A client sent me this message: I just came back from a talk about allergies… the doctor said “there’s no such thing as leaky gut. It’s just a term used by naturopaths to try and sell you something.”😳 Leaky gut or “intestinal hyper-permeability” is very real and there are numerous studies connecting leaky gut with multiple chronic diseases like celiac, Crohn’s, Type 1 diabetes, and IBS to name a few.😵 So what is leaky gut exactly?🤔 Imagine a wooden picket fence. A fence normally has small gaps in between each plank of wood, right? In the GI tract, these are called “tight junctions”. With leaky gut however, the fence has missing planks of wood creating larger gaps between the planks allowing potential trespassers to get through.👎🏻 The digestive system is not only where we digest and absorb food; the intestinal wall also protects us by acting as a barrier, controlling what enters into the bloodstream while blocking the passage of harmful substances, like bacteria and toxins.💪🏼 Small gaps or “tight junctions” allow water and nutrients to pass through. When the tight junctions of the intestinal walls become loose, bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles can enter the bloodstream and cause the immune system to freak out.😲Not good!🙅♀️ Scroll left to see great imagery of “tight junctions” vs. “leaky gut” and how it can lead to systemic inflammation.🚨 What causes leaky gut? LOTS! ✔️Excessive sugar intake ✔️Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (think Ibuprofen, Tylenol) & prescription meds ✔️Excessive alcohol intake ✔️Nutrient deficiencies. Vitamin D is critical. ✔️Chronic inflammation throughout the body – a vicious cycle! ✔️Dysbiosis. Yeast, bacterial, and parasitic overgrowths in the gut can affect barrier function. ✔️Stress! Out of space... Let me know if you want a Part 2.👇🏻 #leakygut #guthealth #healthygut #guthealing #cleaneats #eatrealfood #foodasmedicine #functionalmedicine #healthylifestyle #autoimmunity #autoimmunedisease #holisticmedicine #nutritionaltherapy #nutritionaltherapypractitioner #functionalmedicinecoach #askb 
Have you heard of seed cycling before? I don’t know about you, but no one ever explained to me how our cycle actually works from a hormonal perspective until I studied it.🤓 It’s quite a synchronized yo-yo – and I’m sure many of us at one point or another have felt the ups and downs of hormone imbalance.🙃 From sore breasts to painful, irregular or heavy periods and mood swings – these are just some of the hormonal symptoms we may experience.👎🏻 But even if these are common, don’t mistake that for being “normal”.🙅♀ There’s nothing normal about not being able to hug your husband because your boobs are too sore or being keeled over from cramps!😫 So it’s food therapy to the rescue for me! Seed cycling helps to gently shift hormones back into balance by supporting the key hormones in each phase of the menstrual cycle. 🌟On Days 1 to 14 (the follicular phase), the freshly ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds help support estrogen. I also take good quality fish oil. Day 1 starts on the first day of our flow. 🌟On Days 15 to 28 (the luteal phase), the freshly ground sesame seeds and sunflower seeds help boost progesterone and I switch to evening primrose oil. If you’re tracking your cycle, start after ovulation. The seeds can be mixed into smoothies, sprinkled onto salads or eat them the way I do. Straight up with a bit of water to create an “oatmeal-like” consistency and topped with pomegranate seeds to hide the strong seed flavor.😋 I know seed cycling is not “evidence based”, but seeds are a source of healthy fats and anecdotally works for many, so if you can tolerate them, then why not?💁♀️ Do you seed cycle? Let me know!👇🏻 Please share ❤️ #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonebalancing #hormonetherapy #seedcycling #foodtherapy #seeds #seedrotation #nutritionaltherapy #functionalmedicine #dubainutritionist #dubaiwellness #wellnessdubai #uaehealthawareness #functionalmedicinedubai #askb 
PART 2 with @empoweredautoimmune ⚠️Low ferritin is the first sign of iron depletion and the precursor to more severe iron deficiency anemia. Although it is a source of contention, many experts claim optimal ferritin levels are 70-90 ng/ml for menstruating women.👩🏫 In addition to addressing the root cause, replenishing iron stores can potentially entail the following strategies: ✔️increasing intake of iron-rich foods ✔️iron supplements, or in extreme cases, ✔️receiving intravenous iron infusions, all under your physician’s guidance. The bioavailability of iron is contingent upon the dietary context. ‼️Many common foods, for example, contain compounds which inhibit iron absorption, including: 🍵 Tea (oxalates) ☕ Coffee (tannins, polyphenols) 🍫 Cocoa (polyphenols) 🌱 Soy (phytate) In addition, eating the following vitamin C-rich foods in tandem with iron-rich foods can help enhance iron absorption: Bell pepper Orange Kiwi Grapefruit Broccoli Strawberries Brussel Sprouts Tomato Iron comes in two forms, namely, “heme iron,” found in animals foods 🥩, which is absorbed and used much more efficiently than “non-heme iron” found in plant foods.🌱 Above are the foods to incorporate for restoration of normal iron levels, with emphasis placed on animal sources given their superior bioavailability.💪🏼 🍳Also helpful are cooking in a high quality cast iron skillet and in some cases taking desiccated liver pills from a high quality source, such as pasture-raised grass-fed cows. Timing is also important, as research shows iron taken as a single-dose on alternate days is superior to daily, multi-dose supplementation.⏰ 👉🏻This is due to hepcidin, an iron-binding protein secreted by the liver. When there is a surge of iron from oral supplementation, the body will produce less hepcidin causing the body to absorb less iron as a protective mechanism.🤓 Have you struggled with iron deficiency anemia or low ferritin?👇 
