Gastrointestinal Tract (GI) components contain more cells than the rest of the body combined. It houses 50-70 % of the immune system and immunoglobulin producing cells. It is the first line of defense to exposure to dietary and infectious molecules. Has metabolic activity greater than the liver and is the organ of the body that produces a majority of neurotransmitters. It is important to focus on gut health because some of the most effective clinical outcomes across all disease spectrums can result from the normalization of the gut function.

Some of the most common gut imbalances include:

• Increased intestinal permeability- Leaky Gut.
• Issues with digestion and absorption such as acid reflux, low stomach acid, pancreatic and bile inefficiencies.
• Alterations of gut microbiota and dysbiosis.
• Immune modulation and inflammation.
• Enteric nervous system correlations through control of motility, blood flow, uptake of nutrients, secretion, immunological and inflammatory processes in the gut.

Proper function of the gut environment can be altered by many factors:

• Nutritional insufficiencies, poor dietary choices, Food allergies/sensitivities/ intolerances.
• Medications (NSAID`s, antibiotics, antacids, cytotoxic agents).
• Infections agents such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa.
• Psychological/emotional stress.
• Diminished stomach acid secretion, pancreatic enzyme or bile secretion.

As a consequence of GUT de-regulation there can be a breach of the lining of the gut, localized immunological responses, systemic and local inflammation, stress on detoxification pathways, all eventually leading to some form of systemic illness.
The significance of the integrity of healthy gut lining is crucial in overall health because increased intestinal permeability is one of the most common and major contributors in the pathogenesis of several chronic illnesses and disorders. What we eat influences whether we continuously attack our gut integrity, as well as the population and metabolic activity of our microflora.

In the journal of the Advances in Integrative Medicine, Volume 6, Issue 1, a systematic literature search and review of 48 articles conducted up until July 2018 in MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and AMED looked at correlations between intestinal permeability (IP) and common diseases frequently found within clinical practice. Strong associations were found with autoimmune diseases (25-87.5%); Liver conditions with a prevalence of 65 %; Diabetes 30-65%; IBS 35.6%. They recommended for IP to considered as a factor in the pathophysiology in patients presenting with autoimmune diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, PCOS, IBS, DM, autism, food allergies and hypersensitivities. (1)

Project of Health`s GI Health program by using food and lifestyle as medicine addresses GI issues associated with bloating, indigestion, maldigestion and malabsorption, frequent use of antibiotics, long term use of PPI`s, acid reflux- GERD, Candida overgrowth and dysbiosis, increased intestinal permeability, gluten intolerance and food sensitivities. Together we will explore the root cause to your GI imbalance and use a multitude of strategies to modulate your gut microbiome. Since there is literary no better substitute for improving GUT health than lifestyle, I will utilize this therapeutic modality. As a functional dietitian by using food as medicine, I will explore the specific foods that might cause sensitivity and intolerance; Look into a possibility to replace inadequate or lacking factors needed for proper GI function and transit; Reintroduce desirable GI microflora to obtain more desirable balance to the intestinal environment and provide nutritional support to promote healing and regeneration of the GI lining.

I am a firm believer that our health starts and ends in the gut. In honor of my scope of practice, now I offer referral testing option via Physican Authorization through Rupa Labs.

Reference:

1. Bradley Leech, Janet Schloss, Amie Steel. Association between increased intestinal permeability and disease: A
systematic review,Advances in Integrative Medicine,Volume 6, Issue 1,2019,Pages 23-34,ISSN
2212-9588. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221295881730160X)

I am sure you have come across the saying “we are what we eat”. During my biotransformation and detoxification Functional Medicine practices training, I was lucky enough to come upon the more detailed version stating, “We Are What We Eat, Drink, Breathe, Touch and What We Cannot Eliminate”. The realization that followed was rather profound to say the least.

I mean our bodies are being bombarded daily with environmental contaminants through almost literally, everything we do. From the food we eat, the pots we cook in, the air we breathe, cleaning products, cosmetic product we use, and the list goes on and on. So, it only makes sense that truly we are also what we cannot eliminate over a period of time after a lifetime of exposure and eventually accumulation of substances that might cause structural damage and or disturbance to body functions and processes.

