I see clients every day who have struggled for years to achieve a healthy weight. They have tried every diet on the market with minimal results at best. And very often they also live with chronic digestive problems. Their stories almost always include some or all of the following: a history of the standard American diet, regular use of antibiotics in childhood or adulthood, a period of time on the contraceptive pill, over-the-counter or prescription reflux medications, constipation or diarrhea.

What do the statistics tell us? (data from the National Institutes of Health)

• 230 million Americans are overweight or obese.

• 63 million suffer from chronic constipation.

• 61 million experience chronic heartburn.

• 2 million live with inflammatory bowel disease.

• 15 million (some estimates say between 25 and 45 million) suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.

What does this prevalence of digestive problems have to do with the epidemic of overweight and obesity?

Research supports the idea that a collapse in the gut can be the cause of weight gain. An animal study published in Science Translational Medicine found that changes in gut bacteria affected weight loss. Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism looked at a specific gut microbe and the impact it had on overweight or thin people. It is not fully understood, but one hypothesis is that the imbalance in gut bacteria can lead to inflammation and potentially affect the body’s use of insulin.

Weight gain may not be such a clear sign of intestinal breakdown, but the chronic digestive disorders that affect millions and millions of Americans certainly tell us that there is a problem in the gut.

Why does the gut collapse in the first place

• Antibiotics They do a good job of destroying bacteria, but unfortunately they will destroy the good bacteria you need for a healthy gut.

• Tea morning after pill it is used in many cases for hormonal regulation in order to minimize symptoms. Estrogen is recognized as a factor in impaired intestinal barrier function and increased inflammation.

• On the counter anti-inflammatory drugs It can inflame the intestinal lining and weaken the spaces between the cells of the intestine.

• Tea Standard American diet It consists of pro-inflammatory compounds and lacks antioxidants and many other nutrients that prevent and control inflammation. Excess sugar and inflammatory fats are two specific components of the diet that create increased inflammation in the gut.

Are you on fire?

A great deal of time and energy is spent focusing on controlling calories, carbohydrate grams, protein, or fat without taking other symptoms into account. These chronic digestive symptoms can lead to an understanding of the inflammatory processes that may also be affecting weight gain. This inflammatory process is like a fire burning inside you, causing symptoms that can include weight gain. If you answer yes to any of the questions below, you may have chronic inflammation.

1. Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease?

2. Struggling to reach a healthy weight?

3. Do you have ongoing muscle and joint aches and pains?

4. Feeling fatigued, where do you need to take a nap after work?

5. Do you have regular constipation, diarrhea, or both that interfere with your life?

6. Do you experience brain fog where it seems more difficult to solve problems or easily complete simple tasks?

7. Do you have asthma or allergies?