Co-written with @empoweredautoimmune Iron deficiency anemia is quite common unfortunately. It occurs when iron intake and stores are insufficient to support production of the body’s red blood cells, which carry iron-rich proteins known as hemoglobin.🤓 Hemoglobin is responsible for tissue oxygenation--the delivery of oxygen to tissue. Insufficient iron, then, spells disaster, often leading to immense fatigue.😩 In general, excluding hemorrhage, iron deficiency anemia is slow to develop, with a myriad root causes: ☑️Internal bleeding, for example due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or long term aspirin use ☑️Heavy menstrual bleeding, made worse by low thyroid function ☑️Malabsorption, for example, in the form of celiac disease or food sensitivities ☑️Gut dysfunction, such as H. pylori infections leading to hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) which impedes iron absorption ☑️Pathogens, such as parasites & yeast overgrowth which use up iron stores & block absorption ☑️Inflammation, such as mercury toxicity which interferes with iron synthesis ☑️Calcium supplementation or calcium-fortified foods impeding absorption ☑️Long-distance running & intense frequent exercise ☑️Lack of iron in diet ☑️Ingestion of substances which interfere with iron absorption, such as caffeine, antacid medication & dairy ☑️A genetic mutation limiting iron absorption ☑️Low ceruloplasmin & bioavailable copper cause the body to store iron in the liver and brain instead ☑️Some mold mycotoxins can block heme synthesis, a part of our hemoglobin The good news is that iron deficiency anemia is reversible when addressing the root cause, and is easily diagnosed. To test, request the following from your practitioner: 📍Serum Iron 📍Ferritin* 📍Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) 📍Unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) 📍Transferrin saturation percentage *The earliest stage of iron deficiency is the slow depletion of iron stores, or ferritin, so ensure this is included in the panel. Next up... how to replenish low iron levels. Please share❤️ 
If you’re not pooping at least once per day or if it’s a real struggle – you’re constipated.💁♀ Pooping is like taking the trash out every day. If you’re not, bacteria builds-up and toxins can get re-absorbed into circulation.😲 Before reaching for a laxative which can dehydrate & worsen the problem, try these 6 basics instead: ✔️Hydrate: If you drink a lot of coffee & black teas, cut back or drink even more water to rehydrate. ✔️Insoluble fiber: Unlike soluble fiber which adds bulk to your stool (and may worsen the problem), insoluble fiber helps get stool moving along for easy exit. (swipe for examples) ✔️Healthy fats help lubricate your internal pipes and make it easier for stool to move along. Ex. avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. 🥑🥥 ✔️Probiotics: fermented foods are loaded with healthy bacteria – way more than any probiotic supplement – and can help move things along.💪🏼 Ex. kefir, sauerkraut & kimchi. And if you still prefer to supplement, consider one with more Bifidobacteria than Lactobacillus strains. ✔️Magnesium: unless someone has kidney disease, magnesium citrate supplementation is very effective at stimulating bowels and can help replenish insufficient levels.💊 ✔️Exercise: walk, run, dance, jump up and down – any movement will help get the blood circulating, lymphatic system flowing and bowels moving.💃🏻 📍If you’ve tried all of the above and still “stuck”: 👉🏻Visit a gynecologist to rule out uterine misalignment 👉🏻Visit a gastroenterologist to rule out any blockages 👉🏻Ask your doc about medication side effects 👉🏻Consider eliminating common food sensitivities: dairy, gluten, corn, yeast, peas, eggs, certain nuts 👉🏻Rule out hormone imbalances; ex. hypothyroid function, diabetes 👉🏻Consider a comprehensive stool test to check digestive health & microbiome imbalances (Ex: GI Map) Comments/questions?👇🏻 Please tag & share with those who need this.❤️ #Constipation #constipationrelief #constipationremedy #constipationrelief #bowelmovement #guthealth #guthealing #functionalmedicinedubai #dubainutritionist #askb 
Can I just start off by saying – YOU ALL ARE AMAZING!!🤩 After my latest gallbladder posts, the majority of you asked for recipes using bitter greens so I decided to turn this into a collective community post by sharing YOUR submitted recipes.👩🍳👨🍳 And boy did you deliver!! A big thanks to all of you who emailed me. I wish I could have included them all. (Swipe left for recipes) So what’s the big fuss about bitter greens?🤨 Well, they stimulate the taste receptors on the tongue which signals the brain to release digestive juices, including bile, to help with overall digestion and liver/gallbladder health.🙌🏻 And not to mention… they are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and glutathione – our body’s main antioxidant and detoxifier! If you haven’t tried bitter greens yet, I hope these recipes motivate you to give them a try! Definitely a post to save for future reference. Let me know which ones you’re interested in trying.👇🏻 Please share ❤️ #gallbladdersurgery #gallbladderdiet #gallbladderhealth #gallbladderremoval #gallbladder #gallbladderproblems #cholecystectomy #gallbladderstones #bile #saveyourgallbladder #liverhealth #nutritionaltherapy #uaehealthmovement #healthawareness #healthyrecipes #gallbladderrecovery #bittergreens #functionalmedicinedubai #askb