Part and parcel to any organization or group is its purpose. This is so true that it could be considered part of the definition of the word “organization.” Before any organization, group or business came into existence, there was first an established purpose or goal; usually dreamed by one person, then agreed to by a core group; and ultimately embraced by many. If a business or group is to continue and expand into the future, that group’s purpose is the carrier wave that gets it there. Indeed, success for any business or group is defined, not necessarily by financial success, but by its success in striving for and attaining its goals and purposes. Financial success may be a consequence of this, and is necessary to persist and survive in a money based economy. Rarely, however, is mere finance the goal or purpose of a truly successful business or organization.

Understanding this, one can see that for the employees and executives in any business; the citizens of any government; even the customers and clients of a business, it is very important to know and understand the basic purpose of that organization or company. An employee of a business may think that his purpose in working there is simply to make money for himself. If he does, he is out of alignment with the purpose of his own organization, will have work difficulties of various kinds, and will not be very happy with his job, as he is to some degree at cross purposes with his employer. Likewise, for a client or customer of a business, knowing its purpose gives one the most direct indication of what that company intends to produce and deliver, as well as how it will deliver it. Your happiness or satisfaction with a business as a consumer is utterly dependent on that business accomplishing its purpose with respect to you as one individual customer.

To expand on this a little, realize that a company or group purpose is the REASON for that company’s or group’s existence. Fundamentally it is that organization’s most SENIOR policy. From it a group’s key operating policies and guidelines are derived, as well as the valuable product it produces. Properly formulated, these policies and guidelines are ALWAYS based on what has been successful in forwarding the group or business purpose. A group’s purpose is also essential in establishing the core values of that group. Together, a group or company’s purpose, core values, key policies and valuable product, describe the “personality” of that group or business; for, like people, groups do have personalities. One can sense this on walking into a business. Is the place friendly? Efficient? Service oriented? Do the employees grasp WHY they are there? Do they care? These are characteristics of that business’s personality, and they are an excellent indicator that the people working there do know and operate according to that business’s basic purpose and core values.

We at Robust Life Center are very aware of this information on organizational “basic purpose” and its importance. Years ago, when I founded this Center, it was for a very specific purpose. Even as a kid growing up on the farm, I knew that someday I wanted to help people in a substantial and fundamental way. With my training in nutritional science and technology, that general direction became refined and more firmly established in my mind. As I want you to know and understand this purpose as well, I’m re-publishing it for you here and now. The basic purpose of Robust Life Center is:

“TO CREATE A CULTURE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SELF-RESPONSIBLE ZEALOTS FOR HEALTHY LIVING”

Everything we do at Robust Life, from answering your nutritional questions, to helping you with your own specific nutritional health issues, to the education we provide to help people manage their own health better, is centered around the purpose just described. Emanating from this are the core values we strive for in delivering our service every day. Values such as COMPETENCE, ATTENTIVENESS, GOOD SERVICE, FRIENDLINESS and COMPASSION are at the heart and soul of all that we do. I invite you to come visit us at Robust Life Center and experience it for yourself.

I am happy to have had the opportunity to share this information with you about the importance of “purpose” relative to groups, businesses and organizations. I hope you find it useful.

And I look forward to helping you become a ZEALOT for your own health and that of your friends very soon.

Best,

Samuel C Zeiler MS CNC

Stop making New Year’s resolutions!  If you are like many people who make some resolutions or at least weak goals for the new year, statistically, this is a set-up for failure.  While none of us would intentionally start on a path if we knew that failure was the outcome.  The curious thing is that many are repeat offenders of the same intentions/resolutions every year.

It is time for something different.  There is more to creating a resolution or intention for the year than merely stating it or writing it down.  That is a good first step.  Many start out with the “What” of their intention.  While this is important to name the outcome, unless it is specific, it is only an idea without strength.  You may recognize some of these resolutions:

• Lose weight
• Save money
• Have more leisure time
• Get physically fit
• Get healthy
• Have a creative hobby

Good things to do, however they will likely not happen.  The reasons are this, they are not specific, time-bounded, measurable or have a clear outcome to celebrate.  Some of you actually have resolutions/intentions that have a high likelihood of success.  They do because the completion is clear. i.e. finishing a ½ marathon by the end of summer.    Unless a clear outcome is visualized or has an “Ideal Scene” the intended outcome does not have “pulling power”.

