Gut healing for fertility; an essential part for conception

One of my biggest struggles has always been to optimize my gut function. There are many reasons I am predisposed to not having optimal gut function, one of the being the removal of my appendix when I was 8 years old. You see, the appendix is thought to be a useless organ but truly it is a small container of beneficial gut bacteria and hold our 'microbiome' blueprint. So once that is gone the varety and quantity of beneficial gut bacteria can be compromised. 

In addition to that mental and emotional stress form everyday life as well as being a foodie that loves to try new things and occasionally overeats, my digestive system can go under a lot of stress. 

I was waiting to stop or at least significantly reduce breastfeeding before I addressed my digestive issues in a direct way. So I did a stool test and dear Universe. what I found was revealing. 

There's nothing quite like a gut punch from the universe to shift your perspective. My recent tests had revealed an insidious constellation of issues that I couldn't ignore. A myriad of unwanted tenants - H.Pylori, amoeba, Klebsiella, E.Coli, and more - were causing chaos in my gut. For a nutritional therapist, it was humbling and a wake-up call.

Shattering Illusions: A Nutritional Therapist's Confession

Being a nutritional therapist, I always believed I should be the epitome of health. So, how was it possible that my body was riddled with these invaders? The revelation hit hard, but it also kindled a fire within me to better understand and address these issues.

Dimming the Digestive Fire

Both western medicine and Ayurveda agree that a robust digestive system is key to overall health. In Ayurveda, this concept is symbolized by 'Agni,' the digestive fire. When the Agni is strong, your body can efficiently break down and assimilate the nutrients in food. However, my previous dietary habits had been akin to throwing cold water on this fire.

Eating cold and raw foods, not allowing proper time between meals to digest - these were the crucial missteps that had led to a weakened digestive system. This, in turn, created a conducive environment for H.Pylori to take over my stomach, leading to a cascade of problems, including Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) caused by Klebsiella, and the prevalence of amoeba in my large intestine.

A Sophisticated Response

Understanding the problem is half the battle, so I formulated a targeted plan to tackle these issues head-on. I decided on a 'north to south' approach, addressing the gut dysbiosis from the stomach downwards. For the H.Pylori, I turned to mastic gum, apple cider vinegar, and oregano oil. To combat the Klebsiella, I used a biofilm disruptor, while a cloves and oregano complex was my choice against the amoeba. As for the leaky gut I relied on glutamine and ION*Gut Health. To support the pancreas I needed to take more time between meals and reduce overeating. I also took digestive enzymes.

Meanwhile, I committed to optimizing my meal times and eliminating snacks entirely. I was well aware that breastfeeding would complicate the process, but I managed to reduce my daughter's milk intake significantly to ensure a safer route for my healing.

Invoking Ayurveda's Wisdom Once More

In addition to my nutritional therapy, I incorporated an Ayurvedic reset diet primarily consisting of 'kitchari' - a gentle and nutritious dish that allowed my digestive fire to reignite and take on the pathogenic bacteria.

I believe that the 7-day Ayurvedic reset has been key to my healing journey. What this reset does is that it resets the digestive fire and rekindles it. As a result the stomach is able to fight the pathogens through hydrochloric acid production and good enzymatic function from the pancreas as well as good liver and gallbladder function. 

(The fourth blog post will discuss the remarkable improvements following these interventions and my ongoing battles with heavy metals, candida, and ureoplasma.)