[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani the question of whether or not to continue for another month depends on his symptoms. And you are correct, it is contraindicated to be taking betaine with an H Pylori infection.

However, to prevent a recurrence, stomach acid support is usually recommended once H Pylori is negative. The dose of supplementation will vary; a person usually needs less with vegetarian proteins vs. eating a steak diner. A person will also usually need more while travelling because of the effect of stress on overall digestive secretions. Hope that helps.

[Bernadette]

@Alyssa Ishizu well done for going through the Gut Health Masterclass course – it will definitely help you understand your gut better so you can start to support the main digestive players.

In clients who are symptomatic (bloating, stomach pain, gas) and fail the baking soda test, I will usually recommend addressing the H Pylori when it’s nearing clinical high. An H Pylori overgrowth is a common root cause reason for low stomach acid, and low stomach acid will compromise digestion further down south, including the release of pancreatic enzymes and bile.

So you can find H Pylori protocols HERE (make sure you watch the video taken from the Gut Health Masterclass and read the different protocols beneath the video). Generally, I find that doing a course or two of Matula tea protocol to be very gentle and effective.

After at least 3 weeks on an H Pylori protocol, it’s then a good idea to consider supporting stomach acid with HCL Betaine to prevent a recurrence of H Pylori overgrowth. THIS handout shares instructions on how to do the dosing challenge to find the right dose for a individual’s unique needs.

Now keep in mind that HCL betaine support is temporary and for rapid relief. What’s important is to figure out what created or is creating the low stomach acid environment in the first place. Based on THIS video (Causes of Hypochlorhydria), what do you think is at play in your case? Please let me know.

To answer your question about eliminating grains and dairy, the best way to know is to do an elimination challenge of each and taking notes of how you feel when these foods are eliminated fully for at least 30 days. Here’s a handout on how to perform an elimination challenge and reintroduction. If that seems daunting and you have the financial means for testing, you can consider the KBMO food sensitivity test to see which specific foods are causing an inflammatory response.

If you’re going to supplement with vitamin D, it’s always best to test your levels before so you know how much to take and for how long. Here’s a helpful handout to help with dosing vitamin D.

Regarding the commensal vs opportunistic species. Some bacterial and fungal species will take advantage of situations and if given the opportunity to overgrow and take over the playing field (i.e. the gut microbiome), they will.

In your case, both Staphylococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus are gram-positive bacteria in the Firmicutes phylum. High levels may result from reduced digestive capacity, and intestinal inflammatory activity. Since there’s likely hypochlorhydria and reduced digestive enzyme output, this could be the environment that’s allowing these opportunistic species to take over. So again, figuring out what’s causing hypochlorhydria in the first place is the root cause approach.

The good news is that when you increase the commensal bacteria through eating more fermented foods and/or broad spectrum probiotics, the immune system is better at modulating the microbiome and keeping overgrowths from happening. Ensuring vitamin D, A, and zinc are optimal can help immunity as well. These can all be measured in blood. Best to get RBC zinc and not serum zinc if possible.

In terms of probiotic supplements, I share a few of my favorites in THIS VIDEO from the Gut Health Masterclass course. Starting off with fermented foods (if tolerated) and transient probiotics is usually how I start my clients off, and if doing good, then add in soil based after 60-90 days for another 60-90 days.

Hope this helps. Will wait to hear your reply on what you believe may be the cause of hypochlorhydria in your case.

[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani if your brother experiences digestive distress while travelling and he’s had a history of H Pylori, which of the 3 main digestive players (stomach acid, bile, pancreatic enzymes) do you think is mostly being compromised?

Travel is a form of stress on the body, and being in a sympathetic state from stress will naturally compromise digestion, and more specifically stomach acid. (did you guess that?)

I encourage you to watch THIS video from the Gut Health Masterclass course to better understand this key principle because it will help you understand my recommendation below.

Since your brother had a recent history of H Pylori overgrowth, he likely still has insufficient stomach acid, which is a consequence of H Pylori infection. And the stress of travel may likely be compromising it further and pushing him over the edge, which is why it may only be happening while he’s travelling. This would be my best educated guess based on what you’ve shared.

He can also try the stomach acid test using the baking soda challenge in THIS video. It’s not diagnostic, but it can give him insight about stomach acid status.

