My heart really goes out to you if you’re someone who has heartburn. That odd sensation is so vastly uncomfortable. I even knew someone who thought they were having a heart attack that turned out to be ordinary heartburn.
Last year, I suddenly started having heartburn and reflux in the evening. Every night, I take some Magnesium and vitamin B6 before bed, but I had added a new supplement called MotilPro to improve my gut motility.
I had to work the same clinical process I use with my clients on myself. It turned out the MotilPro was a huge trigger, and I also benefited from a very simple stomach acid support.
(This is a case-in-point argument for starting supplements one at a time! I talk more about how to do this properly in my earlier video Supplements to Help Digestion and IBS.)
The tragedy of heartburn is that it’s often quite simple to resolve.
Maybe you’ve been told to avoid fatty and fried foods, or to take acid-lowering medications. But even if you’ve tried all the low-hanging fruit, there are likely still pieces of the puzzle that haven’t been considered.
In fact, these curious puzzles that have you and your doctor scratching your heads are my favorite kind of challenges. As I always say, to solve these confusing digestive issues, we have to get down to business using the right APPROACH.
I want to help you figure out WHY you have heartburn, and therefore, what you can do to fix it.
It’s not applying a random list of techniques, but a systematic way of thinking about how your digestion works, and how we can support it.
So this week, I made you a short video with immediate relief tips for heartburn, so you can stop that discomfort straightaway.
But I take the conversation a step further to highlight how to think about changing the conditions that created the heartburn in the first place.
When you’re ready to work with a practitioner who takes your symptoms seriously, and takes the time to really understand the how and why behind your symptoms, go ahead and schedule a free, 30-minute Assessment Session with me, to see if we’re a good fit for working together. I’ll answer your immediate questions, point you in the right direction, and you’ll have the opportunity to continue working with me.
If you’re not quite ready for that, but would like to get started on your own, I’ve created an easy-to-use action guide called Roadmap to Gut Recovery. It’ll help you get started right away creating your own personalized plan for resolving your gut troubles. You can download your free copy here.
If you don’t have any idea what a dysbiosis protocol is, or haven’t been prescribed a course of treatment by your MD or ND, count yourself lucky…
But if you’re one of the many people who find themselves struggling with the sometimes-elaborate supplement protocols and their side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, body pain, or fatigue, this week’s video is for you.
Last week, someone reached out to me because they weren’t sure what to do. They were feeling icky, tired, and nauseous from a protocol their ND recommended. But the ND didn’t give them any follow up instructions.
They weren’t sure how to adjust things, or if adjusting the assigned protocol was ok.
For a lot of people, these cocktails of antimicrobial herbs cause side effects just like medications, and in fact, this is more the norm.
Though the herbs and supporting supplements are important tools for restoring your gut health from unwelcome bugs, they need to be used properly so they don’t overwhelm your body.
Many people’s bodies aren’t quite prepared for these protocols, and they often need to be adjusted to account for this reality.
In this week’s video, I talk about:
The essential steps you should complete before beginning a dysbiosis protocol, no matter who has recommended it.
How to use the herbs and other supplements properly.
What to do if you run into side effects or a herxeimer reaction
You can watch it here:
When you’re ready to work with a practitioner who takes this methodical process seriously, and takes the time to really understand the how and why behind your symptoms, go ahead and schedule a free, 30-minute Assessment Session with me, to see if we’re a good fit for working together. I’ll answer your immediate questions, point you in the right direction, and you’ll have the opportunity to continue working with me.
If you’re not quite ready for that, but would like to get started on your own, I’ve created an easy-to-use action guide called Roadmap to Gut Recovery. It’ll help you get started right away creating your own personalized plan for resolving your gut troubles. You can download your free copy here.
If you’re one of my readers who struggles with constipation, today’s video is especially for you.
I know firsthand how un-fun constipation is. My heart goes out to you! Ever since my abdominal surgery for endometriosis in 2016, I’ve had to be extra mindful to keep things moving. This isn’t always easy!
Regardless of the reasons for your constipation, it’s super important that you handle this problem. Your daily trip to the bathroom is essential for your good health, because it’s a major way your body cleanses itself of excess hormones, toxins, and more.
But how do you get regular, if you’re not already?
