If you’ve been handed another round of antibiotics or told to follow a strict diet for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), yet you’re still bloated, constipated, and frustrated, this episode is for you.
In this kickoff to our SIBO mini-series, Dr. Heather shares what SIBO actually is (hint: it’s not just bacteria in the wrong place), why the standard “kill and restrict” approach doesn’t lead to lasting relief, and what really needs to happen for sustainable recovery. You’ll also hear the story of a client who treated SIBO four times without success, until she finally addressed the deeper imbalances behind it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why SIBO is a symptom, not a root cause
- The difference between hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide SIBO
- Why antibiotics and restrictive diets often fail long-term
- The role of motility, minerals, and your nervous system in healing
- What truly needs to be restored for your gut to function again
Make sure you are subscribed to the show so you don’t miss the next episode in this series
Resources & Links:
- Take the Free Gut Health Quiz to identify what’s driving your symptoms
- Apply for 1:1 support through gutTogether® (Reminder: the investment increases on August 1 due to lab testing costs; apply now to lock in current pricing)
- 📲 Connect with Dr. Heather on Instagram
Bonus gift: Leave a rating + review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, screenshot it, and send it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co and we’ll send you a free resource as a thank-you!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Heather Finley (00:03):
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
If you've been told you haveSIBO and handed another
antibiotic or a low FODMAP dietor insert elimination diet here,
but you are still bloated,constipated, and frustrated,
(01:07):
this episode is for you.
Welcome back to the Love YourGut podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, and today we arekicking off a brand new mini
series all about sibo, smallintestinal bacterial overgrowth.
This series is going to teachyou what SIBO really is.
Why it keeps coming back and whythe standard kill it and
(01:31):
restrict everything.
Approach usually doesn't getpeople long-term relief.
We'll be talking about SIBOtesting, recovery stories, root
causes that most people miss,and what to focus on instead.
If you're tired of being stuckin just this bloat restrict or
symptom repeat cycle.
(01:51):
But first I wanna just start offwith a story because I wanna
just lay the ground here so thatyou can relate and hopefully
feel less alone.
So we will talk about one of ourclients.
We'll call her Lauren.
Lauren came to us after, havedone, have, having done four
full rounds of SIBO treatment.
She did antibiotics and she didherbals.
(02:14):
She did antibiotics.
Twice and herbals twice.
So she had worked with her GIdoctor and then she'd also
worked with another alternativeprovider.
I think it was a naturopath.
So each time she felt a littlebit better for a few weeks, but
then the bloating and theconstipation and the fatigue
would come roaring back.
And in fact, the last time, sothe fourth time that she treated
(02:35):
the sibo.
She actually didn't ever feelbetter.
She was like that's when I knewsomething had to change.
She told me when we got on acall, I just feel like I'm
buying tickets to this SIBOmerry-go-round that I don't want
to be on anymore, how do Iactually get off?
So we started chatting andeventually she started working
(02:55):
with our team.
And when we finally zoomed out,we discovered that no one else
had ever addressed reallyanything besides the sibo.
She had serious motility issuesfrom past food poisoning.
Her nervous system was verydysregulated, partially just
from all the stress of thesymptoms.
She had pretty severe mineralimbalances on her HTMA, which
(03:16):
makes sense because you absorbnutrients in your small
intestine.
And then once we startedfocusing on restoring her gut
function, not just killingbacteria, everything changed.
She went from dreading everymeal to actually enjoying food
again without bloating that shehad just kind of normalized for
years.
(03:36):
And I really want that for youtoo.
If you're curious about whatcould be driving your digestive
symptoms, whether you have SIBOor not, don't tune out if you.
Don't have SIBO or this is thefirst time you're hearing about
it if you have chronic GIissues.
This message really applies toanybody, so we wanna look at the
symptoms underneath the surface.
(03:57):
It's a great way to fullyaddress your symptoms and fully
find relief so.
Let's start off by just gettinginto what SIBO really is and why
the standard approach keepsfalling short.
It's not, I think there's a hugemisconception that SIBO just
means that bacteria are in thewrong place, and that is true,
(04:20):
but that's just such a smallpiece.
It's a sign that your wholedigestive environment is really
out of sync.
So let's start with the basics.
SIBO stands for Small intestinalBacterial Overgrowth, and the
key is it's not an infection inthe traditional sense, it's more
about a disruption in balance.
I have a funny story to shareabout this actually.
(04:42):
My kids have really been intoanatomy recently and every night
their bedtime stories, this isall them, not me.
They have wanted me to tell themabout their bodies.
So we've learned about ourstomach, we've learned about our
gallbladder, which my Daughterso eloquently was like, okay, so
your gallbladder is like a watergun and it shoots bile out when
(05:05):
you digest fat.
So from the, from the mouth of a6-year-old.
But your small intestine is.
Really supposed to haverelatively few bacteria,
especially compared to the largeintestine.
And the reason that I waslaughing when I started saying
this is because mythree-year-old calls the large
intestine, the big intestine, sothe small intestine and the big
(05:27):
intestine, you've got two of'em.
Your small intestine is actuallybigger than your large
intestine.
Fun fact.
But your large intestine housesthe bulk of your gut bacteria.
So we really don't want a ton ofbacteria in your small
intestine.
That's not really its purpose.
So when bacteria that wouldnormally hang out in the colon
or the big intestine start toovergrow in the small intestine.
(05:50):
Or when certain types growexcessively, that's when we
start to see symptoms.
Something that Dr.
Ruscio talks about often is SIBOisn't just about more bacteria.
It's about bacteria being in thewrong place or being imbalanced,
and that imbalance throws offentire ecosystems.
So we really can't treat thislike an acute infection that
(06:11):
just needs to be killed off.
We have to think about it as asign that the gut environment
isn't functioning properly, andthat's what allowed that
overgrowth to happen in thefirst place.
So let's talk about the types ofsibo, because this can give some
clues about what might bedriving your symptoms.
So the first type of SIBO ishydrogen dominant sibo.
This is actually the most commontype.
(06:32):
It's actually not the mostcommon type that we see.
But this is the most commontype, supposedly.
It's associated typically withlooser stools, diarrhea and
urgency.
Think of this as kind of stageone.
Hydrogen is kind of the startergas produced by fermenting
bacteria.
This is why this is not the mostcommon type of SIBO that we see,
(06:54):
because we typically see peoplewhen they've treated SIBO
multiple times, and it's nowturned into.
Methane as well.
So methane dominant overgrowth,which is technically called
intestinal anogen overgrowth, orIMO.
This isn't true SIBO becausemethanogens aren't really
bacteria.
They're archaea, but they feedon hydrogen.
(07:16):
So if you've had hydrogen SIBOand it wasn't resolved properly,
it can turn into methaneovergrowth.