Therefore, supplementing with HCL betaine with pepsin while travelling would be what I would personally take if I was in his situation – not a probiotic, nor a binder like GI-detox. Of course, note that taking betaine while having an H Pylori overgrowth is contraindicated. But given that it’s now negative, stomach acid support would not only help overall digestion, but also prevent a recurrence of H Pylori overgrowth, since low stomach acid is one of the factors that can lead to an overgrowth in the first place. Makes sense?

In terms of how much, it really depends on each person’s unique needs and we generally recommend the dosing challenge which you can find instructions on HERE.

Hope this helps.

[Bernadette]

@Misha glad to hear you’re managing the nausea better. There are several herbal coffee alternatives:

Teecino – herbal coffee (www.teecino.com) 

Made from: organic carob, organic barley, chicory, organic dates, almonds, organic chicory, organic vanilla extract, organic figs

Coffig – roasted fig beverage (www.coffig.com)

Dandy Blend – most hardcore coffee folks love it (www.dandyblend.com)

Made from: roasted roots of dandelion, chicory and beets, and the grains of barley and rye.

Mountain Rose Herbs – herbal coffee (www.mountainroseherbs.com)

Made from: organic roasted dandelion root, organic roasted chicory root, organic roasted carob, organic Maca powder.

And for your knowledge, below is a sample list of herbs to avoid during pregnancy by Dr. Aviva Romm who’s an excellent resource on pregnancy and post-partum:

[Bernadette]

@Misha happy to hear

[Bernadette]

@Sara you can find electrolyte options and the tutorial link for making sole below the “Forget to Drink” video HERE inside the Beginner’s Health Roadmap course.

Also, regarding IV therapies. I know Dr. Roze Bio Health offers them as well as DNA Health & Wellness.

Hope this helps.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Alyssa Ishizu ok let’s start with the intestinal health markers on p.4 and then I’ll jump around.

Elastase 1 helps us determine if there’s maldigestion and / or hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid). Ideally, I like to see this above 500, so in your case, this could point to insufficient stomach acid triggering the release of digestive enzymes, or a need to support pancreatic function. How is your diet and do you know your blood sugar status by any chance (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1C)?

Although your H Pylori marker is considered negative, it may still be high enough to create symptoms of hypochlorhydria. Please watch THIS VIDEO in the Gut Health Masterclass course and let me know so I can guide you further. I would also encourage you to watch THIS VIDEO to uncover other root cause reasons for low stomach acid.

Back to p.4, anti-gliadin. Gliadin is a component of gluten, the protein found in wheat and other field grass grains such as barley, malt, and rye. The presence of fecal antigliadin antibodies can indicate an immune response (in the gut) to gluten in the diet. Your levels aren’t clinically high, but it’s creeping up there. The suggested solutions when there’s an elevation in anti-gliadin sIgA is to consider eliminating gluten 100% for at least 4 months while healing the gut lining. If you are already gluten-free, consider sources of gluten and gliadin cross-reactive food such as dairy, corn, oats, millet, rice and yeast. Here’s the handout on gluten elimination, and here’s a video on gut healing therapies.

Calprotectin – calprotectin is the most studied marker of gastrointestinal inflammation. While yours isn’t clinically high, it is inching it’s way up and we’d like it to be as close to zero as possible. Higher calprotectin could indicate neutrophil (immune cell) infiltration to the gut mucosa. So basically the immune system is reacting to something such as intestinal infections, proinflammatory dysbiosis (imbalance in the microbiome), food allergies, toxins and certain drugs (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]), etc. So obviously, the goal is to remove anything that’s causing an immune response; removing food sensitivities and addressing the possible causes. Also consider anti-inflammatory support (e.g., anti-inflammatory diet, curcumin, omega-3 fatty acids, aloe, and resveratrol). If you’d like to pursue additional testing, the KBMO food sensitivity test can provide insight into which foods may be causing an inflammatory response, and help remove trial and error.

Zonulin is a protein that opens intercellular tight junctions in the gut lining (the connections between epithelial cells that make up the gastrointestinal lining). Zonulin increases intestinal permeability in the jejunum and ileum and is considered a biomarker for barrier permeability (aka leaky gut). Your is not clinically high, but you can see it’s borderline high. Again, the removal of gluten would help since gluten increases zonulin. Removing food sensitivities as well, all while supporting with gut healing herbs as mentioned above. Ensuring vitamin D levels are optimal would be helpful as well. Have you measured it recently?

