The GUT Book

GUT THE LITTLE REASON WE’RE ALL SO BIG

A MICROBIOME BOOK BY

DANIEL BRUCE

Copyright Š 2014 by Daniel W. Bruce All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America First Printing, 2014

About This Book The gut book is not a miracle diet. The research and techniques presented herein are a toolbox of information that will guide you through a life-long journey in the pursuit of health.

I have tried nearly every diet out there. For the most part, the results yielded by the end of each round of rubber-band dieting were largely inconsistent from the high expectations that I would have at their outset. By the time I was 18 years old, the constant fluctuations in my metabolism left me feeling entirely out of control. How is it, I asked myself on a particularly introspective night, that I can feel so hopeful at the beginning of each diet, and so hopelessly unhealthy by the end? That question eventually led me to a breaking point, resulting in feelings of deep resignation to forever being overweight and, as I saw it at the time, less worthy of praise, love, and attention than my effortlessly fit friends. It simply felt like I was destined to be fat for the rest of my life.

I continued on like that until, one transformative night, my entire approach to health and fitness transformed radically, shifting my focus away from weight loss, and towards overall health. The change came on the heels of a mental revolution that would reshape not only my view of nutrition and the human body but my approach to every problem in my life. I swapped miracles for medicine, and in doing so, discovered that my body was not an enigma, into which I should drop diet pills like a beggar dropping his last quarter into a wishing well. As I learned more I came to realize that my body was a living machine, which has traits universal to everyone, not just those with certain body types or genetic predispositions. In addition, I realized that if I was going to take control of my health, I had to create a relationship with my body, identifying dysfunction through selfreflection, and approaching those problems with data, instead of desperation, as the catalysts to my endeavors. This view has paved the way to not only a better body, but a more adept brain, a longer attention span, and more motivation to pursue the things that bring me happiness.

The GUT book is a 60-page synopsis of those months of research, reflection, and self experimentation.

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer The ideas, concepts, and opinions expressed in this book are intended to be used for educational purposes only. This book is provided with the understanding that the author is not rendering medical advice of any kind, nor is this book intended to replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury.

Although live cultures and probiotics play only a small part in this guide, it is imperative nonetheless to use good judgment when consuming fermented or cultured foods and to never consume any food that looks, tastes, or smells unpleasant. Further, before consuming any fermented or cultured food, you should receive full medical clearance from a licensed physician. The author and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material in this book.

MY STORY

My Story

September 2008 I Don’t Remember Ever Not Being Fat. I carry all of my excess weight around my midsection, smuggling bad genes and pit stains through the gauntlets of high school under vests, scarves, and strategically buttoned Hawaiian shirts. It feels as if, regardless to what I put into my body, I will always be fat. Eventually, nutrition leaves my concerns entirely, searching instead for instant gratification a la deep fryer. I make plans to have a chicken wing tattooed on my shoulder with this motto emblazoned as a coat of arms below it - “Id est aurum et furva, deuolutus sum”.

Translation - If it’s golden brown, I’m gettin’ down.

March 2011 Bro, Look At Me… Try Keto. I gleam my first bit of nutritional wisdom from google searches and anecdotal evidence, obsessing over supplements and nutritional science as taught to me by the trainer sympathetically watching me fight with resistance bands while slumped depressingly over a yoga ball. Late at night, as I search for miracle supplements and pre workout drinks on bodybuilding.com, I find myself starting to believe the claims being made by what I imagine to be selfless fitness gurus leading me on the path to beautiful person enlightenment. I wanted to believe all of the claims flashing across my screen, illuminating the bare walls of my dimly lit bedroom. I wanted to believe that the medical community really did hate that man for his one startlingly simple secret for losing belly fat. I wanted to believe that 15 minutes a day really could transform my baby (back ribs) bump into a sculpted tickle gym for the girl of my dreams. As time passed, I began to notice some pretty consistent results - still fat, and now broke.

December 2012 An Unstoppable Force Meets An Immovable Ass. A college degree now wedged under what would soon be the torn remains of an overworked leather belt, I find a job and move out of the buddhist compound where my parents park their Mercedes. The realization that my work now impacts more than the nightcap of a tenured finance professor hits hard, and concerns over my health and nutrition recede to the mental vault housing my expanding list of procrastinated tasks. Worry about my weight is replaced by constant needless uncertainty about whether my path is the right one. I begin to approach pursuits like I’m on the last level of Super Mario with one life left and mounting anxiety about the last time I saved, measuring my options by their likelihood for success, instead of my own interest in them. I convince myself that it’s all for the best and take solace in a co-worker’s advice about playing the long game. Who knows, I could have a jacuzzi one day.

May 2014 A Hard Look. Physical exhaustion and psychedelic substances toll on an already introspective mind. All I want is to go to sleep, but instead, my brain churns on, deconstructing all of my accomplishments in moments of brutal honesty. As time passes, all of my anxieties are examined in depth, and a realization starts to emerge from the darkness - I have the power to change. I begin to laugh as I look at my life objectively for the first time in a long time, drawing back dusty curtains hardened by shame, and other things, to peer into my own silly life. It was 3 AM, and I hadn’t slept in days, but I knew through the delirium that my life had changed in those moments.

I begin to systematically review and address the sources of stress and uncertainty in my life job, weight, debt, direction. As I attempted to mock up plans for the redesign of my entire identity, I stumbled onto a subreddit linking to an article describing research being conducted regarding the human microbiome. The implications gleamed from a single research paper spurred me into a two week research binge, reconstructing my understanding of the human body overnight while simultaneously crumbling a foundation of myths and anecdotal evidence that formed the basis for my prior approaches to nutrition and dieting. I noticed a pattern forming in the information that I was reading, and began to experiment with my body.

June 2014 Bewilderment. Over the last 30 days, my energy level increased exponentially, my anxiety felt as if it were subsiding, and I felt a marked increase in my attention span. I was shocked and excited beyond belief.

“My gut has become a furnace.”

I say this to a friend after eating a ridiculously large meal of sushi, feeling energized by the food, instead of sluggish and tired, the norm prior to my exploration into health and gut bacteria. I noticed while working out that I felt a level of intensity and focus that I never had before. I also noticed that my sleeping habits were beginning to change, falling asleep more easily, and waking up more well rested. Over the course of one month, I had solved nearly every problem that had plagued me since childhood, the truly amazing thing being that I didn’t really do anything that radical, I just ate a little differently, using research based in science as the basis for all of my experiments. Freedom from the diet cycle I had been trapped in, for the first 24 years of my life, was achieved by adding three foods to my diet - potato starch, kefir, and green tea, consumed by mixing it up in a fruit and vegetable smoothie designed to stimulate colonic digestion. If you are looking for the part of this book that outlines a miracle diet, there you go.

If you’d like to learn why, keep reading.

Feel free to send any questions/comments/rants/misdirected pizza orders to thegutbook@gmail.com

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.�

Table of Contents My Story

5

September 2008

5

March 2011

5

December 2012

5

May 2014

6

June 2014

6

Beginning

10

What is the Microbiome?

12

Bacteria&Digestion

13

Moving Past Digestion

14

What constitutes a “healthy� gut?

15

Probiotics

16

Choosing a Probiotic

18

For General Health

18

For the Weight Conscious

18

Culture(s) In America

19

Weight Gain

20

Portion Control

20

Fecal Transplants

21

Prebiotics

22

Fiber

23

Super Fiber

23

FYI - What Is The Glycemic Response?

23

Picking Your RS

24

a note on gas

27

Incorporation Step One: Assemble your Supplies

28 29

Tips For Success

35

Gradual Adaptation

36

Stress

36

Stop Smoking

36

Buy A Blender

38

Gym Wisdom

38

Polyphenols & Tea

38

Add FOS

39

Get a healthy roommate

39

Other Stuff

40

Smoothie Food Alternatives

40

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

42

Fighting Histamine Intolerance Lactose Intolerance

46 50

Resources Used In The Making of This Book

51

Other Influences

53

END

54

Beginning “You talkin’ shit?”

