The 5 R's of Optimal Gut Health

When it comes to healing your gut, it's a nonlinear 5-step process. Bio-invidiuality plays a major role in how you would heal your gut, but the 5 R's are the key points to building your road map.

Remove: Although this process is nonlinear, we always start by removing what's keeping us stuck in our current state or has a negative impact on our gut health. This includes food sensitivities, fructose, candida overgrowth, stress, parasites. Other considerations include stresses we can control, poor sleep habits, rushed eating, intense exercise and chemical pollutants. 

Replace: Replacing your suspected food triggers with nutrients and gut-healing foods will help to reduce inflammation and support your digestive health.
Gut healing foods include:

• Herbs and spices
• Extra virgin olive oil
• High-fibre whole foods
• Omega-3 fatty acids

Re-Inoculate: Adding good bacteria back into your gut. Probiotic supplements improve gut microbiota composition by restoring beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria species. Beneficial bacterial strains are also found in fermented foods like:

• Yogourt
• Fermented vegetables
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Fermented organic soy products
• Kombucha 

Repair 
Fibre ranks top of the list, and by now, you will have increased the amount of fibre into mealtimes. Probiotics can't survive without the prebiotics in fibre to feed them.

Include foods like:

• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Hemp seeds
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Bone broth

Your nutrition plays a significant role in this step, along with possible supplementation. Supplements can be used to help repair the intestinal tract lining, including:

• L-Glutamine
• Collagen
• Adaptogens
• Vitamins A, C and Zinc.

Rebalance: Your gut and brain are connected through the gut-brain axis. In order to have proper gut function, you need to manage your stress levels and take care of your mental well-being. 

Exercise:
During the healing process consider less intense workouts or changing your routine to include yoga, pilates, walking, swimming.

Mealtimes:
Replace rushed mealtimes with a more relaxed atmosphere, and get into the habit of taking a few deep breathing exercises just before you tuck into your meal. 

Lifestyle adjustments: 
Finding ways to manage stress, creating a bedtime routine and practising mindfulness are just some examples of adjustments that support gut health. Like any other holistic practice, adjustments depend on individual needs. 

Bottom Line 

Building and maintaining a healthy gut is essential for optimal health. The 5R protocol provides the road map to remove triggers, replace missing elements, reinoculate the gut ecosystem, repair the damage and rebalance for longevity. 

Reach out today to receive expert support and a personalized protocol to begin your new health journey!