One of the most important factors in having your resolutions/intentions manifest is in determining the “WHY” factor.  Why do you want whatever it is?  How will you be showing up having realized your intention?  What does it feel like in the “winner’s circle”?  Who is there with you?  What does it look like?  What impact will it have on your immediate world?  How will you share your accomplishment that will serve mankind?

These are all powerful considerations when an intention/resolution is set.  In my opinion and experience, it is better to set a few big hairy, scary, challenging intentions/resolutions or targets that have powerful outcomes that can change the world than a few selfish resolutions that have little drawing effect on the heat of my fire.  Personally, to use a fire analogy, I want to create enough draw on the fire of my soul to literally burn out any indecision, distraction or disturbance from the defined and planned journey through the next year and beyond!

Over forty years of business and life experience have taught me the principles expressed here.  I have had the good fortune to create connections with some of the finest mentors in North America, not by accident.  The essence of what I am stating is this:

• Decide clearly what it is that must be done in the near term, mid-term and long-term to fully expand awareness and experience through service to life.
• Create a written picture of how you will be at each stage along the way.
• Determine what tools, support or materials may be required to make the journey.
• Assemble your team to make the journey (no one gets through major change without a team of ardent supporters)
• Get started, take definite action forward if not massive action depending on the size of your intention.  Pick up speed as you go, no jack rabbit starts.  Give it all you have!
• Stay with it until you have succeeded long enough to assure there is minimal likelihood of backsliding or diminishment of results.
• Keep moving forward to bigger, better, more impactful life experience of service.

When it comes to living fully, I put my health at the forefront.  I am busily working on my goals and targets for 2017.  Nutritional and physical health targets are areas that I set first because without great health, everything else is harder.  Robust Life Center is the outward expression of my goal to create a community that vibrates with healthy people on purpose.

Join us and catch fire with Sustainable Vibrant Health!  The world needs people on fire with their personal health and intention to make a difference!

Have a very Happy New Year!

Vibrantly,

Samuel C Zeiler MS CC

One of the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory is that the external climate can and does, very much, influence our health. “Summer-heat” is considered one of six external causes of disease, along with wind, cold, damp, dryness and fire. The heat of summer can penetrate the body and cause symptoms such as thirst, excessive sweating, prostration, dark urine and irritability. And for those of us who already suffer from excessive Internal Heat, summer is a strong aggravator of existing symptoms, and will only add fuel to the fire. Fortunately, we can use simple foods and drinks to combat the problem and minimize its effects.

CAUSES OF INTERNAL HEAT

Internal Heat can be due to a variety of causes: constitutional, lifestyle-generated and age-related (menopause).

Constitution: Our constitution is largely hereditary, since we are each born with varying degrees of vigour, strength, and “heat.” We are familiar with this from personal experience or observation: ruddy-cheeked, robust people with a strong voice and plenty of energy who walk around in T-shirts when most of us put on a sweater, may have some Internal Heat. They may sweat easily and when they develop health problems, these tend also to be hot. For instance, a common cold in such cases will always manifest with an acute, strong onset and very high fever, whereas “cold” people cannot remember the last time they had a high temperature. As well, hot people are more likely to develop conditions such as rosacea, characterized by easy and severe facial flushing.

Constitutional heat patterns affect the Stomach and Large Intestine in particular, as well as their associated meridians. So, in addition to hot digestive problems such as heartburn and excessive appetite, we may also find things like recurrent mastitis or breast abscess, as the breasts are traversed by the Stomach channel.

Dandelion leaves are a prime remedy for the breasts as well as the stomach itself, as they can strongly cool and detoxify those areas. They can be boiled as tea, used in a poultice or, of course, eaten raw or steamed. In general, cooked bitter greens, salads and fruit should be eaten more often in summer by those of hot constitution, while barbecued meats and deep-fried or spicy foods should be avoided. Alcohol is hot overall, but red wine is especially so – much better to opt for a mojito, at least the lime and mint will add a cooling dimension! Finally, watermelon is especially indicated as a primary medicinal food in the treatment of Summer-heat.

THE ROLE OF LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle generated heat, caused by stress and emotional constraint, tends to affect the Heart and Liver. In fact, while many people worry about the effect of environmental toxins on their liver, emotional toxins such as resentment, frustration, hostility, excessive judgment and constant rushing have an equally deleterious effect on this important organ. As the Liver becomes energetically congested, over time this stagnation will heat up and produce Fire that transmits to the Heart to cause mental-emotional symptoms, or to the head causing migraines, ear infections, or eye problems and irritability.

