The Stomach Solution

By Jessica Washington, FDNPAlternative Health Health & Fitness Nutrition

The Stomach Solution episodes

November 02 #91: The Best Parasite Cleanse Is the One You Don't Do (And Here's Why)
Somewhere along the way, the internet decided that everyone has a parasite, and that a parasite is behind everything from bloating after meals to waking up in the middle of the night to itchy, dry skin. The answer always seems to be an expensive cleanse. Yet, in the five years I've been doing this work, I've done exactly one parasite protocol with one client.
In this hot take episode, I'm breaking down my thoughts on parasites and what you actually need to do in order to resolve your symptoms.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• Why a parasite feels like such a believable answer when nothing else has worked (and how social media blew it way out of proportion)
• What those long, stringy things people post from the toilet really are, and how parasite cleanse supplements can end up causing them
• What I've actually seen show up on GI-MAPs in all my years of reading them, and how I handle single-celled parasites like Blastocystis hominis when they do show up
• The gut issues I usually find instead, and why a cleanse can make a depleted microbiome even worse
Links & Resources Mentioned:
• Take the Stomach Healing Roadblocks Quiz: https://quiz.theguthealingninja.com/
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
19 min
October 19 #90: The 4 Functional Labs That Are Helping My Clients Get Rid of Reflux and Heartburn
More testing does not automatically mean more healing. I see so many people who have already spent thousands of dollars on labs and they still have no idea what to do next. Years ago, on my own gut healing journey, that was me too.
Today I'm walking through the four labs I keep ordering again and again with clients right now. For each one, I share what it shows us and a real example of what it found for a client. I also explain why I never look at any of these labs on its own.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• Why I add zonulin and Stool OMX to the GI-MAP, and what bile acids and short-chain fatty acids tell me about your gut lining and digestion
• How the microbial OAT catches yeast that a stool test can miss (my favorite practitioner hack)
• The thyroid and nutrient pattern behind one postpartum client's bloating and hair loss, and what changed in just six weeks
• How the MRT food sensitivity test is different from the ones that flag 40-plus foods, and what it found for a client who was only eating about five foods
Links & Resources Mentioned:
• Episode 89, Your Thyroid Labs Are "Normal" But You Still Feel Awful (The Gut-Thyroid Connection)
• Apply to work with me 1:1
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
23 min
October 12 #89: Your Thyroid Labs Are "Normal" But You Still Feel Awful (The Gut-Thyroid Connection)
If your doctor checked your thyroid and said it's fine, but you're still exhausted, bloated, constipated, and just feeling off, you're not imagining it. Most of the people I work with have a normal TSH and T4 on paper, and a very different story once we run the full thyroid panel.
Today we're getting into the gut-thyroid connection. I'm walking through what your doctor is actually testing, why your thyroid hormone can get stuck in a form your body can't use, and how your gut and your thyroid end up slowing each other down. Then I share the four steps I take with clients to break that loop.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• What TSH actually measures (and why it can look perfectly normal while your thyroid is struggling)
• How T4 can turn into reverse T3, the inactive form that acts like the brakes on your metabolism
• Why low stomach acid, H. pylori, SIBO, and gut inflammation can slow your thyroid down, even when your thyroid itself isn't the problem
• How a sluggish thyroid can show up as constipation, bloating, and reflux that doesn't seem to follow any food pattern
• The four steps I take with clients, starting with the full thyroid panel you should ask for (and why ordering a dozen thyroid supplements off Amazon isn't one of them)
How to Work Together:
I'm opening a new, lower-investment coaching package that looks at your thyroid labs and nutrient status. There's no signup page yet, so reach out directly and we'll chat:
• Email me: [email protected]
• DM me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealingninja
• Apply for 1:1 coaching (every 1:1 client gets thyroid labs): https://heal.theguthealingninja.com/apply
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
23 min
October 05#88: Healing My Gut in Real Time: Bloating and Constipation Gone - The Final Episode (Part 5)
Almost a year ago, I started sharing my own gut healing journey with you in real time, without knowing how it would end. Today I get to tell you it ended really, really well. The bloating, gas, and constipation are gone, my 2pm energy crash is gone, and my hair is growing back.
