Optimal Gut Health is Essential for Good Health

Efficient absorption of nutrients & elimination of waste impacts every area of our health

Poor gut health can lead to a wide variety of health problems

Typical examples include migraines, skin conditions, autoimmune diseases, thyroid problems, mental health problems, endocrine system issues, and more.

This is because the digestive system includes liver and gallbladdder function, blood sugar balance, the eliminate waste and absorb nutrients, as well as a key role with our immune system. Having sufficient stomach acid, digestive enzymes and bile production are also very important.

Two key areas of gut health

Gut Dysbiosis

Gut dysbiosis is a term used to describe an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the bowels with an unhealthy outcome. In a healthy adult body there are over 100 trillion friendly bacteria. An overgrowth of bad bacteria, such as candida, Strep, mold, among others, can have broad negative affects wtih a person’s health.

Leaky gut

This relates to the strength and health of the gut lining, and plays a huge role in our health. When toxins are able to leak across the wall of the bowel it leads to an array of problems.

These two issues are things I talk about often with my clients because gut health has far-reaching ramifications throughout the body. For example, when we’re looking at mental health, skin conditions, low immunity, infections, food intolerances, autoimmune disease, to name just a few, the gut is implicated. What’s more, underlying gut issues can be hard to spot, but they can wreak havoc in your body.

I’ve seen first hand time and time again how frustrating it can be for people who are struggling to find answers to chronic health problems. The majority of people who come to see have already been down the medical pathway, without answers.

A very common example is someone suffering from migraines, who is given powerful pain medicines, which they take each time the migraine arises. What is often overlooked is the underlying cause – and bowel health is very commonly the culprit in such cases. Another example might be chronic cystitis, where there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria and leaky gut fuelled by antibiotic use. Another common example is depression. In all these cases treating the underlying bowel issues is vital for proper healing.

Constipation Leads to Toxicity

If you’re not opening your bowels at least once a day your body will be getting gradually more and more toxic. This is a problem that needs to be addressed.

A slow acting bowel can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish, but if the constipation continues then any one of the many side effects can manifest, such as allergies, asthma, backache, cramps, acne, eczema and psoriasis, depression, fatigue, headaches, haemorrhoids, indigestion, insomnia, irritability, low concentration, memory loss, menstrual problems, infertility, nausea, poor appetite, prostrate trouble, lymphatic congestion, weight gain … the list is endless. If it goes on longer term, this can result in more serious health conditions arising.

THE PROBLEM WITH LONG-TERM CONSTIPATION

Long-term constipation can contribute to serious health issues, such as diverticulosis and cancer.

Diverticulosis is just one of the many issues arising from constipation, where increased bowel pressure causes sac-like herniations, which often become filled with trapped faecal sludge that can become infected and cause local ‘rotting’ of tissue and leaky bowel, causing toxicity and disease in the body.

The Merck Manual (American Medical Industry Standard text for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease) states that in 1950 only 10% of adults over the age of 45 had diverticulosis, by 1955 that had become 15% and by 1972 was up to 30%.  By 1979, 45%, so you see where this has gone and is still going.

Just keeping the bowel moving is for some really difficult, and there are those who have suffered since birth/small children. Others have simply acquired a sluggish bowel over time through food devoid of fibre, not enough water, and so on. Constipation is a progressively degenerating disease. So if you can slowly alter this you will be surprised by not just how well you feel but how many other symptoms and illness just gradually slip away. This won’t all happen overnight of course, but the immediate ‘poisoning’ that goes on with re-absorbed faecal matter (leaky bowel) will start making you feel very different quite quickly.

Remember also that backed up waste matter not only invites microbes to multiply it will attract parasites and worms.

PROCESSED FOODS

The fibre that is found naturally in foods is often lost during the ‘processing’ of plants into ‘food’. Fibre helps the bowel transport material but there is another important aspect about soluble fibre in that it generates good bacteria. It is a ‘pre-biotic’ meaning it provides food for good bacteria to grow and thrive on. Without it the bowel will become sluggish, slower, less movement will be triggered, all with constipation as a result.

It’s not just a case of what is lost in processed foods, but also what is added. Excess sugar, including high fructose corn syrup, will induce bowel inflammation long term.

WHAT NATURAL REMEDIES CAN DO

Overall the goal is to:

  • Promote regular, healthy and complete bowel movements.
  • Strengthen and stimulate the muscular movement of the colon.
  • Neutralise and eventually cease bloating, gas and digestive upset.
  • Bowel movements becoming softer and easier to move.
  • Help retrain the bowel alongside better foods and water etc (or just keep helping a strongly genetic leaning towards constipation).

