Each year 60 to 70 million people in the U.S. suffer from digestive issues with IBS ranking as one of the top diagnoses. But what exactly is irritable bowel syndrome and how is it linked to SIBO and leaky gut syndrome? We get into all of this and more in this episode with Phoebe Lapine. Phoebe tells us about her journey to reclaim her health after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's and then having to do it all over again when she started to suffer from SIBO. She breaks down SIBO and the related gut health issues into an easy to understand primer on the topic while sharing some great tips on healing from SIBO as well as preventing gut health issues. We also talk about her new book, SIBO Made Simple.

In the "You Want Me To Do What??" section, Nicole talks about a recent experience with antibiotics that completely wiped out her gut microbiome and caused her major stomach issues for several weeks.

Episode Recap: Interview with Phoebe Lapine - 1:59, "You Want Me To Do What??" section - 43:36

Highlights:

• Gut health used to refer to the good flora in your large intestine
• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) - research shows that a majority of IBS cases caused by SIBO
• SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) - too much bacteria too far up in your small intestine
• Leaky gut (intestinal permeability) - bacteria eats through the mucus barrier of your intestinal tight junctions, which can cause inflammation and potentially an autoimmune disease
• Risk factors for SIBO fall under three categories: biochemical abnormalities, migrating motor complex abnormalities, and structural abnormalities
• Biochemical abnormalities that can put you at risk for SIBO:
• • Low stomach acid
  • Immuno-compromised
  • Missing gallbladder/no bile salts
  • Low pancreatic enzymes
• Migrating motor complex - propulsive movement that kicks in during periods of fasting (after 90 minutes) and sweeps undigested material through the small intestine
• Risk factors affecting migrating motor complex:
• • Stress
  • Snacking
  • Hashimoto's/other autoimmune diseases
  • Food poisoning
• Structural issues that are risk factors for SIBO:
• • Anything pressing or bearing down on intestines
  • Kink in your intestines, abdominal tumor, prior abdominal surgery that didn't heal right
• If you think you have SIBO/gut issues, start by spending a week:
• • Start with your diet and noticing what bothers you
  • Chewing your food thoroughly
  • Not snacking, leaving 4 hours between meals for digestion
  • Cook or puree foods that might irritate you
  • Try a low FODMAP diet
• You can heal from gut health issues, but you need to drill down to your root causes, treat and then repair
• Top 3 Tips for Supporting Your Gut Health:
• • Chew your food thoroughly
  • Stomach acid is important -- support that
  • Avoid chemicals and antibiotics as much as possible AND get dirty by touching/spending time in nature

Resources:

Where to find Phoebe Lapine:

• Website: https://feedmephoebe.com/
• Instagram:  @phoebelapine

 

• SIBO Made Simple

• The Wellness Project