You know that feeling when you are tired, cold and just don't care... I have been there. So many people don't realize that hypothyroidism isn't just about being cold all of the time. Many dealing with this are misdiagnosed with menopause for those flushing, sweating, heat intolerance, heart palpitations, and sleeplessness symptoms. This often mistaken illness really is effecting more women than we realize. In thyroid insufficiency, the reduced basal metabolic activity is what is causing that, so you need to support your metabolism. Also if you are still thinking about kids, it causes reduced folic absorption, so make sure you are getting enough folic via both nutrition and supplementation. All of this can lead to the reduced clearance of toxins by the liver, and so that is a big part of why people feel better in such a short time when using a plant based shake.

For this condition what is recommended is amino acids, fatty acids, co-enzymes and other raw materials needed to support the thyroid. I would personally also recommend you get some Ashwaganda into your diet. I like the Nature's Way supplement, and it can be had for under $10. Anyone taking Invigorate should also think about incorporating this because they have compounds that stimulate T3 and T4 synthesis. Our T3 and T4 functions it's pretty amazing.  Our thyroid hormones strongly influence the tight junctions in the stomach and small intestine - also known as our digestive brain. T3 and T4 have been shown to protect gut mucosal lining from stress induced ulcer formation. In another study, endoscopic examination of gastric ulcers found low T3, low T4 and abnormal levels of reverse T3.

What Does Leaky Gut Have To Do With Hypothyroidism?

And guess what... you don't get huge digestive issues or leaky gut issues until your glutathione stores are depleted. Why? The doctors at the San Jose Functional Medicine office say, "Glutathione is the main antioxidant that protects cellular mitochondria. Glutathione exists in reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) states. GSH (reduced glutathione) becomes GSSG (oxidized glutathione) by an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase. GSH can be regenerated from GSSG by the enzyme glutathione reductase. As long as these enzymes are working efficiently, your body is able to maintain this glutathione recycling system and you are fine."

So think about what's going on in your system if you a) have a failing T3 and T4 function, and b) your glutathione levels are depleted? It's clear that you really cannot have that healthy gut without a healthy thyroid, and you can’t have a healthy thyroid without a healthy gut. An unhealthy gut has been linked to diseases ranging from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes.... and so you know what that is going to be doing to you. You also can boost your glutathione with support that can also help fortify the immune system to increase its ability to fight disease,

I also love what I have read about Irish Moss, being a plant based source of thyroid support. Nature is so nurturing. Try to boost your metabolic pathways with some natural supplementation, and a plant heavy diet, and perhaps add in the Ashwaganda to see if it helps. Hippocrates said: “All disease begins in the gut.” 2,500 years later we’re just beginning to understand how right he was. Really make some changes to your gut, along with the T3 and T4 I think will give you something you've been looking for.

The gut to muscle connection

The autistic spectrum gut is inflamed they have found in the pathology studies and there appears that there is a mutually amplified feedback loop between gut inflammation and constipation or diarrhea, reflux, increased intestinal issues and nitric oxide (or we'll call it NO) that are very similar to colitis. Plasma nitrite + nitrate levels correlate with leaky gut. More reasons why I recommend reducing this from you and your child's diet. The young gut is so sensitive, and the spectrum gut is uniquely sensitive. Too much of this NO can deplete antioxidant defense, depress the levels of GSH (glutathione) which means that the increase in NO binds the GSH so that it cannot support the system.



If you think about this more deeply like a trainer, NO increases exercise induced vasodilation (widening blood vessels) as well as cell volumization (fill the balloon with water and you increase its capacity) by routing water and nutrients preferentially to the muscle cell elsewhere. Cell volume is critical for getting amino acids inside the cell. Those amino acids are so important, along with essential fatty acids, phospholipids (such as lecithin), vitamins (especially certain B vitamins), antioxidants and micronutrients (especially zinc) in maintaining the integrity of the intestine's leak-proof lining. And of course we now know that with NO synthesis blocked you have greatly reduced gains in muscle mass. I know a lot of people have heard in the spectrum circle of "low muscle tone". And there was a great quote on a website I saw recently that said:

"Your kid seems perfectly good with their muscles - they are strong, they run round with boundless energy, but they have trouble doing things. You have likely been given the standard explanation about your kid's muscles being floppy and you just cannot see it in your kid."

