Harmony Hub Health
Functional Medicine, Hormone Health and Weight Loss with Michele Postol, CRNP
Harmony Hub Health
Gut Spring Cleaning: A Fresh Approach to Digestive Health
Ready for a fresh start this spring? Just as you clean out your closets, your gut might need a thorough reset too. That persistent bloating, unexplained fatigue, stubborn brain fog, or those newly developed food sensitivities aren't just annoying symptoms—they're your body's distress signals indicating your digestive system needs attention.
Your gut houses trillions of microorganisms that profoundly influence everything from your immune function to your mood and cognitive clarity. When this delicate ecosystem falls out of balance, the effects ripple throughout your entire body. For those with inflammatory bowel disease or autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, addressing gut health becomes even more critical as the integrity of your gut lining directly impacts your body's inflammatory response.
At Harmony Hub Health, I approach gut healing through what I call the Five Pillars of Gut Health: digestion and absorption, elimination and detoxification, microbiome balance, barrier function, and the gut-brain axis. Each pillar works synergistically to create optimal digestive wellness. Whether you're struggling with dysbiosis from poor diet and antibiotic use, dealing with slow digestion from chronic stress and low stomach acid, or battling a compromised gut barrier that's triggering systemic inflammation, there's a pathwayto healing.
The proven 4R approach—Remove irritants, Replace missing digestive factors, Re-inoculate with beneficial bacteria, and Repair the intestinal lining—offers a comprehensive framework for restoring gut health. Through personalized consultations, optional functional medicine testing, and custom supplement protocols, I'll guide you to address the root cause of your digestive distress rather than merely masking symptoms.
Don't let digestive discomfort hold you back from experiencing vibrant health this spring. Book your consultation today at harmonyhubhealth.com or visit in person at Monarch Beauty and Spa in Manchester, Maryland. Take the first step toward transforming your gut health and discover how much better you can feel when your digestive system is functioning optimally.
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, integrative care that addresses the root cause of health issues. At the Hub, the focus is on individual patient journeys. I strive to optimize health, vitality and longevity, fostering a community where each person can thrive in body, mind and spirit. Spring is finally here. The days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming and it's the perfect time to freshen up every corner of your life, including your gut. Just as you clear out old clothes and dust off your windows, why not sprinkling your digestive system and give it the reset that it deserves? Healing your gut is one of the most effective ways to restore balance to your body, and with Harmony Hub Health, we've got the tools and expertise to guide you every step of the way. So if you're feeling sluggish, bloated or battling that constant brain fog, it might be time to give your gut a thorough cleaning. Your digestive system is the powerhouse of your body, and when it's out of balance, so are you. But don't worry, you are not alone. Here are some signs that it might be time to spring clean your gut Bloating and gas. If you're constantly feeling like you're carrying around a balloon in your belly, it could be a sign that something's off. Chronic fatigue, a tired body, often points to poor digestion and absorption of vital nutrients. Food sensitivities If you've recently developed intolerances or sensitivities, your gut might be out of sync. Skin issues, acne, eczema, psoriasis are all often linked to gut imbalances, frequent constipation or diarrhea. These digestive issues signal an unhappy gut and then brain fog and mood swings. Your gut and brain are very deeply connected, so gut health directly influences mental clarity and emotional well-being. If you're listening and nodding to any of these symptoms, it's time to think about a gut health spring clean. Spring cleaning your gut isn't just about easing bloating or fatigue. For those with more severe gut issues, like inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, gut health is critical to managing flare-ups and reducing inflammation, so the health of your gut lining plays a direct role in your body's inflammatory response. By improving digestion, absorption and healing the gut barrier, you can support better management of these conditions. At Harmony Hub Health, I provide personalized plans for clients with IBD to address the underlying causes and help reduce flare-ups using functional medicine, testing, lifestyle changes and natural healing strategies. Lifestyle changes and natural healing strategies. And did you know that leaky gut the condition where your gut lining becomes damaged, allowing harmful substances to leak into the bloodstream could contribute to autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's disease or multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac and inflammatory bowel disease. When the gut lining is compromised, it triggers an immune response that can attack healthy tissues, leading to chronic inflammation and autoimmune reactions. The good news is that by healing your gut, you can help prevent or reduce the severity of these conditions. By strengthening the gut barrier and restoring balance to the microbiome, we can support your immune system and protect your body from autoimmune flare-ups.
