I get it!
I hear these scenarios all the time.
Do these digestive issues feel familiar to you?
* You plan your life around where a bathroom can be found
* You’re so bloated you have two different sizes of clothes because its been days, or longer, since you had a normal bowel movement.
* You blame the dog or cat for the smell...but you don’t have either...You never have to worry about clearing your house if there is a fire, you can just pass gas and everyone will run.
* Your stomach burns and you haven’t been able to sleep because of heartburn or reflux. You have been on meds for a long time and it’s really not helping...or it is but you are concerned about the long term side-effects.
* All of the above describe your life and you have no idea what your day is going to look like. Maybe you have just chosen to not leave your house and you have even given up your friends and social life because of your issues...
Digestive Issue Challenges
Thirty two million people visit their doctor for digestive issues in the US.
But, these digestive issues are so frustrating and can be isolating.
No one likes to talk about POOP!
The challenge with most of these digestive issues is there isn’t usually a major disease process, like cancer. So, you go to your traditionally trained MD and they typically do one of three things:
- Dismiss it as stress and try to encourage you to manage your stresses better.
- Send you to a Gastroenterologist, who scopes you, only to find...nothing
- Gives you the latest IBS drug or any drug, possibly an off label use, to help you. This medication may or may not help, and generally comes with other side effects.
Internet solutions are confusing
You end up more frustrated and jump on the internet. You think you have Leaky Gut - and are most likely correct! Your traditionally trained MD has never been trained in “functional digestive issues”. I know it seems crazy, but the truth is, they don’t generally even get a nutrition class.
You try bone broth for a couple weeks, you try giving up gluten for a few days or weeks without any real change. You decide to go on the Whole 30, and by the end of 30 days you feel great, but the prospect of continuing that lifestyle seems daunting and you eventually lapse into your old habits.
Let's try something different!
You Need Someone to Listen, Get to the Root Cause
- What if someone could listen to you and really understand the root cause of your issues?
- What if someone could create an effective plan that would fit into your lifestyle?
- What if someone could come along side you and encourage you as you shift lifestyle habits over time?
This is what we do! First, lets really get to the root of when and where did this issue start? Do you have IBS? Leaky Gut? Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s? Ulcers? Reflux? What is your health history, not just the story of this problem, but from birth, what has happened to your body that your entire digestive system has turned upside down and inside out?
Lets look at it from a functional perspective. What parts aren’t functioning and what is the best way to get your body to heal? What deficiencies do you have because of your poor digestive health? Are you assimilating your food? Are you able to eliminate the waste from your system properly?
You Need a Plan
This will include an appropriate diet and supplement regiment to aid healing. We will normalize your bowel function first. It doesn’t make sense to put you on a bunch of supplements if your guts aren’t working right in the first place.
While your guts are healing, we will work on all five foundational health principles - eat, drink, move, sleep, think and feel. AND, the best part is, you don’t have to do it alone or guess what to do or what to take anymore!
You will get a team to be on your side. I work with a health coach, Kristin. Kristin will coach you through creating these lifestyle changes in your life. It is less overwhelming when you have someone who has been down the path thousands of times. Right?
As your doctor, I will work with you over time, it may take 6 months to a year, to make sure your supplements are right for you. We change protocols every month or two as your body heals. It is our intention that reach all of your health goals and come out with a maintenance plan to stay healthy.