That is because of this NO synthesis being blocked is giving you floppy muscles... yes that is right. It's a true story.

There are a few very essential items that you can do to really support yourself if you have leaky gut, or to support your child. Or even to make sure that you are getting the best results for your daily workout.



First you want to make sure that you are detoxifying. Without the support of your glutathione you can't support the rest of the system. The glutathione support gut immunity, and so I recommend two items. First off getting nutrition daily is key, and for many of us that comes in the daily green smoothie or protein shake. I also use essential oils, morning lemon water, and I use a detoxifying calcium bentonite clay every day and with my daughter, and zeolite supplement with our morning and evening routines.

Then make sure you are getting the prebiotic and probiotic support in your system every single evening even if your shake has them added in as well. The evening is the best time for this because that's when the body repairs. I have a time released probiotic that I use as well as I have a soil based protiotic clay tablet that I use in my filtered water bottle. Probiotics are often just recommend for folks who are in need of an after-antibiotic treatment regimen, or who feel like a boost would be beneficial. But we could all use this, as well as looking for those dairy-free and gluten-free encapsulated formulas and soluble fiber that encourages culture adhesion and growth past the stomach acid stage of digestion.

Also consider your diet when you are looking at gut health. Pinworms and other parasites are very very common, and people don't even realize they have them. Probiotics are a natural protection against harmful organisms like pinworms. Besides probiotics eating raw fruit and vegetables, especially those with strong digestive enzymes like papaya and pineapple, are fantastic. Garlic, ginger, turmeric, and sprouts are all also great foods that parasites do not like because of the ph balancing aspect to your environment. Of course parasites like pinworms thrives on dairy, gluten, sugar, chemical additives, and meat.  So if you have to eat meat make sure you you are totally uncured, no nitrite or nitrates and cook it well enough to kill any parasites.

Avoid toxins, which means eating organically. Use healthy, non-toxic cleaning products. I mainly make my own with my essential oils, or I buy them from sustainable, non-toxic companies. Stay away from the drive through food stores, and then at home stay away from highly heated greasy items. I use coconut oil or algae oil and rarely cook at a very high heat. I want those nutrients, and so does your body.

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Going even further, internal bacteria can impact how you feel. But it's not only bacteria, it's the altered bi-directional communication between cells and its microbiome, that leads to anxiety and depression. What in the world are MACs? MACs are complex carbohydrates, the types found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. When we consume MACs they release compounds into our gut that helps our body regulate its immune system, keeps pathogenic or bad bacteria at bay, and even contribute to whether we are lean or obese.

What happens if you haven't eaten any MACs? Does your good bacteria hangs around waiting, famished, hopeful that you will feed it again soon? Not exactly. When your diet doesn't contain enough MACs, our microbes are forced to rely on the only other carbohydrate source it has left, you. You become the food, by the way of the protection you have to keep from developing items like leaky gut. I don't know if you've heard about what happened when Dave Asprey went all high keto and lost the mucus in his body? Well that is because your intestine secretes a slimy coat of carbohydrates that lines your intestinal wall called mucus. This mucus lining is a rich source of carbohydrates that starving microbes can feast on when dietary pickings are slim. In this way many of our gut microbes can have a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type of personality. Provide gut microbes with plenty of sustenance in the form of MACs and they will happily convert them into molecules our body needs to be healthy. Starve your gut goodies of dietary MACs and they will munch on your mucus lining inching ever closer to your intestinal wall. This is what can cause that leaky gut as well as other long-term this situations like an immune system that's on a hair trigger, impacting not only the health of your gut but your entire body. A professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, Tim Spector, wanted to find out what happens to your gut if you eat only fast food, specifically McDonald’s, for 10 solid days.




