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(0:00) Introduction to gut health and Alessi Total Care Program (2:01) Overview of gut health and its significance (3:41) Anatomy, function, and the gut-brain axis (7:12) Symptoms and patterns of gut dysfunction (16:25) Diagnostic tests for gut issues (24:50) Healing the gut with the five R protocol (34:07) Listener engagement and closing remarks00:00:00
It's ground zero.
00:00:01
It's not just where food goes to get digestion.
00:00:03
It's it's ground zero for immune activity, inflammation control, nutrient absorption.
00:00:08
Right?
00:00:09
When gut function breaks down, it's not just your digestion that suffers, it's your brain,
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your skin, your hormones, energy.
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They all take a hit.
00:00:18
Welcome to Health Decode, your number one source for real health information with your
00:00:22
host, doctor Alessi and Matt Tack.
00:00:28
Hey Health Decoded listeners.
00:00:30
Doctor.
00:00:30
Alessi here.
00:00:31
Let me ask you a serious question.
00:00:33
Are you tired of waiting until something goes wrong to finally see a doctor?
00:00:38
At Alessi Functional Health, we take a different approach.
00:00:41
The right approach.
00:00:43
We believe true healthcare isn't about chasing symptoms, it's about preventing them in the
00:00:48
first place.
00:00:49
That's why we created the Alessi Total Care Program.
00:00:53
This is a functional medicine based membership that gives you proactive, proactive,
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personalized care year round.
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You'll get access to comprehensive blood work and functional testing, custom doctor grade
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nutraceuticals, deep discounts on labs, protocols, and follow ups, as well as twenty
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four seven direct access to your doctor, not just a ten minute checkup that ends with
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another prescription.
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And here's the best part.
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As a Health Decoded listener, you'll get your first three months completely free when you
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sign up for an annual membership.
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That's on top of hundreds in savings already built into the program.
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This is your chance to take responsibility for your health and join a movement that's
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redefining what primary care should look like.
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Head on over to alessifunctionalhealth.com, click on our services tab, and go to Total
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Care.
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Learn more about this program and claim your exclusive podcast listener offer.
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Your health is your greatest asset.
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Let's protect it proactively.
00:01:57
Welcome back to another episode of Health Decoded.
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I am your host, doctor Alessi.
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And your cohost, Matt Tack.
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Matt Tack.
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What's going on, brother?
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Man, a lot of really good things.
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Excited to dive into this episode, on gut health and, protecting my gut at the end of the
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day.
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I know that's, one of the most important things you can do for your body.
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But what's been new with you?
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Not much, man.
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We're just getting very busy with the clinic and the new things we're adding.
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So it's almost like one of those things where every day that we're building out new systems,
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then another thing comes up that I was like, oh, we should do this.
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It's like, oh, we should add this.
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So I feel like we're I don't want to say like behind on stuff, but it's like always like
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we're never caught up.
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And I think that's just the nature of having so many things going on, but it's all good stuff.
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So nothing to complain about obviously.
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Yeah.
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It's the nature of the vision.
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That's right, man.
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I always love these mornings where we get to sit down and chat and just kind of give some
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value to the listeners here and to our community.
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And, you know, specifically today, we this one was something that we talked about wanting to
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to get some real nitty gritty on gut health in particular.
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We addressed this in a lot of the past episodes in other ways, but more on like a surface
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level.
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So we're going to get into it today.
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And so this is going to be a good topic that I think people are going to get a lot of value
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out.
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So you know, if gut health is something you're interested in learning more about, if you have
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gut issues or know someone who has listened to this episode, I think it's going to really
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change your perspective as well as give you some actionable things that you can do to
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improve your gut.
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Yeah.
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Well, let's jump right in.
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And the question is then, what is the gut?
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Really?
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And here it is.
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Your gut isn't just a digestive pipe.
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It's an highly intelligent dynamic ecosystem spanning about 30 feet in length.
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It includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, liver,
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and your gallbladder.