Now looking at your commensal bacteria, you can see that both firmicutes and bacteroidetes are both clinically low. This means your “good bacteria” are low. This could happen for a number of reasons such as frequent antibiotic use, certain medications, low fiber diet, and so on.

Eating a variety of fermented foods if tolerated (kimchi, sauerkraut, beet kvaas, kefir) daily can help bring in more beneficial bacteria. We have recipes for all of these HERE. A broad spectrum, diverse probiotic formula, 50-450 billion CFUs/day can also help bring on board better diversity.

Increasing dietary intake of vegetables and fibers (psyllium, oat bran)

Remove dietary sugar and refined carbohydrates

Prebiotic supplementation (resistant starch, xylooligosaccharide, inulin, beta-glucan, arabinogalactan)

Reduce inflammation as discussed above

Please answer my questions above, and I can help guide you further.

[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani yes you passed the test! With a clinically high fasting insulin, higher HbA1c and higher fasting glucose, it could be the initial stages of insulin resistance with the pancreas trying hard to bring blood sugar levels down. This is where having more information like a person’s diet, perceived stress level, and symptoms can help guide the picture better and guide the recommended suggestions to reverse this dynamic.

Now I’d encourage you to watch this video from the Blood Sugar Regulation course to understand the early stages of blood sugar dysregulation and hyperinsulinemia (high insulin). Do the symptoms fit with Phase 1 or 2 by any chance? Let me know.

[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani so fasting insulin measures the amount of insulin the pancreas produces to regulate blood sugar levels in a fasting state, while fasting glucose measures the amount of sugar in the blood after an overnight fast.

Ideally, fasting glucose should be between 80-89.9 mg/dL and fasting insulin should be around 5-7 mIU/L. And we want HbA1C to be around 5%.

Knowing this, is the fasting insulin level within that optimal range?

Please watch this video on Fasting Glucose from the Interpreting Basic Blood Chemistry course, and let me know what you think that dynamic could mean. Putting you to the test.

[Bernadette]

Congratulations @Misha! Very happy and excited for you!!

Digestive complaints such as nausea, reflux, heartburn and bowel changes are unfortunately common, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy (for various reasons), but there are definitely tips to help ease those discomforts.

Eat/drink: okra, bone broth, gelatin, ginger (1-2 grams per day added to your normal dishes, or brewed as a tea is helpful against nausea), chamomile and/or lemon balm tea (in reasonable amounts up to 2 cups per day), and probiotic fermented vegetables before meals or as a condiment to aid digestion.

Beet Kvass is another great probiotic drink that helps thin the bile, possibly reducing the chances and/or severity of morning sickness.

Hydrate well: Drink plenty of water throughout the day (about 64-80 oz), preferably at room temperature. Sip rather than guzzling, and drink more outside of meals than during meals. Daily bone broth helps with hydration and soothes the digestive tract.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: if bone broth and fermented foods/beverages seem to make your nausea worse, then stop all fermented foods and consider a DAO enzyme to help breakdown histamine. Severe nausea in pregnancy could be histamine related!

Liver and Gallbladder Support – focus on foods that help your liver function optimally and keep the bile flowing. Keep the following special foods on your radar in the context of a rich and varied diet; lemon water, garlic, greens (dandelion, turnip, beet, arugula) and cooked cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), and foods containing turmeric, such as yellow curry or golden milk (your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk, heated with the addition of turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and cardamom). If you are accustomed to consuming a low-fat diet, increase gradually and start with gallbladder-support foods at least a week before you increase or begin consumption of fatty acids and cholesterol rich. You can see more liver/gallbladder supportive foods HERE.

Relief measures: Seek chiropractic/osteopathic care by a practitioner trained and experienced in pregnancy. Practice gentle exercise and relaxation techniques daily. Try to avoid lying down within 3 hours after a meal or within 1 hour of a snack. Side sleeping on the left side will reduce pressure on the LES compared to sleeping on the right side. This is especially helpful when lying down with a full stomach.

Eating Hygiene: Relax before, during and after meals, and chew food well. Eat small, more frequent meals to prevent over-filling of your stomach.

Digestive bitters: these help stimulate your own acid production to ease digestive discomfort; however, most formulas are not considered safe to use in pregnancy. The only one I know that is pregnancy safe is by Urban Moonshine’ chamomile-flavored digestive bitters (Calm Tummy formula). For food options, see list HERE.

