Could your green smoothie be making you sick?
Is there anything more frustrating then doing the 'right' things and still not feeling well? If you're like many of the people I talk to in my health coaching practice, you're doing so many great (and healthy) things, so WHY are you still bloated...UGH!
It's because of this very simple - yet unfair digestive truth: Leaky gut plays no favorites.
And if you are dealing with symptoms of chronic inflammation including bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, joint pain, headaches, etc, leaky gut is your issue. A simple way to understand leaky gut is to remember that there small tight junctions that separate the inside of our digestive tract from the rest of our body, and that when these junctions become too big, they 'leak' undigested, or partially digested foods and food proteins into our blood stream where our immune system doesn't recognize them and can attack them. Another issue is that toxins and wastes that are meant to stay inside our bodies and eventually be eliminated by one of the 7 channels of elimination are leaked into our bloodstream wreaking havoc as well.
So leaky gut doesn't play favorites...what this means for you is that any food, even a healthy, whole, good for you food like broccoli, avocado or that apple in your green smoothie could be part of the very reason you are still bloated. I know it's not fair, but the good news is there is something you can do about this.
The way to heal leaky gut is to first stop irritating it. And when even a whole food like an apple or lemon is the irritant, it's hard to heal because all these other blogs and health books and website are telling you that drinking lemon water in the morning is going to help you! Well, it may help some people but it might be hurting you. The way to know is to cover all of your bases and figure out exactly what your food triggers are.
When I work with clients, I work with a blood test that reveals out of 150 foods, chemicals and dyes, which ones are low, moderate, and high reactors. So this tells me exactly how to help you put together your perfect elimination diet (that won't look like any single other person's!). Want to know what exactly we test?
Check out the full panel below:
FOOD CHEMICALS:
FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #3, FD&C Red #4, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Blue #2, FD&C Green #3, Sodium Sulfite, Sorbic Acid, Candida Albicans, Benzoic Acid, Phenylethylamine, Tyramine, Capsaicin, Solanine, Lecithin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Ibuprophen, Acetaminophen, Potassium Nitrate, Saccharine, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Nitrite, Salicylic Acid, Aspartame, Caffeine, MSG, Fructose
DAIRY:
Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Cheddar Cheese, Whey, Cow's Milk, American Cheese, Goat's Milk
FLAVOR ENHANCERS:
Parsley, Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon, Oregano, Leek, Basil, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Mint, Black Pepper, Cumin, Ginger, Mustard, Cocoa, Maple, Cane Sugar, Sesame, Paprika, Dill, Honey, Coconut, Garlic, Carob
FRUITS:
Plum, Cranberry, Peach, Apple, Grapefruit, Apricot, Cantaloupe, Grape, Mango, Banana, Honeydew Melon, Cherry, Olive, Pear, Blueberry, Orange, Watermelon, Strawberry, Pineapple, Raspberry, Avocado, Papaya
VEGETABLES:
Celery, String Bean, Asparagus, Spinach, Sweet Potato, Zucchini, Mushroom, Onion, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Beet, White Potato, Lettuce, Carrot, Broccoli, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cabbage, Tomato, Yellow Squash
GRAINS:
Rye, Kamut, Quinoa, Rice, Spelt, Buckwheat, Wheat, Corn, Amaranth (Grain), Barley, Millet, Oat
SEAFOOD:
Clam, Tilapia, Scallop, Tuna, Codfish, Crab, Shrimp, Catfish, Sole, Salmon
MEATS & POULTRY:
Lamb, Pork, Turkey, Egg, Beef, Chicken
BEANS/NUTS/LEGUMES:
Sunflower Seed, Lentil, Green Pea, Cashew, Pinto Bean, Lima Bean, Garbanzo Bean, Pecan, Peanut, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Almond, Soybean, Walnut
MISCELLANEOUS:
Tapioca, Hops, Tea, Coffee, Cola, Baker's Yeast
So once you know exactly what your triggers are, you can be on your way to improving your digestion and repairing leaky gut! Check out my group program if you want to implement your customized elimination diet!