His son, Tom, became the willing guinea pig and reported his symptoms, as well as sent stool samples to different labs, throughout the 10-day trial. If you watched Morgan Spurlock's documentary “Super-Size Me,” you probably have an idea of how the experiment panned out…

“Tom said that for three days he felt ok, but then started to become more lethargic and turned a slight gray color according to his friends. He reported feeling bad the last few days and says he also experienced some withdrawal symptoms,” TIME reported.1

The most revealing results came from the stool samples, however, which revealed what the fast food had done to Tom’s gut. It has to do with the benefits we get from whole foods. More and more we are seeing this in research.

Recent the research has focused on a few specific phytochemicals. Phytochemcials are the  biologically active compounds found in plants. The one's they've been focusing in on are glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, soy isoflavones from whole nongmo soy, and plant lignins. Cruciferous vegetables—that is, broccoli and its vegetable relatives—are the poster children of cancer-preventing vegetables. From a human dietary perspective, one of the challenges to deriving chemopreventive benefit from cruciferous vegetables is that the active component that actually imparts the protective benefit, is difficult to access. It exists in the plant as an enzyme which is active only in raw vegetables. Cooking inactivates it. Too much of this enzyme tends to cause gastritis in some individuals and can compete with iodine for uptake by the thyroid in others. Given that very few human populations regularly consume raw cruciferous vegetables, how are humans deriving the chemopreventive benefit of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables? The answer is in our gut microbiome. 

They also did a meat vs soy study. In this they saw that there was an increase in the inflammatory molecules for the meat eaters, not similar with the soy protein. Other studies also show that soy protein is a good source of nutrient but also a biological polymer to influence physiological change and microbiome changes when it’s a good non-gmo soy product rather than a subpar genetically modified or highly processed soy. Well that makes sense, right? Most soy used in food is genetically modified and as well is extracted by an industrial process from the waste product of soy oil manufacturing. It is the industry’s way of making a profit on a waste product. Like our food we are seeing that limited processing is where we get the most benefit from whole foods.

In the fat study when they gave the mice soluble plant fibers the whole cascade averted. No endotoxins, no inflammation, no insulin resistance and no weight gain. Apricots, grapefruit, mangoes and oranges. Brussels sprouts have one of the highest amounts of soluble fiber. A 1/2-cup serving contains 2 grams. Turnips, sweet potatoes and asparagus all have 1.7 grams or more. Brussels sprouts and turnips contain those glucosinolates. Consider a raw turnip salad. A single tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains 1.1 grams of soluble fiber. Ground flaxseeds also contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which, along with soluble fiber, help reduce heart disease risk. And of course properly prepared legumes are especially high in soluble fiber. These are included in the Whole30 Vegan diet plan, and in the new FFF Vegan Reset. Your soluble fiber is a prebiotic which nourishes the healthy microbiome and are essential for real microbiome health. I get some of those glorious prebiotics in my vegan smoothie every day, because I know how essential it is. For some people prebiotics can increase SIBO symptoms by feeding the small intestinal growth when they first get started. So they may need to start slowly, less probiotics, but for sure do not give up. Adding in digestive enzymes throughout the day will help to improve break-down and absorption of protein and nutrients which will help those gut microbes do what they do best.

You may want to follow the HLR Live broadcasts to keep learning more or reach out to make some nutritional simple changes to your lifestyle.

So why plant based proteins over animal based? Research using a comparison was done where they looked at our gut health after eating meat and dairy, and then looked at the microbiome after eating plants. The microbes that "love bile" — the Bilophila — started to dominate the volunteers' guts during the animal-based diet. Bile helps the stomach digest fats. So people make more bile when their diet is rich in meat and dairy fats. A study last year found that blooms of Bilophila cause inflammation and colitis in research studies, which got me thinking that maybe it wasn't just SIBO causing my acid reflux. Maybe it was the extra healthy saturated fats I had added to my plant based diet.

