5 Steps to Restore Your Gut

Your digestive health is foundational to your overall well-being. At Synergee, we focus on a food-first approach to healing, recognizing that many chronic health issues trace back to gut imbalances. In this blog, we’ll explore the five essential steps to restoring digestive health, as outlined by Kelly Engelmann and Lori Esarey.

Step 1: REMOVE

The first step toward healing your gut is removing the stressors that negatively impact your digestive environment. These stressors include allergenic foods, chemical irritants, and pathogenic organisms.

Common Food Irritants:

• Gluten (wheat)
• Dairy (cow’s milk)
• Soy
• Peanuts and legumes
• Corn
• Eggs
• All grains

Other irritants include chemicals found in processed foods, such as artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, alcohol, and coffee. If you’re unsure which foods you’re sensitive to, eliminating these common culprits is a great place to start.

Pathogens and Gut Imbalances

Gut health can also be compromised by harmful bacteria, yeasts, or parasites. One common issue is Candida albicans, a yeast that can cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal discomfort, headaches, and even depression. Reducing sugar (even natural sources like honey and fruit) starves these organisms, helping to rebalance your gut microbiome. Working with your provider to incorporate antifungal herbs and supplements can also be beneficial.

Don’t Overlook Emotional Stress

Emotional stress can wreak havoc on your gut, amplifying inflammation and disrupting digestion. Prioritizing stress management is just as critical as dietary changes when restoring your digestive health.

Step 2: REPLACE

After removing the irritants, it’s essential to replace missing factors that support digestion. Due to medications, illness, or aging, your body may lack key digestive components such as enzymes, hydrochloric acid (HCL), and bile acids.

Supporting Your Digestion

Everyone’s digestive needs differ, but common supplements might include:

• Digestive enzymes to help break down food efficiently.
• HCL to boost stomach acid for better nutrient absorption.
• Bile salts to aid in fat digestion.

Working closely with a healthcare provider can help tailor this step to your specific needs, ensuring your digestive system has the support it requires.

Step 3: REINOCULATE

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, both good and bad. A healthy digestive system relies on a balanced ratio of approximately 80% good bacteria to 20% bad bacteria. Unfortunately, modern diets, antibiotics, and environmental stress often flip this ratio, leading to gut dysbiosis.

Restoring Gut Flora

To reinoculate your gut with healthy bacteria, focus on:

• Probiotics: High-quality probiotic supplements can help replenish beneficial bacteria, especially after antibiotic use.
• Prebiotic-rich foods: Foods like garlic, onions, and asparagus feed good bacteria, promoting a balanced gut environment.

Rebuilding a healthy microbiome is key to maintaining long-term digestive health and resilience

Step 4: REPAIR

With your diet optimized and irritants removed, the next step is repairing your gut lining. Over time, factors like processed foods, stress, and harmful bacteria can damage the intestinal lining, leading to a condition known as “leaky gut.”

Leaky Gut and Its Impacts

When the gut lining becomes permeable, undigested food particles and toxins can “leak” into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and contributing to autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease, IBS, and eczema.

Healing the Gut Lining

Nutrients that help repair the gut lining include:

• L-glutamine: An amino acid that supports the integrity of the gut barrier.
• Zinc carnosine: Known for its ability to reduce inflammation and heal tissue.
• Aloe vera: A soothing plant compound that promotes gut healing.

By strengthening the gut lining, you reduce inflammation and protect your body from further digestive complications.

Step 5: REBALANCE

Finally, rebalancing your lifestyle is crucial for sustained gut health. Healing the gut is about more than just food; it’s about nurturing your body through holistic wellness practices.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Stress management: Techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing can lower stress levels, supporting digestion.
• Sleep optimization: Quality sleep is essential for gut repair and overall health.
• Physical activity: Regular movement, balanced with rest when needed, keeps your body in harmony.
• Healthy relationships: Positive connections with others can reduce stress and boost your overall well-being.

The Interconnected Approach

Though presented as a sequence, many of these steps work simultaneously. For instance, eliminating irritants in step 1 often kickstarts the repair process in step 4. Additionally, without proper sleep and stress management, even the best diet can only take your healing so far.

Conclusion: Healing Starts in the Gut

As Hippocrates famously said, “All disease starts in the gut.” By following these five steps—Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, and Rebalance—you can build a strong foundation for digestive health. Remember, gut healing is a journey, and working with a knowledgeable provider can help tailor these steps to your unique needs, guiding you toward vibrant health from the inside out.