Speaker 1:But what causes dysbiosis? You know the good and the bad bugs. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria. Some are good, some not so good. Dysbiosis occurs when the balance between these beneficial and harmful microbes is disrupted. So this imbalance can lead to symptoms like bloating, gas, food sensitivities and even mood swings. It could be caused by poor diet. So if you have a diet that's high in sugar and processed foods, those feed bad bacteria and yeast, so it upsets the balance.
Speaker 1:Antibiotic use is a big one as well. Antibiotics can wipe out both good and bad bacteria, leading to an imbalance. Chronic stress really affects your gut bacteria and contributes to dysbiosis and then infection. So pathogens like parasites, bacteria or fungi can invade and disrupt your microbiome. Parasites, bacteria or fungi can invade and disrupt your microbiome. There also is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, also known as SIBO. It's another gut health issue that can disrupt your digestion. So this condition occurs when bacteria that belong in the large intestine move into your small intestine, leading to bloating, gas, diarrhea and malnutrition. Risks for SIBO can be the chronic stress if you've had gastrointestinal surgeries in the past, if you overuse antibiotics, if you have slower digestion or a gut motility problem or just a weakened immune system. So if you do suspect SIBO, functional medicine testing can pinpoint the exact cause, allowing for a tailored treatment plan.
Speaker 1:And then slow digestion. What can make you slow down so as your digestive processes start dragging their feet? Slow digestion can be caused by several factors, including dehydration. Slow digestion can be caused by several factors, including dehydration. Lack of water can lead to sluggish digestion. Low stomach acid or low hydrochloric acid can slow down the breakdown of food. I see this so much now because everybody's on like an antacid because they think they have heartburn, when actually they have really low stomach acid. Chronic stress is another one. Stress can reduce blood flow to your digestive system and slow digestion. You might have a diet that's too low in fiber. So without fiber, your body struggles to eliminate waste efficiently and a sluggish gut can leave you feeling heavy and fatigued. But don't worry. Through proper diet, hydration and gut support supplements, you can get your digestion moving at full speed.
Speaker 1:So I'm starting a new program at Monarch Beauty and Spa in person or at Harmony Hub Health Virtual that goes over the five pillars of gut health. You know, when it comes to gut health, there's more than just your stomach and intestines working together. The digestive system is a very complex integrated system that's responsible for numerous functions beyond just digesting food. Understanding the five pillars of gut health and how they interconnect can help you appreciate why gut healing is so crucial for your overall well-being. If you are already in one of my programs, you know I'm already huge on what I call the pillars of health. This is a little different. These are what I'm going to call just the pillars of health, but it's the gut addition. So let's go deeper into each pillar and explore how you can nurture and maintain a healthy gut. Some of you may only need help with one of the pillars. Some of you need help with all of the above.
Speaker 1:All right, so the first pillar of gut health is digestion and absorption, the core function of your gut. Digestion is the process by which food is broken down into smaller particles, and absorption is the process by which nutrients are taken into the bloodstream to nourish your body. Without this fundamental pillar working optimally, your body can't access the nutrients it needs to thrive. When this pillar is compromised, it can lead to poor absorption of essential nutrients, leading to thrive. When this pillar is compromised, it can lead to poor absorption of essential nutrients, leading to deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause a cascade of issues, including fatigue, a weak immune function and definitely skin problems.
Speaker 1:But what can cause poor digestion and absorption? The first one, again, is low stomach acid, so stomach acid is vital for breaking down food. Low stomach acid can hinder the digestion of proteins and the absorption of essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and calcium. Some people have digestive enzyme deficiency, so these enzymes are necessary to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Without them, food remains undigested, leading to bloating, gas and malnutrition. I've even seen a lot of people tell me they get sick when they eat meat and that usually we can find a way to get digestion improved. And then chronic stress. Stress can impair digestion by reducing blood flow to the digestive system, slowing down the breakdown of food.
Speaker 1:So there are ways that you can support digestion and absorption. One is just to chew your food thoroughly. Digestion starts in the mouth. Take your time to chew food, which helps break it down before it enters the stomach. Some of that does go back to the mindful eating, if you remember the mindful challenge we did last year. The next one would be to include digestive enzymes, so you can support digestion with natural enzymes found in foods like pineapple and papaya, or with supplemental digestive aids, especially if you suffer from low stomach acid. Another way is to hydrate properly, so water is essential for the digestive process, so drinking adequate amounts throughout the day is crucial for healthy digestion.