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But the true star of the show, the gut microbiome, a complex community of over a
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hundred million microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea.
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So together, these microbes form a symbiotic relationship with us, meaning they rely on us
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for nutrients and we rely on them for everything from digestion to immune system.
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So, let's go ahead and break this down a little bit further.
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The small intestine, specifically the ileum, is most nutrients absorb occurs, right?
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And it's lined with villi and microvilli, tiny finger like projections that increase surface
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area and interact directly with food and microbes.
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So the large intestine, the colon, houses the majority of your microbes who ferment fibers
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into beneficial short chain fatty acids, like butyrate, which help reduce inflammation and
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feed the cell lining in your colon.
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The enteric nervous system, often called the second brain, contains over 100
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neurons, more than the spinal cord itself.
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This system allows the gut to function semi independently from the brain and even produce
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its own neurotransmitters.
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Now here's why it's so important and some key stats.
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So 70 to 80% of the immune system is located in the gut, particularly within gut associated
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lymphoid tissue, G A L T.
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This immune tissue is constantly sampling food, microbes, and toxins to determine what's friend
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or foe.
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So your microbiome influences over 90% of your serotonin production, one of your most
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important mood regulating neurotransmitters.
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There are more microbial genes in your body than human genes.
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And get this.
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So in fact, your microbiome outnumbers your human DNA by 150 to one in terms of gene count.
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That's how influential it is.
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So another key function in the gut is the gut brain access.
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Now here it is.
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The gut brain access is a bi directional communication network lining the emotional and
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cognitive centers of the brain with the enteric nervous system.
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This communication occurs via number one, the vagus nerve, which is your cranial nerve 10,
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your cytokines, which are the inflammatory messengers that respond to infection,
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neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine that signal the brain in the microbial
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byproducts like short chain fatty acids.
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So here's what's fascinating, is that the gut sends more signals to the brain than the brain
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sends to the gut.
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Meaning how you feel mentally can often be traced back to what's going on in your gut and
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why it is truly your second brain.
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Here's a quote from Nature Reviews Immunology in 2020: Disruptions in gut microbiota are
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associated with inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
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So, let's get to the fun part.
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Here's a fun fact that you may not know: Your body has over 30 human cells,
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but you carry an estimated 39 bacterial cells.
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In other words, you are more bacteria than even human.
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So another amazing thing you need to know about your gut is the gut barrier.
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The lining of the gut is only one cell layer thick, About the width of a human hair.
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It's designed to be selectively permeable, letting in nutrients while keeping pathogens
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and toxins out.
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But when this lining is damaged due to inflammation, stress, poor diet, it becomes
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leaky, allowing harmful substances to enter your bloodstream, triggering inflammation and
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autoimmune responses system wide.
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We've discussed this in previous episodes, but here's the takeaway.
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If your gut is inflamed, your whole body is inflamed.
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That's why gut health is starting the starting point for fixing everything else.
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Energy, mood, hormones, immune function, skin, metabolism, everything lies, ties back to
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health and the balance of your microbiome.
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Yeah, man.
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That's such a good overview of the gut.
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And you know, now it's like, okay, now we know what it is, right?
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And listeners have an idea.
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Now, how do we know if there's something wrong?
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That's always the next question.
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So let's get into like, how do you know if you have some kind of gut issue or problem with
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your gut?
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And really it's going to be the symptoms.
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So one of the most overlooked truths in medicine is really that if your symptoms are
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happening everywhere, you need to start with your gut.
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That's just what we talked about.
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It's ground zero.
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It's not just where food goes to get digestion.
00:09:09
It's ground zero for immune activity, inflammation control, nutrient absorption,
00:09:13
right?
00:09:13
When gut function breaks down, it's not just your digestion that suffers, it's your brain,
00:09:18
your skin, your hormones, energy, they all take a hit.
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So, let's talk about what are some of the common symptoms of gut dysfunction and what you
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should be on the lookout for.
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So, most people assume gut issues are going to equal things like gas, bloating, or IBS.
