This week in Gut School, we got into the nitty-gritty of common things that cause digestive issues. This was starting the discussion on bathroom habits. I know, not everyone’s favorite topic! But it’s SO important when discussing health. What goes into the toilet can be one of the greatest indicators of what’s going on inside your body!

 

Here are some important points covered in the week’s lessons. Keep in mind, I’m sharing this with you for educational purposes only and to give you some things to think about, especially if you or someone you love suffers from digestive issues.

 

1. It’s incredibly important to get a proper diagnosis from a healthcare professional. If you try to diagnose yourself, chances are, you won’t get to the root of the problem. You may be able to mask some of the symptoms – for a short period – but those symptoms will likely continue to come back time after time until the root problem is addressed. And if you’re suffering from digestive issues, you know how important it is to find the cause, not just keep applying band-aids!

2. “Dysbiosis” is a term used to describe imbalances within the gut microbiome. In other words, dysbiosis is damage to your digestive tract, in particular the colon, which causes symptoms. Those symptoms really cover some ground and often can appear non-specific. Doesn’t everyone have gas, bloating, and diarrhea from time to time? Yes, absolutely. But when it is persistent, it could be dysbiosis.

3. Some common internal symptoms of dysbiosis include abdominal pain or cramping, gas, bloating, food sensitivities, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, indigestion, heartburn/reflux, and belching.

4. Some common external symptoms of dysbiosis include weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, mood imbalances, anxiety, skin breakouts or acne, joint pains and muscle aches, weakness, bad breath, sinus congestion, and shortness of breath.

5. There are a lot of medical conditions that are also associated with dysbiosis. Including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, ADHD, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, hyperthyroid, erectile dysfunction, lupus, type 1 diabetes, asthma, eczema, seasonal allergies, and many, many more.

 

Are you starting to see a pattern? I could go on with many more medical conditions and many more symptoms. The reality is that we are finding that the health of the gut plays a much larger role in overall health than we realized.

 

You may have heard that our genes determine our fate. If you are predisposed to certain diseases, meaning that you have the genes for them, you will get those diseases or conditions at some point in your life, regardless of anything you try to do to stop it. Basically, it’s a guarantee.

 

That is absolutely not the case for most chronic diseases.

 

There are some diseases, such as Celiac, that you have to have the specific gene for it to get the disease (HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 in the case of Celiac). However, just because you have the gene does not mean you will inevitably get the disease. Less than 3% of those with the Celiac gene will develop Celiac disease in their lifetime.

 

That is the same story for many diseases.

 

Take something like heart disease. Even if heart disease runs in your family, we are now learning that a lot can be done to prevent its occurrence through dietary and lifestyle modifications. This is the study of epigenetics. Although it has not been shown that dietary and lifestyle modifications have anything to do with the development of Celiac in those with the Celiac gene, for many chronic diseases, that is absolutely the case.

 

Back in the year 2000, scientists thought they found the cure to modern disease when they cracked the genetic code. This was a groundbreaking discovery thought to change the world and human life as we knew it. They thought they held the key to curing cancer.

 

But they were wrong.

 

What they discovered instead was that about 80% of our health is determined by lifestyle factors. Wow! 80%! That’s HUGE with a capital H! Put another way, YOU determine 80% of your health. It’s in your hands. Lifestyle factors refer to things such as dietary choices, stress management, sleep quality, sense of community, smoking and drug use, and physical activity.

 

No, not all cases of heart disease and other diseases are preventable. Some people, unfortunately, no matter what they do, will still suffer from a chronic disease. But when there is so much you can do to prevent disease, why would you hang your hat on the small chance that it doesn’t work? How does improving dietary and lifestyle factors negatively impact your life? Chances are, it doesn’t in the grand scheme of things.

 

The topic of genes and epigenetics is really complicated. But a simple way to explain it is that genes cannot be changed, however, the expression (or turning on of those genes) can be.

 

I like the saying, “If genes load the gun, epigenetics pulls the trigger.”

 

That’s the big take-away from this week’s course. We have a major influence on our overall health. That gives us a lot of power, but also a lot of responsibility. When there’s something that’s not quite right, it’s your responsibility to be your own advocate. You may need to push your healthcare provider a bit, but that’s where education is your best tool. If you know the symptoms of dysbiosis and think they may be causing your digestive woes, it’s definitely worth investigating! Know the questions to ask and the testing that is available for specific symptoms.

 

You may be wrong. But chances are, you are probably right. No one knows your body better than you.

If you have questions about how to approach this topic with your healthcare provider, please reach out. I would love to give you some ideas and some talking points!

Alright, that’s the skinny on this week’s gut-love session. I have to get back to week 3’s coursework. It’s all about what gets flushed down the toilet! Yep! That’s exactly what I’m studying this week! Stay tuned!!!

Peace, love & healthy gut microbes!

Lindsay