When Summer-heat combines with this background heat, all symptoms may flare. The best home remedies are leaf and flower teas: crysanthemum, honeysuckle, rosebud, green and mint teas, which should be drunk cool. In the lobby of the Dragon City mall in Toronto’s Chinatown there is a stand that sells “Five Flower Tea” throughout the summer to help keep you cool. On the other hand, the warming spices of “Chai” are best avoided during this season.

CAUSES AND REMEDIES FOR MENOPAUSAL HEAT

The most common manifestation of age-related heat is menopause. However, strictly speaking, it is incorrect to attribute it to age as though it were an inevitable development. It is only when the water element of the body has become depleted that heat may develop at menopause. Water, of course, will put out fire, but when it has been consumed by many years of overwork, when it is constitutionally low to begin with, or when it has been dried up by an artificial and chemicalized diet, it cannot do so.

At menopause, Kidney water naturally declines further, and thus heat and fire are free to rage unopposed, as in the hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and general discomfort that many women experience. Does drinking plenty of water help? Not so much. Of course, when we are hot and thirsty, we should drink, but a high consumption of water usually has a diuretic effect, good for cleansing, but not for hydration.

Herbs and foods that help Kidney water are often salty: turtle shell, clams and shellfish, salty black soybeans (of which the black bean sauce of Chinese food is made), and kidney beans. In fact, tofu with black bean sauce is the perfect, and cooling, Kidney water tonic, but skip the garlic. Traditionally, when Chinese herbs are used to boost the kidney, they are mixed with salt. A small amount of salt is used to retain fluids in the body and rebalance electrolytes. This is why in cases of severe diarrhea, a patient is never given straight water, but rather water with sugar and salt. In fact, a combination of sweet, salty and sour offers the best hydration, as in mango or cantaloupe mixed with lime juice and a little salt. Delicious, cooling and fully thirst quenching.
However, be sure t Avoid refined white salt because it contains heavy metals. Instead, use Himalayan Crystal Salt or unrefined sea salt, as these contain a full complement of trace minerals and have no chemicals added. As to eating shellfish, some women may find that this increases their heat, so experimenting with recommended foods is important.)

If menopause symptoms are severe, food and drink alone will probably not cure them, but they will help turn down the thermostat a notch or two.

SUMMER DAMP HEAT

To make matters worse, in Southern Ontario heat combines with stifling humidity and pollution to produce Damp-Heat. This will invade the body and produce additional symptoms of heaviness, listlessness, tight-band headaches, diarrhea and loss of appetite. In such cases, raw and cold foods are actually contra-indicated, as they can put an additional burden on the digestive system.

Bland foods such as beans and barley, and lightly cooked vegetables are best. A porridge made of 1 part rice, 1 part pearl barley, 1 part mung, adzuki beans or lotus seeds and 10 parts water, slow simmered for 2-3 hours, is ideal. Traditionally it is sweetened with a little bit of rock sugar, available as “Rock Candy” in Asian grocers (crystallized sugar cane water that remains from the sugar making process). It’s not too sweet, slightly cooling and very beneficial to gently boost the qi. In contrast, brown sugar is warming and most appropriate for winter. The same can be said for brown rice, or whole grains in general. White rice, with its neutral thermal property, is best for the hot days of summer.

Alternatively, mung beans can be boiled alone in plenty of water (1-6 ratio) for four hours, and the liquid drunk at room temperature throughout the day. A slow cooker is ideal for this, as it doesn’t require attendance or heat up the whole house. Mung beans are very beneficial to sufferers of damp, weepy skin diseases or rashes that flare in hot, humid conditions. Drinking 3-4 cups per day can make a big difference in symptoms. They are particularly detoxifying, and are used to antidote drug and other poisons. We might theorize that they would do the same for the poisons of pollution. Mung beans are also highly regarded in Ayurvedic medicine, which uses them with white basmati rice as a 2 -3 week cleanse. Finally, Asian grocers sell various combinations of instant mung bean, adzuki bean or barley powders which are great for camping, but really quite sweet. Diluting them with extra water or tea may help.