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And while this is true, the signs also go much deeper and they can show up in places you
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wouldn't expect.
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So, some of the digestive symptoms that you're going to experience would be bloating,
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belching, gas, constipation or diarrhea, and even reflux.
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However, deeper symptoms that could associate with gut dysfunction that people might not
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expect are things like cognitive and mood symptoms.
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So, brain fog and fatigue, poor memory, anxiety and depression.
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Oftentimes skin symptoms are a big indicator of gut dysfunction.
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Things like acne, eczema, psoriasis or rosacea, which is basically red coloring.
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And then immune and hormone dysregulation.
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Things like Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, these are autoimmune conditions.
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Infertility, weight gain, and PMS, these can all be linked back to the gut.
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So the connection is when your gut is inflamed, your immune system becomes overactive leading
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to systemic inflammation and autoimmune risk.
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So now let's talk about the big four gut dysfunction patterns, what they are and then
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how they show up.
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So number one, and this is something we see a lot in our clinic and we treat a lot of
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patients for is leaky gut or intestinal permeability, right?
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And you just talked about how the gut lining is just one cell layer thick.
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It's very skinny and it allows for certain things to come in and then other things to not
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come in.
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It's selectively permeable.
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So normally your gut lining is a tightly sealed barrier made of those epithelial cells linked
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together by what are called tight junctions.
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But when it gets inflamed, those tight junctions can loosen creating microscopic holes
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that now allow toxins, bacteria, and undigested food particles into the bloodstream.
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This triggers activation of the immune system and can lead to autoimmune conditions, things
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like Hashimoto's, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.
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It also can lead to brain inflammation, which will obviously manifest such as mood disorders
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and anxiety.
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And it can lead to worsening of food sensitivities.
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So as the body starts to mount responses to those food particles, it's going to increase
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those sensitivities as well.
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Some of the more common triggers for this are going to be things like gluten, alcohol, non
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steroidal anti inflammatories like ibuprofen.
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Stress is a big one.
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Processed foods and antibiotics.
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So there was a study done in clinical reviews in allergy and immunology in 2019, which
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basically said increased intestinal permeability is directly linked autoimmune
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disease, IBS and chronic fatigue.
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So basically proven that when you're having this intestinal permeability, are going be at
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more risk for those things.
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So the next one is SIBO, which stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
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So SIBO occurs when bacteria that should stay in the large intestine overgrows back into the
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small intestine.
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The small intestine is where nutrient absorption takes place.
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And so, what happens is those bacteria start to ferment your food too early, which will often
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look like gas and bloating, especially after eating carbohydrates or fibers.
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This can then lead to nutrient malabsorption.
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Malabsorption of things like B12 and iron.
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And so, if those are often low on blood work associated with gut issues, we're thinking
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things like SIBO.
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This can also manifest like constipation or diarrhea.
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And then obviously intolerance to fiber and prebiotics because of that symptom associated
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with digesting those things.
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So, SIBO is often a hidden cause of IBS in about seventy percent of cases.
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And it's often overlooked because why?
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Well, Western medicine doctors often don't even recognize it.
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They don't consider it an actual thing.
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And so, you know, it's already, that's the confusing part is that it's shown to have been
00:13:34
proven as this is real.
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People deal with this all the time.
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This is something we help people with all the time.
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However, there's just this disconnect between Western medicine and functional medicine.
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And so next on the list here is Candida overgrowth.
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What Candida is, is a yeast that is naturally existing in the gut, but when it overgrows,
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usually due to excess sugar intake or antibiotics or even low stomach acid, it's
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going to cause you to crave sugar.
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It's going to cause fatigue, brain fog, and then you can even get this what's called oral
00:14:06
thrush or basically like a white coating on your tongue and that's the yeast forming.
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And so then this also can manifest like recurring yeast infections.
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So Candida can worsen leaky gut symptoms and then it can down regulate your immune system as
00:14:20
well.