This type is typically linkedwith constipation, harder
stools, more stubborn, bloating,and typically is when people
have had symptoms for a longtime.
Hence why that's the most commonone that we see.
And then the last piece, whichis I guess the quote unquote
(07:38):
newest form of sibo.
This one is newer.
It's not routinely tested yet.
It often shows up as really foulsmelling gas, like sulfur or
rotten eggs, plus fatigue, brainfog, sensitivity to su sulfur
rich foods like eggs or garlic.
It can also be associated.
Joint pain and some really wonkysymptoms.
(07:58):
These clients often feel liketoxic but they get a flat line
result on a breath test, whichcan be super misleading.
The only test that is reallyeasy to get to test for all
three of these is the Trio SmartTest.
They have a process on theirwebsite where you can actually
order it.
But don't go and order it.
As you're listening to this, I'mgonna talk about when you should
(08:19):
and when you shouldn't test forsibo.
So while the type of overgrowthmatters, the symptoms do often
overlap, often persistentbloating.
Excess gas fatigue, brain fog,skin issues is really common.
Constipation, diarrhea.
And then a big one is nutrientdeficiencies, especially B12,
iron fat soluble vitamins.
(08:41):
SIBO can interfere withabsorption, so your small
intestine is primarily where youdigest a lot of your nutrients.
So if you've had SIBO for a longtime and you also have low iron
or poor B12 or whatever it mightbe.
These things can all actually gotogether.
So here's the bottom line.
SIBO is a downstreamconsequence, not a standalone
(09:05):
condition.
If you hear anything from theepisode, let it be that it is
your body's way of waving a redflag that your whole digestive
system is not working like itshould.
And before you get overwhelmed,I'm gonna simplify this for you.
It's helpful to understand thetype of gas that's involved, but
the more helpful piece is fixingthe environment that allowed the
(09:28):
overgrowth in the first place.
And that's where real healingactually happens.
So if you only focus on killingbacteria, you really will keep
missing the reason that it'sgrowing in the first place.
So let's talk about the typicalSIBO protocol that so many
clients come to me after trying.
Usually more than once.
Here's the typical sequence.
(09:48):
You get a positive breath test,or you just have symptoms.
We get a lot of clients thatdoctors were like, eh, we're not
gonna do the breath test.
You probably have sibo.
Just go ahead and take theseantibiotics.
Typically, you're prescribedRifaximin or Xifaxan Neomycin.
Flagal is another one.
Sometimes you're prescribed acombination.
You also are probably told to doa low FODMAP diet, something
(10:12):
like the biphasic diet.
You might feel a little reliefand then all of a sudden your
symptoms come back.
Whether that is two weeks later,two months later, maybe six
months later.
There are also a lot of doctorsthat will say that you kind of
proactively need to treat SIBOjust to prevent it, which is
totally wrong if you fix thereason that it came.
(10:33):
Then you don't have to keeptaking the antibiotics for it.
So the Lofo hop diet, if you'renot familiar, removes
fermentable fibers.
So things like garlic, onions,legumes, certain fruits, grains.
This can help reduce gas andbloating, the biphasic diet.
I've actually had the founder ofthis diet.
On the podcast is a morestructured version of this,
often done in two phases strictelimination, then reintroduction
(10:58):
alongside antimicrobials.
Now here's the thing.
This podcast is not aboutwhether you should do lo fodmap
or biphasic or not, becausethese symptoms or these
approaches can reduce symptomsand the short term, but they're
not actually gonna fix theproblem or prevent recurrence,
and that's the problem.
You cannot starve your way outof sibo.
(11:20):
You cannot kill your way intobalance.
So it's like spraying weedkiller on your garden without
fixing the poor soil conditionsthat allowed for those weeds to
take over in the first place.
So, sure, the weeds might diefor now, but they'll be back
unless you enrich the soil.
You plant new things, you pullthem out by the root.
And you tend to the ecosystemitself.
(11:41):
So let's talk about the threebig reasons that this kill and
restrict approach fails.
Number one, if it isn't alreadyobvious, is it doesn't address
why SIBO developed.
So SIBO is a secondary issue.
You have to ask why did bacteriaovergrow in the first place?
Why didn't the body clear it outnaturally?
(12:01):
This is where my.
North to south digestionframework becomes really
important.
Whether you are a client in ourprograms or you are a
practitioner in my practitionerprograms, I teach this to you.
If you've heard me talk aboutthis before, you know, I always
say you can't fix what'shappening in the small
intestines so south if you don'tsupport what's happening
(12:21):
upstream, north.
So we start at the top.
How's your meal hygiene?
Are you chewing?
Well, can you salivate?
Can you swallow?
Are you eating in a calm state?
Do you have enough stomach acidto break down your food?
Is your bile flowing properly todigest fats?
Is your pancreas releasingenzymes?
How's your liver?
There's so many steps ofdigestion that have to go
(12:44):
correct in order for food toeven end up in your small
intestine.
So because if any of this isgoing wrong, you're sending
undigested food into the smallintestine where it sits, it
ferments, it feeds bacteria,creating the perfect storm for
sibo, which is not what we want.
Problem number two is it starvesgood bacteria too.
(13:04):
So the longer you stay onrestrictive diets like low
FODMAP or whatever it might be.
The lower your microbialdiversity eventually will be
especially important strains orkeystone strains of bacteria
like bifidobacteria.
These are keystone for long-termgut health.
These diets were never meant tobe long-term, and I think that a
lot of people that use thesediets in their practice, they
(13:27):
would agree with me Like, yes,the low FODMAP diet is gonna
help you possibly be lessbloated, but it's not actually
gonna fix the sibo.
It's not gonna kill sibo.
But what happens is a lot ofpeople go to practitioners that
are uneducated about what lowFODMAP is, and then they end up
on these diets for way, way, waytoo long.
(13:48):
So low fodmap.
Was a four to six weeks maxelimination, but we've had
clients come to us who've beenon it for like two plus years.
By then, their gut is sodepleted.
Not of even just the bad stuff,but the very microbes that keep
things in balance to supportyour immune function, your
hormone health, even your mood.
And they just didn't know.
(14:10):
No one told them, do this forfour to six weeks and then you
have to reintroduce.
They were never guidedcorrectly.
Alright, the last problem is itignores the whole body.
Contributors like the nervoussystem, gut motility, even
minerals.
Even the best diet or protocolwill fail if your bowels aren't
moving daily.
(14:30):
If your nervous system is stuckin fight or flight, if you're
depleted in minerals that drivegut motility.
Minerals help your body to makeenergy.
They also help your muscles tocontract.
So if you're really constipatedand your gut muscles can't
contract, then that's a problem.
Your minerals also help you tomake stomach acid and enzymes.
(14:51):
So if your gut isn't moving oryour digestion isn't working
properly upstream, you can doall the killing and restricting
in the world and it's not gonnastick.