I looked up to see muscles rippling under a handicrafted bro-tank with iron-on greek letters.

“Yeah, that joke keeps getting funnier. Sit down, I’m telling Billy about the rat poop experiment.”

Justin grabbed the back of a heavy, metal chair at an adjacent table and pulled it toward himself across the rough pavement, letting the legs drag obnoxiously across the pavement. After repositioning his chair with several loud bunny hops, Justin finally settled and began to shake a blender bottle back and fourth, one eye on his own bicep and the other on the group of girls sitting just behind me.

With a quick roll of my eyes, I continued.

“So, in this study, they bred these rats to be super fat, like morbid, and then stuck them into cages with normal-sized mice…”

“How did they make it fat? Was it like bulk season weight, or like fat fat, like orders delivery chicken wings every night fat?” Justin smirked, shooting me a quick glance before returning his attention to the positioning of his tank straps against his pectoral muscles.

“I don’t know, they just made it fat. The point was to observe the changes that happened when you put the big mouse and the little mouse in the same environment.”

Justin thought for a moment, “So what you’re saying is, I could be getting some sort of research grant for living with you, for the benefit of science and fat mice everywhere?”

“Yeah I think it’s called an asshole grant, you should look into that. So anyways, after a while they noticed that the fat mice were losing weight even though they kept their diets the same, the only thing that changed was the presence of the skinny mice.”

“Was the skinny mouse training him when the scientists weren't watching?”

“No. I mean, possibly I guess, I don’t think mice are like that though. Well, I guess we don't really know that yet -” “What do you mean yet? I don’t think that’s an active area of study.” Justin interrupted.

“Okay, anyway, this study. They took samples of gut bacteria from the mice and found that the fat mice’s bacteria was being recolonized to mimic that of the skinny mice’s digestive bacteria. They think it was because they were sharing everything so their bodily fluids got all mixed up. But the

really crazy thing is that it only worked one way. When they took a sample of the healthy mice’s gut bacteria, it was unchanged.”

“Wait, what do you mean, ‘got all mixed up’? Were they…involved?”

“What? No. Well, again, I guess we don't really know, but they think it’s because they were eating each others droppings. The live bacteria leftover in their fecal matter was enough to recolonize the fat mice’s colon.”

Justin stared thoughtfully at the protein powder in his shaker bottle, slowly clumping back together. After a few seconds, he put one hand on my shoulder and feigned a compassionate look before speaking.

“I think I can tell where this is going… and you should already know that I got you.

“Justin what are you talking about.”

“I said, I got you. In fact, I have one cocked in the chamber right now, go ask the barista for an empty cup and I can give you your first treatment, hot and fresh. Mix it up with some water and drink that shit down, literally.”

“They actually used to do that in China back in the day, they called it yellow soup. Mixed up shit in water and made sick people drink it as a sort-of cure all..”

“That’s actually fucked. I would be pissed if I got sick in ancient china and that was the doctor’s prescription. I might just let myself die.”

“They’ve actually started doing trials with shit pills though, and its had crazy effects on people.

Like curing colon cancer and diabetes, they even think it might be effective at treating depression and anxiety.”

“So, you’re telling me I could sell my shit for science? Seriously grab me a cup and lets go to the hospital after this, science needs my poo!”

Justin continued to talk about selling his feces for the next twenty minutes, arguing that he was the ‘next step in human evolution’ and he wanted to do right by the world. I stared at the trees swaying slightly overhead as Justin began to explain how he never even uses soap when he showers, and yet never smells, just bathing when he’s bored, or to masturbate discretely, citing this revealing anecdote as evidence that he was the next step in human evolution.

“I’m think I’m gonna write a book about this,” I blurted out suddenly. “I mean, maybe it will help me lose weight, or at least get a little healthier. Maybe it could help a lot of people lose weight.

Or maybe just me, I don’t know.”

What is the Microbiome?

Getting to know your digestive workforce.

There are communities of collaborative organisms that populate nearly every inch of our bodies, both inside and out, known as microbiota (the microbiome collectively), which are passed down from mother to child, via the microbial rich walls of the birth canal during childbirth as well as through breast milk during the first few weeks of infancy. Although these microscopic colonies weigh far less than the complex building blocks that our meaty parts are comprised of, the human body contains ten times as many of these microbial cells as eukaryotic (pretty much everything else) cells. Within our digestive systems, these bacterial organisms live in symbiosis with our bodies, fulfilling various roles that our bodies have outsourced to them over hundreds and thousands of generations of evolution. Since our microbiome is formed from that of our parents, it can be inferred that the bacteria living in your digestive system shares a relation with that of your parents. We can draw two implications from this inference, the first is that if your mother had a healthy digestive system, most likely you will too. In fact, studies show that mothers of a healthy weight who also breast feed, are more likely to have children who are also of a healthy weight. The second implication we can reasonably make is that, if you were breastfed, the bacteria living within your intestines represent an unbroken line of gradually progressing evolutionary complexity, at the bacterial level, that can be traced back for generations. Assuming that evolution holds true at the microscopic level (which it does), our bacteria has been evolving within our bodies for hundreds of thousands of years, increasing in function with each passing generation. Before throwing this book onto the ground in mental frustration, simply move on from this paragraph with the understanding that our microbiome is important, and has many, many functions within our bodies, reaching far beyond digestion.

Bacteria&Digestion Before we get into bacteria’s more complicated roles in our body, let’s first talk about it’s primary job in relation to the food that we eat. For the purposes of this discussion, we will simplify the digestive tract into two main parts: the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, made up of the esophagus and stomach, and the lower gastrointestinal tract, made up of the small and large intestines (colon). The upper GI tract breaks down food using a combination of acid, bile, and pancreatic secretions, delivering a mixture of partially digested food to the intestines. Further into the small intestine, parts of this mixture, also known as the chyme, begin to break down into particles small enough to be absorbed through the epithelial walls of the tract, comprised of thousands of gateways that allow simple particles to pass through using a specialized protein membrane as gatekeeper, passing units of energy to the liver, and then into our bloodstream to be distributed all over our bodies. What remains of the chyme after passing through the small intestines - undigested starches, complex sugars, plant matter, bile, water, and toxins absorbed by fibrous foods, are then transported to the large intestine by way of the sphincter. Once inside the colon, the bacteria populating the large intestine start their work.

Why the colon? Since the environments of the upper GI tract and small intestines are harsh and constantly moving, which inhibits the growth of bacterial communities, the relatively calm large intestine is where the highest concentrations of gut bacteria are found, and also where the replenishment of gut bacteria will be most effective. The bacteria living here produce enzymes that our physical cells lack, extracting nutrients by fermenting husked carbs (rice, grains, nuts, etc.) and complex sugars and reabsorbing the gases released through the process. This chemical process results in the creation of a mixture of vitamins, enzymes, and short chain fatty acids (the main product of carbohydrate metabolism), which are then passed through the colonic

epithelium (see protein membrane) to our muscles and organs, to be used by our bodies for energy, growth, and repairs.

Moving Past Digestion The role of our gut bacteria reaches far beyond simply breaking down the food that we eat.

Six additional primary functions of the bacteria-gut relationship: 1) Production of the raw energy for our muscle and fat cells.

2) Maintenance and repair of the intestinal lining.

3) Production of vitamins.

4) Production of enzymes tailored to the digestion of foods common to an individual’s diet, so as to more efficiently breakdown and absorb their available nutrients.

5) Regulation of the immune system by acting as a barrier against foreign microbes and policing growth of unidentified pathogens.

6) Signaling our bodies to produce hormones and chemicals using a complex system of neurotransmitters.