Speaker 1:The second pillar that we focus on is elimination and detoxification, so how you clear out your waste. This involves removing waste and toxins from the body, and this function ensures that your body is effectively getting rid of the byproducts of digestion, environmental pollutants and metabolic waste. If your body isn't detoxifying properly, those toxins build up and they cause a range of issues such as constipation, bloating, skin irritations and even more serious conditions like liver dysfunction. A sluggish or underperforming elimination system can also lead to digestive discomfort like bloating and heaviness. It can also slow down your body's natural detoxification processes and make you feel tired, sluggish and just unwell.
Speaker 1:So let's go over some causes of poor elimination. It's going to go back to the same things Dehydration, because water helps to flush out toxins, so not drinking enough can cause constipation and hinder your detoxification. The other is lack of fiber. Fiber is essential for healthy bowel movements and the elimination of waste. Without enough fiber in your diet, waste can remain in your intestines longer, leading to constipation and toxin buildup. And I know we did do a podcast in season one that's all about fiber and why fiber is important for more than just your bowel movements and then gut motility issues. So if your digestive system is sluggish, it can slow down the movement of food through your intestines, causing some constipation. So ways of supporting your elimination and detoxification One is just drink more water. Adequate hydration helps soften stool and promotes regular bowel movements. You can increase your fiber intake. Fiber helps sweep toxins from your digestive system and high fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains to your diet should be added and then support the liver. Herbs like dandelion root and milk thistle can help stimulate detoxification through the liver. If you are one of my patients on Vicom Customs, most of you will notice the dandelion root and the different liver support that I add to your Vicom Customs.
Speaker 1:So the third pillar is your microbiome. So this is, you know, where the dysbiosis is, balancing the good and the bad bacteria, and I really am giving you the cliff notes of these. You'll want to book your consultation to get into these much deeper. So the microbiome the collection of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms that live in your gut. A healthy microbiome, plays a crucial role in digestion, immune function and your mood regulation. So the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria is key to overall gut health. When the balance is disturbed or that crazy word, dysbiosis harmful bacteria overgrows, leading to a variety of digestive and immune issues. Dysbiosis has been linked to bloating, diarrhea, constipation and even autoimmune diseases.
Speaker 1:But what can cause dysbiosis? The biggest offender I see is poor diet. A diet high in sugar and processed foods that feed harmful bacteria leads to an imbalance in the gut microbiome. The second is usually antibiotic use, because they don't just kill harmful bacteria, they also wipe out beneficial bacteria and disrupts the balance of your whole gut microbiome. And then stress. Stress can negatively impact the microbiome, reducing the diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut. So this is when we talk about stress reduction and how important that is to your health.
Speaker 1:So how to support your microbiome, your health so how to support your microbiome. One of the funnest ways is eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, kimchi. They're all rich in probiotics and they help replenish beneficial bacteria. Prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, bananas and asparagus provide food for your good bacteria and supports the growth of beneficial microbes. And, of course, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics. I guess this comes up a lot with me because I do still practice conventional medicine and I do have a lot of people that make appointments for a cough or pretty much anything, thinking that they need an antibiotic. But you only want to take antibiotics when described by a doctor and make sure to support your gut microbiome after a course with probiotics.
Speaker 1:The fourth pillar is barrier function. This refers to the protective lining of your gut. So this barrier prevents harmful substances like toxins, undigested food particles and harmful bacteria from entering your bloodstream. Doesn't that just sound gross when you think about it? But when the gut lining becomes damaged, it can lead to a condition known as leaky gut, where the gut becomes more permeable and allows harmful substances to leak into the bloodstream. Leaky gut can lead to chronic inflammation and immune system activation, contributing to a variety of health problems, including autoimmune disease Hashimoto's is a big one rheumatoid arthritis and lupus oh, I think Winston wanted to list one there.
Speaker 1:So what can cause a compromised gut barrier? One is food sensitivities. What are you saying, winnie? I guess he wanted to be my guest today. Food sensitivities like gluten, dairy and processed sugars can damage the gut lining, especially when consumed in excess. Chronic inflammation so persistent inflammation from conditions like IBD or autoimmune disorders can break down the gut lining over time. And then guess what Stress Chronic stress can affect the integrity of the gut lining over time. And then guess what Stress Chronic stress can affect the integrity of the gut barrier, making it more vulnerable to damage.