In my 3-month membership program I focus on the optimization of our body’s ability to do its job and support our god given and specific detoxification pathways through different modalities and interventions. I believe in the complex machinery Mother Nature made our beautiful bodies to be, and so I only try to guide you to better understand it, and together find our way how to help enhance it and optimize this very crucial ability to detoxify and bio-transform.

I follow guidelines for detox support and optimization taught through my IFMCP certification coursework. In my personalized evaluation of your case, I will look at where and how the toxic exposure is getting into your body, what your body does with it, how it transforms it and how well it eliminates it. Through my personalized functional nutrition and lifestyle prescription I will provide personal dietary recommendations and food plan to ensure safe detox; Support and ensure regular elimination and adequate bile flow function; Guide you through the amazing world of phytonutrient properties of color food groups with detox potentials and dietary antioxidant system support, just to name a few. My ultimate goal is to provide you with the sequenced support, guidance and knowledge to teach you how to use real food, food groups and color daily as means to promote more efficient detoxifying capabilities of your body.

We have all met that one person that they simply react to almost everything the lay their hands on. The reasons why some people are more sensitive and retain more toxins are numerous: Exposure: whether ongoing or increased; Certain nutrient deficiency; High sugar low protein diets; Heavy metals; Intestinal dysbiosis; Stress and emotional trauma as well as variation in their genetic makeup. It may also be a result of the high total body burden of toxic substances that may interact synergistically causing physiologic dysfunction that can ultimately lead to chronic illnesses in susceptible individuals.

Hence, the great importance of personalized program based upon and meeting your needs. Some might see remarkable results just by decreasing exposure to these environmental contaminants, some might require more nutritional support, or addressing issues with the gut first, and then merging slowly to healthy ability to detoxify and biotransform. It will be a process, again, not the same for everyone, but rather a partnership collaboration that will recognize where your body is at and start from there. A process in which I hope you will gain a lifetime knowledge and awareness of the concept of daily toxic exposures, and strategies to deal with, all in order to achieve cleaner life and enjoy more profound health and wellbeing.

Per CDC National Center for Health Statistics data brief, 42.4 % of the US population through the years of 2017-2018 was found to be obese. (1) The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the US was 147 billion dollars in 2008; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $ 1,429 higher than those of normal weight.Obesity-related conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, hypertension are some of the leading causes of preventable and premature death, meaning are risk factors of chronic disease that can be addressed and if treated properly, reverse the presence of chronic inflammatory disease, and by default, improve your quality of life.

Project of Health`s Sustainable Weight Loss Program is not a program that is the same for everybody. It is a journey that is personalized in nature, a weight loss and maintenance support program that takes into account your specific body type, needs, your body imbalances if any, your lifestyle, eating and living habits, band the tremendous impact of obesogens and environmental contaminants. We surround our work around the principles of Functional Nutrition looking for root causes of your symptoms and factors that underline chronic disease.

The way we address unhealthy weight is by diving deep into your history and lifestyle. We do not assume it is a cause of overeating, and or poor food choices. We work together in discovering what makes you unwell, goal setting, modifying diet choices. Guide you to learning how to use food as medicine in a gentle way so it becomes a part of you daily routine. Our treatment plan incorporates multimodal strategies including but not limiting to: personalized nutritional weekly meal plans, calorie targets, therapeutic meal diets; lifestyle modifications such as movement, rest, sleep, stress reduction, etc. We may also incorporate the use of supplements, botanicals, spices and teas.

In addition, to provide support in your healthy weight loss, and maintenance of the weight lost, we connected with L-Nutra and Prolon FMD. As approved professional providers, we offer additional 20% off access link to our patients to Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet-FMD plans. Research have proven Prolon FMD to support abdominal- visceral weight loss around the belly, among other biomarkers. (2) With our plan, we are going to establish a protocol on the number of cycles you will need to finish and provide personalized after the fact follow up diet weekly plans and lifestyle recommendations to support and maintain in a sustainable way your weight loss journey.

References:

1) Fryar CD, Kruszon-Moran D, Gu Q, Ogden CL. Mean body weight, height, waist circumference, and body mass index among adults: United
States, 1999–2000 through 2015–2016. National Health Statistics Reports; no 122. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018

2) Fanti, Maura et al. “Time-Restricted Eating, Intermittent Fasting, and Fasting-Mimicking Diets in Weight Loss.” Current obesity reports vol. 10,2 (2021): 70-80. doi:10.1007/s13679-021-00424-2