00:14:21
And then number four on this list is one that's maybe more obscure, but also more common than
00:14:27
people think.
00:14:27
And this is parasite infections.
00:14:30
It's not just a third world problem anymore.
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Parasites can easily be picked up from things like undercooked food, contaminated water, or
00:14:38
if you're traveling abroad.
00:14:40
But also from things that are close to home like having pets in the home, right?
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If the pets are outside in the dirt and they're eating things and then they're not properly
00:14:48
cleaned that hygiene, right?
00:14:49
And so once inside the parasites can hijack your nutrients and they can start to pre digest
00:14:55
food that your body should be digesting.
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This can cause inflammation and it can damage your gut lining as well.
00:15:02
Some major symptoms are going to look like chronic bloating and diarrhea, night sweats,
00:15:08
things like nutrient deficiencies, anemia and weight loss.
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And then obviously persistent fatigue as well.
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Like your body is trying to get the nutrition and energy it needs, but it can't because it's
00:15:19
being hijacked.
00:15:21
And so remember the mind body connection that Matt just talked about.
00:15:24
When you have a disrupted gut microbiome, it can alter the gut brain axis as well, which
00:15:30
contributes to those mood disorders.
00:15:32
Studies show that patients with depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue often have elevated
00:15:37
markers of leaky gut and inflammation in the bloodstream.
00:15:41
So essentially, inflammation in the gut is going to directly equal inflammation in the
00:15:45
brain.
00:15:45
The two go hand in hand.
00:15:47
So what's the takeaway here?
00:15:49
If you have symptoms that are scattered, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, skin rashes,
00:15:54
hormonal imbalance, you don't want to go chasing each one of these individually with a
00:15:59
different thing, right?
00:16:00
People often just throw some cream on an eczema.
00:16:02
They start taking some SSRIs for anxiety and depression.
00:16:05
But often they're linked to your gut.
00:16:07
So that's where you want to start.
00:16:09
So it's not just about what you eat, but it's about what you absorb and what your microbiome
00:16:14
then does with it.
00:16:16
So healing the gut will create a ripple effect throughout the body.
00:16:19
And that's really our approach at Alessi Functional Health is getting to the root cause.
00:16:24
So now let's do this.
00:16:25
Let's talk about what specific tests we can use to get to the bottom of your symptoms and then
00:16:31
ultimately heal them for good.
00:16:33
But real quick, before Matt gets into that, let's take a quick word from one of our
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sponsors.
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Now back to the episode.
00:18:02
And welcome back.
00:18:03
So here we go.
00:18:04
How to test your gut and stop all the guesswork.
00:18:08
You can't fix what you don't measure.
00:18:11
While symptoms give us clues, advanced gut testing gives us the actual blueprint of what's
00:18:17
going wrong inside your digestive system.
00:18:21
Without it, you're guessing, and guessing leads to wasted time, money, and frustration.
00:18:26
Think of it like this: If your car starts making some strange noises, would you guess
00:18:32
what's wrong?
00:18:34
Or plug it into a diagnostic system?
00:18:36
Or take it to a mechanic, right?
00:18:38
Let's break down the most accurate, functional, clinical, useful tests that provide real
00:18:43
answers, not just the labels.
00:18:46
One.
00:18:48
Comprehensive stool test.
00:18:51
This is the gold standard for analyzing your entire digestive ecosystem.
00:18:56
A high quality test like the ones we use at Alessi Functional Health evaluate these
00:19:00
different factors.
00:19:01
Number one, bacterial balance, both good and harmful strains.
00:19:07
Opportunistic pathogens.
00:19:11
E.
00:19:11
Coli, cholesterol, three.
00:19:18
Yeast and fungal overgrowth Parasites Digestive capacity Immune markers Inflammation markers So
00:19:36
what these tests tell us, whether your microbiome is inflamed, if you're absorbing
00:19:43
nutrients, and if there's something foreign causing damage like parasites or even yeast.