And the real trap is clientsoften think that they failed the
protocol.
When in reality the protocolfailed them because it was
actually missing a huge, hugepiece.
So in short, SIBO isn't justabout bacteria.
(15:15):
It's about function.
It's about flow.
It's about balance.
You can't heal the system byattacking one piece of it over
and over again.
Let's talk chat about testingand why.
Testing actually isn'teverything.
I love testing.
Sometimes when it's for theright reasons.
So I know so many of you'rewondering like, okay, this
(15:36):
sounds like me.
Do I need to be tested for SIBObefore I start working on this?
The truth is sibo breath testingcan be helpful, but it's very
far from perfect as many testsare.
So here's how it works.
You drink a sugar solution,usually lactulose or glucose,
the sugar is gonna move throughyour digestive tract.
If bacteria in your smallintestine are fermenting,
(15:57):
they'll produce a gas.
So hydrogen methane, sometimeshydrogen sulfide, you breathe
into a tube every 15 to 20minutes over a few hours to
measure the gas levels.
So it sounds reallystraightforward, right?
But there's a lot of things thatcan skew the results, and
there's a lot of limitations.
Number one is that there's a lotof false positives that are
common, especially if you areconstipated.
(16:19):
If you're constipated, you havesluggish motility.
The sugar solution can sitlonger in the small intestine.
This gives bacteria more time toferment.
It can read to it, it can,create a positive in gas
readings that suggest sibo, evenif it's not actually that
significant.
And then even small things liketoothpaste can affect the
(16:39):
outcome.
If you.
Accidentally swallow toothpastethe day of the collection or eat
something off planned during theprep period.
You have to follow a strictdiet.
It can throw things off, so canexercise.
Alcohol, not spacing it.
I mean, so many things canaffect this.
And then flatline results can bemisleading as well.
Sometimes you'll get the testresults back and it's just all
(17:00):
high.
So that is, it can either be allhigh or it can be all low.
It's what we call a flat line.
That might mean the test wasn'tperformed correctly.
It could point to hydrogensulfide sibo, which most tests
don't measure besides the triosSmart, like I mentioned.
And then actually many peoplewith classic SIBO symptoms have
(17:21):
negative tests.
We've seen clients with bloatingafter.
all the meals, especially ifthey're like super bloated by
the end of the day,constipation, fatigue and their
breath tests were normal, butthey responded beautifully.
Once we address their gutenvironment, motility upstream,
and it might, it still might nothave even been sibo, it might
just be Libo, which is largeintestinal bacterial overgrowth
(17:43):
and, yeah.
So I mean, if you wanna do atest, great.
It can be really helpful,especially if hydrogen sulfide
is present.
If you have sulfur smelling gas,that can be helpful to know.
So while testing can offerclues, it's not the whole story.
You don't have to do a test.
I think that it's better tospend your money on other tests,
which we'll get into.
(18:04):
So you don't wanna get overlyfocused on.
If you have it or if you don't.
Just because there's so manyvariables.
So together, like looking at aGI map, which is gonna look at
your large intestine, youroverall microbial balance, how
you're digesting inflammation,it's just you're gonna get a lot
more bang for your buck ifyou're trying to decide where to
(18:26):
put your finances.
Versus doing another SIBO testor even an HTMA is gonna look at
mineral imbalances that oftendrive slow motility poor detox.
We see a lot of our clients withchronic SIBO respond super well
to minerals because their bodiesare just so starved and
depleted.
So together, I think those canpaint a better picture of what's
(18:46):
going on, especially if youhaven't responded to typical
SIBO treatment.
So if you've been holding off,you know, taking action until
you get that diagnosis, you canstart healing without a test
because we really need to figureout why you have the SIBO or
potential SIBO in the firstplace.
So let's talk about why the gutwould be vulnerable to sibo.
(19:09):
Like I mentioned, it's theresult often of something not
working.
It's the red flag, not the root.
Sibos, the, not the root cause.
It's the result of something inthe gut environment that has
become vulnerable.
Normal functions like digestion,motility, microbial balance are
no longer being properlysupported.
So instead of asking, how do Ikill the sibo, the better
(19:33):
question is what allowed it toget here in the first place?
So let's talk about the firstone, which we commonly see,
which is.
Slow gut motility.
This is one of the mostoverlooked root causes,
especially if you have methanedominant or constipation.
When your digestive system slowsdown, food sits too long in the
small intestine and bacteriathat are supposed to be swept
(19:55):
downstream, start fermentingstart fermenting leftover
leftovers, for lack of a betteranalogy.
And then you get gas, you getbloating, you get overgrowth.
So the question is why the slowmotility, chronic stress can
shut down the vagus nerve, whichis key in keeping things moving.
Low thyroid function slowseverything, including digestion.
(20:16):
We commonly see that mineralimbalances, like I mentioned, so
especially like low potassium,low sodium, often cobalt.
These often show up on testing.
We often see this as a hugereason why so many of our
clients can't move the needleeven after trying everything.
So a helpful analogy I like touse is if your gut is the
(20:37):
freeway and the bacteria arecars, slow motility is like.
Traffic at a standstill.
So bacteria that are supposed topass through, just pile up, and
it's not just hydrogen sibo,methane gas in particular slows
motility even more, creatingjust a really vicious cycle,
which is why constipation is sostubborn.
(21:00):
When you have intestinal methantigen overgrowth,'cause the
gas itself is making thingsworse.
The next root cause that weoften see is low stomach acid.
Your stomach is supposed to actlike an acid bath, breaking down
food, neutralizing pathogens,triggering bile and enzyme
release.
But if you're low, food isn'tbroken down, it's easier for
(21:20):
pathogens to grow like h pylori.
And then that undigested foodbecomes a fermentable fuel for
bacteria farther down the line.
So again, stomach acid is anorth to south trigger.
If that's not working,everything downstream suffers.
And again, minerals matter.
You need zinc, you needchloride, you need sodium to
(21:40):
even make stomach acid in thefirst place.
Another reason is poor bile flowor pancreatic output.
Like I mentioned my daughtercalled the gallbladder a water
gun.
It kind of really is like that.
Um, even if you don't have agallbladder, you really, even
more than that, need to focus onB flow.
When bile and enzymes aren'treleased, fats and proteins go
(22:02):
undigested.
This can really affect bloatingand things after meals.
Poor bile flow is often a resultof low stomach acid, again, the
north to south connection,sluggish liver function,
dehydration, of course, mineraldepletion.
This is why we don't just giveenzymes.
We need to look at what'scausing it.
(22:24):
The next one that I wanna talkabout is post-infectious IBS or
food poisoning.
If you've ever had foodpoisoning even years ago, you
may have developed what's calledpost-infectious IBS, and what's
wild is according to Dr.
Ruscio.
