Gut Issues & Digestive Disorders
In functional medicine, the gut is viewed as a dynamic system that can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including diet, lifestyle, environmental toxins, stress, medications, and genetics. By addressing the root causes of gut dysfunction, functional medicine practitioners aim to restore balance and promote optimal health and well-being.
The Cause
Do You Know What’s Causing Your Gut Issues?
If you’ve been struggling with gut issues for six months or more, you likely haven’t discovered the root cause of your gut issues. Yes, you might have a diagnosis. You might even be on medications. But guess what? Most modern medicine does not treat the causes of gut issues.
Your prescription is most likely managing symptoms. Your imbalanced gut is causing bloating, cramps, and gas. And your medication is simply reducing these side effects.
Your Solution
Achieve Digestive Health
At Longevity Health Institute, our team conducts extensive testing to determine what’s going on with your gut on a cellular level. Whether your microbiome is off-kilter or your stomach lining is compromised, we will determine what’s happening with your body.
This method can reverse and restore several conditions, for example:
Irritable bowel syndrome
Ulcerative colitis
Dyspepsia
Ulcers
Reflux
Food allergies
Crohn’s disease
Hemorrhoids
SIBO
Leaky Gut
Colitis (infections and autoimmune)
Esophagitis
Barret's Disease
Understanding The Issue
What is the Gut?
Before deciding on whether or not you need a gut treatment plan from one of our clinics in Bingham Farms and Rochester, it’s important to understand what we mean when we talk about the gut. It’s much more than your stomach. It’s a complex ecosystem that involves the gut microbiome, immune system, and nervous system.
The gut is a critical gateway between the external environment and the internal workings of the body. It plays a crucial role in regulating the balance between health and disease by controlling the absorption of nutrients and the elimination of waste, as well as by modulating the immune system and influencing the brain’s function through the gut-brain axis.
Strategies for Healing Your Gut for Good
Analyzing
Testing
In the case of gut issues, functional medicine practitioners may use various advanced testing methods to assess the gut's health and identify any underlying imbalances or dysfunctions. These may include extensive lab testing, for example, comprehensive stool analysis, food sensitivity testing, microbiome analysis, and blood tests to evaluate nutrient levels and markers of inflammation. Functional medicine practitioners can use these tests to develop a targeted treatment plan that addresses the root causes of gut issues and promotes healing and optimal function.
Dietary Changes
Nutrition Coaching
Nutrition is a crucial factor in gut health, and functional medicine practitioners often provide nutrition coaching as part of their treatment approach. By working with a registered dietitian or nutritionist, patients can learn how to make dietary changes that support gut health, such as eliminating trigger foods, increasing fiber intake, and adding probiotic-rich foods to their diet. Nutrition coaching may also involve the use of supplements or herbal remedies to support gut healing and improve digestion.
Changing Your Habits
Lifestyle Changes
In addition to dietary changes, functional medicine practitioners may also recommend lifestyle modifications to improve gut health. This may include stress reduction techniques, such as meditation or yoga, as stress can disrupt gut function and contribute to digestive issues. Other lifestyle changes may include increasing physical activity, improving sleep habits, and reducing exposure to environmental toxins, which can also impact gut health. By addressing these lifestyle factors, functional medicine practitioners can support gut healing and promote overall health and wellness.
Underlying Factors
Medication Assessment
Some medications, such as antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), can disrupt the gut microbiome and contribute to digestive issues. Functional medicine practitioners may assess a patient’s medication use and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate medications that may be contributing to gut dysfunction. In some cases, alternative therapies, such as herbal remedies or nutritional supplements, may be used to address symptoms and promote gut healing without the use of conventional medications.
Discover the Amazing Power of Functional Medicine
Healing Transformation
