Family Wellness Center 801.298.4646

What is Leaky Gut?

The digestive system can be thought of as a long tube through the body that begins in the mouth and ends at the anus. All of the organs and glands of this system work together tot take the foods that come into the body and convert them into useable nutrients that can be utilized by all the cells, tissues, and organs.

In the mouth, the teeth tear and grind the food and mix it with saliva before it is swallowed. The food then travels down the esophagus into the stomach. The food may stay in the stomach for up to an hour and a half where it will begin a digestive process through the action of its own inherent enzymes.

As the food moves through the lower portion of the stomach it is mixed with the highly acidic gastric juices which neutralize any enzymes it contains. The food is liquefied before passing through the pyloric sphincter into the small intestine.

The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes and the liver produces bile. The enzymes and bile are released into the intestine to assist with the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Most of the nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. This organ is approximately 6 meters long with a surface area about the size of a tennis court.

This large surface area is created by folds of the intestines as well as villi and microvilli that cover the intestinal surface. The villi are covered with countless epithelial cells which, along with protective secretions form a tight barrier between the contents of the intestine and the blood stream.

The intestinal wall has been specifically designed to be selective to what is allowed to cross into the blood stream. This barrier has been put in place to protect the body from foreign invaders.

By the time the food passes into the large intestine, most of the nutrients have been absorbed. The remaining mass consists of dietary fiber and water.

Foods should pass through the entire digestive system in 12-24 hours after ingestion. Bowel movements should occur 2-3 times a day.

A properly functioning GI tract:

• absorbs small food particles to be converted to energy
• carries nutrients like vitamins and minerals attached to the carrier proteins across the gut into the bloodstream
• detoxifies the major toxins that have entered the body
• contains immunoglobulin or antibodies that act as the first line of defense against infections

Leaky Gut Syndrome refers to a condition of the intestinal wall. The tissue has been weakened and larger food particles and toxins are allowed to cross the intestinal barrier. This can lead to many health problems.

Special Points of Interest

• Most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine
• The intestinal wall has been specifically designed to be selective to what is allowed to cross into the blood stream
• Leaky Gut is a condition where the intestinal tissue has become weakened and larger food particles and toxins are allowed to cross the barrier

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What Causes Leaky Gut?

There are many factors in the American diet and lifestyle that contribute to Leaky Gut Syndrome. A review of the causes of leaky gut will reveal why this condition is a pandemic in the modern world.

1. Overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics, unfortunately kill both the good and bad bacteria. The friendly flora in the intestine becomes depleted.
2. Poor diet. The Standard American diet of fast foods and processed foods is lacking in important vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
3. High carbohydrate diet and eating too close to bedtime. This provides food for the fungal and yeast overgrowth.
4. Infestation of offending organisms. The intestinal lining is weakened by the
   presence of bacteria, virus, fungal over-growth, parasites, and heavy metals.
5. Chronic stress.
6. Normal immune response to foreign proteins. This leads to an increased inflammatory response.
7. Environmental contaminants.
8. Excess alcohol.
9. NSAIDS and other medications, including birth control pills.

Leaky Gut and the Disease Process

Leaky Gut contributes to several diseases through the following pathways:

1. Antibiotic therapy and poor diet kill friendly bacteria which leaves the intestinal mucosa vulnerable to offending organisms.
2. These organisms may cause the bowel to become inflamed which causes a loss of absorption and nutrient deficiencies to occur.
3. Inflammation causes the intestinal mucosa to become hyperpermeable allowing larger undigested proteins to enter the blood stream. These foreign proteins cause food allergies to occur.
4. As the friendly bacteria are killed and the bowel becomes enflamed, the protective antibodies are affected allowing foreign invaders such as yeast, parasites, bacteria, etc. to easily move through the gut lining into the body and affect any organ system.
5. Antibodies form to fight the foreign proteins that have leaked into the body. As they search for these foreign proteins, they may attack similar proteins in the body such as organ tissue and autoimmune diseases may occur.
6. As large undigested proteins move throughout the blood supply, they may become lodged in the lymphatic system causing an abnormal flow of lymph and symptoms such as Fibromyalgia to occur.

