Leaky gut is a condition in which the intestinal lining becomes damaged and more permeable, allowing harmful substances to leak into the bloodstream. This can trigger inflammation throughout the body and contribute to a range of health issues, including digestive problems, autoimmune disorders, and skin conditions.
Leaky gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability, is a condition in which the lining of the intestines becomes damaged, allowing harmful substances to “leak” through into the bloodstream. These substances can include toxins, bacteria, and undigested food particles. The resulting inflammation can lead to a variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and fatigue.
There are many potential causes of Leaky Gut, including poor diet, alcoholism, infections, stress, and certain medications. When the gut barrier is compromised, it can lead to a variety of health problems, such as food allergies, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.
Leaky gut is also associated with a number of autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and type 1 diabetes. In fact, some researchers believe that leaky gut may be the cause of these conditions along with other factors. For example, studies have shown that people with celiac disease are more likely to have a leaky gut than those without the condition.
If you suspect that you may have a leaky gut, it is important to get the appropriate testing such as blood or stool test where we can test for zonulin which is an indication of leaky gut. This testing can also reveal potential causes of leaky gut: high histamine, low DAO, antibodies to intestinal cells, and immune activation to bacteria.
A food intolerance is when your body has difficulty digesting a particular type of food. This is different from a food allergy, which is when your body has an immune reaction to a specific food. While food intolerances are not life-threatening, they can cause uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Food intolerances are often caused by lack of enzymes that help to break down the offending food. For example, someone who is lactose intolerant may lack the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar. People with food intolerances can often eat small amounts of the offending food without experiencing any symptoms. However, if they eat too much or eat it too often, they may start to experience bothersome symptoms.
Food sensitivities occur when the immune system reacts to a particular protein in food. Common signs and symptoms of food sensitivities include gastrointestinal distress, skin reactions, fatigue and headaches and even joint pain. Not to be confused with food intolerances which are more common or food allergies are more serious, as they can result in anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction.
Testing for food sensitivities can also help connect the dots when it comes to chronic or unexplained symptoms. Doing an elimination diet or avoiding that food may also help you reach your health goals faster.
Caring for your health properly is so much more than just the basics of eating right and exercise.
With current medical research, we have discovered that the body is a complex collection of organs and systems and even bacterial colonies (the microbiome) that greatly impact each other.
While the standard of care hasn’t quite “caught up” yet with most of the current science, conventional doctors and “specialists” are still treating parts of the body separately without taking into account the fact that these areas greatly impact each other.
When you are healthy, they work together like a symphony in perfect harmony. But when one of these systems is off-balance, the whole symphony is out of tune! When you need a tune-up, not only do you need to look at areas that aren’t working right but also that everything is balanced with the rest of your body.
Sadly, most people receive medications to treat symptoms associated with a body part that “isn’t working” when in reality, it’s a systemic issue that needs to be treated in a completely different way.
In our practice, we follow a more modern “functional medicine” approach. This includes using advanced lab testing so we can get a more complete picture of how your body’s systems are functioning together – like your gut health or your hormones.
We also use up-to-date nutritional science to help you restore your body’s healing potential. This in-depth approach is the only successful way of addressing chronic health issues because most chronic illnesses have many causes.
Instead of simply addressing different symptoms across separate areas, functional medicine seeks to resolve the underlying root cause – while looking at lifestyle factors such as diet, environment, emotional health, and mindset that usually brings on the health issue patients are seeking to heal.
At our core, we’re here for the 40s, 50s, and beyond crew who are dealing with cardiometabolic, hormonal, and tummy troubles.
At our core, we’re here for the 40s, 50s, and beyond crew who are dealing with cardiometabolic, hormonal, and tummy troubles.
If you’re tired of shuffling from doctor to doctor without ever getting to the root of your chronic health issues, and if you want to optimize your health holistically through sound lifestyle modifications, advanced lab testing and mind-body techniques without unnecessary medications, then our program may just be what you’ve been looking for all along. Just know that it takes a serious commitment to make the lifestyle changes necessary to transform your health once and for all.
As a prospective patient, you may wonder about additional costs not included in our program fee. We know that you’ve likely been to other providers before that may have already run lab tests. That’s why during our comprehensive intake consultation, we will review any existing lab results – so that we can determine if additional, more advanced lab testing is needed to confirm a diagnosis. In terms of supplements, we may recommend certain pharmaceutical-grade supplements for a limited time to support your body’s innate healing process. But long-term, we believe that supplements can’t make up for a poor lifestyle – so our intent is to get you off supplements and unneeded prescription meds as soon as possible.
During the free discovery call, we’ll determine whether partnering with our team is the best next step for you. We’ll go over any questions you may have about our approach, and how it differs from what you’ve tried before – so you feel comfortable about the journey ahead.
Ahead of the initial paid appointment, you will complete our extensive background history forms so that we can properly review your history and lab results ahead of your appointment. During the appointment, we will together review your completed intake form, medical history, current and past lab tests – as well as any medications taken, so that we can arrive at a baseline assessment of your overall health and nutritional status. If needed, we may decide on more advanced lab tests to confirm (or rule out) a specific diagnosis, so we can create a personalized treatment protocol.
Our team at The Real Gut Doctor strives to provide you with the most effective and medically advanced techniques available. We are here for you… to help you finally reach your desired health goals.
When we speak, we’ll assess whether this program is right for you… and answer any questions you may have. Simply pick a time and date that works best for you!