Lastly, any exercise should be mild, done in the shade in the evening or early morning, and not lead to too much sweating. That pretty much rules out jogging on city streets in the midday smog and heat, which doesn’t sound like the most refreshing activity anyway! Remember to stick to your gut and check in often; if it feels significantly uncomfortable or hurts more than you think it should, stop doing it and return to the basicsl

Triclosan, a chemical ingredient most well known for its prevalence in hand sanitizers, can now add both heart disease and heart failure to the long list of health conditions found to be directly linked to its use.

Long used as a bactericide in personal care products such as toothpaste and deodorant, Triclosan’s real claim to fame began with the introduction of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, when their widespread reported effectiveness at killing 99.9% of “germs” – bacteria, fungus and other microbial organisms – living on the surface of our skin at any given time, skyrocketed sales through the roof around the globe.  Germaphobes, misinformed and misguided parents everywhere stocked up on this new “silver bullet” against transmissible diseases and other microbial terrorists, soon making Triclosan a standard household name and ingredient.

Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that  

“Triclosan is not currently known to be hazardous to humans.”

 

What this means is that until action is taken to get this common additive out of your toiletries, you could be applying a chemical with proven toxicity to your body multiple times a day …

Tricolsan impairs muscle function and skeletal muscle contractility. After mice in a study group were exposed to one dose of triclosan, heart muscle function was reduced by 25 percent, and grip strength was reduced by 18 percent. Fish were also exposed to triclosan – about the equivalent dose as would be accumulated in a week in the wild – and this led to poorer swimming performance. Researchers also exposed individual human muscle cells (from heart and skeletal muscles) to a triclosan dose similar to everyday-life exposure, and this, too, disrupted muscle function and caused both heart and skeletal muscles to fail.

Triclosan May Also Alter Hormone Regulation, which makes this substance even more scary with all of the other known hormone disrupting agents we content with on a daily basis. This ubiquitous chemical is a chlorinated aromatic compound and is used to help reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. It’s commonly added to many antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes and certain cosmetics, as well as furniture, kitchenware, clothing and toys. A Toxicological Sciences study found that triclosan affected estrogen-mediated responses, and many chemicals that imitate estrogen are known to increase breast cancer risk. Triclosan also suppressed thyroid hormone in rats, and this is only one study in an accumulating body of research showing this chemical to be a potent endocrine disruptor.

Even the FDA states that “animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation” and that “other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.”  Although they still maintain that triclosan is not known to be hazardous to humans.

If you need more indication that triclosan is probably not the best ingredient to be brushing your teeth with or rubbing onto your underarms, consider that it was first registered with the EPA in 1969 … as a pesticide.  Today it is still registered as a pesticide, although aside from this and its uses in personal care products, it’s also widely used for industrial uses, for instance it is incorporated in conveyor belts, fire hoses, dye bath vats, or ice-making equipment as an antimicrobial pesticide, as well as added to adhesives, fabrics, vinyl, plastics (toys, toothbrushes), polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, floor wax emulsions, textiles (footwear, clothing), caulking compounds, sealants, rubber, carpeting, and a wide variety of other products.

The claimed “benefit” of adding an antimicrobial product like triclosan to your hand soap is that it should kill off more germs, and theoretically keep you healthier. On the contrary, there is little or no evidence that these triclosan-containing antibacterial products outperform the good-old-fashioned techniques like washing with soap and water. There is, however, evidence that plain soap is more effective than its antibacterial counterparts.

The decision to stop using products that contain triclosan is an easy way to positively impact your and your family’s health. There is simply no reason to ever purchase any product having triclosan in it. Triclosan is clearly listed on product ingredient labels, so you can easily check to see if it’s there before deciding on a purchase. Remember, this chemical is not only in soaps but also body washes, toothpaste, shampoo, and 140+ other home and personal care products. Unfortunately, triclosan is now also contaminating rivers, streams and sewage sludge that is applied to agricultural fields, so there is a chance you’re getting exposed from environmental sources as well.

Aside from reading labels, if a product claims to be “antibacterial,” there’s a good chance it contains triclosan, so this can be used as a warning label if you’re looking to avoid this chemical.