00:19:50
So here's a quote from Frontiers of Microbiology in 2021 that said, stool DNA tests
00:19:58
are a reliable method to evaluate microbiota diversity and pathogenic overgrowth.
00:20:06
So here we go into a second test, zonulin or lactulose mannitol test, which is your leaky
00:20:15
gut panel.
00:20:16
And these are functional markers of intestinal permeability.
00:20:20
So, as Doctor.
00:20:20
Alessi mentioned, that small, skinny, hair like feature that is our gut, right?
00:20:28
So, zonulin is a protein that regulates tight junctions in your gut lining.
00:20:34
Evaluating zonulin equals likely a leaky gut.
00:20:41
Lactulose mannitol test involves drinking sugars and measuring their appearance and
00:20:46
urine.
00:20:47
If large sugars appear, your gut lining is too porous.
00:20:53
These tests are essential if you have: Autoimmunity Food sensitivities Brain fog or
00:21:01
fatigue after eating, and chronic joint pain or skin flares.
00:21:07
Here we go with another one and our third one, a food sensitivity testing.
00:21:13
So these panels, unlike true unlike true food allergies, which are IgE responses, these tests
00:21:22
are look at delayed immune responses.
00:21:25
When your gut barrier is compromised, the food proteins leak into your bloodstream and trigger
00:21:30
immune functions hours or even days later.
00:21:35
The most common reactive foods are number one, gluten, Number two, dairy.
00:21:41
Number three, eggs.
00:21:43
Number four, soy.
00:21:44
And number five, corn.
00:21:45
So here's a tip.
00:21:47
Elimination diets work but often take months or longer, and this test can fast track what to
00:21:53
remove and for how long.
00:21:57
Here's another test, DUTCH or the organic acid testing.
00:22:01
Well, not direct gut tests, but both can reveal secondary signs of gut dysfunction.
00:22:07
Organic acid test, also known as oat, shows yeast and fungal overgrowth bacterial
00:22:13
fermentation markers, and nutrient deficiencies caused by dysbiosis.
00:22:19
Your Dutch hormone test, the measurable cortisol, chronic stress weakens the gut
00:22:25
lining, and estrogen metabolism is gut health effects, estrogen clearance.
00:22:32
So you want those two to level out.
00:22:35
These are especially helpful if symptoms go beyond digestion, like fatigue, hormonal
00:22:39
imbalance, or even mood changes if you're seeing those.
00:22:42
And here's why all this matters, right?
00:22:45
So most people go years treating surface symptoms, gas, acne, fatigue with over the
00:22:52
counter meds or diets, never realizing their microbiome imbalance at the root.
00:22:59
And a single round of antibiotics or chronic stress can disrupt your microbiome for months
00:23:05
or even years.
00:23:07
So testing allows you to do three things: identify which bacteria are missing or
00:23:13
overgrown, see if you have leaky gut or inflammation, and then tailor your nutrition
00:23:20
and supplementation based on your biology.
00:23:24
So here's the takeaway.
00:23:25
Don't guess, test.
00:23:28
So whether it's SIBO, candida, parasites, or permeability, gut dysfunction is measurable at
00:23:34
its core.
00:23:35
And it's fixable.
00:23:37
A simple 300 to $500 test may save you thousands of dollars in supplements, wasted
00:23:43
doctor visits, and years of trial and air diets.
00:23:48
You can't heal what you can't see.
00:23:52
So testing gives you the roadmap and not just the symptom list.
00:23:57
Nice, man.
00:23:58
Yeah.
00:23:58
And that's you basically just named kind of what we do as far as testing in in the clinic
00:24:02
at Alessi Functional Health.
00:24:04
We often start with symptoms.
00:24:05
Okay, what are the symptoms that'll tailor us towards what tests we're going to use?
00:24:09
And then usually it looks like starting with the leaky gut and food sensitivity test, those
00:24:14
are the first two most people are going to do.
00:24:16
And then if there's more in-depth, then yes, we'll run a gut gut stool test.
