We just love this time of year – the transition from summer to Fall. The colors of leaves are changing, weather and temperature is changing, schedules and routines are changing, kids are back at school, and our lives are ready for an overall change.

 

Every season brings an opportunity to change our diet and our lifestyle and it is such an important practice to cultivate to help bring and maintain balance in the body, mind and soul. One of our favorite nutritional teachings is Seasonal Eating which comes from the wisdom of Ayurveda – an ancient form of East Indian healing. Ayurveda teaches that in order for the body to be well it must be in balance. Changing our diet and lifestyle with each season allows us to achieve just that.

 

If you still eat all of your summer fruits and vegetables, cooling foods and keep your unstructured summer lifestyle as we move into Fall, you will be more prone to getting sick and fatigued. Colds and flu are so common at this time of year but if you change what you are eating and how you are living and how you are taking care of your health, you can prevent getting sick.


As we head into Autumn we need more grounding, warming meals – soups, stews, stir-fry, root vegetables, warming teas, an increase of ginger, cinnamon and cloves to keep our immunity high. The kinds of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and essential fats we choose are very specific to this season. For example less berries and melons are desired as we open the door to apples, pears and grapes. Warming vegetables are more satiating than cold raw salads. Do you notice that your cravings and desire for certain foods are changing? Mother Nature gives us the perfect foods we need to eat each season and when we understand what those are and embrace them we achieve seasonal balance and therefore wellness.

 

Change can be challenging for some people. It can trigger resistance, anxiety, stress, emotional eating, digestive upset and panic. But if we learn to embrace change, it can teach us to let go, to breathe, to lean in, to trust and to surrender. When we approach change from this conscious place we are able to receive the lessons, the benefits and the gifts of walking through a new door.

 

Ayurveda teaches us to follow nature’s lead.  Just as the leaves are changing and the trees are releasing them to fall to the ground, what can you change and let go of in your life this season? What is your body asking you to release, what is your mind ready to shift and what is your soul calling you to do differently? What do you desire to change in your life? What do you desire to change with your nutrition and your wellness lifestyle?

Welcome to your brain. We like to also think of it as your cerebrum, which represents the physical, your intelligence or mental capacity, and your psyche, or your emotional side.

 

It’s fascinating to be here.

 

Weighing in at only 3 pounds, the human brain is unbelievably one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It is made up of over 100 billion nerves that communicate with each other through trillions of links, called synapses. Working similar to a computer, it requires specific components and specialized areas that work together to perform optimally. This also includes other important body functions.

 

Functional medicine, root cause medicine, and integrative medicine show the relationship of all body systems to one another. At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, the brain is a huge part of the overall wellness process. Learn how it and your gut work symbiotically for your optimal health.

 

The Linden & Arc Vitality Institute team of functional medicine physicians offers a Collaborative Care Model that is designed to offer the highest level of care. With this model, our practice leaves no stone unturned and minimizes wait times. Dr. Lynne Murfin, Dr. Michelle Van Der Westhuizen, and Dr. Daniel Ruttle, Functional Medicine Physicians, as well as Dr. Ayla Lester and Dr. Trevor Hoffman, Naturopathic Doctors, work closely with one another on patient care at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute.

 

Contact us for a full assessment of your brain health today and ways we can help to prevent or reverse cognitive decline.

 

About the author:

Dr. Murfin is wholeheartedly focused on her life’s mission to help people heal and achieve extraordinary outcomes. She believes that health is more than merely the absence of disease. It is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing through the creation of a whole and meaningful life. Dr. Murfin leaves no stone unturned to determine the root cause of illness or imbalance.

Without a doubt, one of the most common conditions I see in my practice is IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. It has become so common that it is estimated to be the second leading cause for missing work in the US and costs the government 30 billion dollars per year (1). 

 

Equally staggering is that 60% if these patients suffer from a condition called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).  

 

Functional Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

 

Whilst conventional medicine focuses mainly on managing the symptoms of IBS and SIBO, a functional medicine approach aims to uncover the underlying root cause. For many IBS patients, SIBO may be a very important underlying factor which, when treated, can result in the resolution or improvement of symptoms to the point where pharmacotherapy for IBS is no longer needed.

 

This functional medicine approach looks slightly different for each patient, depending on their genetics, epigenetics, lifestyle, diet, environmental factors, and biochemical markers.  However, for most patients a few key components form part of an effective management plan:

 

The Functional Medicine IBS/SIBO Treatment

 

Functional Medicine treats IBS and SIBO by implementing the following 6 practices. Doing these will optimize gut flora and overall gut health.

 

1. Optimizing the function of the Vagus Nerve and Migrating Motor Complex

A functioning vagus nerve seems an insignificant component but makes all the difference in preventing recurrence of SIBO. The Vagus nerve and migrating motor complex form part of the central and enteric (intestinal) nervous systems. These are largely responsible for regulating the intestinal transit time so to speak. Ensuring that our bowel content is making its journey in a timely way is imperative to achieving and maintaining a healthy bacterial balance in the gut. Using a prescribed motility agent, practicing intermittent fasting, doing breathwork, mindfulness, meditation and yoga have all been clinically proven to help optimize the function of the Vagus nerve and the MMC (2).