Probiotics - How & Why What constitutes a “healthy” gut?

Although our knowledge of the human microbiome has advanced dramatically in recent years, with a generation of research now under its belt, much still remains unknown regarding the composition of a “healthy” gut. In clinical examinations, the gut bacteria of healthy individuals varies drastically, with experts attributing environmental factors, diet, and host genetics to the disparities among otherwise similar, healthy, individuals. There are, however, a few prevailing traits among the bacterial compositions examined in healthy individuals. The first of those is the presence of a high number of bifidobacterium, the main bacteria transferred from mother to child during breast feeding and delivery. This strain of bacteria is stipulated to be responsible for the establishment of our immune system, and it’s presence in the digestive system of infants and children has been linked to increased growth rates, higher levels of intelligence, suppression of allergies, and a lower risk of auto-immune disorders such as diabetes. The second defining trait of a healthy gut is high overall diversity of the collections of microbiota contained within the colon. Low levels of diversity, or domination by one particular strain, may be caused by inhibition of the microbiota’s ability to identify and eliminate invading pathogens, allowing certain strains to dominate the confined digestive space of the large intestine. A healthy gut requires a wide variety of bacterium to break down and metabolize the foods that we commonly eat, adapting to changes by enlisting bacteria to create particular enzymes dependent on what it’s attempting to digest. The third, and most controversial trait of the gut bacteria of healthy individuals is the presence of what are known as lactic acid producing bacteria. Lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB) are found in many of the fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and cheese, and are one of the oldest forms of life on earth. They thrive in acidic environments, and therefore are extremely effective when used as a supplement, remaining alive and intact after passing through the acidic environment of the stomach. Among many other functions, one major job of LAB is to digest and breakdown lactose, in turn producing a host of acids that accomplish a number of tasks within the body, from improving our body’s sensitivity to insulin (which is a good thing), to suppressing the proliferation of cancerous cells. Certain strains of LAB can, however, have negative side affects on body weight and fat production when present in the body, and therefore it is important to choose which strains of lactic acid producing bacteria we introduce into our diets.

Probiotics

In 1906, while serving as the deputy director of the Pasteur Institute Laboratory in Paris, Elie Metchnikoff made a landmark observation while studying the dietary habits of Bulgarian peasants. In his book, The prolongation of life, he acknowledges the high concentration of centenarians (people of 100+ years of age) in countries that have culturally engrained practices for the fermentation of dairy products. The same bacterial cultures found in the yogurt products those peasants were eating 100 years ago are only now being recognized by mainstream medicine for their incredible effects on the human digestive system.

A number of products have already taken advantage of the recent popularity of live cultures and probiotics. With such a massive expansion in a short period of time, as so often happens in the diet and nutrition industry, it presents the need for an objective review of the science behind the flood of miraculous claims.You’ve probably heard of probiotics and prebiotics already, presumably while perusing the supplement section at your local grocery store, or during an hour long TV special produced by suspiciously tan medical professionals. As the colorful packaging and doctors touted the miraculous effects of their unconfirmed contents, your head swells with thoughts of you playing beach volleyball, joining pickup games of “b-ball”, and any number of other activities that allow one to gratuitously rip off their shirt begin to commandeer your good judgement. I implore you, at this point, before spending money on products cashing in on the popularity of probiotics and prebiotics, strive to understand the definition of each, where they can be found, and what their observed effects are. This information will serve as an indispensable base of knowledge when faced with a barrage of sensational advertisements by Jamie Lee Curtis claiming to present the secret to health and happiness in a cup of yogurt.

From the last graphic we now understand the basic difference between pro- and pre- biotics.

Probiotics are the actual bacteria living in your gut, and any live culture fits this definition so long as it has a positive effect on your health. Unfortunately, there are over 1000 strains of bacteria living in the average human colon, and we understand the functions of only a small percentage of these, so choosing a “probiotic” is not as simple as picking the most colorful bottle off of the shelf of your local Super Supplements.

However, Metchnikoff, along with a slough of recent studies utilizing the most advanced techniques in genetic mapping, have allowed us powerful insights into which broad categories of bacteria can a) be used effectively as a supplement, and b) contribute to the overall function of our microbiome.

Choosing a Probiotic When choosing a probiotic to incorporate into your diet, it is important to first identify the end goal of your microbiome therapy. For most people, this will sway in one of two directions, weight loss, or increasing your energy level.

For General Health Increasing your energy level, in terms of probiotics, means increasing the amount of energy, or calories, that our bodies can extract from our food. Using logic, we can see that a possible implication of this would be gaining weight if you were to let that excess caloric load be converted into fat. Therefore, we can see where there may be a problem with those that are sensitive about their weight. For athletes, lifters, and the generally active, however, this increased efficiency is a welcome respite from the groggy afternoons and sluggish mornings that coax many into a second cup of coffee or snickers bar before lunch. To this end, the category of ‘lactic acid bacteria’ will fit the bill when supplementing live cultures into a healthy diet. Lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB) are the easiest and most commonly available form of probiotic. LAB can be found in most fermented dairy products, yogurt and kefir being those most commonly available, and are effective as supplements due to their ability to survive the harsh, acidic environment of the upper GI tract. In other words, they are the most likely to survive your stomach and small intestines and therefore be available to be added to the composition of your gut bacteria.

For the Weight Conscious If your goal is weight loss, you will want to tread lightly when picking out probiotics at the grocery store, and hold off on adding fermented dairy to your diet. Many strains of lactobacillus have been shown to produce high levels of histamine when present in the digestive tract.

Histamine causes an immunological response within the body characterized by low-level, systemic inflammation, which has been linked to weight gain and obesity. However, there is one strain of lactobacillus that actually works to reduce the amount of histamine present in the body, called lactobacillus plantarum. This particular probiotic, which can be found here, is found in prevalence in lean individuals, and may represent a causal link between histamine reduction and weight loss. When concocting the synbiotic (probiotic + prebiotic = synbiotic) smoothie

that I will teach you to make later on, mix in one capsule of L. Plantarum bacteria with each serving.

Culture(s) In America Americans are at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to buying fermented and preserved foods from the grocery store, due to strict, blanket regulation by the FDA in regards to the heat treatment of fermented and acidified foods, a process that kills approximately 99% of the live cultures which would otherwise be present in foods like yogurt and sour cream. The European Union has passed regulation allowing for the incorporation of live cultures into food made for purchase [without heat treatment], by classifying foods that do not have a significant history of being consumed, or that incorporate new or synthetic ingredients as “novel” food, laying down a procedure for responsible labeling and marketing of foods that have yet to be proven entirely safe.

Health and food organizations from all over the world have spoken out in recent years about the importance of allowing live cultures in food products. The National Yogurt Association in particular has been successful in their fight against FDA blanket regulations by creating a universal labeling standard for products containing minimum, viable concentrations of lactic acid bacteria. A full list of yogurt products that carry the “Live Active Culture” seal is available here.

Unfortunately, antiquated pasteurization procedures still apply to all other naturally fermenting food products. However, the FDA now maintains a list of clinically proven and effective probiotic strains that can be added to specifically identified food products after pasteurization.

Here is the working list of strains which can be added to food: I.

Bifidobacterium longum BB536, for use as a food ingredient and in infant formula

II. Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus GG, for use in infant formula III. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, for use in food IV. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 + Streptococcus thermophilus Th4, for use in infant formula V. Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, for use in infant formula VI. Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bf-6, for use as a food ingredient The strains injected into supplemented foods are listed visibly on their packaging, although shelf time and lack of oxygen may create inconsistencies in the amount of live cultures actually begin delivered.