In this final episode of the series, I'm recapping where I started, the acupuncture that finally got me past a plateau, and the last two labs I promised you: a whole-genome sequencing stool test I did not love, and a genetics report that explained my gallstone.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
What I was dealing with this time last year, and how I feel now (probably the best I have felt in my adult life)
The type of acupuncture that helped me (and why it was nothing like the acupuncture I tried 10 years ago)
What a BiomeFX shotgun metagenomic stool test shows you, and why the GI-MAP is still my gold standard
How a 23andMe raw data file and StrateGene uncovered a slow PEMT gene, and what that has to do with bile flow and gallstones
The mindset that mattered more than any lab or supplement on this whole journey
Links & Resources Mentioned:
23andMe Genetic Testing
StrateGene genetic interpretation software
Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch
Apply to work with me 1:1
Previous Episodes in this Series:
#49: Healing My Gut in Real Time: Symptoms, Stress, and First Steps (Part 1)
#53: Healing My Gut in Real Time: GI-MAP Results, My Protocol, and a Big Pivot (Part 2)
#60: Healing My Gut in Real Time: Dead Ends Lead to the Best Actions and a Buc-ee's Bathroom Fan (Part 3)
#80: Healing My Gut in Real Time: Mold Success, Thyroid Surprises, and More Gallbladder Drama (Part 4)
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
42 min
September 28#87: Why None of My H Pylori Clients Are on an H Pylori Protocol Right Now
Right now I have at least six clients whose GI-MAP results look almost identical. They all have low levels of H pylori and low levels of beneficial bacteria, plus symptoms that won't quit no matter how many times they've treated the infection.
In this episode, I'm walking through what I'm seeing in practice, why treating H pylori over and over without rebuilding your microbiome keeps so many people stuck, and what we're doing instead that's helping these clients feel better.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
How to spot this pattern on your own GI-MAP, from the H pylori number that isn't flagged in red to the bacterial phyla section at the bottom of the page
Why a depleted microbiome is what lets H pylori move in (and keep coming back) in the first place
What I mean by gut resilience, and why each round of H pylori treatment can leave your microbiome a little more depleted
The three things I'm doing with these clients instead of another H pylori protocol, including how much fiber to aim for and the two supplements I use most
What happened when one client with intense LPR switched from two months of H pylori treatment to rebuilding his microbiome
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Just Thrive Probiotic: https://justthrivehealth.com/NINJAJT?q=probiotic
Just Thrive Daily Gut Detox: https://justthrivehealth.com/NINJAJT?q=igg-ultimate
Episode 86, How Anxiety Destroys Your Gut Health: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/86-how-anxiety-destroys-your-gut-health-and-5-ways-to/id1780654662?i=1000790904252
HeartMath HRV biofeedback tool: https://www.inflektioncdn.com/2391JZXJ/3B8HKJ/?uid=639
Vagustim vagus nerve stimulation device: https://vagustim.io/products/vagustim-v2-vagus-nerve-stimulation-device?sca_ref=10692375.3MwJGlOUQzDfRGTs
Apply to work with me 1:1: https://heal.theguthealingninja.com/apply
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
20 min
September 21#86: How Anxiety Destroys Your Gut Health (And 5 Ways to Stop the Cycle)
Gut infections, treatment protocols, and food choices get a lot of airtime in the gut health space. But if you've ever noticed your symptoms flare during a stressful week or spiral alongside your anxiety, this episode is going to explain exactly why, and more importantly, what to do about it.
Today we're getting into the science behind the gut-brain connection and five research-backed tools that go straight after the anxiety loop keeping your symptoms stuck.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
How stress triggers the same physical response in your body whether it's a real threat or a spiraling thought about your symptoms
The mindfulness technique that actually predicted symptom improvement in research on GI issues (and it's not what most people expect)
What gut-directed hypnotherapy is, what the clinical trials show, and how to access it at home without a specialist
Five practical nervous system tools you can start using today, from diaphragmatic breathing to vagal tone building
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Free Nervous System Reset email series: theguthealingninja.com/stress
Vagustim episode
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
28 min
September 14#85: Real Client Case Study: From Years of H Pylori and Relentless Reflux to Symptom-Free and H Pylori Negative
Today we're not just talking about what's possible when you dig deeper into your gut health. We're showing you.
In this episode I'm walking through a real client case from start to finish, including her GI-MAP results, her protocols, and how she went from years of lingering H pylori and relentless reflux to completely symptom-free and H pylori negative after a lot of persistence.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why the foundation of diet, lifestyle, and nervous system support has to come before any treatment protocol, and exactly what that looked like for this client