About one in nine people who getfood poisoning go on to develop
IBS and SIBO is one of the mostcommon outcomes.
(22:45):
So that's because the immuneresponse to food poisoning can
damage a key part of yourmigrating motor complex.
So that's kind of like thatcleanup crew that moves bacteria
and waste through your smallintestine.
And when that wave getsdisrupted, overgrowth can take
over.
Another one that can be trickyis adhesions or scar tissue.
(23:06):
This one gets missed all thetime.
If you've had C-sections, if youhave endometriosis, an
appendectomy, or even chronicinflammation in the gut.
You might have scar tissue oradhesions that physically block
movement in the intestine.
And in these cases, visceraltherapy or manual work can work.
Obviously if you haveendometriosis, then there's lots
(23:28):
of other things involved withthat.
Pelvic floor PT can beincredibly helpful and so you
often need an alternativeprovider on your team in that
case.
And then the last one that Iwanna bring up today is, are
actually two more and they kindof go together.
One is mineral depletion.
This is a big one, especiallyfor women who are burnt out.
(23:50):
Exhausted, been doing thisforever.
You cannot heal a gut thatdoesn't have the raw materials
to function Often.
On htma, we see low sodium andpotassium, which causes sluggish
motility, poor hydration.
We see low cobalt, which can gohand in hand with B12 deficiency
and nerve dysfunction, and.
(24:11):
Stomach acid issues, we oftensee high calcium.
This can be a stress pattern.
It can also impact how much yourbowels move, and then low
magnesium.
This can cause tension.
It can cause constipation.
Poor enzyme activation.
So again, back to the gardenanalogy, you can't grow
anything.
Even good bacteria, if the soilis dried out and depleted, you
(24:33):
need minerals to rebuild theterrain.
To fuel motility to regulateyour nervous system, which is
the next thing.
And the last thing I'm gonnatalk about and then drive
detoxification.
The last one, and probably themost not popular one, is a
dysregulate, a dysregulatednervous system.
You really cannot heal your gutin a state of chronic fight or
(24:55):
flight.
And hear me when I say I totallyget it.
I've been there.
I still catch myself.
It's very hard to live in a, uh,just.
A regulated way, your vagusnerve controls digestion.
So when your body is constantlyin stress mode, whether you have
a high stress job, whether youhave kids, whether you just
(25:17):
never have downtime, whetheryou're just an easily
overwhelmed person, digestionliterally shuts down.
Stomach acid drops, motilityslows, inflammation goes up.
So this is why we spend so muchtime helping our clients.
Focus on stress, resilience,anchor in safety before meals
regulate their nervous systems.
We've even brought in a nervoussystem coach now in our program
(25:39):
who's doing monthly sessions tohelp our clients identify where
they're getting stuck, how theirself-talk is affecting them, and
kind of how they can supporttheir nervous system.
So the bottom line is SIBO isn'tthe problem.
It's your gut and your bodyraising its hand saying, Hey,
something else isn't workinghere, and this has happened as a
(26:01):
result.
So the only way truly out ofthis cycle is to zoom out and
actually listen.
So the goal is to balance yourgut.
It's not just about bacteria.
So we don't wanna ask thequestion, how do I kill the
sibo?
It's, why did it show up here?
And how do I change thisenvironment?
So one of the most importantmindset shifts I wanna leave you
(26:24):
with, that so many of ourclients come to us with,
especially after multiple roundsof antibiotics or even
antimicrobials.
Is they often say I, I feltbetter for a little while, but
it always came back.
And the reason is becausethey're focusing only on killing
bacteria and never really onrestoring the gut environment.
(26:46):
You can't just empty your house,you have to rebuild it.
We have to rebuild digestivefunction from top.
Down, starting with your brain,your nervous system, how your
body responds to stress andhealing is not about controlling
every food or even running testafter test.
It's about creating internalconditions where your gut can
(27:08):
actually function again.
So we wanna focus on supportingmotility that looks like daily
bowel movements, nervous systemregulation, minerals, gentle
movement.
We wanna replenish minerals.
We want to.
Add in mineral rich foods, wewanna use mineral mocktails, or
even custom mineral blends for alot of our clients because they
(27:28):
fuel every part of digestion.
We want to repopulate microbes.
We're gonna introduce prebioticfoods gradually.
We're gonna add targetedprobiotics when it's
appropriate.
We're gonna build diversity andresilience in your gut.
We wanna add in stress andnervous system regulation.
So that can be vagus nerveactivation, that can be breath
work, grounding nervous systemtools, eating in a relaxed
(27:51):
state, sleep and safety, andthen improve the gut terrain.
So this is the foundation.
Think of it like your soilhealth.
Hydration, sleep, bile flow,joy, connection, purpose, even
pleasure can support digestion.
And that could be silly thingslike watching a movie that you
like, finding downtime.
(28:11):
And yes, this takes time.
It's really easy to think oh, Ihave gut issues.
I just need to fix them, andthen I'll never have to deal
with gut issues again.
But the reality is, your gutjourney is exactly that.
It's a journey.
It's not a destination.
And so we want to develop habitsand foundations that you can do
for the rest of your life.
(28:33):
Uh, we don't wanna just focus onwhat you need to take and get it
over with.
It's about how you live, how younourish yourself, how you
support the systems that helpyou to feel your best and keep
you well.
So hopefully you're getting fromthis that you might not need
another round of SIBO treatment.
(28:54):
Right now you need to understandyour why.
Then you can fix the sibo.
We do SIBO protocols all thetime, but not until we've
identified all the missingpieces and all the root causes.
We don't wanna follow thestandard approach because we're
gonna end up in the same place.
And.
The definition of insanity isdoing the same thing over and
(29:15):
over again with not any betterof results.
So you need a whole body rootcause strategy that rebuilds
from the top down.
And when you do that, you reallystop managing symptoms and you
finally start to heal.
So in the next episode wherewe're talking about sibo, we are
going to dig into a little bitmore about SIBO treatments, et
(29:37):
cetera.
But here's your next step.
If you're listening andthinking, this is me, I've done
all the protocols and nothingsticks, you have two things that
I'm gonna leave you with.
Number one is our free quiz.
We have a free quiz that issimple and short and will help
you uncover.
What is not working digestionwise and what could be driving
(29:58):
your symptoms behind the scenes?
It takes about two minutes.
You'll get a action plan afterwith some resources that is
completely free, so you can dothat.
Or if you're ready to just getpersonalized support, you can
apply for one-on-one supportthrough the program.
We'll use advanced testing likethe GI Map and the HTMA to
(30:19):
tailor your plan from day one.
And just a quick note on that,the investment for Gut together
is increasing on August 1st.
Unfortunately, lab costs havejust continued to go up, so if
you've been thinking aboutapplying, now is the time.