Speaker 1:So how we can support the gut barrier. Well, you want to eat gut healing nutrients like glutamine, collagen and zinc. Those are really essential for repairing and maintaining the gut lining. You want to avoid inflammatory foods, so reducing or eliminating gluten, dairy and processed sugars can help decrease inflammation and protect the gut lining. That's where the IgG food testing also can come in if you don't want to go through a full elimination diet and then you really want to support with supplements like L-glutamine, collagen, peptides and bone broth. They can all repair a compromised gut barrier.
Speaker 1:Now we'll move on to the fifth gut pillar, and that is the gut-brain axis. This is the connection between your digestive system and your brain. This axis is a two-way street, meaning that your gut influences your brain and your brain influences your gut. So poor gut health can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, depression and brain fog, while mental stress and emotional imbalance can negatively impact gut function. Have you ever gotten really, really nervous and then you had to run to the bathroom? So the gut is often referred to as the second brain, because it houses an extensive network of neurons, known as the enteric nervous system that communicates with the brain.
Speaker 1:When your gut is out of balance, it can lead to mood disorders and cognitive decline. So things that can affect gut brain function same things. Chronic stress, long-term stress, can lead to gut dysfunction, such as bloating, indigestion and even SIBO. Poor diet, a diet that's high in sugar and processed foods, can negatively affect both gut health and mental well-being, and then dysbiosis. So an imbalance in your microbiome can send signals to the brain, leading to changes in mood and cognitive function. Microbiome can send signals to the brain, leading to changes in mood and cognitive function. So ways that we can support gut-brain health is that stress reduction practice, the mindfulness, even meditation, even yoga, to help calm your nervous system and support both your gut and your brain. You want to eat brain-boosting foods, so foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and flax, seeds, antioxidants and B vitamins can help support brain health and improve mood. And then probiotics for mental clarity. So some strains of probiotics such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. They've all been shown to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. They've all been shown to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. So by addressing the five pillars of gut health digestion and absorption, elimination, microbiome, balance, the barrier function or that leaky gut and gut brain health you can build a foundation of better digestive health and overall well-being. Each of these pillars works together to ensure that your gut functions optimally, allowing your body to thrive.
Speaker 1:At Harmony Hub Health, I offer a comprehensive gut health program that includes personalized consultation, optional functional medicine testing and customized supplement protocols to help restore balance to your digestive system. What we do is I put you through a battery of questions, we'll find out what part of your gut health or which pillar we need to address, what's the most important, and then come up with a holistic approach where I can guide you through the process of healing your gut so that you can enjoy better digestion, enhanced energy and improved mental activity. And a lot of that is using the 4R approach, that would be the remove, replace, re-inoculate and repair. So this is a very proven method to restore balance and heal your gut. First we want to remove, which is to eliminate irritants like processed foods, alcohol, medications that harm your gut. Then we're going to want to replace. We want to add missing digestive enzymes and stomach acid to improve digestion. Then we need to re-inoculate, so we want to replenish your gut with beneficial bacteria through probiotics and prebiotics. Then we're going to repair. We want to support the healing of the gut lining, and anti-inflammatory nutrients like glutamine and collagen is what we'll use for that.
Speaker 1:So at Harmony Hub Health, I do offer this gut health wellness infusion as well. It's designed to support your digestive system, so the infusions are packed with essential nutrients that help reduce inflammation, heal the gut lining and promote healthy digestion. So the infusions are tailored to your specific needs, I hand make them all. They're not pre-mixed and they can really help you feel better faster. You can get one infusion or you can come for a series, depending on how extensive we find your gut health to be. So don't let digestive discomfort, fatigue or bloating hold you back any longer. Spring cleaning your gut can help you feel lighter, more energized and healthier. So at Harmony Hub Health we offer comprehensive consultations where I assess your symptoms, perform any needed functional medicine testing and then develop a personalized natural healing protocol.
Speaker 1:Whether you're dealing with leaky gut, ibd or digestive imbalances, I do have a plan for you. So take control of your gut health and experience the transformation. Book your consultation today. You can book that with Monarch Beauty and Spa in person in Manchester, maryland, or you can find me online at wwwharmonyhubhealthcom. Or you can email me at michelle M-I-C-H-E-L-E at harmonyhubhealthcom to begin your journey to a healthier gut and a happier you. The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace personalized medical advice from your healthcare provider. If you're considering any changes to your health routine, including supplements, detoxes or bioidentical hormone therapy, please consult with a licensed medical professional. I'm a nurse practitioner, but I'm not your nurse practitioner yet. Everybody is unique and your care should be too. Thanks for listening and remember informed choices are empowered choices.