Studies have also been done on the fats, and the types of lipids we consume affect the composition of our gut health. This one is important because it has to do with those of us that will develop obesity-related inflammation, according to a study published in Cell Metabolism. Mice fed a high-lard diet for 11 weeks developed signs of metabolic disease, while mice fed fish oil remained healthy. When the researchers transplanted gut microbes from fish oil-fed mice to antibiotic-treated mice and then subsequently fed the animals lard, the mice were protected from the typical unhealthy effects. Dietary supplementation with a compound that is naturally abundant in red wine and olive oil prevents gut microbes from turning unhealthy. Not that I am a huge fan of fish oil, in fact I use a complete vegan omega source daily, but it still got me thinking about the way our bodies react to different fat sources.

An inter-disciplinary study led by researchers at Tufts University found that coconut oil effectively controlled the overgrowth of a fungal pathogen we know as candida in mice. In humans, high levels of this fungal organism in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to bloodstream infections, including invasive candida. The research, published recently, suggests that it might be possible to use dietary approaches as an alternative to antifungal drugs in order to decrease the risk of infections caused by candida. How often have you been told to add coconut oil to every meal? I know that Dr. Roizen doesn't agree with that even if Dr. Hyman is a coconut oil fat. However what has been found is that coconut oil elevates the endotoxins for up to two hours after a meal, and if endotoxin levels rise, our immune system perceives a threat and responds with inflammation. I don't know about you, but I don't need any help in the inflammation department. 

I work with clients from all over the globe, and more often than not these days they are under immense stress, and deal with loads of anxiety. Anxiety is known by it's first name here at our house, and it's not a nice word to post on Social Media, so I won't. However I first recognized it when I spent 18 months self medicating with Benedryl in my late teens. It was during this time that I had three safe spaces. Home was the top space, then work, and finally my wonderful friend's house. This was a guy who would give you the shirt off his back, in the freezing rain. As I started to unwind from the anxiety and realize what I was dealing with, that is when my first adult sexual assault happened at my friend's house by his roommate. What I went through after that I can see is linked directly to the years that followed where I was dealing with severe IBD.

The problems arise when we are anxious too much and too often. The fast paced world we live in with its many demands on our time and attention, and the constant exposure to stimuli can cause our anxiety to spiral out of control. So add in Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. This can be a big problem. When we experience anxiety, certain hormones like adrenaline are released into the body. Our heart rate goes up, our breathing increases, and we get ready for a fight or flight response. Have you ever heard of the stress hormone, cortisol? During times of stress our body releases a hormone called cortisol. This in turn has been linked to weight gain. Add to it the fact that many people grab for comfort foods, chocolate, or salty snacks when they are feeling stressed and anxiety can lead to quite a bit of weight gain. This, combined with the added stress and lack of sleep, adds to a risk of heart disease. In other words, anxiety can be physically debilitating. It is triggered by this stress response, as it is also triggered by our bad eating habits. It’s all perfectly normal if you get anxious every once in a while, but can you see how this combined with some emotional eating issues can keep the body from truly calming down?

 

Our fat cells have estrogen receptors... no joke!! Estrogen, which we often see as being a negative, but it will atually protect against chronic adipose inflammation. Estrogen gets a bad rap. Chronic adipose tissue inflammation is considered an increased risk factor for insulin resistance. The problem with estrogen is when we get into an inflammatory obesity problem as the estrogen dominance then overtakes and we lose the regulation of this essential hormone. 

It's the goldilocks syndrome of not too much and not too little. Too little estrogen sends the stressed out body into high cortisol responses (aka Triggered & Wired!!) This leads to chronic stress levels. These phytoestrogens and biological estrogen can counteract the effects of cortisol on the body.

Resveratrol, curcumins, also bind to these ERα receptors, which can block these essential hormones when taken in high amounts. 