A full walkthrough of her first GI-MAP: what the H pylori, microbiome overgrowth, and low pancreatic enzyme output revealed and why it all connected
Why her second GI-MAP looked scarier than the first, and why that was actually a sign of progress
How three rounds of stool testing and two targeted protocols finally got her to a negative H pylori result after years of struggling
How to Work Together:
Stomach Repair Protocol: https://heal.theguthealingninja.com/offers/rjoPdEoh/checkout
Or submit an application and schedule a Strategy Session to talk over what program would be best for you: theguthealingninja.com/apply
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
30 min
September 07#84: 5 Daily Habits That Form the Foundation of My Gut Health (And My Clients' Too)
Functional labs and treatment protocols get a lot of airtime on this podcast, and for good reason. But today we're doing something a little different.
No science, no protocols, no lab deep dives. Just a behind-the-scenes look at the five daily habits that form the actual foundation of my own gut health and the first thing I build with every single client before we do anything else. Because none of the fancy stuff works if this foundation isn't in place first.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why building your meals around two things creates a well-rounded, gut-supportive diet almost by default
The two tech tools I'm currently using together to support my nervous system
Why undereating is one of the biggest hidden stressors on your gut
The thought interrupter practice I use daily to keep anxious spiraling from running my health into the ground
What to do next if you already have a strong foundation but your symptoms still aren't budging
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Take the Stomach Healing Roadblocks Quiz: quiz.theguthealingninja.com
Vagus nerve stimulation episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/62-vagus-nerve-stimulation-for-gut-healing-what-the/id1780654662?i=1000756727880
Elavi protein brownies: https://amzn.to/4cZHDXe
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
26 min
August 31#83: Is Histamine the Hidden Driver Behind Your Reflux and LPR?
Histamine is not just an allergy thing. In your gut, it is one of the most powerful triggers of stomach acid production, and when your body cannot clear it fast enough, histamine can be a hidden driver behind reflux and LPR that no antacid or elimination diet ever touches.
If you have tried all the usual approaches and your symptoms still won't budge, this episode might be the missing piece you've been looking for.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
How histamine behaves inside your gut, why your body produces it, and what happens when your bucket overflows
The exact mechanism by which excess histamine triggers chronic acid overproduction in your stomach
A real case study of a woman whose severe LPR persisted even after surgical intervention, and what finally resolved her symptoms
The two-sided approach to bringing histamine overload under control: lowering your intake and increasing your body's ability to clear it
The functional labs that best identify the root cause of histamine overload and DAO deficiency
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Case study from the Ear, Nose, and Throat journal
Apply to work with me 1:1: theguthealingninja.com/apply
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
25 min
August 24#82: Hot Take: Why You Don't Need to Fully Eradicate H Pylori to Feel Better
Today we're diving into the idea that you need to fully eradicate H pylori in order to feel better. This is one of the most common beliefs driving people to spend thousands of dollars on treatment protocols that leave them right back where they started.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why H pylori is one piece of a much bigger picture, and what you're missing when you treat it like the whole story
The real reason H pylori was able to take hold in your gut in the first place, and why killing it without addressing that terrain is just hitting pause on the cycle
What happens when you shift your goal from eradication to building a gut strong enough to keep H pylori in check
The two paths forward after an H pylori diagnosis, and which one actually leads to lasting relief
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Take the Stomach Healing Roadblock Quiz: quiz.theguthealingninja.com
Follow and Connect with Me:
📺 Watch the podcast on YouTube: @theguthealingninja
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @theguthealingninja
🌐 Visit my website and blog: theguthealingninja.com
19 min

About The Stomach Solution

From the publisher's feed

If you've spent years chasing symptom relief without ever getting real answers, you're in the right place. The Stomach Solution is a podcast for high-achieving women and moms who are exhausted from…