Food and Supplements to Improve Gut Health

Jan 28, 2021

In this day and age, there seem to be pills for just about everything. People everywhere are striving to improve health so they can look and feel better, but what about their digestive health? It happens to be a fact that digestion is such an essential part of health that it can even affect your skin health. Fortunately, some people have foreseen many of these issues and provides natural solutions for digestive problems. To get you started, the following article will be exploring food and supplements to help with your gut health.

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It almost seems strange to include fiber as it’s something that you find in most natural foods, but today’s processed foods remove the majority of fiber, creating what’s called a “food-like” product. Fiber is important for keeping the portions of the digestive tract like the large intestine free of waste particles that can cause pockets to form in the lining of the intestines. Fiber also has soluble components that help lower cholesterol by attracting free floating fat particles in the blood stream. In all cases, fiber is essential for keeping things clean, so taking eating more fiber can help. 

Some foods high in fiber are:

  • Legumes
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Whole grains
  • Leafy greens
  • Avocados
  • Root vegetables like parsnips and beets
  • Vegetables with an edible stem like asparagus and broccoli
  • Onions and garlic
  • Berries
  • Apples
  • Citrus fruits
  • Sweet potatoes
  • White potatoes

 

Enzymes
These little chemistry enabling components of the body are one of biology’s most amazing achievements. When you ingest food, the food has to go through a process of being broken down into its most basic parts in order for your body to be able to convert it into fuel and for use as raw materials when it comes time to build new cells. Each type of enzymes has a specific job that it must do in order to keep you alive, so it should be understood that an absence of these important pieces could spell disaster for your limited carbon-based form. Sometimes illness and prescription medication can kill off essential enzymes, so a small dose of them can help you get back to normal and help repair digestive damage.

There are thousands of enzymes in the human body, here are just a few examples:

  • Lipases – a group of enzymes that help digest fats in the gut.
  • Amylase – helps change starches into sugars. Amylase is found in saliva.
  • Maltase – also found in saliva; breaks the sugar maltose into glucose.
  • Trypsin – found in the small intestine, breaks proteins down into amino acids.
  • Lactase – also found in the small intestine, breaks lactose, the sugar in milk, into glucose and galactose.

 

Antifungals
Fungus in the body is never a good thing.  While having some around and in you is nearly inevitable, it’s a good idea to do what you can to prevent the buildup of dangerous fungus like candida yeast. These yeasts can grow and disrupt digestion. They can even cause severe illnesses, and contribute to conditions that lead to even more serious diseases. Ingesting foods like garlic, coconut oils, and ginger oils are all helpful at killing any nasty fungus in the gut.

 

Working with a practitioner can help you tailor your diet and protocols. If you’re ready to work with someone to help you create a personalized protocol, I’d love to hear from you. You can book a complimentary consult below to tell me more.

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Fix Your Gut and Feel Your Best

carla alpert functional medicine practitioner

Hello and Welcome! My name is Carla Alpert, and I’m a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and Diagnostic Practitioner, focusing on the gut and how it affects your overall health. Think of me as a health detective and wellness coach working in partnership with you to restore your health. We work together to uncover the contributing factors to your chronic symptoms, to eat well, sleep well, move more and stress less.

I love the GI MAP test because it helps my clients and I discover gut dysfunction that may be contributing to daily digestive issues as well as other chronic symptoms like anxiety, fatigue and brain fog. I created this GI MAP Coaching Package to help you stop struggling with your health and get back to living your best life.

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What Clients Are Saying

Carla really helped me to figure out my gut pain and issues after so many years. I finally feel like I have energy and clarity around my health! She was so easy to talk to and helped me discover problem areas that were causing me so much distress, when no other doctors could help.
VICTORIA

Well Humans changed my life. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis accompanied by chronic hives. It sprang up out of nowhere and caused bizarre “food allergies” that I’d never had before. Because of Carla’s coaching and dietary recommendations as well as GI Map testing, I can happily say that I am now symptom-free, and I have been in remission for over a year now. All of the doctors I saw told me I would have to deal with my symptoms because there was no cure, but here I am, back to living a mostly normal life. I highly recommend Carla and Well Humans for anyone looking for real answers and treatments that work.
KALYN

When working with Carla, you are in capable, compassionate, knowledgeable and caring hands. Carla truly cares about your well being and wants to help you be the healthiest that you can be. My health was truly suffering and with her guidance and suggested testing, we uncovered some issues that nobody else had uncovered, despite my going to some of the top rated medical institutions. My health and pain improved greatly due to Carla’s sleuthing…she knew where to look. Through many health challenges, I was quite emotional and Carla showed me what compassion looks like. If you want to truly improve your health, start with Well Humans.
BETH

Over years, I’ve tried various “alternative” medicine as well as conventional “western” medicine approaches. Skin ailments are hard to treat – so many aspects of a life can produce skin symptoms. I enthusiastically recommend Well Humans and Carla for a simple reason – I’ve experienced sustained, substantial improvement! I have hardly ever posted a review of anything, but writing this was an easy choice to make. I wish you all the best in your journey towards better health!
JON

I searched the U.S. to find someone who does what Carla does. Carla has used her knowledge, support and expertise to optimize my health and well-being with a blend of scientific medical tests, supplements and diet changes. I wasted a lot of time on my hunches, the internet and experiments with supplements and food and NOW i have an actual plan. Superb supportive knowledge and guidance. I highly recommend Carla. Grateful.
LISA

I never knew that I had a gluten allergy and intolerance until Carla discovered it in my blood work! I’m so grateful that she made this discovery and I have been gluten free ever since. I sleep better, don’t feel bloated and have much more energy. It was a life-changing insight.
ROB

Carla is very knowledgeable and kind. She helped me navigate a health issue with grace and the utmost care. Carla goes above and beyond with her clients and I highly recommend her. She genuinely cares!
ALLISON

I have been working with Carla for quite some time and she has helped me turn my life and health around. She is non-judgmental, and always wants the best for her clients. She is extremely knowledgeable and has a fantastic bedside manner. She has truly changed my life for the better and I will always be grateful for everything she has done.
ROB

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