Apply before August 1st, andyou'll lock in our current
price, even if you choose astart date a couple days after
(30:42):
that.
So get on my calendar if you'dlike to chat through your case
and we can make sure it's a goodmutual fit and see about working
together.
So.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday.
If you found this helpful, I'dlove a rating and review.
That's the best way to sharethis show, especially because we
(31:03):
are a small show.
We have less than a hundredepisodes, and the way that
people find it is throughratings and reviews.
So share it with someone.
Leave a rating and review.
If you send me a screenshot,I'll send you something.
You just have to email yourreview to our support.
Which I'll put in the shownotes.
So thanks for tuning in and seeyou on the next episode.
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
If you've been told you haveSIBO and handed another
antibiotic or a low FODMAP dietor insert elimination diet here,
but you are still bloated,constipated, and frustrated,
(01:07):
this episode is for you.
Welcome back to the Love YourGut podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, and today we arekicking off a brand new mini
series all about sibo, smallintestinal bacterial overgrowth.
This series is going to teachyou what SIBO really is.
Why it keeps coming back and whythe standard kill it and
(01:31):
restrict everything.
Approach usually doesn't getpeople long-term relief.
We'll be talking about SIBOtesting, recovery stories, root
causes that most people miss,and what to focus on instead.
If you're tired of being stuckin just this bloat restrict or
symptom repeat cycle.
(01:51):
But first I wanna just start offwith a story because I wanna
just lay the ground here so thatyou can relate and hopefully
feel less alone.
So we will talk about one of ourclients.
We'll call her Lauren.
Lauren came to us after, havedone, have, having done four
full rounds of SIBO treatment.
She did antibiotics and she didherbals.
(02:14):
She did antibiotics.
Twice and herbals twice.
So she had worked with her GIdoctor and then she'd also
worked with another alternativeprovider.
I think it was a naturopath.
So each time she felt a littlebit better for a few weeks, but
then the bloating and theconstipation and the fatigue
would come roaring back.
And in fact, the last time, sothe fourth time that she treated
(02:35):
the sibo.
She actually didn't ever feelbetter.
She was like that's when I knewsomething had to change.
She told me when we got on acall, I just feel like I'm
buying tickets to this SIBOmerry-go-round that I don't want
to be on anymore, how do Iactually get off?
So we started chatting andeventually she started working
(02:55):
with our team.
And when we finally zoomed out,we discovered that no one else
had ever addressed reallyanything besides the sibo.
She had serious motility issuesfrom past food poisoning.
Her nervous system was verydysregulated, partially just
from all the stress of thesymptoms.
She had pretty severe mineralimbalances on her HTMA, which
(03:16):
makes sense because you absorbnutrients in your small
intestine.
And then once we startedfocusing on restoring her gut
function, not just killingbacteria, everything changed.
She went from dreading everymeal to actually enjoying food
again without bloating that shehad just kind of normalized for
years.
(03:36):
And I really want that for youtoo.
If you're curious about whatcould be driving your digestive
symptoms, whether you have SIBOor not, don't tune out if you.
Don't have SIBO or this is thefirst time you're hearing about
it if you have chronic GIissues.
This message really applies toanybody, so we wanna look at the
symptoms underneath the surface.
(03:57):
It's a great way to fullyaddress your symptoms and fully
find relief so.
Let's start off by just gettinginto what SIBO really is and why
the standard approach keepsfalling short.
It's not, I think there's a hugemisconception that SIBO just
means that bacteria are in thewrong place, and that is true,
(04:20):
but that's just such a smallpiece.
It's a sign that your wholedigestive environment is really
out of sync.
So let's start with the basics.
SIBO stands for Small intestinalBacterial Overgrowth, and the
key is it's not an infection inthe traditional sense, it's more
about a disruption in balance.
I have a funny story to shareabout this actually.
(04:42):
My kids have really been intoanatomy recently and every night
their bedtime stories, this isall them, not me.
They have wanted me to tell themabout their bodies.
So we've learned about ourstomach, we've learned about our
gallbladder, which my Daughterso eloquently was like, okay, so
your gallbladder is like a watergun and it shoots bile out when
(05:05):
you digest fat.
So from the, from the mouth of a6-year-old.
But your small intestine is.
Really supposed to haverelatively few bacteria,
especially compared to the largeintestine.
And the reason that I waslaughing when I started saying
this is because mythree-year-old calls the large
intestine, the big intestine, sothe small intestine and the big
(05:27):
intestine, you've got two of'em.
Your small intestine is actuallybigger than your large
intestine.
Fun fact.
But your large intestine housesthe bulk of your gut bacteria.
So we really don't want a ton ofbacteria in your small
intestine.
That's not really its purpose.
So when bacteria that wouldnormally hang out in the colon
or the big intestine start toovergrow in the small intestine.
(05:50):
Or when certain types growexcessively, that's when we
start to see symptoms.
Something that Dr.
Ruscio talks about often is SIBOisn't just about more bacteria.
It's about bacteria being in thewrong place or being imbalanced,
and that imbalance throws offentire ecosystems.
So we really can't treat thislike an acute infection that
(06:11):
just needs to be killed off.
We have to think about it as asign that the gut environment
isn't functioning properly, andthat's what allowed that
overgrowth to happen in thefirst place.
So let's talk about the types ofsibo, because this can give some
clues about what might bedriving your symptoms.
So the first type of SIBO ishydrogen dominant sibo.
This is actually the most commontype.
(06:32):
It's actually not the mostcommon type that we see.
But this is the most commontype, supposedly.
It's associated typically withlooser stools, diarrhea and
urgency.
Think of this as kind of stageone.
Hydrogen is kind of the startergas produced by fermenting
bacteria.
This is why this is not the mostcommon type of SIBO that we see,
(06:54):
because we typically see peoplewhen they've treated SIBO
multiple times, and it's nowturned into.
Methane as well.
So methane dominant overgrowth,which is technically called
intestinal anogen overgrowth, orIMO.
This isn't true SIBO becausemethanogens aren't really
bacteria.
They're archaea, but they feedon hydrogen.
(07:16):
So if you've had hydrogen SIBOand it wasn't resolved properly,
it can turn into methaneovergrowth.
This type is typically linkedwith constipation, harder
stools, more stubborn, bloating,and typically is when people
have had symptoms for a longtime.
Hence why that's the most commonone that we see.
And then the last piece, whichis I guess the quote unquote
(07:38):
newest form of sibo.
This one is newer.
It's not routinely tested yet.
It often shows up as really foulsmelling gas, like sulfur or
rotten eggs, plus fatigue, brainfog, sensitivity to su sulfur
rich foods like eggs or garlic.
It can also be associated.
Joint pain and some really wonkysymptoms.
(07:58):
These clients often feel liketoxic but they get a flat line
result on a breath test, whichcan be super misleading.
