We’re all in a different place when it comes to our gut health. Today, I want to give you some guidance on how to heal your gut naturally.
You may be working with a practitioner or a naturopath.
You may also be on your own journey.
In all of the misinformation and wealth of information, it’s easy for someone to fall off the path.
You see, we are constantly in kill mode.
We hear that our gut issues may stem from infections – pathogens like parasites, bacteria, fungus…
Instead of investigating why they are there, we decide that they simply shouldn’t be… and this is when we go into “kill mode” trying to kill off all the bugs.
Unfortunately, what we don’t consider is that this is one of the worst things that we can do. When we look at a healthy gut, we need to remember that all of those things – pathogens, parasites, bacteria, fungus, etc. – matter. The population of our gut should be composed of the good guys (symbiotic), the bad guys (pathogenic), and the in-between guys (commensal) bacteria. Commensal bacteria can go either way and bring balance inside the gut.
A 6-Step Protocol to Heal Your Gut Naturally
While this natural gut healing process does require some help (i.e. lab testing and an expert), I know some self-healers who want to try to do it on their own. If you want more support or don’t know where to start (even with this guide), please schedule some time with me here. I want to help you get on the right path towards healing, and quite frankly, I don’t recommend trying to heal your gut on your own.
#1 Assess What’s Going On Inside The Gut With Labs
If you want to assess what’s really going on inside the gut, it helps to have the right labs. These tests will reveal an overgrowth of bacteria, parasites, fungus, or yeast. They will also provide insight into the health of your Intestinal lining.
How do you know when you need labs? You may have any of the following obvious gut issue signs (and these may indicate that you have some fungal overgrowth):
- Skin issues like rashes or itchy skin
- White coating on the tongue
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Yeasts infections where sweat is collected (usually under the breasts or in the folds of fat)
#2 Open Up Drainage Pathways
Next, you’ll want to open up those drainage pathways. One of the worst things that we can do is go in and start putting a bunch of killing agents – in the form of natural or prescribed antimicrobials.
Even higher doses of healthy herbs can cause a detox reaction if we don’t open our drainage pathways first. As a result, toxins cannot escape from the body. The lymph, liver, and bowels play a huge role in drainage.
So if you’re experiencing a lot of constipation, for example, you don’t want to ingest a bunch of killing agents or herbs.
First, you want to open the pipelines to get things flowing through your body. If you avoid doing so, you’ll experience toxic overload. The bacteria will start getting mad at you for throwing all these herbs at them. Consequently, they’ll start to create a real mess in your body.
You want to open the drainage pathways so your body can dispose of the toxins as they’re brought up.
Alternative Methods To Open Up Drainage Pathways
Remember, opening up drainage pathways doesn’t have to always be with a supplement or a herb.
You can use the following methods to naturally assist in opening your pathways:
- Castor oil packs
- Coffee enemas
- Skin brushing
- Sauna
#3 Purge The Bad Guys
The third thing you want to do in the gut healing process is the pathogen purge.
You’ve already assessed and figured out what’s going on through lab testing. You’ve already started to open up your drainage pathways. Now, it’s time to purge the bad guys – or the bad bacteria in your gut – with (what some like to call) killing agents.
So let’s talk about how to purge the bad guys.
I hear from many people that, “wild oregano is a great killing agent”. While wild oregano is wonderful, you don’t want to take this herb for months on months (with no end in sight). Wild oregano wipes out the entire population of the gut, as harsh antibiotics do. Instead of using it without care, use it in microdoses – a little more than what you would find in food.
Unfortunately, I see people abuse this incredible herb by taking it for months with the goal of killing, killing, killing – often without thought of what they are killing.
While you’re taking heavy doses of these herbs, you may feel a little bit better. That’s why so many people stay in that killing phase so long. The transition is as
important because there are three types of bacteria in the gut – the good, the bad, and the commensal bacteria.
Remember, the commensal bacteria can go either way. During the transition phase, we’re actually training the “soldiers in your gut” to take a specific route. We want them to turn healthy or take the route that brings balance in the gut.
#4 Work On Your Leaky Gut
Once you’ve purged the pathogenic bugs and started the transition, you need to start healing leaky gut. It’s not a question of do I have a leaky gut?; it’s a question of how bad is my leaky gut?.
Truth is… We all have a leaky gut in small amounts. It comes from toxins, pesticides and herbicides on our foods, stress, medications, etc. Many things enter into the gut and weaken the stomach lining.
Ideally, you want your gut to be sealed with tight junctions, allowing for all the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids) to pass through the microscopic holes in your gut.
When those tight junctions become a little loose, foods, different medications, etc. pass from the gut into circulation. Here’s what happens: everything makes you sick no matter what you eat.
As a result of the food passing into circulation, your body is going to have a severe inflammatory response. Your food doesn’t belong in circulation. So it makes sense why the body would attack in this manner.
If you’re not able to eat because of pain and bloating after meals, that’s a good indicator that you have a severe case of leaky gut. Are you experiencing this? It’s a common response to only work on your leaky gut. But if you do not address the pathogens first, you may exacerbate your symptoms and body’s response. Reach out to me today to build a proven step-by-step process to seal up and restore your leaky gut.
#5 Work On Reseeding The Gut
The next step to balance the gut is to add in good bacteria (i.e. probiotics). But if you do this too early while you have a bunch of pathogenic bacteria, you’ll get an upset stomach. In general, this means you’ve introduced an overload of bacteria to your gut.
That’s why you need to focus on quieting down the bad bacteria first before you introduce healthy probiotics. Should you take probiotics forever? If you’re eating a halfway junky diet, then you may need to take probiotics forever. The key with probiotics is if you’re eating a healthy diet with fiber-rich vegetables and fruits, you do not need to continuously take probiotics. Your gut is already populated with good bacteria.
#6 Deal With Your Emotions As Part Of The Gut Healing Process
Your emotions are key to the gut healing process. When you’re going through a gut cleanse like this, you may have moments when you feel like an emotional wreck – feeling overwhelmed, crying, etc.
My clients used to email me during their detoxes… “Chelsie, should I be feeling like this? I’m crying all the time and feel like I’m releasing all this emotional stuff!”
The truth is… If you’re getting a good cellular cleanse, this is very common.
After learning the hard way, I now remind my clients regularly to expect a rush of emotions in the healing process. I’m a big believer in the emotional aspects of healing. A lot of times, our signs and symptoms are a sign that we cannot release or we cannot let go of all things from the past. We may not even be thinking about those on a regular basis. Oftentimes, when people are dealing with fear and anxiety, they are not able to trust the process of life.
People that are dealing with parasites often feel like their life is under attack.
If you do any kind of physical cleanse for your body, prepare yourself for those emotions to come up. When you release the physical and emotional toxins, you’ll experience true freedom.
You have to learn to feel in order for your body to heal.
These emotional places are really important. Whether it’s me, a trusted friend, or a counselor, find someone that will walk you through the emotional aspects of healing.
Are You Ready to Heal Your Gut Naturally?
In my practice, I work from a place of wholeness – mind, body, and spirit. I believe we are whole creatures. We can’t do one thing and find healing. Instead, we need to create balance in all areas of our life. Are you ready to dig deep and find freedom through your health? I’m standing by to hear your story and work with you on your healing journey.