Living with SIBO

It was back in 2014 when I took my first Hydrogen breath test to see if I had SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) or not. And sure enough I was positive for both Hydrogen & Methane gases.

I immediately started to treat and eradicate my SIBO by following Dr. Jacobi's Bi-Phasic diet. During my herbal treatment, I noticed instant results. My skin began to improve (SIBO and acne rosacea are linked- and the initial reason for testing), my bloating decreased and my bowel motion improved.

Looking back on the determination in following the diet and finally knowing the cause of my acne rosacea was the end of years of frustration and embarrassment.

If you have ever had to follow a restricted diet you will understand how difficult it is to live a 'normal' life that doesn't impact you and the ones you life with.

But considering my main problem had been eradicated, I began to slowly add the foods in that I was eating previously (It is also strongly advised that you should not follow any restricted diet long term).

Low and behold.....my skin didn't get effected!!!

Sure, the obvious items would cause a flare, such as alcohol and wheat. But I had never had an issue with onions or any other high FODMAP foods.

But slowly over time, even though my skin never returned back to its acne state (thank goodness!), my bloating returned and my bowels also decided to slow down too...….

Bring in test number 2 in 2017. And yep, I tested positive yet again for both Hydrogen and Methane gases. SIBO was back with even more bite!!

So what did I do???

Nothing.

I certainly felt disheartened with a capital D, but after treating so many others for SIBO in my practice I had noticed a trend...….

it comes back!

Knowing the cause of your SIBO is imperative!

The thing about SIBO is that you need to find the cause, and if you don't find the cause, it WILL come back.

What's my cause?

Most likely poor gut motility and a leaky gut to match.

But I didn't want to go in with the big guns (anti microbial herbs) to get rid of the unwanted bacteria and Archea. It didn't want to go on the super restricted diet for months on end.

Nup.

By this stage I had a fair idea of what would cause my bloating. I mentioned a couple of them previously- wheat and alcohol. You can add potatoes, rice and refined sugars onto that list too. But do I avoid them? No. I just know that I should keep potatoes down to once per week and if I am going to eat wheat, it will be with good quality sourdough stuff.

And what about legumes?

Yes, they can cause havoc with SIBO and make anyone look 6 months pregnant in seconds. But once again, I have identified the ones that cause more symptoms than others (for me it's kidney beans and chickpeas).

But I still eat them, because I know how beneficial they are for me and they provide fuel for all of the anti-inflammatory bacteria that live in your colon.

And I have also noticed that by keeping my fibre up that my bowel habits improve (it's not rocket science!).

So lets go back to the cause again.....

The cause of your SIBO is a big clue if you are going to get rid of SIBO once and for all. Unfortunately for some, the cause can be due to adhesions and scar tissue in the pelvic region due to past operations. Constant visceral manipulation is required to reduce the scar tissue within the area. With this comes a very long time frame of healing...….

I discovered that I also have umbilical hernia (another causative factor for SIBO). But after I had met with a surgeon and understood what was involved in the operation, I decided to not go ahead. I felt that the scar tissue post op was going to be far worse than my little sticky outy belly button.

So its not all doom and gloom, and I certainly don't want to put you off in treating your SIBO. For some, it can be a simple cause such as post infectious IBS (just a little bit of gut dysbiosis and a teeny bit of inflammation). But the main take home point is that EVERYONE is different. And yes, it's worth exploring what is causing your unwanted gut symptoms and take the necessary treatment from there.

I just felt that I wanted to share my journey with living with SIBO. I have accepted it (that doesn't mean you should have to too). But I do know that my overall gut microbiome is a lot happier and healthier by me including a high variety of foods into my daily diet.

I also keep my symptoms down by adding movement into my life (yoga) and by keeping on top of my stress levels by ensuring my nervous system is supported and making sure my cup is always full (well 3/4 anyway!)…..

If you would like to listen more about my SIBO story, you can on The GUT GURU podcast.

If you would like support in your gut journey, you can by joining the FB group- Happy gut, Happy you

Do you still have a question?

Send me a message below.....

What makes a healthy gut?

With all the information about the importance of gut health it can get very confusing very quickly!

So I thought it is time to cover the basics.