This may be why a little turmeric tea in the morning when you have a well populated gut microbiota will boost your serotonin and reduce cortisol. A little tofu at lunch, due to the higher levels of the amino acid, l-tyramine, gives you a boost of energy while continuing to lower inflammation. 

Have a little cacao after dinner, which is even better than a glass of wine 🍷with a high level of polyphenols which feed the beautiful microbiota fundamentals that we are working so hard to renew in our toxic world. Cacao also contains tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin, it relaxes you for a great nights sleep. Cacao is also a phytoestrogen. 

Three different ways to connect to the estrogen receptors throughout your body, and naturally hack your mood and support you on your holistic journey.

I have a couple options for gut support currently. 

The on-the-go pack to increase gut support and gut-brain connectiom, and address cravings is 30% off with code THANKS30 for Black Friday  You mix the three items into water once a day and drink.

If you just want to feed the microbiome with support for.42 strains of microbiota organisms (powder before breakfast or lunch, capsule before dinner) and the fiber during the to give those strains enough food this line up is amazing.

If you want something that tells you what to eat, what workout to do, with a couple gut supplements for digestion and a few strains for the gut then get the 4 Week Gut Protocol

Any of these would be a good place to start depending on how easy or indepth you want the process. The options above start with the easiest version which is just one glass of supplements daily. That is the option I use.

Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, the B vitamins, essential fatty acids... fiber rich / resistant starch carbs... all of these are important for a healthy gut because they are essential for digestion. Fiber-rich, low starch foods include items like your soaked chia, flax, (Fall favorite) pumpkin, juicy berries, raw greens, cauliflower (my fav plant protein for dinner), broccoli and avocados. 

In addition there are fantastic (and yummy!) healthy carbs that are good for your gut and will help give you energy. These are so good for you, and good resistant starches like sweet potatoes (and white are making a comeback), bananas, figs, squash, nuts, apples (an apple a day), and those whole, plant-based foods. The right food makes your belly strong. As well, vegan, non-gmo, gluten-free and grain-free ‪‎probiotics‬ give you that good bacteria quickly, and the gut bacteria that will powerfully drive your health, well being, and in turn increase your strength, endurance and muscle growth.

I wanted to choose a subject to focus in on this month... so I decided on this one area that impacted my health the most... the gut. Did you know IBS affects 1 in 7 Americans? I was that 1 in 7. I couldn't even make it through a four hour shift of work when I was in my early twenties. It took two long years to get a diagnosis. And that's only because I PUSHED them to figure it out and finally went to a young new doctor with the knowledge of what I was dealing with. Love this House Call with Dr. Hyman (and btw we were all Paleo Vegeo before he was Pegan... but we'll totally invite him to the club any day of the week!)

So start thinking whole foods, start thinking replenishing the good, and start thinking about how you can heal rather than fear food. I know that fear.

As well, if you react badly to probiotics then you're probably dealing with some leaky gut sidelines, and then you may want to ask your GP about using a Lactobacillus Plantarum to start with as it's very colon-rific. :) I have no idea how to make colon into a fantastic word. So there you have it. A blog post that will make my husband super uncomfortable to read, and very unlikely to talk about.

Let's talk brain-gut JOY! The probiotic that I love that contains scientifically selected strains to have those happy little ecosystem. Vegan, soy free, gluten free, grain free ... and of course non gmo!



One of the reasons this is a favorite for me is because it contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is often not included in your run of the mill probiotic, but is one of the main bacteria in the gut that produces vitamin K and lactase. A probiotic should readily colonize on the walls of the small intestine and creates an unfriendly environment for bad bacteria. It adapts well to the human body because of its human origin and it is acid- and bile-resistant for intestinal survival.

Most of my favorite doctors agree that mood disorders begin with correcting the gut imbalances. The Gut-Brain-Axis is real. So make your microbiome happy, and choose the right products, one that has the right strains and most importantly one that actually can make it through your stomach to reach the essential digestive areas.