The only test that is reallyeasy to get to test for all
three of these is the Trio SmartTest.
They have a process on theirwebsite where you can actually
order it.
But don't go and order it.
As you're listening to this, I'mgonna talk about when you should
(08:19):
and when you shouldn't test forsibo.
So while the type of overgrowthmatters, the symptoms do often
overlap, often persistentbloating.
Excess gas fatigue, brain fog,skin issues is really common.
Constipation, diarrhea.
And then a big one is nutrientdeficiencies, especially B12,
iron fat soluble vitamins.
(08:41):
SIBO can interfere withabsorption, so your small
intestine is primarily where youdigest a lot of your nutrients.
So if you've had SIBO for a longtime and you also have low iron
or poor B12 or whatever it mightbe.
These things can all actually gotogether.
So here's the bottom line.
SIBO is a downstreamconsequence, not a standalone
(09:05):
condition.
If you hear anything from theepisode, let it be that it is
your body's way of waving a redflag that your whole digestive
system is not working like itshould.
And before you get overwhelmed,I'm gonna simplify this for you.
It's helpful to understand thetype of gas that's involved, but
the more helpful piece is fixingthe environment that allowed the
(09:28):
overgrowth in the first place.
And that's where real healingactually happens.
So if you only focus on killingbacteria, you really will keep
missing the reason that it'sgrowing in the first place.
So let's talk about the typicalSIBO protocol that so many
clients come to me after trying.
Usually more than once.
Here's the typical sequence.
(09:48):
You get a positive breath test,or you just have symptoms.
We get a lot of clients thatdoctors were like, eh, we're not
gonna do the breath test.
You probably have sibo.
Just go ahead and take theseantibiotics.
Typically, you're prescribedRifaximin or Xifaxan Neomycin.
Flagal is another one.
Sometimes you're prescribed acombination.
You also are probably told to doa low FODMAP diet, something
(10:12):
like the biphasic diet.
You might feel a little reliefand then all of a sudden your
symptoms come back.
Whether that is two weeks later,two months later, maybe six
months later.
There are also a lot of doctorsthat will say that you kind of
proactively need to treat SIBOjust to prevent it, which is
totally wrong if you fix thereason that it came.
(10:33):
Then you don't have to keeptaking the antibiotics for it.
So the Lofo hop diet, if you'renot familiar, removes
fermentable fibers.
So things like garlic, onions,legumes, certain fruits, grains.
This can help reduce gas andbloating, the biphasic diet.
I've actually had the founder ofthis diet.
On the podcast is a morestructured version of this,
often done in two phases strictelimination, then reintroduction
(10:58):
alongside antimicrobials.
Now here's the thing.
This podcast is not aboutwhether you should do lo fodmap
or biphasic or not, becausethese symptoms or these
approaches can reduce symptomsand the short term, but they're
not actually gonna fix theproblem or prevent recurrence,
and that's the problem.
You cannot starve your way outof sibo.
(11:20):
You cannot kill your way intobalance.
So it's like spraying weedkiller on your garden without
fixing the poor soil conditionsthat allowed for those weeds to
take over in the first place.
So, sure, the weeds might diefor now, but they'll be back
unless you enrich the soil.
You plant new things, you pullthem out by the root.
And you tend to the ecosystemitself.
(11:41):
So let's talk about the threebig reasons that this kill and
restrict approach fails.
Number one, if it isn't alreadyobvious, is it doesn't address
why SIBO developed.
So SIBO is a secondary issue.
You have to ask why did bacteriaovergrow in the first place?
Why didn't the body clear it outnaturally?
(12:01):
This is where my.
North to south digestionframework becomes really
important.
Whether you are a client in ourprograms or you are a
practitioner in my practitionerprograms, I teach this to you.
If you've heard me talk aboutthis before, you know, I always
say you can't fix what'shappening in the small
intestines so south if you don'tsupport what's happening
(12:21):
upstream, north.
So we start at the top.
How's your meal hygiene?
Are you chewing?
Well, can you salivate?
Can you swallow?
Are you eating in a calm state?
Do you have enough stomach acidto break down your food?
Is your bile flowing properly todigest fats?
Is your pancreas releasingenzymes?
How's your liver?
There's so many steps ofdigestion that have to go
(12:44):
correct in order for food toeven end up in your small
intestine.
So because if any of this isgoing wrong, you're sending
undigested food into the smallintestine where it sits, it
ferments, it feeds bacteria,creating the perfect storm for
sibo, which is not what we want.
Problem number two is it starvesgood bacteria too.
(13:04):
So the longer you stay onrestrictive diets like low
FODMAP or whatever it might be.
The lower your microbialdiversity eventually will be
especially important strains orkeystone strains of bacteria
like bifidobacteria.
These are keystone for long-termgut health.
These diets were never meant tobe long-term, and I think that a
lot of people that use thesediets in their practice, they
(13:27):
would agree with me Like, yes,the low FODMAP diet is gonna
help you possibly be lessbloated, but it's not actually
gonna fix the sibo.
It's not gonna kill sibo.
But what happens is a lot ofpeople go to practitioners that
are uneducated about what lowFODMAP is, and then they end up
on these diets for way, way, waytoo long.
(13:48):
So low fodmap.
Was a four to six weeks maxelimination, but we've had
clients come to us who've beenon it for like two plus years.
By then, their gut is sodepleted.
Not of even just the bad stuff,but the very microbes that keep
things in balance to supportyour immune function, your
hormone health, even your mood.
And they just didn't know.
(14:10):
No one told them, do this forfour to six weeks and then you
have to reintroduce.
They were never guidedcorrectly.
Alright, the last problem is itignores the whole body.
Contributors like the nervoussystem, gut motility, even
minerals.
Even the best diet or protocolwill fail if your bowels aren't
moving daily.
(14:30):
If your nervous system is stuckin fight or flight, if you're
depleted in minerals that drivegut motility.
Minerals help your body to makeenergy.
They also help your muscles tocontract.
So if you're really constipatedand your gut muscles can't
contract, then that's a problem.
Your minerals also help you tomake stomach acid and enzymes.
(14:51):
So if your gut isn't moving oryour digestion isn't working
properly upstream, you can doall the killing and restricting
in the world and it's not gonnastick.
And the real trap is clientsoften think that they failed the
protocol.
When in reality the protocolfailed them because it was
actually missing a huge, hugepiece.
So in short, SIBO isn't justabout bacteria.
(15:15):
It's about function.
It's about flow.
It's about balance.
You can't heal the system byattacking one piece of it over
and over again.
Let's talk chat about testingand why.
Testing actually isn'teverything.
I love testing.
Sometimes when it's for theright reasons.
So I know so many of you'rewondering like, okay, this
(15:36):
sounds like me.
Do I need to be tested for SIBObefore I start working on this?