00:24:21
And then on the back end of that, if we need to, if there's more of the hormonal factor,
00:24:24
we'll run the Dutch or the OAT test.
00:24:26
So we have all these different things at our disposal, like you said, to really test it
00:24:31
rather than like, I'm going try a bunch of stuff and see if it works.
00:24:34
I'm going try a bunch of stuff and see if it works.
00:24:36
And then you're years down the line and nothing has changed.
00:24:39
It's like, no, let's just get to the bottom of it right away.
00:24:41
It's quick, it's easy, and now we know.
00:24:44
And so now we know what to look for, what we can do to test for.
00:24:49
Now let's talk about how we fix it, right?
00:24:50
How do we heal the gut?
00:24:52
And so, basically I'm going take you guys through kind of our protocol.
00:24:56
But the thing to know is that the gut can heal, it just takes a plan, not just the guesswork.
00:25:02
And so the most effective functional medicine approach to restoring gut health is really what
00:25:07
we use called the five R protocol.
00:25:09
And so this is a clinically proven framework.
00:25:12
It's helped thousands of patients overcome everything from IBS to autoimmune conditions,
00:25:17
chronic fatigue.
00:25:18
And basically think of it as like a systematic gut renovation.
00:25:22
Tearing down the bad, rebuilding the good, and then stabilizing for long term.
00:25:27
And so what the five R gut protocol looks like, this is the exact protocol we use at Alessi
00:25:32
Functional Health to help hundreds of people restore their gut to health.
00:25:37
So number one, the first R is remove.
00:25:40
So here's where you have to eliminate what's damaging your gut in the first place.
00:25:45
Things like inflammatory foods, gluten, dairy, processed sugars, seed oils, artificial
00:25:50
sweeteners, any foods that would have been elevated IGE or IGG on a food sensitivity test.
00:25:59
Things like pathogens, bacteria, parasites, yeast and mold, all identified through testing.
00:26:04
We need to remove these.
00:26:05
And then a non negotiable with any patient we work with is removing alcohol and then
00:26:10
obviously those over the counter NSAID drugs.
00:26:14
As well as helping them to avoid certain environmental toxins that maybe they're putting
00:26:19
on their body through skin creams or in their home.
00:26:22
So, you can start with like a thirty day elimination diet, cutting out those common
00:26:27
triggers, watching for your symptom improvements like less bloating, clear skin,
00:26:31
better sleep, reduced joint pain.
00:26:34
And kind of a tip to that is making sure you're reading labels, right?
00:26:38
Gluten and sugar are hiding everywhere.
00:26:40
In condiments, in healthy bars, protein bars.
00:26:44
These companies want to sneak these things in there because they're cheaper and they can
00:26:47
increase the value of that product, but it's ultimately not healthy even if it says healthy
00:26:52
on on the label.
00:26:54
So then the second R in the five R's is to now replace.
00:26:58
So now you're going to start supporting your digestive capacity.
00:27:01
So if you're bloated after meals and have undigested food in your stool or you feel full
00:27:06
real quickly, you may not be producing enough stomach acid or digestive enzymes.
00:27:11
This is often where we start with the support of the digestion.
00:27:15
We use things like HCL, which is a crucial stomach acid for protein breakdown and killing
00:27:21
pathogens.
00:27:22
Support with digestive enzymes to help absorb the fats, carbs and proteins that you eat.
00:27:28
As well as things like bile salts to support that fat digestion as well as detox through the
00:27:33
gallbladder.
00:27:34
And so some symptoms of low stomach acid are things like burping or bloating after meals,
00:27:40
acid reflux, and then craving protein.
00:27:44
Now, what we often see and what I see a ton is someone presents with reflux to their primary
00:27:50
care doc or their medical doc, and the doc puts them on like a proton pump inhibitor or like a
00:27:56
Nexium to lower the acid when the problem is not low acid or the problem is not high acid,
00:28:01
it's low acid.
00:28:03
And they're getting those symptoms because the food is not being broken down and it's starting
00:28:07
to ferment and sit in the stomach before going into the small intestine and that's causing a
00:28:13
reflux, that's causing inflammation.