If you’re struggling with chronic constipation and are frustrated with your progress, I would like to talk with you about what we could do to get you feeling better. You can schedule a free, 30-minute Assessment Session, and I’d be glad to troubleshoot your situation, make a few suggestions to get you headed in the right direction, and share what else I can do to help you.
If you’re not ready for a one-on-one session, grab your free copy of Roadmap to Gut Recovery, where I share 7 steps you can take on your own to get started.
Today, I want to share a little more in depth about the single most important tool you can use on your digestive health journey.
You’ve maybe already tried a lot of tools to help you on your digestive or allergy journey.
You might think I’m going to tell you that supplements are the go-to tool. Or lab tests. Or elimination diets.
But the single most valuable tool to help you get a handle on your symptoms—and to help you understand what is going on in your body—is a Food-Symptom Diary.
A Food-Symptom Diary is the single most important tool on your gut-healing journey.
It’s not sexy. It’s not snazzy. Especially because when you use it, I ask you to take a look at your poop!
But truly, if you can learn how to properly use a food diary, you’ll find some answers. It helps you learn:
what foods your body is reacting to.
where seemingly disconnected symptoms are actually coming from.
what you can do in your daily life to reduce symptoms and feel better.
I use a food diary with every single client that walks through my door.
OK, but how do you use it?
I made a video for you this week, explaining what to do with it. You really don’t want to miss it.
If you’ve been frustrated with trying to figure out how food is triggering your symptoms and you’re looking for some help, I invite you to schedule a free 30-minute Assessment Session with me. In this focused session, we’ll discuss where you’re at, and what I think would be your next best steps. If I can’t help you, I’ll be sure to give you a referral to someone who can.
I want to speak to you this week about something very near to my heart: healing trauma and how this can affect our physical bodies, especially our digestion.
Many people have had at least one traumatic experience, and sadly, sometimes many. Loss of a loved one, especially to sudden or accidental death. Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. Poverty. Witnessing violence in war or even here at home.
As I grow my practice, I’m finding that a lot of my clients with digestive challenges also have a background of trauma. How are they connected?
In essence, it’s about how your body is wired to respond to stress. Sometimes, when events you witness or experience are overwhelming, your nervous system can turn on an unremitting pattern of constant vigilance.
I’ve written and spoken before about how we need to be in a place of “rest and digest” for ideal digestion to occur.
But if you’re constantly on the lookout for the next threat, you may rarely or never reach that true place of relaxation and peace that allows your body to feel safe and heal.
If you are someone who has experienced trauma, in this week’s video I share what I’m doing to heal my childhood trauma as a strategy for healing my digestive challenges, and I hope that you might learn about some options that could help you, too.
More and more, I’m finding that this is an essential part of the healing process, even though it can be challenging and needs to be addressed with great care.
Check out the video, and let me know if this helped you.
If you’ve been wishing to find a practitioner who can help you learn what you’re body is telling you it needs, I invite you to schedule a free 30-minute Assessment Session with me. In this focused session, we’ll discuss where you’re at, and what I think would be your next best steps. If I can’t help you, I’ll be sure to give you a referral to someone who can.
Patient stories are your stories of being a patient. Hopefully, you’ve had a good experience in your various doctors’ offices, but it’s highly likely not.
Instead, if you’re a woman with a complex or mystery illness, like an autoimmune condition, Lyme disease, a strange gut illness, or confusing allergies and food sensitivities, it’s likely you have a long list of frustrating patient stories.
Being dismissed.
Having your very physical symptoms written off as stress, or related to your menstrual cycle.
Having to fight and advocate to get the care you need and deserve.
I have my own collection of stories, and I’ve heard a lot of others as a practitioner. Some of these patient stories make me want to scream and cry. Like my celiac client, who was extremely clear with hospital staff that she was celiac, only to find that the kitchen was sending food with wheat flour as a thickener.
I recently read a book that helped me see how our experiences are not isolated incidents, but are baked into the very way conventional medicine is designed and operates. It’s called Doing Harm, by Maya Dusenberry.
She sadly exposes the systematic ways in which women are not treated equally in medicine. This truly is a women’s rights issue that needs to be addressed. Women need equal attention in medical research, chronic disease research, medical education, and more. If you’re curious about these issues, I highly recommend the book.
This week, I made a video for you sharing some of my “greatest hits” of patient stories, and sharing my top 5 tips for being an empowered advocate to get the medical care you deserve. You can check it out here.