 

I have witnessed my patients achieving long term SIBO eradication over and over again. These patients are the ones that put time and effort into supporting this functional system.

 

2. Diet

The majority of my SIBO patients show rapid improvement when guided through a two-staged therapeutic diet.  We initially remove foods high in Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyol.  I then transition them to a plan tailored to their individual food sensitivity results, whether they have associated co-infections (such as SIFO), all whilst addressing their nutritious, metabolic, and immune-related needs.

 

3. Supporting digestive enzymes and using food/nutrients to repair intestinal tight junctions

Having the right level of acidity and the appropriate presence of bile in the upper digestive tract plays a key role in eradicating unwanted bacteria.  It is not advisable to take digestive enzymes without seeking professional advice. Having a comprehensive stool analysis done will assist your functional medicine provider in advising you on how to optimize your digestive enzymes.

 

4. Anti-microbial (with or without anti-fungal) treatment 

Many different treatment protocols (pharmaceutical and botanical) are used to treat SIBO and /or SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth).  Looking at your underlying antecedents, triggers and mediators helps me determine which regimen is right for you.

 

5. Probiotics

A careful choice of probiotic can go a long way to help eradicate the bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.  It also helps to maintain healthy, balanced colonies of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine and prevent the recurrence of SIBO.

 

6. Other treatments

Intravenous gut-healing formulas, diatomaceous earth, biofilm disruptors, and fecal transplants are some of the other approaches we’ve used successfully in treating selected patients with refractory / non-responsive SIBO. 

 

SIBO continues to be one of the most challenging conditions to manage. Traditional treatment efficacy rates are low and recurrence rates are high.  If you suspect that you have SIBO and need experienced help in finding the right treatment plan, the team at Linden & Arc Vitality Institute can help you find that plan. Contact them today for a consultation.

 

References:

1. Grace E., et al. (2013). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth – prevalence, clinical features, current and developing diagnostic tests, and treatment. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
38:674-688.

2. Umesh Pal Singh, Subharti Medical College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Evidence-Based Role of Hypercapnia and Exhalation Phase in Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Insights into Hypercapnic Yoga Breathing Exercises.  Journal of Yoga and Physical Exercise ISSN: 2157-7595.Published Date: Oct 25, 2017

There is a key to healing that is 100% free and you are consuming it right now!

 

Autonomic Nervous System

 

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulates many of our essential body processes automatically. This saves us from exhausting our mental capacity every day. We try to keep track of the food we’re digesting, remembering to breathe, and other essential bodily processes. As well, it allows us to use our conscious mental effort for higher thinking. We perform simultaneous activities without having to remind our hearts to beat, all thanks to our ANS.

 

The ANS contains within it the wisdom of life itself. It is a primitive system concerned primarily with survival, not thriving.

 

Sympathetic Nervous System & the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Two primary subdivisions of the ANS are the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). These act as opposing forces, telling the body either ‘it’s time to react’ (SNS) or ‘you’re safe to heal’ (PNS). You may have heard of this as the ‘fight/flight/freeze’ response (SNS) and the ‘rest and digest’ body state (PNS).


The PNS activity must be dominant for optimal body and brain health, healing, and longevity, repair, growth. In this state, our body’s own repair and renewal mechanisms work better. Plus, any healing therapy implemented such as dietary supplements, nutritional IVs and injections, and ozone therapy, can be more effective. This is because they don’t have to fight against the body’s stress response before doing your body good.

 

Overstimulation of the Nervous System

The majority of our population sits with SNS dominance as their baseline. This is caused by the overstimulation of the nervous system, toxic exposure, psychological stress, and other perceived and physiological stresses inherent in daily life. Our bodies are stressed out! At any given moment, the average person’s body is preparing for attack, not attending to its own repair and optimization. Survival is the focus. Over time, chronic SNS dominance can lead to imbalance and disease of almost every kind.


The good news is, there is a bridge between your conscious mind and your ANS. With this key to healing, you can willfully shift your operating system from “panic mode” to a healing state.

 

What is this Key to Healing?

Your breath. While breathing happens automatically every day thanks to your ANS, it can also be regulated consciously by the mind. How the breath moves in the body also happens to be an easy gauge of your subconscious state. The body is in a stressed state when it exhibits shallow breathing, mostly visible in the movement of the upper chest, shoulders, and collarbones. The body tends to breathe in a relaxed state when the lower “belly” breath is initiated by the diaphragm movement. The diaphragm is the barrier between respiratory and digestive organs- found approximately at the level of the low ribs)

 

Knowing this, the breath can be a diagnostic tool. As well, the mind’s capacity to overturn autonomic breathing patterns can be the key to wiring our system to heal. There are a few more mechanisms by which conscious breathing works to heal your body.

 

Try it yourself: Deep belly breathing

 

  1. Find a quiet, comfortable spot in your house. Sit on a chair, a cushion, or the floor. Set a timer and spend sixty seconds observing your breath.
  2. Inhale slowly and deeply; exhale slowly; repeat.


Take note: Without changing it, where does your breath go?