Contact me if you have any questions about this and I can help guide you with the things that you would need to do to optimize your bowel health, and in so doing help to protect your health going into the future.

Uncovering the Cause

There can be many causes of these conditions, from food intolerances, auto-immune disease, to viruses and parasites. Identifying the cause and then correcting this is key to treatment. There is often a simple explanation and it is particularly important to address these now because of the havoc that can be caused elsewhere with ones health because of a a bowel that is having trouble digesting food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste.

If one experiences these conditions repetitively then your body will not be clearing waste and toxic material efficiently and this will open the door to illhealth in a variety of possibilities from skin problems and respiratory illness to headaches and toxicity related illness.

Call me on 01379 308707 to find out more

Treating Food Intolerances

Food intolerances are not always something that you have to put up with, very often they can be eased or healed. They are often linked to gut health, such as the balance of gut bacteria and also the integrity of the bowel wall.

Common food intolerances are on the rise today and about 25% of the people who come to see me are in fact experiencing this. It can make you feel tired, rundown, and can also affect digestive function. Many of my clients don’t realize that they are sensitive to certain foods until we do some quick testing during the appointment. Intolerances are on the rise partly due to how different our food is today compared with even just a few decades ago. Agricultural methods such as with genetically modified foods and the processing that changes foods from its natural state make it harder for us to digest and will contribute to extra burdens on the body to deal with. In addition the types of food we are eating are very different too. The digestive system usually take the brunt of this but other systems, such as the lymphatic system and our skin and mucous membranes, often are affected too. In addition, our bodies are subjected to drugs, vaccines, and additives etc in our food.

Some basic food sensitivity testing can be carried out in an appointment. Additionally, there are specific remedies that can be applied.

Call 01379 308707 to find out more or to book your appointment

Typical symptoms but a clear scan is very common

I often see people with gallstones and gallbladder colic. Often they have had scans which don’t always show up the gallbladder as a problem, yet they are suffering from typical gallbladder pain. This can present as upper abdominal cramps, nausea and pain that radiates to the back and sometimes up to the back of the right shoulder. I use a diagnostic technique to confirm this and then treat the problem with natural remedies. This technique will also identify if the gallbladder is likely to be a problem in the near future too.

One of the more memorable clients I treated with gallbladder pain and gallstones, took the remedies I recommended over the course of a few weeks, which he wanted to do prior to a scheduled surgery to remove the gallbladder. He came to see me three weeks later and was able to cancel the surgery because he was no longer in pain.

Call 01379 308707 to make an appointment or to find out more

Treating can be dietary or with natural therapies

These conditions can be markedly improved by adjusting one’s diet and giving the digestive system support with natural therapies. These are signs of a digestive system under stress, so correcting this for long-term health is beneficial.

With acid reflux the assumption often is that the stomach is producing too much acid, but often enough it is the opposite, where the stomach is not producing enough acid and digestive enzymes so that food then stagnates and putrifies in tthe stomach and results with acid reflux, but there are clear cases where acid reflux is distinctly worse after certain foods. This is why it’s so important to isolate the underlying cause case by case. Stress is another factor that can make quite an impact on Acid Reflux.

Call me on 01379 308707 with any questions

Have a look at this Gut Health Check List and get in touch if you would like some help.

🔎 Book a Free Discovery Call to find out how I can help

Hear from my clients

“To my sheer amazement, my condition started to improve within 24 hours … yes, 24 hours! Having checked with my GP, I stopped taking my acid reflux medication and the antacid tablets and my chest pains started to ease immediately and disappeared completely after one week. It is now 5 weeks since my first consultation with Nick and I already feel like a new person. No acid reflux, no IBS symptoms! I can now go out again with confidence and have lost a few pounds in the mix! The supplements and remedies are not cheap but it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. Thank you, Nick, for giving me my life back!

I contacted Nick as a last attempt to resolve my years’ old digestive issues with acid reflux, IBS and food intolerance. Conventional medicine had discounted serious underlying causes but left my symptoms unchanged and gradually getting worse by the week. My life had almost come to a standstill as socializing and going out, in general, became problematic for fear of a sudden flare up.

The consultation with Nick was a delight. I was given all the time I needed. Nick asked all the right questions and his explanations about my condition showed a high level of knowledge and expertise. Nick prescribed various dietary supplements, homeopathic remedies and gave me advice on how I can change my eating habits.“

– Sonia

“Within a couple weeks, I’d already noticed an improvement and now 3 months later it is clear the impact this has made. Would highly recommend.

After no luck visiting my GP, I decided to try a different route to help some personal issues. Initially slightly skeptical, I was immediately put at ease and it was clear how knowledgeable and insightful Nick is about health and naturopathy.”
– Jenny

 

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