Goodbye 2020... Hello 2021

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Let’s face it, 2020 has been a difficult one for everyone. With a pandemic ravaging the world while humankind reacts in its inimitable style - weaving chaos from crisis, breeding conflict from fear - you could be excused for locking down and throwing away the key 😂

But wait a minute, hang that key back on its nail, a new year is starting and that means... a new you!

In all seriousness though, that is a pile of BS straight out of the inspirational writers' handbook. I'm not really interested in following any thematic formula in writing. It leads to repeated epithets, cliché and often unrealistic goals. There is only one way to make fundamental changes in your personality and that is to recognize that personality is only a construct. But that is a subject for another time and blog.

In the case of self-healing the formulaic approach is much more effective. Over the last 6 years of trying to find answers to heal my chronic illness I've come to learn that following a formula is the only way to tick off what doesn't work from a long list of potential remedies. It is also important (when western medical doctors have written you off) to figure out the puzzle of what is going on, especially in the little understood area of chronic gut conditions.

Perhaps in puzzling through this endless jigsaw of home remedies, supplement regimes and mind-work I might stumble across something that actually helps. One thing is for certain, and it is the only thing that you can be certain of with a chronic illness, I will never give up.

Tomorrow will mark a new year and new health goals. A new piece of the jigsaw puzzle to be placed, and maybe 🤞 the piece that completes the picture.

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I've done a lot of research over the last 4 years. Too much to detail here unless I still want to be writing at midnight and into 2021 🤣

If you want to read more about SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and the problems it can cause, please check out the posts linked below.

My SIBO Story (part 1) - What is SIBO & How it has Effected Me

My SIBO Story (part 2) - The Elemental (Mental) Diet - 3 Weeks Without Food

My SIBO Story (part 3) - After The Elemental (Mental) Diet - Plans for Natural Healing

The crux of my 2021 protocol revolves around the idea that I may be suffering from what is called leaky gut, along with a more generalized imbalance of my digestive system and inflammatory response. This has lead to severe fatigue and muscular symptoms recently, which have convinced me that this imbalance has lead to my immune system becoming unbalanced.

Before anyone gets worried about self-diagnosis etc, I have no choice but to figure this out myself as the head of the gastroenterology department at my local hospital has now declared my condition as Idiopathic, which is just a fancy way of saying they don't have a clue. I have no choice but to try and treat myself... or give up.

The supplement regime I have undertaken is based on a logical progression (based on years of research) that the gut has six foundations for normal function. Without all of these functioning at least well, the others become out of whack and the system starts fighting against itself.

The most important foundations are the mucosa and the microbiome. The microbiome is more commonly known as good bacteria (probiotics). But in the case of SIBO we have an overgrowth of bacteria in a place it shouldn't be, the small intestine. Often, people with severe (long term) gut conditions don't tolerate probiotics well and supplementing with them causes symptoms to flare up. In this case it is important to start slow, and in some cases it may take years to restore the microbiome.

The puzzle of the microbiome is infinitely more complex than you may think. It is not a case of good or bad bacteria, but rather everything in its right place and right amount. Think of it like a battlefield where the good guys (in a healthy person) have the upper hand. The good bacteria live in the places (usually large intestine and to a lesser extent the stomach) where they can do the most good (producing enzymes and eating toxic materials) and at the same time prevent bad bacteria from overgrowing. But without the other functions of the gut working (sufficient stomach acid, enzymes, motility etc), things can very quickly become unbalanced.

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As my handwriting is so bad, I will outline the six foundations along with what I am doing to try to redress the balance.

1. The microbiome - eating moderate amounts of fermented foods with 1-2 meals/day.

2. Stomach acid - I will be drinking apple cider vinegar (which increases stomach acid levels) 30 mins before one meal/day.

3. Digestive enzymes - I will be taking a broad spectrum (mix) of digestive enzymes with each meal and a specific strong lactase one prior to any lactose heavy food/drinks. The body produces over 800 enzymes and some of the enzymes that govern digestion are partially produced by good bacteria. The logic behind enzyme supplementation is that it allows the body to prioritize production of other enzymes to counteract inflammation. It is essentially like taking the load off while your body figures out how to heal the imbalance.

4. Bile flow - Bile acts as a cleaning agent in the small intestine, essentially flushing out bacteria from a place it is not meant to be. I will be drinking digestive bitters (which promote the production of stomach acid, bile and other digestive enzymes) 30 minutes prior to every meal and possibly supplementing with Ox bile if necessary.

5. Motility - this is the one area I am fairly certain I don't have a problem with. But, once my fatigue improves I shall implement an exercise regime to help maintain proper motility (how fast the food moves through your digestive system). Also, I am practicing daily morning yoga that is beneficial to motility.

6. The Mucosa - This is an odd one. The mucosa is essentially the home where your digestive bacteria live. It also regulates and maintains healthy (or not) cell walls of your intestine. To try and heal leaky gut it is essential to add things that support and encourage a healthy gut wall. I shall be taking glutamine with digestive enzymes before each meal and will be taking bentonite clay right before bed each evening (for a week at a time alternating with a week off) to help remove toxins and heal the mucosa.

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And that is it...

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😂 If you have any gut issues please don't hesitate to ask me questions in the comments below.

I will answer them as best I can in the new year.

Happy New Year Hive 🍾🍻

All images used in this post are modified from creative commons license sources, credited beneath the image. If you have enjoyed this blog, please check out my homepage @raj808 for similar creative content. Thank you.

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