 

Place the palm of your right hand on the area of your torso that moves the most with each breath. If this is not the low belly, use the following steps to help your body relax. 

  1. Close your eyes and place your right hand gently on your low belly. Exhale fully through your nose and observe your hand moving in toward your spine as the belly contracts.
  2. Inhale through your nose, and feel the right hand slowly drift away from your spine as you direct your breath into the low belly.
  3. Set a timer for five minutes. Repeat steps 2 & 3, working on making the breath as smooth and full as possible.

 

Take note: Is there any resistance to deep belly breathing in the body or the mind?

 

If the breath is choppy or shallow, see if there is tension in your body and let go of it bit by bit on each exhale. You should feel your shoulders, your eyebrows, your jaw, and your glutes relax. Deep belly breathing will become more comfortable as tension is released.

 

Take note: How do you feel after five minutes of deep belly breathing?

 

Set a goal to practice deep belly breathing once a day for two weeks by following the above steps. Be sure to journal how you feel before and after each session. Write down any observations you have.

 

Set the intention to practice deep belly breathing for 40 days and train your body to use the breath to its advantage.

 

Resources:

Parasympathetic Repair pdf – click here.

Effects of Meditation and Pranayama – click here.

What is SIBO?

 

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO for short) is a condition that affects 60% of people with IBS. It involves the overgrowth/accumulation of bacteria in the small intestine, an area of the intestinal tract which under normal circumstances (unlike the large intestine) hosts hardly any bacteria at all.

 

SIBO is not only prevalent in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). 67% of patients with Celiac disease, 81% of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, up to 88% of patients with Crohn’s disease, 93% of patients with Fibromyalgia and the list goes on:

  • Diabetes mellitus – 8-44%
  • Immunodeficiency syndromes – 30-50%
  • Obesity – 70%
  • Parkinson’s disease – 54%
  • Rosacea – 46%
  • Ulcerative colitis – 81%
  • Interstitial Cystitis – 81%

 

If SIBO is so common, why is it rarely talked about?

It is only in the last decade that the importance of our intestinal bacteria and bacteria overgrowth has become fully recognized. The year in which the Human Microbiome Project was launched (2007), knowledge of the human microbiome expanded.  Prior to this ‘pro microbiome era,’ western society had an extended love affair with hygiene, cleanliness, and anti-bacterial products.  Our germ-aversion fuelled by a growing consumer market for anything anti-bacterial led us to believe all bacteria are bad.

 

Our Growing Knowledge of the Microbiome

With our growing knowledge of the human microbiome, we now appreciate that certain bacteria are not only beneficial to us, they are essential to our survival and ability to thrive as a human species. A whopping 90% of Serotonin, our happy hormone neurotransmitter, is produced by the bacteria in our gut?

 

However, it is not only the number of intestinal bacteria that impact our health so dramatically, it is also the diversity, the balance between beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria, and, very importantly, which part of the gut they are colonizing.

 

This fairly recent understanding has led scientists to recognize SIBO as one of the most common underlying root causes of intestinal dysbiosis, and of irritable bowel syndrome.

 

Unfortunately, highly sensitive and specific testing to confirm the diagnosis of SIBO has not yet become widely available.  As a result, SIBO has been one of the most common but also most underdiagnosed digestive problems.

 

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth?

  • Abdominal cramps
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Gas
  • Floating / greasy stools
  • Vitamin B12 malabsorption
  • Weight instability

 

What to do if you suspect you have SIBO

If you think you have SIBO, talk to your health care provider expressing your intention to gather more information.  This small gesture is so beneficial in maintaining a trusting relationship. Who knows, you might encourage your physician to join you in learning more about this common condition!

 

Learn More About SIBO

Click here to read this article is a good starting point for health care providers who would like to learn more about SIBO. There are some basic principles to follow when treating SIBO.  However, it is crucial that the underlying root cause (why you developed SIBO in the first place) is properly identified and addressed in order to prevent a recurrence.  This is why it makes sense to seek help from a functional medicine-trained health care provider. 

 

If you suspect you might have SIBO, or struggle with undiagnosed digestive concerns, contact Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, Our collaborative care team can support you in finding the root cause and healing your gut! Email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

 

The Ketogenic (keto) diet has become somewhat trendy. There is a ton of information floating around the internet about it. What’s missing is a fundamental explanation of why it is so powerful and the more advanced techniques that take it to the next level.

 

Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

 

It can reduce inflammation, clear the skin and mind, give bountiful energy, burn fat, squelch cravings, and more. Fasting is a large part of the diet. It’s important to follow the method properly to achieve those proven results.

 

The best layout we’ve seen for following the keto diet is on Dr. Jocker’s website. He covers the benefits and breaks down the science of how to follow a cyclic ketogenic diet in a way that is best for your body. You’ll find the philosophy behind it, the different methods, the process, and the program levels.

 

Functional Medicine uses the ketogenic diet for its specific health benefits in treating certain conditions. We’ll help you create a personal plan that is at a level you are comfortable with. There is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced plan and you can work your way up.

 

To learn more about how it can promote better health, book an initial consultation with our team. Contact us or email [email protected].