00:28:15
So then they go throwing a proton pump inhibitor on top of that and actually worsens
00:28:19
the problem and starts to make the person very sick.
00:28:22
And so usually someone comes in with that, I say, okay, we're going to stop the proton pump
00:28:26
inhibitor for a week.
00:28:27
We're going to do what's called a baking soda test.
00:28:30
Very simple free test you can do at home.
00:28:32
You take a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, you put it in four ounces of water, first thing in
00:28:36
the morning empty stomach and you drink it.
00:28:39
You should burp within two to three minutes.
00:28:43
Now, if you don't, that means you have low stomach acid and you're not getting that
00:28:47
bicarbonate reaction that causes gas.
00:28:50
So that's an easy test and it's free and we do that for pretty much everyone who is on a
00:28:55
proton pump inhibitor.
00:28:58
And so then what's our number three, right?
00:29:01
We went through remove, replace.
00:29:02
Now we need to re inoculate the gut.
00:29:05
So we're going to start restoring healthy bacteria.
00:29:08
So once the gut has been cleaned out, there's some fasting involved in this protocol as well
00:29:12
to give the gut time to heal.
00:29:15
It's time to now repopulate the beneficial microbes.
00:29:18
So we're going to use things like probiotics, obviously high colony multi strains,
00:29:23
lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, these are the ones that we use to re inoculate the gut.
00:29:28
And then if we did a gut test and we found there was a exorbitantly low in one area, we're
00:29:33
going to obviously pump that up.
00:29:35
And then we're going to use things like prebiotics as well to feed those probiotics.
00:29:40
Fibers like inulin, oligosaccharides, and resistant starch, they're going to feed this
00:29:45
good bacteria.
00:29:46
And then, you know, using foods as well.
00:29:48
We're all about functional foods like fermented veggies, kefir, and then, you know, like
00:29:54
artichoke and green banana.
00:29:55
Obviously, we would avoid the yogurt if someone is dairy intolerant.
00:30:00
And so just real quick, kind of to the point, there's targeted probiotics are going to reduce
00:30:05
leaky gut and systemic inflammation in just four weeks.
00:30:10
This has been proven in the journal Gut Microbes in 2022.
00:30:14
And so we always start slow with the probiotics and prebiotics.
00:30:18
Some people need to obviously address SIBO or Candida before they really start reinoculating
00:30:23
aggressively or else you're just going to refeed that whole process.
00:30:27
And so now number four is repair.
00:30:29
So now that we've got it healed and reinoculated, we're going to rebuild the gut
00:30:33
lining, right?
00:30:34
If you have that leaky gut and that damaged gut lining, we can use certain things like L
00:30:39
glutamine, which is basically gonna fuel those enterocytes, which are the gut cells.
00:30:44
Zinc carnosine heals ulcers and tightens those junctions.
00:30:49
Collagen and bone broth are rich in glycine and proline, which is used for tissue repair.
00:30:54
And then things like aloe vera and deglycinated licorice are going to basically soothe
00:30:59
inflammation, but they can also increase the mucosal lining of the gut.
00:31:04
So here's a tip is drinking warm bone broth daily or taking collagen peptides in smoothies,
00:31:09
right?
00:31:10
Those are easy ways to get those in.
00:31:12
And then the biggest thing is still avoiding alcohol, the NSAIDs which break down and then
00:31:17
processed junk food, which this breaks down the gut lining faster than you can repair it.
00:31:21
Right?
00:31:21
So you're not going to go trying to put out a fire and then be fueling a fire here.
00:31:26
Right?
00:31:26
Makes no sense.
00:31:28
And then so the fifth r and the final one is rebalance.
00:31:31
Right?
00:31:31
So we align the lifestyle with the gut healing.
00:31:35
Your gut doesn't heal in isolation.
00:31:37
Your nervous system, your circadian rhythm, these all play a huge role.