Weight Gain When incorporating fermented dairy products into your diet, slight weight gain is normal for the first few weeks.Your body is not used to the increased availability of nutrients and will therefore be intaking more calories than before, if your intake remains equal. The key to cresting that hill and beginning to approach a healthy, ideal body weight is portion control. The gut will begin burning like a furnace, hot and efficient, taking in the food that you eat and immediately converting it into energy for you. The implication of this is that, if you are paying attention, you will begin to feel full and satisfied more quickly when you eat. Many people, myself included, don’t know when to say no, and instead opt for the “when my plate is empty, I am full” method of portion control. This will always lead you to gain weight, healthy gut or not.

Portion Control In order to acknowledge your body’s natural satiation signals, you have to turn your intention inward. That is an ambiguous statement, so let me clarify- when you eat, do you need a distraction? Do you sometimes look down at your plate and not remember where the food has gone? That means you were ignoring your body and resting your attention on something other than the task at hand. We need to change this if it is your intention to reach a healthy weight.

The tactic that is most effective in this endeavor is known by many names (i.e. presence, being in the moment, mindfulness, giving a shit, things my buddhist parents talk about a lot, etc.) but all refer to the same thing- focus. The next time you eat, take away all of your normal distractions, whether that’s your cell phone, the TV, your computer, a book, anything other than food, just set it aside for a few minutes and focus on the task at hand. As you are chewing, pay attention to each bite and bring your focus into what is happening directly in front of you. Listen to the sound of the food as you eat it, the smell emanating from your plate, the colors of your vegetables, count the chews you take with each bite, pay attention to that food as if it were your junior high crush and they just asked you for a pencil. Continue like this for the entire meal, and I guarantee you, at a certain point you will feel a fullness unrelated to the amount of food left. If you continue practicing this, you will eventually stop yourself once you are full automatically, but in the beginning, you will have to work at it. On a side note, this practice can enhance many other areas of your life, and can bring both joy and fulfillment to an otherwise flustered and anxious mind. If you want to learn more, I suggest reading “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, it’s a quick read, but revolutionary in the concepts it discusses.

Fecal Transplants Supplementation with probiotic strains has proven effective in promoting some aspects of digestive health, such as suppressing diarrhea and increasing immune response. However, fecal transplants have proven consistently more effective, and less costly, in recolonizing gut bacteria from a state of disorder.

The gist is this: although foods containing probiotics are great for improving and maintaining digestive health, fecal transplants are substantially more effective at repairing your gut biome from a state of drastic disorder.

The prevalence of antibiotic use in chemical-based medicine has created a war-like environment within the gut’s of some already suffering individuals. Antibiotics, which are designed to destroy unwanted pathogenic bacteria in the body, often lack the discretion necessary to discern the good from the bad within our bodies, creating a genocidal environment for our microbiome, if used in excess. The reduction of gut bacteria witnessed in cases of antibiotic use creates a less competitive environment for the remaining strains, allowing for easier colonization of the large intestine by hazardous bacteria, while the few remaining probiotic bacteria struggle to convert food into the fuel our bodies run on. Sometimes, this takeover is too severe to be corrected through nutrition, and so the fecal transplant was developed to replace the gut biome altogether.

The idea for fecal transplants, or fecal bacteriotherapy, can be traced to 4th century China, where patients suffering from various maladies would drink “yellow soup”, or a mixture of healthy feces and water in an effort to introduce healthy organisms into their digestive system.

The treatment has progressed somewhat from it’s gag-inducing origins, with informal experimentation preceding it’s prevalent adoption among digestive health professionals. The data backs up the nearly unanimous, positive reactions from treated patients, with observed success rates above 90% for treating chronic bowel diseases. Additional applications of fecal transplant are currently being explored, with research emerging which support the transplants effectiveness in treating irritable bowel syndrome, severe constipation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune disorders, obesity, and diabetes. With the average cost of a fecal transplant around $1000, it’s growing list of uses, and it’s near 100% rate of effectiveness, it is emerging as the main treatment of major gastrointestinal disorders and diseases.

CLICK HERE TO FIND A POOP TRANSPLANT OR CLICK HERE TO DO IT YOURSELF

Prebiotics

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

We now understand that the term ‘probiotic’ simply refers to the helpful bacteria already living inside your gut. We can infer that they have done at least a decent job up until this point because you’re still sitting there, reading this book, metabolizing, and generally being alive. The main function of this gang of helper organisms living inside our digestive system is to prevent attack by way of the intestines and stomach, and act as a power plant for the rest of the body. If your gut microbiome is doing it’s job, you shouldn’t even notice it, a reflection of how integral it is to our continued existence. The word “prebiotic” refers to the food that nourishes our gut bacteria, they have to eat too! Prebiotic foods are defined by the fact that they make it to your colon, where your microbiome lives, works, and feeds. When we eat prebiotic/fibrous foods, we are essentially compensating the microscopic workers living inside out intestines, making their jobs easier, which, in turn increases the amount of energy available to our bodies through their increased efficiency. In addition to aiding in the digestion process, certain prebiotics have been shown to lower the metabolic availability of certain foods, namely fats and carbohydrates, in turn decreasing the amount of calories from fat and carbs that can be converted into fat. The results of this are an increase in lean body mass, with decreased adipose (fat) storage, providing evidence that consumption of particular prebiotics can shift one’s body composition away from obesity, holding all other factors constant. This section will show you which prebiotics are the most effective at feeding your microbiome and increasing the power hidden in the gut.

Fiber In it’s broadest form, the word fiber applies to any indigestible portions of the food that we eat.

The body deals with fiber in two ways, depending on whether it’s soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber is broken down by the bacteria present in our large intestine, fermenting food particles and turning them into gases that are absorbed by our microbiome. Insoluble fiber collects other indigestible material, along with toxins and water as it passes through the digestive system, resisting being broken down by the acidic milieu of acid, bacteria, and pressure present at the different stages of the digestive tract. At the end of it’s pungent trek, this resilient little ball of water, toxins, bile, and insoluble material is excreted, finally, to relish on it’s journey, in the bowels of your local sewer system.

Super Fiber

Within the definitions of soluble and insoluble fiber, there is a third type of semi-indigestible material that satisfies the definition of both, called resistant starch (RS). Resistant starch is unique from other starches in that the glucose units that it is made of, which would normally be broken down in the small intestine and stomach, resist digestion until arriving at the bacteriallyrich large intestine. The effects of incorporating this type of starch into a healthy diet have been linked to increased colonic health, reduction of the glycemic index of other foods, reduction of diet as a factor in predicting obesity, as well as many other effects as far reaching as preventing the effects of aging.

I feel that I need to clarify when I say “reduction of diet as a factor in predicting obesity”. I don’t mean that it makes diet an unpredictable factor in obesity, but that it works to remove it from the equation entirely. Obesity from inactivity is still a very real factor, but this takes a bit of the pressure off come meal time.

FYI - What Is The Glycemic Response?

The glycemic response is the scientific term for how our bodies respond to sugar. More specifically, it is our body’s response, in blood sugar levels, to the rates of conversion of carbohydrates into glucose. The quicker a carb is digested (in general), the higher that food’s glycemic index (GI) will be. The amount of sugar in our blood will tell our bodies how much insulin to produce, which will in turn signal our energy storage centers (fatty deposits) to store the glucose extracted from carbohydrates and metabolize it when needed. Foods with a relatively low GI are intended to trigger a lower insulin response, are thought to be beneficial in weight management, and may have many other positive health implications.

Picking Your RS Recent evidence has suggested (inconclusively) that constant variation of nutrient sources can reduce the overall diversity of your gut bacteria, warranting a loose focus on consistency when starting a diet intended to promote digestive health. Practicality also suggests that we should choose a readily available, easy to prepare source of resistant starches to incorporate into our diets, so as to promote sustainability. To narrow down the bank of RS foods that we can choose from, let’s first look at the effectiveness of the various types of resistant starches in achieving regularity, a by-product of colonic health.

source.