]]> https://realnutritionnw.com/?feed=rss2&p=354 0 https://realnutritionnw.com/?p=348 https://realnutritionnw.com/?p=348#comments Tue, 12 May 2015 02:34:42 +0000 http://realnutritionnw.com/?p=348 Read more →

A comment we often hear is, “A little won’t hurt!” Or, “You deserve a treat, you’re on vacation!” Sure, a little sugar is a minor challenge: for already healthy individuals. Unfortunately, dysfunctional blood sugar balance, immune issues, and adrenal fatigue are common, and even a small amount of sugar can send someone with these disturbances into sugar shock. Moreover, most of us already get a little here, a little there, and then a little more over here and there, and then BAM!! That sugar really adds up! What do we mean by “a lot”? Our ancestors likely indulged in around one tablespoon (14-17g of sugar) of honey per day (when available), which is stunningly low compared to today’s average sugar intake of one cup (224-272g of sugar) per day! YOWZERS!

About twenty years ago, Nancy Appleton, PhD, began an eye-opening, research-supported list of the ways sugar can ruin your health. As research on the subject has continued, so has Appleton’s list, growing to between 143 and 146 reasons long as to why sugar simply ruins your health. The latest version is included in her most recent book, “Suicide by Sugar.”

Here is a small, yet powerful sampling of reasons to avoid sugar:

• Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, lung, gallbladder and stomach. 
• Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia. 
• Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. 
• Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein. 
• Sugar can cause food allergies.
• Sugar steals calcium from the bones and is a major factor in developing Osteoporosis.

• Sugar contributes to obesity.

If those reasons alone aren’t enough to make you at least consider cutting your sugar intake down or completely out, check out Nancy’s complete list, 143 Reasons Sugar RUINS Your Health.

And as always, the best way to figure out a low to no sugar diet that works for YOU, call today to schedule an appointment with Sam or Vicki and leave with a completely unique program designed specifically for you and your lifestyle!

Butter is one of the best and most easily absorbed sources of Vitamin A, which is needed for a wide range of functions in the body, from maintaining good vision, to keeping the endocrine system in top shape. Vitamins A and D in butter are essential for the proper absorption of calcium and hence necessary for strong bones and teeth. Butter also contains the other fat-soluble vitamins E and K; though only butter that is obtained from cows feeding on lush, green spring and fall grass is rich in vitamin K2, which is essential for proper calcium assimilation into bone by consequently preventing deposition of this mineral inappropriately into soft tissues and organs (a process known as calcification or hardening, depending on where the deposits occur).

Butter contains lecithin, a substance that assists in the proper assimilation and metabolism of cholesterol and other fat constituents. Short and medium chain fatty acids in butter protect against pathogens and have strong anti-fungal effects (that means yeast and Candida.)

Butter is rich in trace minerals, especially selenium, a powerful antioxidant. Ounce for ounce, butter has more selenium per gram than either whole wheat or garlic. Butter also supplies iodine, needed by the thyroid gland (Vitamin A is also needed by the thyroid gland.)

Butter has appreciable amounts of butyric acid which are used by the colon as an energy source. Butyric acid is also a known anti-carcinogen. Lauric acid, also in butter is a medium chain fatty acid, which is a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance. Butter also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which gives excellent protection against cancer.

When looking for good quality butter, raw and cultured is best, but is often more difficult to find outside of organic food co-ops or specialty markets. Organic butter is your next best choice, with generic, store-bought butter from grain-fed cows being at the bottom of the list. Butter made from grass-fed cattle is better for you because it has more of the healthier medium-chain fatty acids and that all-mighty vitamin K2.

When Dr. Weston A. Price studied native diets in the 1930’s, he found that butter was a staple in the diets of many supremely healthy peoples.

Now, a little history on margarine: Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had invested money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together. They added yellow coloring to the white substance and sold it to people to use in place of butter.  All margarines are made from assorted vegetable oils that have been heated to extremely high temperatures. This possessing may be unsafe for your health.

Comparing Margarine and Butter:

• Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods, most notably those that are fat soluble.
• Most people think butter tastes much better than margarine and it enhances the flavors of other foods.
• Butter has been around for centuries whereas margarine has been around for less than 100 years.
• Margarine is very high in trans-fatty acids which are carcinogenic and mutagenic. The US federal government requires the labeling of all food in such a way as to disclose amounts of trans-fat in products. Many brands label their products legally now as “zero grams” trans-fat, which in fact means less than 500 mg trans-fat per serving. 
• Some studies show that margarine triples the risk of coronary heart disease, increases total cholesterol and LDL, and lowers HDL cholesterol, increases the risk of cancers up to five fold and lowers the quality of breast milk.
• Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% when compared to eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Other studies sponsored by the margarine promoters refute this.
• Other studies show that margarine decreases immune response and decreases insulin response.
• And here’s the most disturbing fact. . . Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC. . .Yum.

