I’m preparing a class on Leaky Gut and how to support gut health by using Essential Oils. So I figure now is a good time to write another post about it. It’s pretty important – many researchers now suspect healing the gut will be the keystone to restoring true health and wellness for generations to come. We have made a bit of a mess of it.
To give you a quick idea of the scope of importance – scientists studying gut flora and its role in colitis and other bowel issues transferred the bacteria from healthy subjects to unhealthy subjects. After a couple of treatments one man rang up and said “thanks for treating my depression” – the scientists were stunned – “how do you know it’s gone?” He said “when you’ve had it for 25 years, you know when it’s gone.”
“thanks for treating my depression…when you’ve had it for 25 years, you know when it’s gone…”
Essentially our gut is a haven for 100 trillion microorganisms (give or take) and we have 10 times more bacteria than we have cells in our entire body…..yep, 90% of us is not actually human cells – we’re pretty much a walking talking bacteria…. And here we are using antibiotics and antiseptics to try and “kill off” the bad bacteria like it’s something we can remove!!
So how are these 100 trillion bacteria spending their time? In our gut bacteria promotes normal gastrointestinal function – it’s responsible for helping us consume and digest our food, absorb nutrients and expel waste. Our gut flora make some of our neurotransmitters – which is how our nerves communicate with each other – kind of important that our nerve cells can communicate you might think? The gut also provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism, prevents foreign substances from entering the bloodstream and it’s estimated around 75-80% of our immune system is located in the gut.
Quick recap here – we know that 75% of our immune system is in our gut. So say for example we have a health issue directly related to the immune system…like an allergy, an autoimmune disease, an inflammatory condition…eczema, asthma…why on earth wouldn’t we look at our gut health?!
With bad choices that affect our gut we become a haven for bad bacteria, leaky gut and malabsorption. We need to be looking at what we are putting into and on our body and all the other lifestyle and environmental factors that are effecting our gut – STAT!
(As a side note – our flora is determined largely by the way we are birthed and whether we are breastfed to natural term. We cannot have a normal gut bacteria if we do not pass through the birth canal, so be mindful of your elective caesarians…and if it’s truly needed for your safety, ask the doctors to seed the baby with your birth canal flora.)
So, what is leaky gut?
Micro nutrients normally pass through the intestinal wall into your blood, but if the gut is damaged the wall might have bigger gaps (be more permeable) and this can lead to all sorts of issues. When your gut is leaky, things like toxins, microbes, undigested food particles, escape from your intestines and travel throughout your bloodstream. Your immune system assumes these are nasty foreign pathogens and attacks them.
GLUTEN is the number one cause of leaky gut. Other inflammatory foods like dairy or toxic foods, such sugar are also suspects. Toxins in the form of medications, like ibuprofen, steroids, antibiotics, and acid-reducing drugs, as well as environmental toxins like pesticides and plastics (ingredients therein) as also key causes. Stress and age can also contribute as stress is highly inflammatory.
If you suffer from any of the following conditions, it’s likely that you have a leaky gut: gas, bloating, IBS, celiac, hormone imbalances, allergies or asthma, mood issues, behavioural issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, skin issues, candida overgrowth, food intolerances…
Phew!
So, what to do about it?
I’ve said it before ad nauseum but you need bone broth in your life.
You need ferments in your life (be aware that kombucha contains yeasts so may not be a good ferment choice if you have candida or yeast issues).
YOU NEED OILS!!!
I can show you loads of research on essential oils for a healthy gut flora – the magic of them is essential oils kill off the bad stuff and leave the good guys behind!!! Hooray for that!
So I could go into details about oregano, thyme, fennel, so many oils that can benefit you in different ways but I’m going to keep it really simple. doTERRA have a kit called “Cleanse and Restore”. In this kit is everything you need to “Cleanse and Restore”…(*surprised face*…I hope you’re enjoying my humour!)
GX assist – capsules containing oregano, thyme, etc (cleanse)
PB assist – probiotics to assist with restore
Terrazyme – digestive enzymes that assist you to extract more nutrients from your food
LLV – amazing therapeutic-grade wholefood vitamins and minerals (amayyy-zing!)
Lemon oil – assist detox
Detoxification Blend (Zendocrine) – again, to assist detox.
Now why do we need to assist the detox process? When you are killing off the bad guys there will be what they call a die-off process…where they…yep, you guess it. Die. Off. When bad bacteria die they can release enterotoxins into your body and generally most people do go through an “it gets worse before it gets better” phase. You need to flush these toxins and support your body through the process with the best possible nutrition (hence LLV and Terrazyme).
Think of all the health issues you can finally be free of by changing the flora in your gut…
Think of all the health issues you can finally be free of by changing the flora in your gut…So are you ready to get started?
Contact me! It’s so simple, I can talk you through it and you will feel AMAZING! (ok, after the die-off) but really – you’ll feel great in less than a month and for your physical, mental and emotional health it is so worth it.
So. VERY. Worth. It.
You deserve amazing health and happiness. Body, mind and spirit.
Namaste.