healing inflammation: The Next Steps in my health journey

Setting out on a new health journey doesn’t really have a destination - its called a journey for a reason. Just as we continue to evolve and grow, so will our health needs and focus. The hope in my current health journey, with functional medicine support, is to see positive changes in my skin issues and to find out more about my body, what it needs and what may be underlying.

I knew it would be a lengthy process and the ultimate test of my patience. Lengthy in that there can be a lot of ground to cover, a lot of tests to take, a lot of questions to be asked and time waiting for results. Patience because the elimination diet is at least 21 days, and then you begin the reintroduction of foods for weeks longer. Each food introduced, is a 4-day process, tracking how your digestion and bowel function is, any joint and muscle aches, headaches, bladder function, skin, energy levels and sleep….then you move to the next food. So it requires patience to introduce foods, to heal your gut, to see what ailments dissipate and what works.

If you need more information about what an elimination diet is, I break it all down on my previous post here. Discussing the foods you remove from your diet and the inflammation you’re combating.

Does inflammation stem from the gut? A lot of it can. I listened to a podcast where Dr. Will Cole was interviewed and he said that 75% of our immune system is in our gut, so inflammation is a component of that. What is driving the inflammation? It can be physiological like leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivity, nutrient deficiency or even things like unresolved trauma/chronic stress.

So what is all this inflammation talk about…well, my doctor and I reviewed my GI Effects/stool test results and she said, that overall it was one of the better lab reports she's seen come back, because it was showing no significant bacterial overgrowth, no parasites, and no dysbiosis, however, it does show that I have mild/moderate inflammation (essentially can mean leaky gut) and metabolic imbalance with low SCFA and low Butyrate.

Lets define these together shall we:

SCFA = Short Chain Fatty Acids. Accumulated evidence is showing that short chain fatty acids (SCFA) play an important role in the maintenance of gut and metabolic health. Acetate, propionate and butyrate are some of the most common SCFA’s.

Butyrate = One of several short-chain fatty acids, is produced when "good" bacteria in your gut help your body break down dietary fiber in your large intestine (colon).

What does Butyrate do for the body?

1. Reduce Inflammation

2. Reduce gastrointestinal Conditions

3. Reduce Colon Cancer Risk

4. Protect your brain

5. Treat cardiovascular disease

6. Enhance Sleep

You can enhance butyrate production by ingesting foods high in fermentable fiber. Things like fruit (like apples, apricots, bananas, kiwi, pear and raspberries), vegetables (like artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, leafy greens), legumes (chickpeas, green peas), ghee, and prebiotics.

Luckily one of the best things to do when you hear about inflammation in the gut, is to partake in an elimination diet, which was well underway for me as these results came in, so perfect!

Aside from inflammation, I also had a lower IgA (Immunoglobulin A) level. Our body makes IgA and other antibodies too fight off sickness. A deficiency seems to play a role in asthma and allergies. I specifically read symptoms related to eye infection, and thought that was interesting, as I’ve had more eye issues in the last year then ever before.

As I’m in the reintroduction phase of my elimination diet, it’s been decided to go another 6-8 weeks being gluten-free and dairy-free since we’re seeing a few positive shifts. 1) I lost 5lbs right off the bat (mostly water weight I’m sure) 2) Feeling less inflamed/bloated in my body (leaner face, leaner body) 3) Skin irritation has reduced slightly.

While introducing eggs back into my diet, I experienced overall itchiness and skin flare ups, an acidic stomach that woke me up in the middle of the night, so my sleep was terrible as well.

So far I have reintroduced eggs, peanuts (peanut butter) and soy. I’m sad to say that eggs negatively impacted me. Since my body is such a clean slate (removing all the allergens), I can really feel/see all the reactions, more then ever before. Eggs were a food I ate almost everyday, but little did I know, they caused me underlying inflammation!

As you may have guessed, gut repair is a central focus for me right now. I am in week 2 of a Total Gut Restoration Program, which is a 90-day protocol where you ramp up week by week with capsules and other supplements meant to recondition, reinforce and rebuild the gut.

This is what the Total Gut Restoration kit looks like. I’m in the initial phase which reconditions the gut microbiome by crowding out pathogens, increasing microbial diversity and creating favorable shifts in the environment.

Doctors orders were also to take vitamin D and B12, as both levels were lower then she would prefer. I already am taking a prenatal multivitamin (by Thorne) and she added the Vitamin D/K 5000. She also has me taking an Omega-3 daily.

The last test result I’m waiting on is the Mycotoxin GPL test to determine any mold in my body. If I do have mycotoxins, this will be another long process to try to remove, but supposedly to correct any mold issues, they’d need to heal the gut first anyway!

Feel free to email me if you’re curious about my health coaching program(s), and how I can support you in your own health journey.

**Please take note that this is my personal experience and what my doctor and I deem appropriate for me individually, based on my lab tests and results. This is strictly informational and I urge you to speak with your own physician or seek out a functional medicine practice that can navigate your specific health needs with you.