Who eats margarine? Humans do. Now, here’s a test you can do at home:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

• No flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something.)
• Margarine does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Hmm. . .come to think of it, the same thing happens with Kentucky Fried Chicken! Maybe they fry the chicken in trans-fats! 

Calling all congested faces, runny noses, sinus discomfort and itchy eyes. We are into the thick of pollen and grass season. If you have any of the symptoms of the season, now is the time to act.

You are not destined to suffer from allergies every season!

If you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer, you know that few things can drain the joy out of spring and summertime like the misery of red, itchy, watery eyes, continuous sneezing and that awful post-nasal drip. Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, but many other sources can lead to agonizing allergic symptoms as well. As the weather warms and the air dampens, the activity levels of creatures – all shapes, sizes and species – increases as well, and the resulting culmination is air that is thick with pollen, insects, pet hair and dander, dust and numerous invisible toxins.

Yet the fear of leaving your house as soon as pollen counts begin to rise does not  mean you are destined to spend another beautiful summer peeking out from behind the blinds as you wipe your eyes and blow your nose.  Nor are you forever shackled to prescription allergy medication if do decide to brave the outdoors.  Spring and summer are meant to be enjoyed outside, with family and friends, and free of allergy ailments.

By applying some simple and natural methods to combat seasonal allergies, you too can laugh (with mouth and eyes wide open) as you frolic, unscathed, through fields of dandelions this season!

 Pollen from trees, weeds and grasses are the primary culprits behind seasonal allergies. Spring allergies are typically from tree pollen, whereas summer allergies usually come from grasses, and then weed pollens dominate the airways during late summer and fall. Without allergy testing, it’s nearly impossible to determine which offenders are causing your wheezes and sneezes, but the time and season may give you some clues. 

Here are seven things you can do to overcome SIBO. Many of these things are also done for leaky gut.

Step One: Remove food and chemical irritants

Dietary adjustments are essential to overcoming both SIBO and leaky gut. It is absolutely essential to eliminate all refined sugars from the diet and most starchy foods. At the least one should eliminate all grains containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley), but eliminating all grains may be required.

Dairy may also be problematic because the bacteria love to feast on the sugar in dairy, lactose. . Goat milk products and cultured dairy foods can be beneficial for some people, yet other people may have to eliminate all dairy foods.

Fermented foods are generally helpful for SIBO. These are discussed under Step Six: Restore beneficial bacteria.

There are three dietary programs that may be helpful, depending on the severity of the problem. These are the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet and the Paleo diet.

Step Two: Stimulate production of and/or supplement stomach acid and enzymes

There are two ways to increase stomach acid and enzymes. One is to take supplements and the other is to take herbs and nutrients that stimulate their production. With SIBO it is normally necessary to do both.

To determine how much Betaine HCl one needs you can either do a hydrochloric acid challenge test or simply come in to Robust Life Center and have one of our practitioners test for exactly how much your individual body needs. You can also use digestive bitters to stimulate digestive secretions. Bitters not only stimulate HCl secretion, they also stimulate pancreatic enzymes and bile from the gallbladder and tend to be mildly antibacterial as well. Bitters should be taken 15-20 minutes prior to meals with one to two large glasses of water. A small pinch of a natural salt can also be taken at the same time, as this also helps stimulate HCl production by providing chloride.

Bitters are contraindicated if you have digestive atrophy. So, if you have dry mucous membranes, as evidenced by a dry and withered (or shriveled) looking tongue, don’t take bitters as they dry the mucous membranes.

A lack of HCl may also be due to a lack of the following nutrients: chloride (low serum levels), zinc and thiamine. These are primary nutritional factors required for the synthesis of hydrochloric acid.

Step Three: Improve intestinal motility (if necessary)

With SIBO it is also important to make certain that there is good intestinal motility between meals to flush the intestines and clear out bacteria. One way to do this is to allow adequate time between meals. Depending on the efficiency of your digestion, you need three and five hours between meals. Ideally, you should wait until you get stomach rumblings indicating your digestive tract is clear before eating the next meal.