The truth is sibo breath testingcan be helpful, but it's very
far from perfect as many testsare.
So here's how it works.
You drink a sugar solution,usually lactulose or glucose,
the sugar is gonna move throughyour digestive tract.
If bacteria in your smallintestine are fermenting,
(15:57):
they'll produce a gas.
So hydrogen methane, sometimeshydrogen sulfide, you breathe
into a tube every 15 to 20minutes over a few hours to
measure the gas levels.
So it sounds reallystraightforward, right?
But there's a lot of things thatcan skew the results, and
there's a lot of limitations.
Number one is that there's a lotof false positives that are
common, especially if you areconstipated.
(16:19):
If you're constipated, you havesluggish motility.
The sugar solution can sitlonger in the small intestine.
This gives bacteria more time toferment.
It can read to it, it can,create a positive in gas
readings that suggest sibo, evenif it's not actually that
significant.
And then even small things liketoothpaste can affect the
(16:39):
outcome.
If you.
Accidentally swallow toothpastethe day of the collection or eat
something off planned during theprep period.
You have to follow a strictdiet.
It can throw things off, so canexercise.
Alcohol, not spacing it.
I mean, so many things canaffect this.
And then flatline results can bemisleading as well.
Sometimes you'll get the testresults back and it's just all
(17:00):
high.
So that is, it can either be allhigh or it can be all low.
It's what we call a flat line.
That might mean the test wasn'tperformed correctly.
It could point to hydrogensulfide sibo, which most tests
don't measure besides the triosSmart, like I mentioned.
And then actually many peoplewith classic SIBO symptoms have
(17:21):
negative tests.
We've seen clients with bloatingafter.
all the meals, especially ifthey're like super bloated by
the end of the day,constipation, fatigue and their
breath tests were normal, butthey responded beautifully.
Once we address their gutenvironment, motility upstream,
and it might, it still might nothave even been sibo, it might
just be Libo, which is largeintestinal bacterial overgrowth
(17:43):
and, yeah.
So I mean, if you wanna do atest, great.
It can be really helpful,especially if hydrogen sulfide
is present.
If you have sulfur smelling gas,that can be helpful to know.
So while testing can offerclues, it's not the whole story.
You don't have to do a test.
I think that it's better tospend your money on other tests,
which we'll get into.
(18:04):
So you don't wanna get overlyfocused on.
If you have it or if you don't.
Just because there's so manyvariables.
So together, like looking at aGI map, which is gonna look at
your large intestine, youroverall microbial balance, how
you're digesting inflammation,it's just you're gonna get a lot
more bang for your buck ifyou're trying to decide where to
(18:26):
put your finances.
Versus doing another SIBO testor even an HTMA is gonna look at
mineral imbalances that oftendrive slow motility poor detox.
We see a lot of our clients withchronic SIBO respond super well
to minerals because their bodiesare just so starved and
depleted.
So together, I think those canpaint a better picture of what's
(18:46):
going on, especially if youhaven't responded to typical
SIBO treatment.
So if you've been holding off,you know, taking action until
you get that diagnosis, you canstart healing without a test
because we really need to figureout why you have the SIBO or
potential SIBO in the firstplace.
So let's talk about why the gutwould be vulnerable to sibo.
(19:09):
Like I mentioned, it's theresult often of something not
working.
It's the red flag, not the root.
Sibos, the, not the root cause.
It's the result of something inthe gut environment that has
become vulnerable.
Normal functions like digestion,motility, microbial balance are
no longer being properlysupported.
So instead of asking, how do Ikill the sibo, the better
(19:33):
question is what allowed it toget here in the first place?
So let's talk about the firstone, which we commonly see,
which is.
Slow gut motility.
This is one of the mostoverlooked root causes,
especially if you have methanedominant or constipation.
When your digestive system slowsdown, food sits too long in the
small intestine and bacteriathat are supposed to be swept
(19:55):
downstream, start fermentingstart fermenting leftover
leftovers, for lack of a betteranalogy.
And then you get gas, you getbloating, you get overgrowth.
So the question is why the slowmotility, chronic stress can
shut down the vagus nerve, whichis key in keeping things moving.
Low thyroid function slowseverything, including digestion.
(20:16):
We commonly see that mineralimbalances, like I mentioned, so
especially like low potassium,low sodium, often cobalt.
These often show up on testing.
We often see this as a hugereason why so many of our
clients can't move the needleeven after trying everything.
So a helpful analogy I like touse is if your gut is the
(20:37):
freeway and the bacteria arecars, slow motility is like.
Traffic at a standstill.
So bacteria that are supposed topass through, just pile up, and
it's not just hydrogen sibo,methane gas in particular slows
motility even more, creatingjust a really vicious cycle,
which is why constipation is sostubborn.
(21:00):
When you have intestinal methantigen overgrowth,'cause the
gas itself is making thingsworse.
The next root cause that weoften see is low stomach acid.
Your stomach is supposed to actlike an acid bath, breaking down
food, neutralizing pathogens,triggering bile and enzyme
release.
But if you're low, food isn'tbroken down, it's easier for
(21:20):
pathogens to grow like h pylori.
And then that undigested foodbecomes a fermentable fuel for
bacteria farther down the line.
So again, stomach acid is anorth to south trigger.
If that's not working,everything downstream suffers.
And again, minerals matter.
You need zinc, you needchloride, you need sodium to
(21:40):
even make stomach acid in thefirst place.
Another reason is poor bile flowor pancreatic output.
Like I mentioned my daughtercalled the gallbladder a water
gun.
It kind of really is like that.
Um, even if you don't have agallbladder, you really, even
more than that, need to focus onB flow.
When bile and enzymes aren'treleased, fats and proteins go
(22:02):
undigested.
This can really affect bloatingand things after meals.
Poor bile flow is often a resultof low stomach acid, again, the
north to south connection,sluggish liver function,
dehydration, of course, mineraldepletion.
This is why we don't just giveenzymes.
We need to look at what'scausing it.
(22:24):
The next one that I wanna talkabout is post-infectious IBS or
food poisoning.
If you've ever had foodpoisoning even years ago, you
may have developed what's calledpost-infectious IBS, and what's
wild is according to Dr.
Ruscio.
About one in nine people who getfood poisoning go on to develop
IBS and SIBO is one of the mostcommon outcomes.
(22:45):
So that's because the immuneresponse to food poisoning can
damage a key part of yourmigrating motor complex.
So that's kind of like thatcleanup crew that moves bacteria
and waste through your smallintestine.
And when that wave getsdisrupted, overgrowth can take
over.
Another one that can be trickyis adhesions or scar tissue.
(23:06):
This one gets missed all thetime.
If you've had C-sections, if youhave endometriosis, an
appendectomy, or even chronicinflammation in the gut.
You might have scar tissue oradhesions that physically block
movement in the intestine.
