TORONTO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE: HEALING THE GUT - Toronto Functional Medicine

In our TMB FUNC MED programs, when we’re healing the gut, we follow a 5 step process. Gut health is very important for our overall health and wellness. Did you know that poor gut health is often at the root of all sorts of symptoms, such as bloating, skin issues, sleep problems and more? Today we’d like to share our five step process for healing the gut.

TMB’S 5 STEP PROCESS FOR HEALING THE GUT

HEALING THE GUT STEP 1:
REMOVE

Remove any foods or any gut irritants that are coming in, such as toxins, stress etc. We want to remove these obstacles BEFORE we give someone a supplement protocol and so on.
*Food sensitivities and intolerances definitely play a huge part in the “remove” component of the gut healing process. But look below to the other FOUR crucial steps that cannot be overlooked for true and long-term healing!

HEALING THE GUT STEP 2:
REPAIR

If you have any gut lining issues like leaky gut or an overabundance of microbes that like to munch on the gut lining or kick up inflammation, we have to repair this before taking the next step. GI Revive is one of our favourite supplements that can help restore the gut lining.

HEALING THE GUT STEP 3:
REINOCULATE

We always want to make sure that we’re boosting beneficial bacteria and decreasing the harmful ones. This could be through probiotics, or through encouraging intake of resistant starches and other prebiotic starches (which you’ve heard us talk about here many times!). When it comes to a probiotic, you want to ensure you getting a high quality, therapeutic grade kind such as this one.

HEALING THE GUT STEP 4:
REPLACE

Often times we need to replace digestive enzymes, stomach acid, pancreatic juices, gallbladder action etc. so we can actually breakdown our foods appropriately and take in and absorb nutrients. Sometimes it’s just about stimulating the patient’s OWN production through mindful eating (which is why we emphasize the importance of chewing and eating slowly, on repeat!).

HEALING THE GUT STEP 5:
REBALANCE

This one’s last but certainly not least. For example, stress plays a huge role in gut function. Stress can impact the vagus nerve (a key player in digestion), how we breathe, our bacteria and so on. That’s why we also recommend DAILY stress management practices such as meditation, deep breathing, taking an Epsom salts bath etc. to ensure our nervous system gets a break. Adrenotone can also help rejuvenate our adrenal glands which play a huge part in our stress hormones, relieving symptoms of stress.

HOW CAN TMB HELP YOU WITH YOUR GUT HEALTH?

Book a free consultation call with our functional medicine practitioners today and learn all about our FUNC MED programs, designed to support and optimize your gut health!

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This article is excerpted from our weekly TMB Magazine — an exclusive subscriber only publication that is packed with all sorts of in-depth latest study breakdowns, functional medicine insights and wisdom from Dr. Bhat and her team.