A note about the diagram above: the maize product used in the study cited is a retrograded grain, which gelatinizes when mixed with heat and water (aka it’s corn flour).

Something to note from this study is that 26% of participants couldn’t digest one or two of the four types of resistant starches, so, if one of the foods mentioned above doesn’t seem to be having a beneficial effect, try another one!

We can see from this simplified visualization that there is a significant difference in our body’s ability to utilize different types of resistant starches. Since we get more usefulness (in terms of RS) out of wheat and maize, and since many of the foods they are found in are are denser in calories, we can use slightly less of them in relation to plants and tubers when incorporating resistant starch into our diet. Next, we can look at which foods pack the most resistant starches into each serving. From the table linked in the last sentence, we can see that their are a few outliers among the group that deserve out attention because 1. they are more densely packed with resistant starches, and 2. they are all commonly found in your local supermarket in their raw, unprocessed form.

plantain/green banana four (35 to 68 grams) cassava starch (44.6 to 80.8 grams) potato starch, raw (66.7 to 79.3 grams)

(a comprehensive list of foods containing RS can be found at the back of the book)

a note on gas A not-so-pleasant byproduct of high fiber intake can be an increase in flatulence caused by the bacterial activity taking place in the gut. What does this mean? Farts and Burps. Those gifted few among you who prefer the company of people to computer screens may find this objectionable, so i’ve included a brief guide to minimize the amount of lies you will have to make up about squeaky leather chairs while you increase your resistant starch intake.

Incorporation Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to health and fitness. We can read a million books about what we should be doing, but unless we can put all of this high-minded science into practice, none of it really means anything. In this section, I will show you a simple smoothie recipe that will not only deliver all of your probiotics and prebiotics for the day, but also represent your suggested fruit and vegetable intake for the day, freeing you up to more interesting eatables for lunch and dinner.

Step One: Assemble your Supplies LONG TERM ITEMS (links to the best deals included below)

A blender. Clickthrough the image to buy the most-well reviewed blender available- the Vita-mix.

Blenders to fit every budget are available here.

A blender. Click-through the image to buy the most-well reviewed blender available- the Vita-mix. Blenders to fit additional budgets are available

A powerful, clinicallytested, lactic acid probiotic supplement (click-through the link for my personal suggestion).

For those with weight loss on their mind, click here for a histamine reducing L. Plantarum A probiotic. A powerful, clinically-tested, lactic acid probiotic supplement (clickthrough the link for my personal suggestion). For those with weight loss on their mind, click here for a histamine reducing L. Plantarum supplement.

Potato starch. The most resistant starch-dense prebiotic material available. Click through to order from Amazon.

Potato starch will be used on a daily basis in every GUT smoothie you make.

Potato starch. The most resistant starch-dense prebiotic material available. Click through to order from Amazon. Potato starch will be used on a daily basis in every GUT smoothie you make. In case of food allergy, check the Resistant Starch section for more options.

WEEKLY GROCERY LIST ITEMS

Bananas! Oh glorious, versatile, monkey fuel. These yellow tubes of potassium rich salvation are the key to blending drinkable smoothies.

Dark Berries! Come over to the dark side, embrace your inner most urges to make anti-oxidant rich smoothies that would send Violet Beauregarde into a panic.

FAT! Fat is a crucial ingredient in the gut smoothie because it provides a transportation device for all of the nutrients to get into your body. I use hemp seeds, available here. Check out the GUT goods page for more options for healthy fats.

Yogurt bearing the Live Active Cultures (LAC) seal! A comprehensive list of yogurts that have been approved to use the LAC seal is available here.

GREENS! There is a degree of freedom with which you can choose your greens. The most important thing is that they are green, and leafy- spinach, kale, broccoli, they all work.

Experiment and be adventurous at the grocery store. The key will be overall diversity, so switch it up each week!

Ingredients for one smoothie.

-1regular sized, preferably green, banana -1 small handful of dark berries (blueberries, currants, elderberries, etc.)

-1/2 cup of yogurt or kefir -1 tablespoon of your chosen RS (potato starch, plantain flour, cassava starch, etc.)

-1 tablespoon of flax seeds, coconut oil, chia, or hemp seeds -fill the rest of the blender (to your desired serving size) with dark green vegetables (kale, broccoli, cucumber, spinach, etc.)

Directions.

1. Blend 2. Drink

That’s It. Seriously.

Drink one synbiotic smoothie every day and be amazed by the results on your energy level, focus, and mental health.

Step Two

Tips For Success “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

– Muhammad Ali

Gradual Adaptation The universal failure rate of dieting gives a common sense incentive to ease your body into any major changes, beneficial or not. Research now shows that the same principle applies at the microscopic scale, revealing the ability of our guts to learn and adapt to foods in order to maximize nutrient absorption and aid in overall digestion. Adaptation occurs gradually, starting at birth and continuing for as long as gut bacteria exists in/on our bodies. With that in mind, we can assume that our bodies are comfortable with, or at the very least, accustomed to the foods we typically eat. A study on infants in 2010 uncovered a positive relationship between the consistency of diet in the early stages of life, and the steady growth of probiotic (or beneficial) colonies in the gut. When applying any new foods to your diet, take it slow and incorporate sparingly until you have given your gut biome time to acclimate and adapt to the changes.

Stress Research has identified a strong link between the brain and gut, known as the microbiota-gutbrain axis (MGB), which shows a correlation between the state of your brain, and the state of your gut bacteria. One major brain factor that has been seen to have a strong correlation with the microbiome (pointing towards a possible correlation) is the presence of stress in individuals with significantly altered or damaged bacterial cultures.

Obviously it’s impractical for me to say ‘don’t be stressed”, in fact, that statement would probably stress you out even more. However, it is worth noting that mental state is often times a choice. Ultimately, we choose to allow our environment effect our mood. It would be insensitive to those in truly difficult situations to say that this is an easy or even apparent choice to make most of the time, but it is still a choice. The choice to either focus on the bad, on that which we cannot change, on our failures, or to focus on what we have to be grateful for, to focus on making positive changes in our lives, and to remember our successes. To be left at the will of your situation always ends up at sadness sooner or later, which is a natural part of life, but the ability to find joy again is a quality of true strength and resilience.

So be happy, it’s good for you!

Stop Smoking A study conducted in Zurich, Switzerland on 10 adults who regularly used cigarettes revealed a link between smoking and gut bacteria. In the study, 5 subjects were allowed to remain smoking, while the other 5 were restricted from smoking their nicotine containing products. The results showed a slight weight increase in the non-smoking participants, along with a shift in the bacterial strains found in the stomach, as well as an increase in diversity of gut inhabitants. The weight gain, almost universally known among ex-smokers, is attributed to increased nutrient absorption and efficiency of the digestive system, causing a surplus in calories if nutrition is kept static throughout the process. Basically, smoking lets you eat more without getting fat because it is killing the hungry bacteria in your gut while simultaneously suppressing your appetite.

source.

Buy A Blender You really can’t beat how convenient smoothies are. Personally, they revolutionized my ability to eat healthy. I wake up in the morning craving, not coffee, but a green smoothie to wake me up.

Blending speeds up the mastication process, doing the prep work for our digestive system and allowing our body to start absorbing nutrients immediately. Increased chewing and premastication techniques have been linked to obesity prevention (although results have been mixed), improved microbial health, and, of course, increased energy intake.

There are plenty of resources on the inter webs with guides on blending, with recipes tailored for any ailment your naturopath can imagine. My suggestion, if you do not have the resources to incorporate fresh produce containing FOS or resistant starch into your diet, is to buy a bag of bulk potato flour or green plantain flour and add a scoop to a green smoothie first thing in the morning.

Do not juice. Keep all that pulpy goodness in your smoothie, the fiber contained in those fruits and vegetables should never be wasted! Refer to the following experience if you need further persuasion (juice cleanse = free hallucinations!).