If motility is slow there are some supplements that may be helpful. All carminatives increase digestive motility, and many people find that a cup of ginger tea is most helpful.

Step Four: Close the ileocecal valve (if necessary)

If there is severe gas and bloating, you probably need to work on the ileocecal valve. This is done by massaging the valve to reduce swelling and inflammation and get it to close properly. The ileocecal valve is located on the lower right side of the abdomen, midway between the belly button and the right hip bones. If tenderness or sharp pains are present with or without manual pressure, massage the area a couple of times a day until the swelling and tenderness go away.

Step Five: Reduce bacterial overgrowth

If a person has signs of SIBO, they will need to take some supplements to reduce bacterial overgrowth in the small intestines. This can be done with herbal antibacterial agents (first choice) or pharmaceutical antibiotics (last resort).

For starters, one can take a digestive bitters blend with antibacterial herbs in it, instead of just plain digestive bitters. Another great remedy is enteric coated peppermint oil.

Garlic is yet another possible antimicrobial agent, but if friendly lacto bacteria are overpopulating the small intestines, it won’t work. It is effective mainly in killing gram negative bacteria. The best way to take it is to chop up or crush fresh garlic, then mix it with a teaspoon of honey to make it easier to take.

Cinnamon kills both lactic acid bacteria and yeast. It is much more active than peppermint. Use it when you are sensitive to taking probiotics.

Goldenseal may also be helpful. It not only reduces intestinal bacteria, it also tones up digestive membranes and reduces irritation. It does lower blood sugar levels, however.

Step Six: Restore beneficial bacteria

All traditional cultures used some kind of cultured foods. Vegetables were commonly cultured, but so were fruits and dairy foods. Studies have shown that it takes 10 billion encapsulated bacteria to obtain the same value to the intestines that just 100 million bacteria from food will do. Furthermore, people with SIBO often do not do well on probiotic supplements, especially if they contain prebiotics which feed the small intestinal bacteria as well as friendly flora.

Cultured vegetables are very valuable in treating SIBO and leaky gut. You can make your own cultured vegetables or you can purchase them from a health food store or some supermarkets. Here are some brands of naturally fermented vegetables:

Bubbies

Firefly

It’s Alive

King Asian Gourmet

Dear Garden

Pleasant Valley Farms

Wild Brine

Making your own cultured vegetables is quite easy. Recipes for making cultured vegetables can be found on our website or our in-office recipe collection, available to the public during normal business hours.

After eliminating dairy for six weeks, you can try slowly reintroducing cultured dairy products like yogurt and kefir and see if you tolerate them.

Step Seven: Repair gut integrity

Since SIBO always causes leaky gut, it is important to rebuild the integrity of the intestinal membranes. One of the best ways to do this is by using bone broth. Bone broth is high in glutamine and glycine, both of which are essential in healing the gut. They are emphasized in both the SCD and GAPS diet. Drink 1-4 cups of bone broth daily. You can also use it to make soups. Recipes for bone broth can be found online, in our office or in the books Nourishing Traditions and Nourishing Broths, both by Sally Fallon.

Other remedies that help heal the gut include chamomile tea, deglycyrrhizinated licorice and colostrum powder.

Though this article covers SIBO more in-depth than you may find elsewhere, it is by no means meant to substitute a formal sit-down appointment with your healthcare provider.  It is important to always meet with your natural care practitioner first before beginning any supplement regimen, even those as seemingly harmless as listed in this article.  Specific remedies work better with some people than others, and varying health circumstances can produce radically different results under the same exact treatment protocol.  This is why we always advise clients to come in and talk with one of our practitioners about their treatment goals and expectations so that we can design the perfect individualized program suited to their specific needs.

When abnormally large numbers of bacteria (even friendly bacteria) start growing in the small intestines, they actually cause problems with your health. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition where abnormally large numbers of bacteria are present in the small intestines.

These bacteria feed off of sugars and starches in the diet (both refined sugars and natural sugars) and produce methane and hydrogen gas. They also inhibit enzymes in the small intestines that breakdown complex starches into simple glucose molecules for absorption. This can result in abdominal bloating, belching and/or flatulence (intestinal gas), especially when you eat grains and other complex carbohydrates. The gases produced by these bacteria can also cause abdominal pain, intestinal cramping, and IBS with constipation and/or diarrhea.