And in these cases, visceraltherapy or manual work can work.
Obviously if you haveendometriosis, then there's lots
(23:28):
of other things involved withthat.
Pelvic floor PT can beincredibly helpful and so you
often need an alternativeprovider on your team in that
case.
And then the last one that Iwanna bring up today is, are
actually two more and they kindof go together.
One is mineral depletion.
This is a big one, especiallyfor women who are burnt out.
(23:50):
Exhausted, been doing thisforever.
You cannot heal a gut thatdoesn't have the raw materials
to function Often.
On htma, we see low sodium andpotassium, which causes sluggish
motility, poor hydration.
We see low cobalt, which can gohand in hand with B12 deficiency
and nerve dysfunction, and.
(24:11):
Stomach acid issues, we oftensee high calcium.
This can be a stress pattern.
It can also impact how much yourbowels move, and then low
magnesium.
This can cause tension.
It can cause constipation.
Poor enzyme activation.
So again, back to the gardenanalogy, you can't grow
anything.
Even good bacteria, if the soilis dried out and depleted, you
(24:33):
need minerals to rebuild theterrain.
To fuel motility to regulateyour nervous system, which is
the next thing.
And the last thing I'm gonnatalk about and then drive
detoxification.
The last one, and probably themost not popular one, is a
dysregulate, a dysregulatednervous system.
You really cannot heal your gutin a state of chronic fight or
(24:55):
flight.
And hear me when I say I totallyget it.
I've been there.
I still catch myself.
It's very hard to live in a, uh,just.
A regulated way, your vagusnerve controls digestion.
So when your body is constantlyin stress mode, whether you have
a high stress job, whether youhave kids, whether you just
(25:17):
never have downtime, whetheryou're just an easily
overwhelmed person, digestionliterally shuts down.
Stomach acid drops, motilityslows, inflammation goes up.
So this is why we spend so muchtime helping our clients.
Focus on stress, resilience,anchor in safety before meals
regulate their nervous systems.
We've even brought in a nervoussystem coach now in our program
(25:39):
who's doing monthly sessions tohelp our clients identify where
they're getting stuck, how theirself-talk is affecting them, and
kind of how they can supporttheir nervous system.
So the bottom line is SIBO isn'tthe problem.
It's your gut and your bodyraising its hand saying, Hey,
something else isn't workinghere, and this has happened as a
(26:01):
result.
So the only way truly out ofthis cycle is to zoom out and
actually listen.
So the goal is to balance yourgut.
It's not just about bacteria.
So we don't wanna ask thequestion, how do I kill the
sibo?
It's, why did it show up here?
And how do I change thisenvironment?
So one of the most importantmindset shifts I wanna leave you
(26:24):
with, that so many of ourclients come to us with,
especially after multiple roundsof antibiotics or even
antimicrobials.
Is they often say I, I feltbetter for a little while, but
it always came back.
And the reason is becausethey're focusing only on killing
bacteria and never really onrestoring the gut environment.
(26:46):
You can't just empty your house,you have to rebuild it.
We have to rebuild digestivefunction from top.
Down, starting with your brain,your nervous system, how your
body responds to stress andhealing is not about controlling
every food or even running testafter test.
It's about creating internalconditions where your gut can
(27:08):
actually function again.
So we wanna focus on supportingmotility that looks like daily
bowel movements, nervous systemregulation, minerals, gentle
movement.
We wanna replenish minerals.
We want to.
Add in mineral rich foods, wewanna use mineral mocktails, or
even custom mineral blends for alot of our clients because they
(27:28):
fuel every part of digestion.
We want to repopulate microbes.
We're gonna introduce prebioticfoods gradually.
We're gonna add targetedprobiotics when it's
appropriate.
We're gonna build diversity andresilience in your gut.
We wanna add in stress andnervous system regulation.
So that can be vagus nerveactivation, that can be breath
work, grounding nervous systemtools, eating in a relaxed
(27:51):
state, sleep and safety, andthen improve the gut terrain.
So this is the foundation.
Think of it like your soilhealth.
Hydration, sleep, bile flow,joy, connection, purpose, even
pleasure can support digestion.
And that could be silly thingslike watching a movie that you
like, finding downtime.
(28:11):
And yes, this takes time.
It's really easy to think oh, Ihave gut issues.
I just need to fix them, andthen I'll never have to deal
with gut issues again.
But the reality is, your gutjourney is exactly that.
It's a journey.
It's not a destination.
And so we want to develop habitsand foundations that you can do
for the rest of your life.
(28:33):
Uh, we don't wanna just focus onwhat you need to take and get it
over with.
It's about how you live, how younourish yourself, how you
support the systems that helpyou to feel your best and keep
you well.
So hopefully you're getting fromthis that you might not need
another round of SIBO treatment.
(28:54):
Right now you need to understandyour why.
Then you can fix the sibo.
We do SIBO protocols all thetime, but not until we've
identified all the missingpieces and all the root causes.
We don't wanna follow thestandard approach because we're
gonna end up in the same place.
And.
The definition of insanity isdoing the same thing over and
(29:15):
over again with not any betterof results.
So you need a whole body rootcause strategy that rebuilds
from the top down.
And when you do that, you reallystop managing symptoms and you
finally start to heal.
So in the next episode wherewe're talking about sibo, we are
going to dig into a little bitmore about SIBO treatments, et
(29:37):
cetera.
But here's your next step.
If you're listening andthinking, this is me, I've done
all the protocols and nothingsticks, you have two things that
I'm gonna leave you with.
Number one is our free quiz.
We have a free quiz that issimple and short and will help
you uncover.
What is not working digestionwise and what could be driving
(29:58):
your symptoms behind the scenes?
It takes about two minutes.
You'll get a action plan afterwith some resources that is
completely free, so you can dothat.
Or if you're ready to just getpersonalized support, you can
apply for one-on-one supportthrough the program.
We'll use advanced testing likethe GI Map and the HTMA to
(30:19):
tailor your plan from day one.
And just a quick note on that,the investment for Gut together
is increasing on August 1st.
Unfortunately, lab costs havejust continued to go up, so if
you've been thinking aboutapplying, now is the time.
Apply before August 1st, andyou'll lock in our current
price, even if you choose astart date a couple days after
(30:42):
that.
So get on my calendar if you'dlike to chat through your case
and we can make sure it's a goodmutual fit and see about working
together.
So.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday.
If you found this helpful, I'dlove a rating and review.
That's the best way to sharethis show, especially because we
(31:03):
are a small show.
We have less than a hundredepisodes, and the way that
people find it is throughratings and reviews.
So share it with someone.
Leave a rating and review.
If you send me a screenshot,I'll send you something.
You just have to email yourreview to our support.
Which I'll put in the shownotes.
So thanks for tuning in and seeyou on the next episode.
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