Digestion & GI health
Your 5-step plan for healing leaky gut naturally
Buckwheat for your belly
If you’re looking for a simple, yet healthy breakfast that is easy to digest, experiment
with cream of buckwheat (also known as buckwheat grits). Depending on your taste,
you can cook these into a sweet or savory breakfast in no time!
Sweet Cream of Buckwheat
- Cut one pear or apple into thin slices
- Sautee fruit slices in coconut oil until soft and turning brown
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
- Add ¼ cup of buckwheat grits and be sure to cover them in oil and fruit juice before
adding water
- Add 1 ¼ cups of water
- Cook covered until grits are soft (about 20 minutes) and top with walnuts or almonds
- Optional: add 1 tbsp Greek yogurt plus a teaspoon of stevia or honey
Savory Cream of Buckwheat
- Sautee 1 garlic bulb (chopped), ½ medium sized onion (sliced thinly), and a cup
of chopped mushrooms until mushrooms have released their juices and the onions are
soft
- Add ¼ cup of buckwheat grits and mix in with vegetables and oil
- Add 1 ¼ cups of water and cook grits until soft (about 20 minutes)
- Stir in a handful of baby spinach until wilted
- Top with ¼ cup of chopped almonds
- Add salt and pepper to taste
The Institute of Functional Medicine developed the Four “R” Program as a digestive
tool for practitioners. The four R’s are: remove, repair, replace, and reinoculate.
I’ve added “regulate” to this list, so that we remember to continue avoiding the
foods that upset the gut, and also remind ourselves that good digestion requires
a safe space to eat in.
- Remove: Undertake an elimination diet. To stabilize and
soothe the digestive tract, I recommend a 14-day (or lengthier) Quick Cleanse. This
is a gentle approach that frees you of common allergens, such as gluten, dairy,
soy, and yeast, as well as sugar and alcohol. This diet can also help you to pinpoint
which foods are contributing to or causing your symptoms.
- Replace: Investigate digestive aids. You might give consideration
to soothing digestive herbs, a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme, or talk to a functional
medicine practitioner about further nutrient, enzymatic, fluid and electrolyte support.
In my practice, I recommend a cutting-edge medical food that coats the intestines
and protects the lining from further damage while it heals.
- Reinoculate: Rebalance your gut flora. As I mentioned
before, establishing microfloral balance throughout the GI tract is crucial for
good digestion because the organisms colonizing our gut help us digest and absorb
our food, and keep the unfriendly bugs out. A well-formulated probiotic supplement
like Women to Women’s Balanced Biotic has helped many women stabilize digestion.
While fiber is the favorite food of friendly flora, it may be difficult to tolerate
lots of it early on with leaky gut. You can start by eating softer foods like bananas,
pears, applesauce, well-cooked squash, and so on, building your way up to more fibrous
fruits and veggies.
- Repair: Rebuild your intestinal cells. Ongoing research
continues to unveil ways to support the naturally rapid cell-turnover that makes
for quickly healing the gut. You may wish to consider glutamine, methionine and
N-acetyl cysteine, larch, kiwifruit, and zinc to advance your healing. Glutamine
has been found particularly helpful for maintaining the structure and function of
the intestine. For example, glutamine has been shown to improve damage done to the
gut mucosa from radiation and chemotherapy.
- Regulate. Continue to avoid anything you notice to cause
GI upset. Digestion starts with the enzymes in your saliva, so take the time to
sit down and chew your food thoroughly. Taking the time to enjoy your meal in a
relaxed setting without rushing also enhances levels of secretory IgA, an important
factor for body-wide immune health.
Instead of living with uncomfortable symptoms, empower yourself with information
about leaky gut and take the first steps to heal your gut naturally. As Molly reminded
me, having digestive problems is not only embarrassing, but isolating. At times
you may feel like you can’t go out to dinner or even visit a friend’s house for
fear of having to run to the bathroom. But rest assured, you will get back to those
activities once your gut has healed. And I promise, every bite will be worth the
work you did to heal!
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References & further reading on leaky gut syndrome
Last Modified Date: 05/09/2011
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP