Digestion Basics
Digestion is the cornerstone of health. Perhaps you have noticeable digestive symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating or heartburn? But did you know that many medical conditions that manifest symptoms outside of the gastrointestinal tract can be linked to the health of the digestive tract?
Conditions we treat that have a known association with digestion:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
- Candida issues or SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth)
- Food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies
- Acne
- Heartburn
- Autoimmune conditions
- Rosacea
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Structural GI issues (hiatal hernia, ileocecal valve)
What are strategies we use to treat the digestion with an integrative approach?
- We identify food intolerances, sensitivities and allergens and create a nutrition plan that works best for the patient.
- Help to balance your microbiome by identifying unhealthy strains or overgrowth of probiotics or fungal/candida elements, and treat to balance and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal flora.
- Assess the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and optimize it if faulty.
- Communicate with your gastroenterologist – we work as a team for best clinical outcomes.
What are the outcomes of Naturopathic digestion support?
- Eat without uncomfortable bloating, gas or abdominal pains.
- The gut is the root of the tree – often by identifying gastrointestinal imbalances, your whole body looks and feels better. For example, clearer skin, less joint pain, improved mood, and healthy weight management.
- Establish a healthy nutrition plan for optimal health.
Food as Medicine/Nutrition
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates
Food is a key component of health and wellness; however, in our fast-paced world, it’s so easy to forget the basics.Seems simple, but many Americans struggle with food choice and how to adequately nourish themselves. Over the past several decades, American food culture has started prioritize ing convenience and speed over quality, and food is now more processed and further from real food than ever before.
It is normal to feel confused about making food choices with the influx of diets and fads in popular culture today.
At Spring Integrative Health, we want to help you find the right foods for your optimal health; we will uncover if your body responds best to a gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto diet (or so many more), or even none of the above! We help you discern between fad and what is truly good for your health.
Food isn’t always the ‘quick fix’ but it is the lasting fix for overall wellness. Eating healing, nutrient-dense, and quality organic foods can dramatically shift your health for the better.
Holistic Nutrition
What is clinical nutrition + holistic nutrition?
Clinical nutrition is the study of the science behind food and its contents including vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Clinical nutrition takes nutritional status, recent blood work, and collaboration with your primary care physician into consideration to best support your wellness goals.
Holistic nutrition takes clinical nutrition one step farther by melding nutritional science with the optimal nourishment of the body while assessing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual contributing factors of nutritional health in each individual. Food on your plate is just as important as the lifestyle practices, emotional health, mental health and connection to self. By combining these key elements, Holistic Nutrition Counseling can ultimately help an individual find BALANCE and success when it comes to food and nutrition in their lives. And with balance one achieves moderation, happiness, and wellness.
With the combination of education, empowerment, and mindfulness Holistic Nutritional Counseling creates a supportive environment to make gentle lifestyle upgrades without feeling stuck, overwhelmed or confused.
A visit with a Holistic Nutritionist at Spring Integrative Health usually involves the following:
- An in-depth history of your current health status and your health goals.
- What you have tried in the past that did or did not work for your nutrition and dietary goals
- Review of any nutritional lab work or recommendations from your referring provider
- Evaluation of mental, emotional or lifestyle issues that are preventing your success with food.
- Grocery shopping and restaurant approaches for reaching your dietary goals
- Strategies and mindfulness techniques to combat any challenges around food choices
- A custom diet and lifestyle plan that will include recipes, snack and travel ideas and lifestyle hacks to set you up for success.
Outcomes of Holistic Nutritional Counseling:
- Feeling empowered about what foods you CAN and SHOULD be eating and what foods may be problematic for your body.
- Feeling informed. Learn how food can be medicine. Learn how to heal your body with food and nutrition.
- Feel inspired. Find excitement with food instead of feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Healthy food can taste good and be easy to prepare!
- Feeling energized. More nutrition can mean more energy and focus. Also better performance at work, at play and with athletics.
- Feeling at home in your body.
- Get rid of pesky symptoms like fatigue, inflammation, and weight gain.
SIBO
Do you suffer with common irritable bowel symptoms such as: bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, food sensitivities, passing excess gas, burping, and diarrhea? Are you interested in determining the cause for your gastrointestinal symptoms?
What is SIBO?
SIBO stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and has been linked to many health symptoms, particularly those of the gastrointestinal system. SIBO occurs when there is an overgrowth of certain bacteria in your digestive tract. While these bacteria do not cause severe digestive symptoms, they can sure make you feel uncomfortable!
This overgrowth causes the bacteria to compete with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, and when this happens, the bacteria produce large amounts of methane and hydrogen gases. These gases do not naturally occur in the human body and are only produced by bacteria. SIBO can be caused by many different things such as: certain medications (proton pump inhibitors, birth control pills, opiates, antibiotics), scar tissue and adhesions from abdominal surgeries, stress and anxiety, poor diet, and food poisoning.
SIBO is diagnosed by using a simple and non-invasive breath test that requires minimal prep and only takes three hours to complete. This test is completed in the comfort of your own home.
Medical conditions that are associated with SIBO:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain)
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Heartburn and GERD
- Leaky gut, food sensitivities and/or food allergens
- Fibromyalgia
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- Celiac disease
- Scleroderma
- Anxiety and depression
- Restless Legs Syndrome
- Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
A comprehensive and individualized approach to treating SIBO through Spring Integrative Health can include the following modalities:
- Identifying, removing and/or addressing the cause SIBO
- Antibacterial herbs
- Prescription antibiotics
- Dietary counseling including the Elemental Diet
- Candida treatment (SIFO – Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth)
- IV therapy
- Nutritional supplements
- Bodywork and massage
- Colon hydrotherapy (colonics)
- Healthy probiotic selection, support, and management
- What are the outcomes of treating SIBO with Naturopathic medicine?
- Reduction of GI symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea
- Less irritation from food, you can eat a larger variety of foods without becoming symptomatic
- Reduced inflammation in the body
- Weight regulation
- Increased nutrient absorption and reduced vitamin deficiencies
- Overall feeling better!
- Decreased recurrence of SIBO after it has been treated.
