Vagus nerve causing gut symptoms? 4 vagus exercises to help heal your gut

Is your brain causing your leaky gut? One of the ways brain dysfunction can contribute to leaky gut is through poor vagus nerve activity. The vagus nerve is a large nerve that sends communication back and forth between the organs and the brain. When the brain is in poor health it can inhibit vagal nerve…

Oral Tolerance Part II: The overlooked power of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) for immune health, brain health, and food sensitivities

Go here to read Part I: New food sensitivity issues on AIP? The oral tolerance protocol In my first article on oral tolerance, I talked about why many people develop an increasing number of food sensitivities on restrictive healing diets and what to do about it. The primary cause is called loss of oral tolerance, and…

Glutathione for managing autoimmune disease

Every day our bodies work hard to cope with the effects of environmental toxins, food intolerances, inflammatory diets high in sugar but low in nutrients, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress. To minimize the damage, it’s important to support levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant produced by the body. This can be done by taking glutathione…

New food sensitivity issues on AIP? The oral tolerance protocol

Oral Tolerance Part I: Sensitive to multiple foods and not getting better? Here’s why If you’re managing your autoimmune disease, chronic health disorder, or brain health, then you’re probably familiar with the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet, also known as the leaky gut diet or autoimmune paleo protocol. Prior to its rebranding online, functional medicine practitioners…

SCFA – Gut bacteria’s ally in taming autoimmunity and inflammation

Healthy gut bacteria is key to managing autoimmunity and other chronic disorders in part because they produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), compounds that help modulate the immune system and dampen inflammation. The primary SCFA we look at in relation to immune health is called butyrate. Butyrate is so important to intestinal cells they will…

Liver function plays a key role in functional medicine protocols

Did you know your liver can play a role in inflammation, leaky gut, food sensitivities, chemical sensitivities, and autoimmunity? Tending to liver function and liver detoxification is a vital part of functional medicine protocols to address chronic health issues. Liver detoxification involves making fat-soluble compounds water-soluble so they can be eliminated in urine, feces, or…

Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, and lab testing

Many people with gluten sensitivity and gastrointestinal inflammation develop intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.” Leaky gut happens when the lining of the digestive tract becomes over-porous and allows toxins, undigested food, and other pathogens into the bloodstream. These pathogens trigger an immune cascade that results in systemic inflammation, increasing the risk for food sensitivities, inflammation,…

Unwinding leaky gut

Before reading about how to unwind leaky gut, it’s important to understand what causes it so you can identify the best strategies to improve your gut and brain health. Unwinding leaky gut is a multi-faceted approach that consists of following a restricted diet, taking nutritional compounds that help reduce intestinal inflammation and repair the intestinal…