00:31:42
So chronic stress and that elevated cortisol will just return that leaky gut because it's
00:31:47
going to keep breaking things down.
00:31:49
So, we always incorporate lifestyle medicine into our functional medicine practices.
00:31:54
Rebalancing practices look like daily breath work and meditation, five to ten minutes a day.
00:32:00
Making sure you're going to bed and waking up at consistent times, balancing that circadian
00:32:05
rhythm.
00:32:06
Sunlight in the morning, reducing blue light.
00:32:08
And then regular moderate exercise, the zone two cardio that Matt always talks about is how
00:32:13
you're going to really get your body into a calmed balanced nervous system state.
00:32:18
And then strength training as well.
00:32:20
And so sleep is really non negotiable when working with gut dysfunction because deep sleep
00:32:26
is when those gut lining repairs and bacterial rebalancing happens most.
00:32:31
So real quick, just some supplements to consider.
00:32:34
L glutamine for repairing the gut lining, zinc carnosine healing and soothing the
00:32:40
inflammation, a probiotic recolonizes beneficial bacteria, and then the enzymes for
00:32:46
supporting nutrient absorption.
00:32:49
So, we always like to give some real practical tips that we want to leave you guys with.
00:32:53
So, the things you can implement today and start with would be things like cutting gluten,
00:32:58
dairy, and sugar, and alcohol for thirty days.
00:33:01
And see how much better you feel, right?
00:33:03
That will tell you if there's something going on.
00:33:06
Adding fermented foods three to four times a week.
00:33:09
Caveat here is if that makes you feel worse, more than likely a SIBO kind of overgrowth.
00:33:15
Bone broth or collagen powder in smoothies.
00:33:18
Supporting sleep and stress management.
00:33:20
And then professional grade probiotics with high colony counts, 20 to 50.
00:33:26
And so the takeaway, right?
00:33:28
You can heal your gut, but not with half measures.
00:33:31
It's not just about taking a probiotic, it's about consistently layering in the right foods,
00:33:35
supplements, and habits, but in a strategic order.
00:33:40
The five R's are the blueprint to rebuild the gut, and then in turn, rebuild your brain
00:33:45
immunity, energy and overall health.
00:33:48
When you do it correctly and in the proper order, this can be a permanent solution.
00:33:53
That being said, this is a complicated strategy and often difficult for people to implement on
00:33:59
their own without guidance.
00:34:00
So, we always suggest working with a qualified functional medicine doctor who has experience
00:34:05
with treating gut issues.
00:34:07
So, we want to thank you guys for joining us.
00:34:09
We hope this was valuable.
00:34:11
If you want to learn more about functional medicine and the programs that can help you
00:34:15
improve the health of your gut, go to alessifunctionalhealth.com, schedule a
00:34:20
consultation with myself or one of my team members, and let's create a personalized plan
00:34:25
for your gut health.
00:34:26
Listeners of the Health Decoded podcast always get exclusive discounts and price reductions on
00:34:32
all of our protocols and our lab tests.
00:34:34
And as always, if you found today's show, please, please like, subscribe, and share this
00:34:39
episode with someone who needs to hear it.
00:34:41
That's how we grow this message and change more lives.
00:34:45
So and wanna get in touch with us or be featured on an episode, email us at
00:34:50
ask@AlessiFXHealth.com.
00:34:53
And then as always, as doctor Alessi said, you can visit us at AlessiFXHealth.com, sign up for
00:34:59
a newsletter, and check resource pages to learn more about our approach to nutrition and
00:35:04
cutting edge therapies.
00:35:06
Thank you again for tuning in to Health Decoded, where we are breaking down the
00:35:10
science, busting the myths, and helping you take control of your health naturally.
00:35:15
Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and remember your health is in your hands.
00:35:22
Thank you for tuning in to Health Decoded, where we break down the truth about all things
00:35:27
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00:35:31
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00:35:38
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00:35:46
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00:35:51
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00:35:57
Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and remember, your health is in your hands.