1. Avoid sugar (processed and unprocessed), dairy, soy, gluten, and eggs. These foods are common allergens and can be inflammatory to your gut. Most people have found improvements in their gut health, mood and mental clarity when they cut out these foods from their diet.
2. Drink your food and chew your water. Your mouth is the first and last voluntary digestion that happens in your body. When food particles are too large, food molecules can irritate your gut lining. After you swallow, everything is involuntary until it comes out. Amylase, an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down sugar, is released when you put food in your mouth. Get the most out of chewing and be mindful of your food.
3. Supplement with betaine HCl. Offensive-smelling stool, frequent meal related burping, meal-related bloating, general flatulence, and/or a history of eczema can be symptoms of HCl deficiency, also known as hypochlorhydria. Contrary to common belief, heartburn, GERD and acid reflux are all symptoms of hypochlorhydria. Digestive acid are extremely crucial in absorbing B6, B12, iron, calcium, zinc, protein; just to name a few. Start with 200mg of HCl, taken during meals with protein. If you don’t feel a burning sensation in your stomach, increase to 400mg, 600mg and so on. If you feel the burn, decrease the dosage by 200mg.
4. Supplement with curcumin. Curcumin, a plant derivative from tumeric, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that benefits and detoxifies excess estrogens. Based on early cell culture and animal research, clinical trials indicate curcumin may have potential as a therapeutic agent in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, arthritis, and as well as certain types of cancer.
5. Eat dark meat, fats, and vegetables for breakfast (or every meal). Most of our clients come to us eating oatmeal and fruit breakfast, or even worse, nothing at all. By not eating breakfast, you spike your cortisol and insulin. Meat and nuts are most important in the morning as dark meat contains tyrosine that is a precursor to dopamine (responsible for making you feel happy) and nuts contain choline that is a precursor to acetylcholine (responsible for mental clarity).