Research has shown that there are a few fundamental components to what makes a gut healthy. Firstly, your gut microbiome needs to have DIVERSITY. This means that the more different types of bacteria you have, the better.

The other important factor is to have a high amount of bacteria that are anti-inflammatory. Having anti-inflammatory bacteria will keep inflammation low and enable your gut to heal and repair itself (if this is needed).

How do you create more diversity?

The simple way of creating diversity in your gut microbiome is to eat a VARIETY of wholefoods. The easiest way to think about it is by picturing lots of little seeds in your gut. And each seed needs specific foods to allow it to grow. If you keep eating apples you will only be feeding the seeds that grow from apples. But if you added bananas to the mix, you will feed another type of seed that grows from bananas.

The recommendation is to eat up to 40 different type of wholefoods per week. It seems like a lot, but if you do buy apples, buy different varieties (Jonathan, Fuji, Pink Lady etc.). Each type counts as one. This is also the same for capsicum. If you eat red, yellow and green capsicum, you have included 3 different types of wholefoods to your list.

Examples of wholefoods:

• fruit

• vegetables

• rice

• nuts

• legumes

• grains

To make it easier for yourself, I have included a table that you can print off to check off what wholefoods you have eaten during the week.

The Wholefood Challenge (1)

Download

The other way of feeding the good bacteria in your gut is by consuming pre-biotic foods. Prebiotic foods are basically food for your gut microbes. The main prebiotic compounds that feed you gut are:

• FOS- Fructo-oligosaccharides

• GOS- Galacto-oligosaccharides

• PHGG- Partially Hyrdolysed Guar Gum

Foods that are high in FOS include: asparagus, banana, barley, chicory, garlic, globe artichoke, leek, onion rye and wheat.

Foods that are high in GOS are: beetroot, broccoli, chick peas, fennel, lentils, oats, onion, ryebread

Other prebiotic foods include: brown rice, carrots, back currants, dark cocoa, green tea and almonds

Not only will prebiotics provide food for your gut microbes, they also will promote the production of short chain fatty acids. SCFA's decrease the risk of colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and insulin resistance.

Now that we have the diversity stuff sorted. Let's take a look at the anti-inflammatory bacteria. The following bacteria are considered to be anti-inflammatory bacteria (but not limited to):

• Bifidobacteria

• Lactobacillus

• Roseburia

• Ruminoococcus

• Akkermansia

• Faecalbacterium

• Blautia

• Coprococcus

• Eubacterium

But how do you know which type of bacteria you have?

The only possible way of actually knowing of who lives in your gut is by having a stool test that tests the DNA of your gut microbes. Research on the gut microbiome is forever evolving, and new studies are covering exciting developments each week on the importance of a healthy gut. The tests that I use in my clinic are Ubiome Explorer and Microba. You can order them online and I will be able to interpret them for you.

In the mean time you can begin to consume anti-inflammatory foods such as the list above or reduce the amount of additive & preservatives, saturated animal fat and refined carbohydrates.

If you feel that you would like to know who lives in your gut and make sure that you have the correct levels of the good guys, contact me below and I will be happy to help.

Alcohol & Leaky GUT

Australians have a reputation for our excessive alcohol drinking. It's within our culture to have an outdoor lifestyle, BBQ's, laid back attitude, scorching sun.....with a bevvy in our hands.The negative impacts of alcohol consumption is evident. I'm not about to start educating you about the physical and mental effects of alcohol. You can do so here.I see many people within my practice that have a leaky gut. A thorough health history is taken with all of my clients; and all usual suspects of a leaky gut are marked off:

• antibiotic use
• prescription medication
• post-infectious IBS
• stress
• operations
• reproductive health
• diet

But have you ever considered your alcohol intake?

Excessive alcohol intake (binge drinking), causes inflammation and creates gaps within our intestinal wall. Ethanol reduces good bacteria and increases unwanted endotoxins (bad bacteria). Alcohol is metabolised by the liver, and produces free radicals as a result. Which causes oxidative stress within our body.Increased inflammation travels to our brain, and increases depression, foggy thinking and 'sickness behaviour'.Alcohol impairs our nervous system and reduces nutrients such as zinc, Vit. D, folate and SAMe.Due to the intestinal permeability, conditions such as SIBO, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and some colon cancers can occur.