Gym Wisdom

Bodybuilders are the ultimate test subjects. They achieve unbelievable feats in body transformation on a regular basis and have created a culture around experimentation in the pursuit of physical perfection.

From the annals of bodybuilding lore, often told in hushed, panting, tones, we can skim some practical advice: preparation precedes consistency. Picking one day per week to pre-cook all of your basic staples (a technique borrowed from efficient restaurants) like chicken breast, rice, beans, or pasta saves hours of setup, cooking, and cleaning time. Refer to this table to see how resistant starch levels are affected in pre-cooked, refrigerated foods. White rice, for example, exhibits minimal losses of resistant starch when boiled and refrigerated.

Polyphenols & Tea Polyphenols are chemicals present in plants, nuts, and seeds, that help regulate growth, provide UV protection, deter against microbial infections, and stop attacks by pathogenic bacteria.

Within our bodies, the polyphenols contained within green and black tea have been studied extensively for their relationship with our gut bacteria. In every study performed, the addition of polyphenol-rich teas was shown to increase both the overall diversity of the gut microbiota and the presence of clinically researched probiotic strains in a majority of the patients to which they were administered.

Add FOS Fructooligosaccharides (FOS’) are chains of simple sugars commonly found in vegetables. Due to our stomach’s inability to metabolize cellulose, many of these polymers cannot be broken down until reaching the large intestine. At that point, these simple sugars are fermented and absorbed by our microbiome. Research has shown that adding FOS to your diet can increase the growth of bacteria in the gut as well as increasing the absorption rates of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron. In addition, studies on the interaction between certain bacterial strains and FOS have shown the preferential fermentation of the plant sugar over other organic materials in the colon, creating the potential for it’s incorporation into prebiotic supplements in order to increase effectiveness. However, it must be noted that concerns over FOS have arisen due to the fact that non-probiotic (not beneficial to it’s host) bacteria also seem to thrive in the presence of fructooligosaccharides, opening the door to potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria.

Only add FOS to your diet if you are interested in maintaining your gut health, not improving it from a state of disorder. The incorporation of excess plant sugar may nurture the growth of unwanted bacteria within the gut.

Bananas, garlic, onions, leeks, and artichokes all contain high levels of FOS, add sparingly to your diet with respect to the concerns listed above. Notice that their is some overlap between FOSrich foods and those containing RS *cough* bananas. Clinical trials suggest that 20 grams/day may be a sustainable level of FOS to incorporate for the purpose of improving digestive health.

Get a healthy roommate A study performed by Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University, St. Louis in which the fecal matter of both lean and obese human twins was transplanted into the digestive system of “humanized” mice showed a direct link between microbial communities and weight gain. Taking their examination of this pattern one step further, Gordon then put rat’s transplanted from either twin in the same cage. Surprisingly, in that trial, both rats remained lean. This result was attributed to the transfer of bacterial communities through shared space. Not a conclusive assumption by any means, but possibly a contributing factor to shared body types among families. The implications of this go against the traditional notion that “body type” is determined solely by genetic inheritance.

Other Stuff Smoothie Food Alternatives Resistant Starches

corn, cooked and cooled (4.4 grams) unripe bananas (4.7 to 34 grams) baked potato, boiled then frozen, 30 days (5.71 to 12.2 grams) chickpeas, cooked and cooled (6.35 grams) job’s tears/pearl barley (6.4 grams) peas, cooked and cooled (6.7 grams) uncooked rolled oats 
 (7.8 to 14.8 grams of resistant starches per 100 grams of oats) cooked black beans (10.76 grams) cooked red beans (10.63 grams) cashews (12.9 grams) boiled white beans (16.5 grams) roasted potatoes (19.1 grams) lotus seed (19.7 grams) raw yams (23.25 grams) arepas made with high-amylose corn (32 grams) plantain/green banana four (35 to 68 grams) cassava starch (44.6 to 80.8 grams)

potato starch, raw (66.7 to 79.3 grams) Vegetables Broccoli Kale Cucumber Spinach Fruits Live Cultures

Yogurt listed on this site Amasi Kefir Polyphenols

spinach broccoli green tea black tea coffee dark chocolate dark berries (blueberries, currants, elderberries, black grapes, plums,and cherries) Fats

flaxseed nuts, such as almonds, pecans, and chestnuts EVOO

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) Traveling often changes the way you eat and throws your normal routines out of whack. While in Asia, my carbohydrate consumption increased dramatically, and I noticed bloating and gas on a daily basis, to the point that eating became a major stress during my travels. Seemingly after every meal, my stomach felt as if it were going to burst, uncomfortably bloated, even though my stomach would be relatively flat again when I woke up the next morning. I had noticed this pattern before, but I had always written it off as the side effects of a big meal. While spending a month in South Korea, I took advice from the locals and started smoking cigarettes after I would eat in order to get relief from the gas and bloating. Admittedly, one of my more idiotic ideas.

As my suspicions about it’s origins grew, so did my curiosity, and I decided to do some research.

In my search, I stumbled across a disorder called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and was immediately intrigued by the symptoms that it described - dizziness, fatigue, nausea, flatulence, and bloating, something that is so universal to myself that I had simply engrained them as the feeling of being full. With bloating and gut discomfort starting to derail the enjoyment of my trip, I decided to take action. Being overseas, and thousands of miles from the closest healthcare provider covered by my insurance, I decide to self-diagnose based on my past experiences and see how my body responded to treatment. I would suggest that you consult a physician before undertaking any major dietary changes, I must stress that my case is simply a single case study in which it worked out.

The Symptoms Excessive Gas - Does your significant other complain about your flatulence? Do you sit in leather chairs so you can have something to blame your uncontrollable farts on? It might not be your fault...

Uncomfortable Bloating - After eating a large meal, do you often need to lie down because your stomach feels too full or bloated? Does it return to it's normal state after a few hours? This could be the result of overactive bacteria residing in your small intestine.

Fatigue - Find yourself napping on the job after a big lunch? Have trouble concentrating within an hour of eating? Your gut may be in a state of disorder due to bacterial overgrowth.

Stomach Pain - If you have chronic stomach pain after meals, often resulting in loose stools and diarrhea, you may have a "leaky gut", a result of excess gas in the small intestine, and another sign of SIBO. What is SIBO? Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a disorder of the small intestine in which the bacteria that resides in the colon starts to migrate up the digestive tract and colonize the small intestines. In order to understand why this is a problem, we should first look at the composition of a healthy small intestine. Our small intestine is generally a sterile environment, in which our carbs and simple sugars are broken down using a mixture of enzymatic digestion and the

contractions of the sphincters which transport partially digested food to the colon. The microscopic particles which are released through these processes are then passed through the epithelial (intestinal) lining, which has tiny holes made up of tightly woven protein membranes which allow the passage of enzymes, hormones, and fatty acids to our liver, which will eventually be distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream. Generally, fibers, plant matter, and complex sugars are unaffected by the milieu of digestive enzymes residing within this portion of our tract, and are passed onto the colon, where our gut bacteria can finish the digestive process using fermentation. In cases where the small intestine has been invaded by fermentative bacteria, the final stage of digestive process is initiated early, releasing gases and other chemicals that were previously foreign to this portion of our guts. The gases build up in the upper GI tract, which damage the walls of the small intestines, as well as creating uncomfortable pressure in and around your gut that can be seen clearly when large amounts of fermentable materials (starches, uncooked fruits and veggies, nuts) are ingested at once. The results of the excess gas is a dilation of the epithelial membranes that comprise our intestinal wall, creating dysfunction between that wall and the protein gatekeepers that generally dictate the transfer of our vitamins, fatty acids, and enzymes into our bloodstream. With these larger holes, the barrier between our nutritional inputs and the compounds that reach our bloodstream is put under excess strain, allowing toxins, non-nutrients, and all kinds of foreign substances to enter our bloodstream. This can cause a variety of problems including allergies, diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, and of course, bloating and gas. Since these are maladies that many people all over the world experience everyday, they are often written off as simply the after effects of a big meal. The results of that notion were acceptance of a life filled with discomfort, and the need to cater my activities around two hours of forced sedation after eating a bowl of rice. I found freedom from that life using the methods described below.