Factors that may aggravate reflux:

Eating while stressed or in a hurry

Eating too late at night when the body is fatigued and does not have enough time to empty stomach before lying down

Eating too much at once; delaying meals until ravenous – this may cause you to eat too much and too fast, or to choose less healthy food options

Eating while angry or afraid, or during an argument

A diet high in starches and sweets

Prophylactic, long term or overuse of antacids

Caffeine (glad you instinctively cut this out already but decaf may be too acidic as well)

Tomatoes, citrus, apple cider vinegar, peppermint, spicy foods, eggplant, bell peppers, chocolate. These are common culprits, but vary from person to person depending on individual sensitivities.

Tobacco (even passive exposure)

Ice cold drinks

Carbonated beverages, including sparkling water, consumed with meals

Hope these tips provide more insight into things to consider. Please keep us posted throughout your pregnancy – we’re here to support you along the way!

[Bernadette]

@Misha how are you feeling today? For sinus congestion, xylitol spray such as Xlear can be effective, as well as using a Neti pot to clear the nasal passages. Elevating your head by sleeping with an extra pillow can also help alleviate nasal congestion at night. A humidifier could be helpful as well.

You may also want to take a look at the “magic socks” protocol HERE for fevers.

With that said, if you are pregnant and with a persistent fever, please seek medical attention.

Wishing you a swift and effective recovery.

[Bernadette]

@Bahareh Safapour yes, correct. That’s why the saying “you are what you eat” is overly simplistic. And why despite eating a healthy diet, many can still experience symptoms. A more accurate version should be “you are what you eat, digest, absorb, transport, and assimilate into your cells”.

Therefore, if someone’s ability to digest and absorb healthy fats is compromised, then yes, it may also compromise cell membrane health. And this is yet another reason why the Gut Health Masterclass course was the first one I ever released because digestion and gut health is very often the root of all dis-ease.

And the same applies to fat soluble vitamins.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Bahareh Safapour – when talking about overall cellular health, we can break it down into 2 parts to keep it simple; the outer cell/cell membrane and the functioning of the cell inside (cellular metabolism) which includes mitochondrial function.

PC is a phospholipid that is a component of cell membranes, so the outside layer of the cell. It can also support liver health and cognitive function. And since the cell membrane is mostly made up of fats, consuming enough essential fatty acids in our diets is critical to cellular membrane health. So is hydration, which will allow cell to cell communication, nutrient intake, etc. So is protein along with antioxidants from fruits and vegetables.

So many of the recommendations will go back to the basic foundations of eating a VPF-based diet to ensure all 3 macronutrients are being consumed, hydrating well, moving the body, sleeping well/stress management, getting outdoors/sunshine, etc.

In terms of NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), I encourage you to watch this video inside the Mold & Mycotoxin Illness course about mitochondrial health to better understand where it fits into the whole picture of cellular metabolism and the Electron Transport Chain where cellular energy is produced.

Regarding ASEA Redox water, I do not know about this product and will have to look into it and get back to you, unless @Daniel Schepers has some thoughts he can share.

Hope this helps.

[Bernadette]

@Sara Almansoori yes, it’s very contagious which is why it’s an endemic bacteria, meaning the majority of people have it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a pathogen; in fact, there are studies showing its benefits which is linked in the resource Daniel shared. Problems arise however when this bacteria is given the opportunity to overgrow, so again, this leads to the “germ theory” vs “terrain theory” debate. If the terrain is not favorable to a bacteria, it’s not as harmful to us. Makes sense?

[Bernadette]

Hi @Sarah Mohler – did you end up getting any blood tests done? A good starting point is always the basic CBC, CMP, Inflammation, and vitamins (B12 and Vitamin D) which we have a whole course on now. These are typically run as part of annual physical in the US so none of these are considered “atypical” and are generally covered by insurance if you have any.

You can find the expanded list of these markers to request from your doctor in this guide HERE on the last page.

So based on the symptom list you mentioned, I would suggest the following:

CBC with differentials

CMP typically includes Liver Panel, Kidney Panel, Electrolytes (please make sure they check direct bilirubin as part of the liver panel and not just total bilirubin)

hs-CRP

vitamin D

vitamin B12

RBC magnesium

Full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, anti-TPO, anti-TG, Reverse T3)

I would definitely recommend the KBMO test since many of your symptoms could be due to food sensitivities. And it also checks the degree or phase of intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

Once you receive results, please upload them and we can help with functional interpretation and guide you further from there.