5 Steps to Relieve Your GI Issues

This week on the Harmony with Food Show, I talked about steps you can take to relieve your GI issues.

Acid Reflux

40% of people in the US have digestive issues. 15% of all people with digestive issues have IBS, and 20% have GERD, or acid reflux, at least once a month. 10% have acid reflux daily. Daily acid reflux can be a precursor to what's known as Barrett's Esophagus.

There's a sphincter that is supposed to control the acid that is in your stomach and keep it from coming into your throat. When you have a lot of pressure on your stomach because you're pregnant or overweight for example, the sphincter doesn't work as well. Acid isn't supposed to be in your throat, and when it is happening daily it can actually change the cells in your throat and become what's known as Barrett's Esophagus, which can be a precursor to cancer.

You may think that acid reflux is a little annoying and you can handle it by just taking some Tums, but it is something you really want to look into.

Your doctor may have prescribed you proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux, but you are only supposed to be on them for 8 to 12 weeks and then gradually get off of them. The problem is that when people try to get off of them, they end up having rebound reflux, then they think they need the medication and get back on it. But there are alternatives.

With testing, we can look into underlying causes of issues like GERD and IBS so we can treat them. Some of these underlying causes could be small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), leaky gut, or a lack of digestive enzymes, bile acids, or even stomach acid.

5 Tips to Improve Digestion

Clean Up Your Diet - the first thing I recommend doing to improve digestion is to clean up your diet. Reduce sugar, including foods that convert to sugar, like alcohol, and increase whole foods. This will help reduce the number of bad bacteria in your gut.
Manage Stress - did you know that stress can actually influence your balance of good to bad bacteria? Keeping stress in check is key to your health.
Reduce Bad Bacteria and Increase Good Bacteria - when you do stool testing with me, I'll be able to see your exact balance of good bacteria to bad bacteria. If your gut is overpopulated with bad bacteria, I'll recommend natural antibiotics to help kill some of the bad bacteria and bring them to a lower level. Then, I'll recommend pre- and probiotics to increase your levels of good bacteria.
Identify Food Sensitivities and Food Allergies - I do both food sensitivity and food allergy testing. I recommend allergy testing when people are having symptoms like hives or swelling or tingling on their lips when they eat something. Food sensitivities can create inflammation and also be a cause of joint pain and digestive problems.
Remove Yeast, Mold, and Parasites - I can also test you for yeast, mold, and parasites. If we find one, we can use natural antibiotics and detox agents like activated charcoal to help get rid of them.