When reading new client consultation questionnaires, one of the most common problems I see especially with female clients is gut and digestive issues. The main symptoms that are evident include bloating or distention of the stomach, heart burn, stomach cramps, indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea or poor energy levels.

In a perfect world we will consume, absorb and assimilate nutrients from the food we eat and eliminate waste elements that aren’t required. When our digestive system is compromised this process breaks down. In addition to the above symptoms you can also develop bacterial overgrowth, permeability of the intestinal lining, inflammation, water retention and depression. This makes fat loss and body composition changes very difficult.

Prior to implementing a gut repair protocol we need to look at eliminating any foods that potentially irritate the digestive process.

The client will generally know what specific foods aren’t digested well.

These foods can range from wheat products, dairy, fructose, processed foods, eggs or certain types of starches. To begin with, any foods that compromise digestion will be eliminated until such time as they can be tolerated. We will also eliminate sugar from the diet which bad gut bacteria feed off.

Once we have eliminated foods that we know effect digestion we then look at assisting stomach acid production. If stomach acid production is inefficient, food that is eaten will not be adequately broken down and will leave the stomach partially digested. This can then lead to stomach cramps, indigestion, gas, bloating and water retention.

In order to reduce inflammation in the intestinal lining we will look to use a natural anti-inflammatory such as curcumin or fish oil. A fibre supplement can also be utilised in order to help clear any bad gut bacteria that feed of partially digested food. We will also add a pro-biotic to populate the gut with good bacteria. Glutamine can also be included to assist in repairing the intestinal lining.

Once the gut protocol has been implemented, progress will be monitored. Improvements in digestion and gut function will vary on a case by case basis. Once the clients digestion has improved we will gradually add back in foods that previously could not be digested properly.

If you’d like to enquire about a Metabolic Analytics consultation please complete the contact form below.