Final note, Lactobacillus acidophilus also has been clinically tested to help with a long list of wellness issues and so I have a link to the Mayo to give you more information. Of course I am always available to chat if you wonder if this would be a great nutritional choice for you.

Great Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4372813/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/acidophilus/evidence/hrb-20058615

http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/why-mood-disorder-treatment-should-begin-with-gut-bacteria

Now personally I have to say that I have used probiotics in the past, but never given them much thought until I got some bad bacteria in a smoothie mix about six months ago. I have a different way of looking at those of you that suffer from acid reflux now than I used to. You don't know until you know, right?

So I suddenly couldn't eat anything without getting horrible, can't sleep, try anything you can burning in my chest. I did the apple cider vinegar, and the baking soda, the all natural gerd chewables, and TUMs... and that means you know I was getting desperate. I can't take the OTC acid reflux pills due to allergic reactions to them from when they were trying to diagnose my IBS when I was in my early 20's. Finally I started on the probiotics, and that was the only thing that gave me relief. And it was funny that all of that depression came back with the bad bacteria. As well afterwards my adrenals started acting up... but that's another story.

I know how digestive problems feel, and I know how amazing if feels when they're gone. WebMD says, "Many people use probiotics to prevent diarrhea, gas, and cramping caused by antibiotics. Antibiotics kill "good" (beneficial) bacteria along with the bacteria that cause illness. A decrease in beneficial bacteria may lead to digestive problems. Taking probiotics may help replace the lost beneficial bacteria." So why not give probiotics a try? I take them usually encapsulated vegan probiotics, but you can also get a great vegan powder probiotic form and add probiotics to your green smoothie.

Learn a little more through my Increase Your Vitality Receptors training where I really dig into our microbiome at a higher level....

DISCLAIMER: Barbara Christensen, the owner of this website, is not a medical doctor. The author of this post is not engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained within this work are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. I shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions within this email. You, as someone that has reached out to me as a life coach, are totally and completely responsible for your own health and healthcare. Barbara Christensen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. She also has a partnership with a variety of wellness companies and clicking on any links and making a purchase could result in her making money.

I have talked about Isagenix before because it seems to be one of the most popular network marketing products around the globe with their push to cleanse your body. Your body does need a daily detox, but I don't believe in that manner. Supplementation as well as whole foods are also a big part of my lifestyle and I have to be sure any supplementation is going to naturally support my body in a healthy manner with as many real whole food sources as possible. Research says that it doesn't matter what type of sports your active in (soccer, wrestler or basketball) as none of these have an impact on the levels of oxidative status markers. 

I have been not too surprised that Australians are crazy for the Paleo diet lifestyle. Pete Evans, chef and leader of the Australian revolution, has come under fire more than I can admit, and yet it still isn't stopping people from realizing that no sugar and no grains is healthy.

Australian researchers tested the low-carbohydrate, high-fat Paleo diet on mice for just eight weeks, and what they found was that it led to 15 per cent weight gains and doubled fat mass, and they say increased risk of insulin resistance. I would say that that was perhaps more about the types of fats, and even the types of carbs rather than the overall idea, and the lack of digestive abilities. I would say that Pete Evans is sort of the Chris Kresser of the Aussie crowd, and just trying to get people to ditch the insulin resistance and leaky gut for a better quality of life. As I have said in the past, though, is that it comes down to a nutritional truth. Your nutritional truth may not be what my nutritional truth it. My husband struggled with low blood sugar depending on what he was eating and a lot of it comes down to some of his leaky gut issues and lack of digestive support. You can't just put a blanket statement on your ancestral diet without actually looking into your ancestry. Keep that in mind.

Join Me!! It’s time to cleanse your body of the toxins that are making you sick, zapping your energy, and making it impossible to lose the extra weight. You've tried the W30, and maybe it worked or maybe it didn't... but you are ready to do something a little different in terms of cleansing. Get ready for the program that will lead you to the wellness you desire using the whole foods you crave!

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