Many health problems can arise when larger food particles and toxins enter the blood streams.

These include:
• Autoimmune disease
• Celiac disease
• Crohns disease
• Environmental illness
• Hives
• Acne
• Allergies
• Inflammatory joint disease/arthritis
• Intestinal infections
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Ulcerative colitis
• Giardia
• Chronic Fatigue syndrome
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Food allergies and sensitivities
• Liver dysfunction
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

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5 Steps to Healing Leaky Gut

1. Improve Diet – A diet for health and healing is taught in The CWS 5 Lifestyle classes. The following should be emphasized:

• Fruits and Vegetables (70%)
• Protein (20%)
• Oils (10%)
• Raw foods if possible to increase enzymes in meal plans
• Make a slow transition to raw foods

2. Support Digestive System with Supplements

C (Colon) Supports and strengthens the Colon as a tissue. Promotes GI drainage (homeopathic meridian opener and drainer of the GI tract.) and provides gastrointestinal support (healthy digestion and absorption of the digestive tract).

ACX

Broad spectrum detoxifier (Systemic detox – Homeopathic detox). Excellent support for any pathogen elimination program.

ACP

Mild detoxifier. Supports tissue integrity and strengthens the natural immune system.

DSIR

Supports a healthy rebuilding of the entire GI tract

AO

Promotes health and healing in the Gi tract

Accell or Accell Meal

Provides nutritional support for all the vital organs

3. Remove Offending Organisms

By combining the following herbal formulas with C (colon) the antipathogen activity will be directed to the colon tissue.

Virus: VIVIhas anti-viral and anti-staph/strep capabilities.

#5 (Stabilizer) works effectively for herpes type viruses and retrovirus

Series Therapies help to step the body through a homeopathic removal of virus

Immuno Surge boosts the body’s defense against virus and bacteria

Bacteria: #3 (Bactrex) stimulates the immune system’s anti-bacterial activity in the targeted tissue.

Gold is a powerful herbal anti-bacterial formula

Smart Silver is a powerful anti-viral and anti-bacterial

Fungus: #4 FungDX enhances the anti-funtal, anti-candida activity in the targeted tissue

Candida Series Therapy is a homeopathic remedy for candida

Parasites: VRM 1-4 are herbal formulas for specific classes of parasites

Ver is a homeopathic remedy for parasite expulsion

Diaverm is for expulsion of parasites from the GI tract

Heavy Metals: CLNZ, Chemtox, Metox, a

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Foundation for Health Food Plan

A basic diet of vegetables, fruits and whole grains provides a foundation that can be applied to any health condition. It promotes healing and offers good balanced nutrition.

The following guidelines can be used for food selection:

1) Emphasis on natural, whole foods from the plant kingdom. These foods promote health by providing:

• Plant proteins
• Vegetables that give vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber
• Essential fatty acids
• Herbs and spices for seasonings and therapies.

These foods should be included in every meal.

2) Natural organic fruits. Enjoy the fruits of the season in bundance. They provide many vitamins, minerals and enzymes. They make an excellent snack or light meal to be eaten in the afternoon or early evening.

3) Whole grains provide fiber, B vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates and will support and give energy to the body. These are best eaten in
the afternoon or evening.

4) Animal proteins are to be used sparingly. Emphasis should be given to fish, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt. Red meats are a high stress food and should be eaten no more than once a week.

5) Food combining to optimize digestion. The CWS Five Lifestyle Classes teach how to combine foods in meal plans. Proteins and carbohydrates should not be eaten at the same time. We recommend eating
various types of vegetables and proteins in the same meal.