Curing SIBO Here’s what I’ve found to be most effective at restoring the digestive work assignments that are so pertinent to proper digestion. Without the reset, the therapeutic gut tactics described in the remainder of this book will only exacerbate your digestive problems in the long-term.

There are 3 parts to curing SIBO 1. Lowering the defenses of small intestinal bacteria.

2. Eliminating the bacterial overgrowth, without creating an environment of dysbiosis (digestive disfunction resulting from killing too many helpful bacteria).

3. Repairing the intestinal lining.

The “Hard Reset” combines all three of these traits into a diet that looks similar to a ketogenic or “paleo” system. There are also a few rules that overarch this process that must be followed in order for SIBO treatment to be successful.

What not to do. What you need to understand going into this is that, for a little while at least, we must starve our gut bacteria so that we can give our digestive systems a fresh start. First, eliminate all starchy carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, green bananas, and anything else listed in the section entitled “Resistant Starches”) and significantly reduce your sugar intake (one apple per day, or the equivalent, is acceptable, preferably in a smoothie) while doing the Hard Reset, since

they act as nourishment to both the good and bad bacteria in our small intestines. Another tenant of the diet is lowering your caloric consumption per meal, accomplished by eating small, protein and fat-rich meals every 2-3 hours, or whenever you feel hungry, but this will continue on throughout the GUT diet, so you should just start to adjust to it now. The last limitation during the Hard Reset is temporarily eliminating live cultures of any kind from your diet. This includes probiotic supplements, fermented and acidified foods like yogurt, kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, and anything else that utilizes bacteria in it’s production. Don’t worry, it’s only temporary, I love my kefir and kimchi.

Okay, now that I’ve covered the no-no’s, here’s how to actually fix SIBO. Lowering their Defenses The bacteria in your small intestines sometimes form what is called a “biofilm matrix” which is a membrane that a collective of bacteria live in, where they can share resources and even DNA in order to maximize their chance at survival. In order to effectively eliminate these bacteria we have to disrupt that biofilm using disrupting agents that break down this protective shell.

Lactoferrin and N-Acetyl-Cystein - Both of these nutrients are effective at destroying the protective layer covering bacterial deposits in our gut. There is a good supplement offered by Klaire Labs, called Interfase Plus, which is available at Amazon.com for a pretty reasonable price (~30 bucks for 120 caps). Open up the caps and take it with water or food to ensure it is absorbed by the bacteria in your small intestines. I like to just shotgun it in water before breakfast.

Clearing the Small Intestine Synthetic Anti-Microbial AgentsMonolaurin capsules - Available at the vitamin shoppe for about $20 bucks for all that you will need. This is an antimicrobial agent that will help destroy the bacteria living in your upper GI. Again, when you take the supplement, you want to open up the capsule and just swallow the powder with food or some water. This ensures that the monolaurin is activated before it reaches the colon, where it’s affects would be misdirected on your normal gut colonies. Repeat this process once per day for a month.

Rifaximin - This is a selective antibiotic that will target the bacterial overgrowth in your upper GI tract.You will need a prescription for this and it can sometimes be costly, so consider your options carefully and pursue testing before jumping into an antibiotic regimen. That being said, this is the most effective treatment for SIBO, and should be utilized if you have a serious case of bacterial overgrowth that severely effects your life on a daily basis.You will want at least a tenday supply of the drug, with 21 days being optimal.

Natural - Anti-Microbial Agents Freshly Grated Garlic and Ginger - Both have been known for a long time to help with digestive problems and have been widely used as folk remedies for weight loss and any number of other

maladies. The downside? They are hard for some people to palette and a little bit burdensome to freshly grate each morning. Be aware that garlic will make your breath, skin, hair, poop, everything, smell like garlic, so if you’re not a garlic enthusiast like I am, take your time deciding which method to pursue. Eat a tablespoon of whichever you choose with every meal for about 30 days.

Oregano Extract Oil- This one is a little bit unpredictable. According to health personality Chris Kresser, oregano extracts are used commercially as an antimicrobial agent. That should give you some indication on how strong it is. There are plenty of synthetic antimicrobial agents out there, but many food processing companies still use oregano oil as their substance of choice for sterilization. It is effective, undoubtedly, but the danger you run is destroying too much of your bacteria, making recolonization of the colon more difficult after, and creating the risk of developing diseases such as IBS and Crohn’s disease. If you are going to use oregano extract oil, consult your doctor and continue to work with them to monitor your health throughout the process.

Repairing the Epithelium This one is pretty simple, the cells that repair our intestinal lining require glutamine to operate properly. In order to help the repair of our gut walls, we want to increase our glutamine intake.

Glutamine is abundant in beef, fish, and other protein rich foods. So go eat a steak.You can also take glutamine powder, but that’s not as fun as eating steak. Try to ingest 50-60% of your daily caloric value from protein, 20% from healthy fats, 20% from vegetables, and the remaining 10% from fruits and anything else the fat kid living in your stomach can’t resist. Also, try not to blacken the meat too much or else you run the risk of depleting the nutritive value contained within it.

Remember, this diet is temporary, and serves a very specific purpose, and will be confined to a month long timeframe, not the rest of your life. The goal is to reset your gut, so that, when we begin to recharge our metabolism, our efforts are directed to the colon, where they belong, instead of the small intestine, where bacteria can lead to a whole slough of disorders.

Fighting Histamine Intolerance Food Intolerance & Histamine Defining Histamine First thing’s first, what is a histamine? Besides being recognized by most people as the second word in anti-histamine, histamine is a chemical that is released within our bodies either as a neurotransmitter, which helps regulate various functions in our body including regulating our sleep patterns, or as a signal to our immune system to create a response that alerts us to, and protects us from foreign invaders and disease causing pathogens. If this process is working properly, when we come in contact with something like a bee sting or poison ivy, histamines are released, it does it’s job to send protective agents to that specific area, and then it’s deactivated by enzymes that degrade it’s molecular structure. However, when our body doesn’t produce enough of the deactivators, or we eat too many foods containing histamine, our body is bombarded by signals to protect itself when there is really no need. We then experience a physiological response that feels and looks similar to a flu or allergic reaction, i.e. inflammation, dizziness, skin irritation, hives, throat tightening, increased heart rate, nasal congestion, migraines, fatigue, heartburn, acid reflux, flushing of the face and hands, and even narcolepsy. Your body is basically in panic mode by this point because histamine is signaling to it that we are in danger, so the response is to create a physical response that serves to protect us from that danger, and signal to your conscious self that something is wrong, it’s both a subconscious and conscious warning system. Chronic experience of the symptoms described above, or extreme anaphylactic reactions to foods and beverages like red wine and fermented foods is called histamine resistance, and can be life threatening if left untreated. Most people experience only mild versions of these symptoms, so it’s difficult to diagnose in a clinical setting, but the CDC estimates that about 1% of all Americans suffer from full-blown histamine resistance, with most of those people being middle aged. Regardless of whether your body produces and deals with histamine in the correct way, eating too many foods that either produce, enable, or contain histamine will cause some form of the symptoms listed above.

Replace Histamine Producing Bacteria In addition from ingesting histamine from the food that we eat, excess histamine can also come from the bacteria living in our own digestive tracts. Certain strains of bacteria, especially Lactobacillus bulgaricus and casei (the responsible parties for fermented milk products) are known to be histamine promoting in the colon, meaning that histamine is a byproduct of their digestive activities. Normally, the resulting histamine is deactivated and broken down in our large intestine by the enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase) before a noticeable effect can take place.

