Leaky gut and IBS

Leaky gut is real and it is something we need to address because leaky gut and IBS go hand in hand.  If you have leaky gut, you probably have hormonal issues.

Bacteria in the gut

Our digestive system carries bacteria and other cells.  It’s the kinds of bacteria that can tell you if you are healthy or if there is an issue from the foods you are consuming.  You need to have a good proportion of the right bacteria in your gut to ensure you feel well.  When that proper proportion isn’t there, some of the bad bacteria can become too plentiful.  This can lead to some common symptoms:

• Bloating – which can cause a host of other issues or be a cause of something else.
• Allergies to food – did you ever have the situation when you ‘all of a sudden’ became allergic to something?
• IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)
• Constant tiredness
• Autoimmune diseases
• Being overweight
• H. pylori – this one is not fun, not only do you end up with acid reflux but you have bad breath too!

Imbalances in diet and other factors

So, where does the imbalance come from?  Put simply, a bad diet.  We eat too many sugars and bad carbs such as candies, cakes, cookies, alcohol and chips.  But, there are other culprits:  Antibiotics also cause us harm because it kills the good bacteria, along with the bad.  (This is why we’re often told to eat yogurt with our antibiotics to help keep the good flora a plenty!).  Also, birth control pills are another reason for the imbalances and issues you may see / feel.

Leaky gut and IBS

When these imbalances occur, we can get leaky gut and IBS.  And, leaky gut is just that – your gut leaks.  We don’t want bad stuff leaking into our blood because this can cause irreparable harm to our internal body.  Is leaky gut real?  You bet it is.

For myself, I started to notice I would get a headache after I ate certain foods or drank certain things.  My nose would also drip – so annoying.  It seems silly to me now but neither one of these symptoms made me think it had anything to do with my diet.  When I found out it could be my diet AND that it could lead to Autoimmune issues, I started to listen.

My biggest culprit

Not only was the food that I was eating a major issue but I had a lot of stress in my life.  Things that I was too afraid to change because it seemed too hard and overwhelming.  Plus, I thought that I should be able to deal with it or handle it better than I was so basically, I kept trying.  This was only increasing my cortisol levels which we know isn’t good – we just don’t realize it’s happening at the time.  I know I didn’t.  So, on top of the stress, I was eating badly which further caused me problems.  It was a vicious cycle that can lead to estrogen dominance and a host of other problems.

Learn from me – manage your stress (or get out of a stressful situation), eat better (less sugar including candy, sweets, carbs), and re-consider birth control pills.  And, please, please listen to your body – if you are getting headaches or your nose is running all the time, look at what you are eating and start making some changes.