Gas pressure in the small intestines can push upwards against the stomach, contributing to the development of a hiatal hernia and causing heartburn, acid reflux, GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease) and nausea.

SIBO increase a hormone called zonulin causing an increase in small intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut syndrome”), which results in the intestines absorbing large molecules they normally wouldn’t and shouldn’t. The bacteria also like to gobble up essential nutrients like fats, iron and vitamin B-12. The nutrient deficiencies from SIBO along with the absorption of large protein molecules can cause problems with the immune system, and can contribute to allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders, and a general decline in health.

SIBO has wide ranging implications and may be a cause of or major factor in all of the following diseases: acne (rosacea and vulgaris), anemia, autism, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, diverticulitis, fibromyalgia, GERD, H. pylori infection, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), hypothyroid/Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), lactose intolerance, liver cirrhosis, lyme disease, malabsorption syndrome, muscular dystrophy (myotonic type 1), obesity, pancreatitis, parasites, Parkinson’s, prostatitis (chronic), and rheumatoid arthritis. Please note, this does NOT mean that SIBO causes all these diseases, it just means that it may be a contributing factor or may accompany these conditions.

Other clues that SIBO may be a problem include having better bowel movements after taking antibiotics and having bowel problems get worse when taking probiotics or fiber. If bowel problems began after using opiates for pain, this is another clue that SIBO may be a factor.

Do You Have SIBO?
Experts in the area of SIBO have estimated that about 35-50% of the general public has this problem. Unfortunately, it is not widely understood and hence, is not properly diagnosed. Many people who have SIBO think they have a Candida or some type of yeast infection. However, while yeast overgrowth can occur with or without SIBO, Candida is often over diagnosed while SIBO is under diagnosed. Fortunately, the protocols are similar, but the treatment is different enough that people with SIBO may not respond well to a Candida or yeast program and be discouraged by the lack of results.

Medical diagnosis of SIBO is difficult because it is hard to get a culture from the small intestines. There are tests involving collecting breath samples from patients that drink either glucose or lactulose, the lactulose test being the most accurate. However, these tests must be ordered by a physician and can be expensive, especially for those without insurance.

Fortunately, you can also assess this condition fairly accurately by symptoms alone. If you have an auto-immune disorder, pain in multiple joints, chronic allergies, chronic skin conditions, chronic fatigue, depression or general malaise (just don’t feel well) you may have leaky gut. When you have symptoms of leaky gut coupled with chronic diarrhea or constipation, regular abdominal pain, IBS, bloating or belching after meals, GERD and/or regular indigestion, you may also have SIBO.

What Causes SIBO?
There are several major factors that contribute to the development of SIBO. The first is a lack of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach. HCl helps the body digest proteins, but it also helps to kill bacteria in the food we eat and prevent them from colonizing the small intestines.

A second factor is a lack of intestinal motility. In between meals migrating motor complexes (MMCs) sweep down the intestines, helping to flush bacteria. These movements of the small intestine are what are responsible for what we call hunger pains, the “rumblings” we feel in our gut when we haven’t eaten in a while. These MMCs may be damaged by surgery, intestinal scarring, various diseases, intestinal infections and by certain drugs. Medications that can inhibit these intestinal movements include antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, antacids and opiates (pain killers) like morphine.

Stress can be a factor in both low hydrochloric acid and the lack of intestinal motility as the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the fight or flight response) inhibits both digestive secretion and intestinal motility. When we are relaxed, the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for the rest and digest response) is more active and digestion and intestinal motility are enhanced. Unfortunately, many people in our society are eating on the run and do not take time to relax, chew their food thoroughly or simply enjoy their meals in peaceful setting.

A final factor in SIBO is a malfunctioning ileocecal valve. This valve is between the small and large intestines and is designed to prevent back-flow (that is, to keep material in the large intestine from migrating back into the small intestine). When this valve is not shutting properly, intestinal bacteria migrate from the colon into the small intestine causing gas, bloating and general weakness and malaise.

Though the symptoms and general prognosis for those suffering from SIBO may seem overwhelming or altogether hopeless, there are treatment options available that have proven successful to the point of full intestinal rehabilitation and healing.

Next week’s article, Part II of our SIBO Series, focuses entirely on the treatment, healing and future prevention of this often devastating condition.