The Second R…Repair
(Continued from blog post Cousin Ray is Bloated, Again!, posted November 2, 2012)
We’re happy to report that Cousin Ray is feeling better having identified his trigger foods and eliminating them from his diet. But poor Ray has discovered that some of his favourite foods are causing him digestive complaints; wheat, dairy and corn. These are also complex carbohydrate foods that when only partly digested ferment in the gut and this causes the foul smelling flatulence.
Hang in there Ray! When tackling digestive issues we need to think of three R’s; Rest, Repair and Replenish. It is time to move on to our second R, Repair.
All that indigestion that Ray was experiencing is a sign that the environment in his gut is changing, and bad bacteria are crowding out the good. The bad bacteria create toxic by-products that create digestive complaints and harm the cells in the inner lining of the intestine. The cells become inflamed, damaged, and the result is called Leaky Gut. Once the gut is leaky it stops doing its job as a barrier, allowing larger undigested food particles and unwanted organisms into the blood stream. This can cause inflammatory responses in other parts of the body.
Your headache, your skin problems, and/or your aching joints can be linked to the health of your gut.
For Ray we’re going to help his body repair the inner lining of his intestine with some important supplements. Omega-3 essential fatty acids, glutamine, aloe vera, zinc, and vitamins A and E are just some of the supplements that we can recommend. Please consult with a nutritionist or naturopathic doctor before deciding which supplements are right for you.
Other contributors to a leaky gut are smoking, alcohol, stress and some medications.
With both rest and repair Ray is on his way towards a healthier gut. Next week we’ll discuss the third and last R, Replenish.