6) Proteins should be consumed early in the day. A high protein
breakfast provides great fuel for the body before a long days work. Lunch can be either a protein meal or a complex carbohydrate meal to sustain energy through the rest of the day.

7) Light foods are recommended in the early evening hours and include complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits.

Avoid late night eating
(after 6:00 pm)

Foods to Emphasize

• Fresh fruits (chronic cases of candida may need to avoid during first few
  weeks of therapy)
• Vegetables (Raw or steamed)
• Whole grains in moderation
• Dark green leafy vegetables provide sulfur which promotes healing
• Sprouts provide oxygen and Vitamin K and promotes healing
• Fresh carrot and spinach juice
• Vegetable and green drinks
• 1-2 TB ground flax seeds daily
• Unsweetened yogurt daily
• Soaked Nuts and Seeds (soaked overnight in pineapple juice)
• Fish, poultry, yard eggs
• Freshly prepared soups (without milk or cream)
• Chlorophyll products

Support detoxification with: garlic, onions, chlorella, spirulina, and wheatgrass

Anti-fungal foods include: garlic , onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, olive and flax oils, cinnamon and clove

Foods to Avoid for fungal or yeast overgrowth:

• Sugar and yeast products. All forms of simple sugar.
• Foods with mold (aged cheese, nuts, nut butters)
• Refined foods and hidden sugar
• Fruits and fruit juices during the first month of treatment
• Dairy and dairy based products
• Partially hydrogenated oils
• Potato chips and other fried foods
• Fruit juices—canned or frozen
• Apple cider vinegar and other fermented products
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Processed meats, bacon , sausage and corned beef
• Condiments: soy sauce, catsup, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, MSG

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Do you have Asthma or do you know anyone who does? This is a condition that affects thousands of Americans each year. This is a very scary condition for anyone who has it. The symptoms can manifest at any time and are triggered by many different causes.

Common daytime symptoms

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Tightness in your chest
• Shortness of breath

Common nighttime symptoms

• Trouble falling asleep because of coughing, wheezing, or tightness in your chest
• Waking up in the night with a cough, wheeze, or tightness in your chest
• Waking up too early in the morning with a cough or tightness in your chest
• Waking up to use your rescue inhaler

Many people feel their symptoms are under control because they use a rescue breather or are taking an asthma medication. This is only covering up the cause.

What is the cause of Asthma
When you have symptoms of asthma, your air ways are very sensitive and are chronically inflamed. This inflammation can be caused from layers of infection in the lungs and bronchi, from food and airborne allergens, and from leaky gut syndrome. These conditions cause the airways to narrow and become blocked with an increased production of mucus.

What is an Asthma attack
An attack is when the symptoms worsen and the patient feels like they are sipping from a drinking straw and someone has pinched the middle of the straw. In acute cases, emergency inhalers are suggested. During an attack, patients feel they cannot get enough air into their lungs.
Actually they are able to get air in, but cannot get it out as well. Attacks are often seen in the middle of the night between 2 and 6 a.m. This is when your body is in its filtration cycle and is trying to cleanse. The liver is usually overloaded and will shunt toxins to any area of the body that can help with the toxic load. The lungs are one of the largest detoxifying organs of the body. The increased toxic load will cause inflammation and an increased mucus production which leads to tightness in the chest, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.

Treatment
At the Family Wellness Center, we focus on the cause of the problem by treating the leaky gut syndrome found with most asthmatics, the possible layers of infection in the lungs and bronchi, and by alleviating various food and airborne allergies. We also focus on repair and support of the lungs, colon, liver, adrenals, and any other organ that may be affecting the patient and leading to the Asthmatic symptoms. We must remember that symptoms are only the smoke of the fire. Treating the symptoms is very important, but we need to put the fire out before the smoke goes away. Focusing on the cause of the symptoms and not on the symptoms alone leads to a long term cure for the patient.
For a complimentary computerized evaluation and consultation, contact the center at 801-298-4646.

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