So what can you do to heal a leaky gut caused by over alcohol consumption?

Studies have that supplementing with the following have a positive impact in either inflammatory markers or intestinal permeability measures:

• Zinc supplementation- 50mg per day after a meal
• Vitamin D supplement
• SAMe supplementation
• Co-enzyme A supplementation
• Fish oil (anti-inflammatory)
• Vitamin C (anti-oxidant)
• Magnesium
• Glutamine

Probiotics:

• Lactobacillus LGG
• Bifidobacterium Infantis
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus casei Shirota (yakult)

Prebiotics:

• Oats at 10gm per 1kg body weight.

Ways to reduce alcohol intake.....

• Stay within the 'drinking in moderation' guidelines
• Abstinence of alcohol- replace alcohol with a healthy habit.
• Swap to red wine. Studies have demonstrated that red wine contains polyphenols. Polyphenols are beneficial for gut bacteria.
• Identify the triggers of alcohol consumption. Avoid or reduce the triggers could lead to less alcohol intake.

Useful Resources:

Website- Hello Sunday MorningWebsite- Sexy SobrietySupport- Alcoholics AnonymousSupport- Drink WiseREFERENCESBarve, Shirish et. al. 'Development, Prevention & Treatment of Alcohol Induced Organ Injury: The Role of Nutrition, Alcohol Research, Vol. 28, No. 2 pg. 289-302Bishehsari, Faraz. et. al , Alcohol and GUT derived Inflammation', Alcohol Research, Vol. 38. No. 2 pg. 163-171Engen, Phillip A. et. al. 'The Gastrointestinal Microbiome- Alcohol effects on the composition of Intestinal Microbiota', Alcohol Research, Vol. 37, No.2Leclercq, S. Timory, P de. Delzeme, NM. Starket, P. (2017) 'The Link between inflammation, bugs, the intestine and the brain in alcohol dependence', Translational Psychiatry   

How food impacts your mood

We have all seen the classic scenario of when kids are given birthday cake; and within 5 minutes they are running around going crazy!Then 1-2 hours later, it's all about the post party come down. Tears, inconsolable, melt downs and unreasonable are the nicer terms of when your child has hit their sugar low.Fast forward 30 years or so, and does it get any different for us as adults?Fortunately we might be able to contain our selves when we eat a little cake here and there. But how often do we rely on what we out in our mouth for a short pick me up?Coffee would be the first one that comes to my mind.I'm sure you have heard.....

Talk to me after I've had my coffee.

How about the snack draw in the office to appease the afternoon lull?There's nothing wrong with having a coffee or a quick little pick me up here and there......it's how often, and what with that can be the problem.Traditionally, food  can bring families, friends and communities together. It can involve joy, celebrations and connection. Food gives us energy and provides us with essential nutrients so we can function on a daily basis. But unfortunately in Western society, the abundance of choice and variety of food can often contain 'empty nutrients' that don't serve our bodies or mind.The over consumption of sugar has impacted the health of many people, causing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines and brain fog.Alcohol is a depressant.Wheat consumption can also lead to brain fog.Additives & preservatives can impact behaviour.So we need to start thinking of the LONG term effect of how food and drink impacts not just our physical being, but our mental being.There is enough evidence now that we know that the brain and gut speak to each other via the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system. And that the gut sends it's own messages via the enteric nervous system.We also know how high sugars can make our blood sugar levels go high and then crash not long after. If we keep feeding into this loop of quick fixes, the long term impact can effect your health in more ways than one.90% of serotonin (feel good hormone) and 50% of dopamine (your motivation hormone) are derived from your gut. So it would be fair to say that if your gut health is in poor shape, then these 2 neurotransmitters will be too.Making the right food choices can not only keep your blood sugar levels in check. But what if you were eating something on a regular basis and had no idea how it could be sending you down the road to poor physical and mental health?My tip for you is to keep a food and mood diary (and poo if your super keen). This way you can track what your have eaten, and see if there is any connection to your mood. I have a template that you can use here... Food_Mood_Poo_Diary.If you feel the food is effecting your mood, please get in touch below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]

REFERENCES

Lerner et. al, The GUT microbiome feelings of the brain: A perspective for non-microbioligists, Microrganisims, 2017, 5, 66 pg. 1-24