been isolated from kimchi. Enterococcus

faecium in kimchi has a broad spectrum of bacteriocin activities, and

several Lactobacillus species have been shown to produce anti-microbial

compounds.”

“Health functionality of kimchi, based upon our research and that of other,

includes anticancer, antiobesity, anticonstipation, colorectal health promotion,

probiotic properties, cholesterol reduction, fibrolytic effect, antioxidative and

antiaging properties, brain health promotion, immune promotion, and skin

health promotion.”

PREVENT FUTURE GUT DAMAGE

Now that we’ve gotten rid of the the bad bugs and the good bugs in the wrong

places, and healed the gut lining, we need to prevent this situation from occuring

again.

Avoid sources of gut damage. This is a big one and this is to be followed indefinitely, not just a

temporary strategy – that is, if you want to keep your gut healthy.

Common causes of gut damage to avoid.

LOW PLANT FOOD INTAKE

Remember, if you don’t provide food for your bacteria – plant fiber – those bacteria are going

to get their food by eating away at your protective lining of your intestines

ALCOHOL

This is a very common way that people give themselves gut issues. Drinking wine or beer or

liquor every night is a fast way to give urself leaky gut.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS

Virtually all of the common painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, Tylenol, aspirin and all

the prescription NSAIDs can damage to the gut and promote leaky gut

OVER DOING CARDIO

Doing too much cardio is another factor that can contribute to leaky gut

EATING LOTS OF SUGAR AND STARCH-RICH PROCESSED FOODS

If these are a large part of your diet, they will disturb your gut microbiome and create a

bacterial and yeast dominance that results in a “fermenting gut”, as Dr. Sarah Myhill calls it.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS

Chronic stress is another way that our guts become leaky.

CARAGEENAN

This is a common food additive in many dairy products, alternative dairy products, and many

processed foods. It’s known to promote leaky gut.

PROCESSED FOODS

When you eat processed foods, it shifts your gut microbiome – the balance of good vs. bad

bacteria in your intestines. It promotes gut dysbiosis, which contributes to leaky gut

‘

RECAP

PHASE 1 - REDUCE FODMAPS TO STARVE FERMENTING BACTERIA AND

START REPAIRING THE GUT LINING (2-6 WEEKS)

Eat a low FODMAP diet for 2-6 weeks to starve fermenting bacteria

Start repairing the gut lining and sealing the gut using gut healing substances.

PHASE 2 - KILL PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND KICKSTART GUT MOTILITY

Use the protocols listed above to destroy biofilms and clean up the pathogenic bacteria.

(Choose either the ”gentle” protocol or the ”all out” protocol, according to what your finances

allow for.)

GENTLE (NO SUPPLEMENTS)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

• A couple pinches or ¼ tsp of clove powder

• ½ - 1 tsp of ginger (whole root, or powder – more if using whole fresh root)

• 1 tsp turmeric (or turmeric paste)

Take this mix 3 times a day on an empty stomach in between meals for 4 weeks.

In addition to this concoction, you should also be doing 1-3 daily servings of fermented

foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir. (This is something you should do through all THREE

PHASES and beyond.)

ALL OUT (WITH SUPPLEMENTS)

Everything in the gentle approach PLUS…

• Gut Balance or Biocidin

• Monolaurin

• Cinnamon oil + Clove oil instead of powders (note: dilute these 1 drop per 4 oz of

water)

• Caprylic acid

• Berberine

• Grapefruit Seed Extract

• Black Cumin Seed oil

• Propolis

• Black walnut

• Allicin

• (Charcoal and psyllium husk for die-off)

• Biofilm disruptors lactoferrin and NAC and “Interfase Plus”

• Add Atrantil if you have severe gas/bloating issues

(Note: Gut Balance and Biocidin have many of these antimicrobials)

KICKSTART GUT MOTILITY

After you finish SIBO treatment, whether traditional antibiotics or herbal antibiotics, you

should immediately start taking a prokinetic agent to stimulate the MMC. Take the prokinetics

at bedtime. Below are the options for natural supplements that are prokinetics.

• Cheap and easy to get compounds: ginger, vitamin C, magnesium

• Supplements: MotilPro or Iberogast

PHASE 3 -RE-INTRODUCE FIBROUS PLANT FOODS AND TARGETED FIBER AND

GUT HEALING SUBSTANCES, AND INOCULATE THE GUT AND PREVENT FUTURE

DAMAGE (4 WEEKS)

In this phase, you slowly re-introduce a wide variety of plant foods back into the diet. You

continue using the gut healing substances, the fermented foods and probiotics, and add in

resistant starch (which is a powerful gut healer). Then you focus on eliminating the root causes

of leaky gut/dysbiosis/SIBO to prevent recurrences and future damage.