Summary of Digestive Health
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND digestive
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†
I have covered the most common digestive concerns that occur. As I went through this series, I wanted to get the point across that digestive health doesn’t just mean diarrhea or constipation. The digestive tract is one of the most important systems in our body. Not only does it process the nutrients we need to live, it also affects our immune system. Our digestive tract is impacted by every part of our daily life from what we eat to stress and even if we aren’t sleeping enough. Often times when we start to feel sick, we feel it in our digestive system first. That is why it’s important to “listen to your gut,” as they say. If there is any changes in our digestive system, it’s important to find out what’s going on. The symptoms and risk factors for the topics I discussed in this series have similar symptoms. Knowing what exactly is going on can help pinpoint exactly what will be helpful. Additionally, stress has a huge impact on the digestive system. If you’re undergoing stress, treating the digestive symptoms won’t be helpful in the long term. The same is true if there is any systemic medical concern such as diabetes. Doing a food log and matching it to a symptom log can help a lot. Every day for at least 1 week, write down what you eat and how you feel. Were you constipated? Felt gassy? Mark it down and it can help us determine if there are any food triggers. This is a fantastic tool to bring in with you when you sit down with a nutritionist. Along with a food log, bring a list of any and all medications, supplements that you are taking and any blood work you have. While every individual digestive issue has its own slightly different protocol, there are some things that are just important in general. It is important to know what’s going on since some things can have very different protocols. These are some suggestions I believe can be helpful.†
ICYMI: DIGESTIVE HEALTH PART 13: SIBO>>Read Now!
Elimination Diet
An elimination diet can be helpful in determining if there are any food sensitives causing the underlying concerns. I like to recommend doing an elimination diet after a 10 day food log.†
Castor Oil
Castor oil packs are amazing for reducing inflammation and pain in the digestive tract! (1) †
Stress
Reducing stress with L Theanine (2) , magnesium (3) and even Hemp (4) which have all been found in studies to reduce stress ! Since stress is such a common risk factor when it comes to digestive concerns it just makes sense that eliminating or reducing stress would help the digestive system! See Invite’s L Theanine, and our extensive line of magnesium and Hemp products!†
NUTRIENTS FOR STRESS AND SLEEP SUPPORT – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 507>>Listen Now!
Herbs
Healing herbs such as the Demulcents have been found in studies to help with inflammation, pain, and even healing the digestive tract. These demulcent herbs can include the following: DGL, Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm and Marshmallow root. (5) Please see Invite’s G.I Maintain, Min Acid and DGL.†
Probiotics
Probiotics are so important and came up over and over again in this series! Probiotics have been found to have so many benefits in varies studies. Please see Invites Probiotic Hx, weight and our newest probiotic, Probiotic Women! (6)†
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes have been found to help with gas and bloating and breaking down food. In studies they help with symptoms of constipation among other concerns (7)†
As I said this series was made to discuss the most common digestive concerns. In some cases an individual may have gone to many doctors and still isn’t sure what is going on. Or you may have a concern that was not covered by any of the topics in this series. In that case feel free to email me or call me so we can discuss what is going on in more depth and find some suggestions that will help you feel better!†
Sources
- https://www.healthline.com/health/castor-oil-pack
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324120#:~:text=L%2Dtheanine%20may%20help%20reduce,may%20help%20lower%20blood%20pressure.
- https://chandramd.com/magnesium-deficiency-anxiety/#:~:text=Magnesium%20also%20plays%20a%20vital,magnesium%20can%20help%20us%20relax.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6065514/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27741164/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991651/
