What is Leaky Gut? And How to Heal It

One of the first things I learned when beginning my holistic health journey was the importance of gut health. It seemed every single book I read focused on gut health. Or at least had 1-2 chapters dedicated to it. But why does it matter so much?

Leaky gut.

A lot of medical professionals used to assume leaky gut was a myth. Perhaps pseudoscientific.

But as more and more studies have been completed, we are quickly learning this is a real problem. One that is the root cause of many, many conditions.

Discovering this condition & treating it was ultimately the biggest factor in healing my thyroid & auto-immune disease. Regulating my bloodwork. Enabling me to live thyroid medication-free.

Because understanding this condition is so important, here we’ll answer a few questions.

1. “What is a Leaky Gut?”
2. “How Does A Leaky Gut Effect the Body?”
3. “How Do I Know if I Have a Leaky Gut?”
4. & “How Can I Heal My Leaky Gut?”

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What is “Leaky Gut?”

Leaky gut syndrome is essentially when your gut leaks toxins & microorganisms into the bloodstream.

But how exactly does this happen?

The intestinal wall is very thin. Very thin. And when you eat foods that your body can’t digest, it creates little, tiny, microscopic holes in that very thin intestinal wall.

These “foods,” toxins & microorganisms then seep into the bloodstream wreaking all kinds of havoc.

After these toxins escape into the bloodstream, your body’s immune system begins to fight these foreign objects, recognizing them as threats.

Your body wasn’t made for this.

How Does Leaky Gut Effect the Body

When this happens, you run the risk of your body switching into this CONSTANT defense-mode, where you can develop an auto-immune condition.

Your body has so many foreign objects to attack, it becomes incapable of deciphering between friend & enemy. So, your immune system just attacks & attacks.

This is the main cause of many auto-immune conditions, like mine. Hashimoto’s disease.

Leaky gut can also contribute too/be the root cause of brain fog, thyroid conditions, & digestive issues.

How Do I Know If I Have a Leaky Gut?

Leaky gut can wreak havoc on several different functions of the body. Digestion, immunity, skin quality, & energy levels are just a few.

Gas, bloating, chronic fatigue, constipation, auto-immunity, acne, diabetes, ADHD, IBS, PCOS, headaches, endocrine disorders, & celiac disease are also conditions that can be caused by leaky gut.

If you struggle with any of these conditions, it would be reasonable to say you could have a leaky gut. But eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if your condition(s) improve is the best way to determine this for yourself.

How Can I Heal My Leaky Gut?

By removing toxic, inflammatory foods, your gut will naturally heal.

The key is to provide it with the proper building blocks.

Here I’ve listed just a few of the most common no-gos with leaky gut, and some foods that will speed up the gut-healing process.

1. Refined Sugars

Simply put. Refined sugars are just the worst. Whether you have leaky gut or not, avoid them as often as possible. I know it can be difficult.

But it really is worth removing them from your diet. ESPECIALLY if you have a leaky gut. The last thing you want is for those toxins to seep into the bloodstream, sending your immune system into chaos.

2. Gluten

Before I go on, first a disclaimer. Gluten is not unhealthy for absolutely everyone. Just those who can’t tolerate it. I for one, can not, and it was the primary cause of my leaky gut, therefore, my auto-immunity, & therefore, hypothyroidism.

When your body doesn’t possess what it needs to breakdown gluten, it punches those tiny microscopic holes in the intestinal wall creating leaky gut.

So, overall. If you’re questioning whether or not you have leaky gut, removing these top 2 ingredients are a great place to start.

3. Dairy

Dairy is another common enemy to those with leaky gut. Personally, dairy & I don’t mix. So, I avoid it.

Again, like gluten, dairy is not inherently unhealthy for everyone. Only if your body can’t break it down properly.

However for those with leaky gut, dairy is usually not friendly.

4. Artificial Sweeteners

Sometimes we get so caught up in the calories a food contains we look over the ingredients. If it “fits your macros” it’s okay then, right? Wrong.

I used to believe that calories & carbs determined the nutritional density of a food.

But the ingredients are so crucial. And most calorie-free sweeteners/foods contain loads of artificial sweeteners.

Cutting out these artificial toxins is essential to healing. Anything made in a lab and also called “food” should be taken with a grain of salt.

Sucralose, for example, a common artificial no-cal sweetener, simply cannot be absorbed by the body, which means it weakens the gut lining, creating/worsening leaky gut.

What to Eat Instead

These natural, gut-healing wonders will help speed up the process in repairing the damage done by previous toxins & microorganisms.

As someone with leaky gut, I personally love to include all of these in my daily regime to ensure I am protecting my immune system & thyroid at all costs.

1. Collagen

Collagen is one of the best gut-healing supplements. And also one of the easiest to work into your daily diet.

Both bone broth and collagen protein powder contain amino acids such as proline, glycine, and glutamine that help repair the gut lining.

Dr. Josh Axe, Eat Dirt

I’ve been consuming this collagen powder for years and it has helped tremendously with my gut, hair, skin, and joint health.

2. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are just one of the essential building blocks to a healthy gut lining. Add nuts, seeds, olive oils, avocados, avocado oil, to your daily diet to balance your gut & overall health.

3. Gut restore probiotics

Pre & Probiotics are another essential to great gut health. But they can be difficult to naturally get into your daily diet. I love to supplement with these two products to ensure I my gut is as healthy as possible.

4. gut health supplements

I’m a big believer in letting your diet heal you. Supplements can only due so much. However, implementing a few specific supplements for your personal health needs? I’m all for that.

The key is to ensure there are no artificial ingredients! Collagen, I would recommend to anyone. But the two supplements listed below will will be perfect for you if you have or have had any gut imbalances in the past!

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