Occasionally, when the proportion of histamine to DAO increases enough, or your body isn’t producing enough of the enzyme, our bodies can’t effectively get rid of the excess histamine and

we are hit with a headache, feel dizzy, or start showing signs of a cold or flu, like sneezing and coughing. Lucky for us, we can help eliminate the symptoms of a histamine overload by taking a few steps to even out the balance of DAO to Histamine in our guts.

L. Plantarum: Lactobacillus Plantarum is a unique bacteria because it naturally reduces our sensitivity to histamine in two ways by 1) regulating the brain-blood barrier, which controls the rate at which our body recognizes histamine, which gives us more time to break it down naturally, and 2) producing DAO enzymes, which neutralize histamine altogether by deactivating it’s reactive components. There are three strains of bacteria that have been clinically observed to be histamine reducing in our guts. Those are bifidobacterium infants (from breast milk), bifidobacterium longus (in yogurt and other fermented foods alongside it’s histamine producing friends), and lactobacillus plantarum. L. Plantarum is a particularly interesting strain because it has been observed to be effective at reducing our reactivity to histamine when supplemented through food by improving the blood-brain barrier described before. In addition to it’s ability to reduce histamine production, L. Plantarum has also been observed to alleviate the symptoms typically associated with antibiotic treatment, remaining in the digestive system long after other probiotic strains have been killed off. You can find L. Plantarum in fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and rye bread, but unfortunately, these foods also contain high levels of histamine producing bacteria. For that reason I can’t really suggest one over the other if you are trying to fix a histamine intolerance, eating those foods can exacerbate the problem just as much as they could help it. There are a few products that have managed to synthesize L. Plantarum and are effective at restoring the DAO-histamine balance in our large intestines. This drink, which is made with a regard to histamine intolerance and contains all three of the aforementioned histamine neutralizing bacterial strains and is made with natural, organic ingredients. ADD L. PLANTARUM SUPPLEMENTS. It may be advisable to follow The Hard Reset (page blah blah) plan if you believe that your bacterial colonies are far out of wack or if you’re having frequent reactions to fiber-rich foods.

The reset will break up the entrenched bacteria living in your gut and give you a chance to more predictably recolonize with beneficial, or probiotic, bacteria.

Limit Histamine Rich Foods Our body’s response to histamine has evolved over thousands of years to protect us from potentially harmful pathogens (bacteria and other microorganisms). It makes sense then that the foods which have the highest concentrations of histamine are those that utilize bacteria to be made. Foods such as saurkraut, aged cheeses, wine, and salted-cured fish and meat products are a few histamine-containing examples that are pretty common in most people’s diets either because of cultural significance or due to the fact that they are damn delicious. For most people it would be unimaginable to eliminate these foods entirely, and it would take a lot of joy out of many people’s diets if they had to be cut out entirely, so I suggest simply being aware of the foods that contain the most histamine, and using that knowledge to make smart choices when you want to feel your best. That being said, if you have severe histamine resistance, it may be necessary to completely eliminate these types of foods from your diet in order to live a healthy and happy life.

Below is a comprehensive list of foods that contain histamine or tyramine, both of which will cause an allergic-like reaction if eaten in excess or if DAO is not present in the digestive system.

Aged Cheeses Alcohol (Beer, Wine, Sake, Soju) Anchovies Avocados Ciders Eggplant Fermented Meats and Veggies (pickled or smoked meats, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.)

Mackerel Mushrooms Processed Meat and Byproducts (sausages, hot dogs, salami, bologna) Pumpernickel and Other Yeasty Breads Sardines Sour Cream Spinach Tomatoes Vinegar and Vinegar-Rich Sauces (mayonnaise, salad dressing, ketchup, pickled vegetables) Yogurt Eliminate Histamine Triggers Besides foods that contain histamine, some of the things we eat can trigger a histamine response in our bodies. The signaling agents are found most commonly in foods that are either spoiled or near-spoiling, although other foods and beverages can trigger the release of histamine as well.

Histamine Triggering Foods Alcohol Bananas Chocolate High-Citrus Fruits (Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruit) Eggs Fish Milk Papayas Pineapple Shellfish

Strawberries Tomatoes The longer a food remains in your fridge or on your counter, the more of these chemicals will be present, and the more severe the histamine reaction will be. It should be common sense not to eat spoiled food, but further than that, it needs to become a priority to either eat the food that you have immediately, or prepare it for long-term storage.

There are two ways for preparing food for long-term storage that are natural and don’t involve adding harmful preservatives to your edibles: marination and freezing.

Marination: Besides being delicious, garlic, ginger, and various other spices, also have antimicrobial and anti-putrificative traits. When you store meats in a marinade that contains these spices you can slow down the formation of histamine, and histamine enabling chemicals.

Here are three all-purpose, and delicious marinades that you can use for chicken, beef, and pork, that will help reduce your potential reaction to them if you can’t eat them right away, but aren’t storing them long enough to warrant freezing.

1. Chicken 2. Beef 3. Pork Freezing: Freezing food has been shown to significantly reduce the formation of histamine over time compared to refrigeration or dry-storage techniques. The main concern for most people when they are freezing foods is whether they are losing any nutritive value through the process, the answer….

Promote DAO Activity Vitamins C and B6 have both been shown to promote histamine degradation by promoting DAO enzyme activity. Relatively, a deficiency of either of these vitamins can lead to histamine intolerance.You can find B6 in fresh fish, such as tuna, which contains 70% of your recommended daily value in each serving, as well as in fresh turkey, and fresh beef, with 55% and 44% respectively of the recommended daily intake. Foods rich in vitamin C include, papaya, with 0ver 200% of your recommended daily intake in each serving, as well as bell peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and strawberries, each containing over 100% of your recommended daily value in each serving.

Zinc Taking DAOsin or other DAO supplements Some foods can actually block the release of DAO in our body, which will lead to an excess of histamine in our digestive system. For the most part, you will want to limit these in your diet if histamine is a problem for you.

DAO Blockers Alcohol Energy drinks Black tea Mate tea Green tea Eat Fresh Besides eliminating histamine-rich foods, the key to avoiding histamine and the resultant symptoms is buying fresh foods and eating them immediately, or storing them at either freezing temperature, or in an antibacterial mixture such as the marinades I mentioned before. A good place to start would be a farmer’s market or co-op. Avoid pre-packaged foods that could have been sitting out for prolonged periods of time, and grow what you can. Also remember, spices are your friends, especially garlic, ginger, and oregano, so there shouldn't be any enjoyment taken out of your dietary experience just because you need to avoid histamine.

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose VS Lactase- Lactase is critical for the digestive systems of most modern people because it is the direct counterpart to lactose within our bodies. Since lactose is in some of the most indulgent and enjoyable foods that we eat, it is critical for our gut health that we keep a stocked arsenal of lactase in our bodies. Lactase is a naturally occurring enzyme in most european people that lives it’s life to consume and convert lactose into energy (glucose).

Outside of Europe, and especially in Africa and Asia, lactase is absent from a majority of the population. Not so coincidentally, lactose intolerance is estimated at over 90% in asian populations. Luckily, we can outsource this job to our microscopic life partners. Certain types of bacteria, known as lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB), create lactase as a byproduct of their fermentative processes. The presence of LAB in food incites a chemical process in which lactose, glucose, and sugar are converted into lactic acid and lactase. The effects of this transformation dictates our ability to enjoy dairy. The application of lactic acid producing bacteria into the diets of lactose intolerant individuals has proven to increase the metabolization of lactose while reducing gastrointestinal discomfort in people who previously could not digest dairy products. Lactic acid (producing) bacteria can be found in your yogurt, and in other fermented dairy products such as kefir and amasi, staples of a healthy microbiome diet.

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