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3 Steps To Get Rid Of SIBO

May 26, 2021

Dealing with constant bloat and chronic GI issues is no fun, especially for busy working Mums with lots of obligations!!

And not being able to get answers from doctors can be so frustrating.

In this article, we’ll share the real culprit behind many GI symptoms called SIBO and three steps to getting rid of it.  

Why Conventional Medical Testing Rarely Gets to the Root Cause of IBS

Traditionally, when people see their doctor complaining of gut issues they will be examined and then usually sent to a GI specialist.  

Most GI doctors will then do a colonoscopy which can be important and necessary in some cases  – but really doesn’t tell us what’s happening at the microbial level in the gut.

In fact, they miss looking into the small intestine completely and that is where the problem usually occurs. 

And just scoping the gut also doesn’t pick up really important factors like food sensitivities, pathogens, or bacterial overgrowth which is usually the cause of many GI symptoms.

So often when patients' scopes come back “fine” they may give you a diagnosis of IBS - a blanketed diagnosis that’s attached to symptoms but not the cause of GI distress.

This is why IBS is oftentimes a bit of a “mystery” diagnosis, and many doctors won’t be able to tell you the true cause when your scopes and blood work come back fine. Or they may simply tell you that it’s all in your head and offer you antidepressants - allowing gut issues to process unmonitored, or get worse!

70% of IBS Cases are SIBO

70% of IBS cases are actually undiagnosed SIBO (or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). So when people are struggling with IBS they may go on a  low fodmap diet but this still doesn’t deal with the SIBO as you can’t starve bacteria with food alone.

SIBO happens when bacteria that shouldn’t be there find their way into your small intestines and take up camp. When there's a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, many people will experience symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea (that people think are IBS.) While there are many causes of SIBO, stress is one of the major culprits. And for working burnt-out Mumma’s, we know that you guys have a bucket load of stress, which means you are more susceptible to developing SIBO.

3-Step Process for Addressing SIBO

  1. So the first step to effectively dealing with SIBO  is to first identify if you have it, or is it something happening in the lower large intestinal tract? This is done with a SIBO breath test.
  2. If it is SIBO the second step is to follow protocols that are more antibacterial - because we are dealing with a bacterial overgrowth here.  

Here, we focus on how changing up our diet can support healing. With my (Filly’s) specialisation in nutritional medicine, I am a big fan of using the elemental diet (which is a medical formulated nutritional shake) which has been shown to be as - if not more - effective than antibiotics. It can be tough to do these nutritional SIBO protocols, but we are there every step of the way,  guiding people on the correct way to heal from SIBO. 

  1. The third step is to get to the underlying cause or causes so that the SIBO doesn’t just flare up again after clearing it.

So some of the reasons people get SIBO could be digestive organ issues, or due to medications that could be affecting motility, or you may have issues with low stomach acid or your gallbladder or even lesions from surgery. 

Or...let’s say it again: STRESS! Stress can absolutely affect your gut function which can then lead to SIBO, which is why we place a big emphasis in our practice on treating you holistically - body, mind, and spirit - and not just pounding you with ‘gut’ treatments.

Our goal is to uncover the root cause so we can better manage the contributing factors of how you got the SIBO in the first place so that you can avoid it in the future too, and so that you can go on living your best life, for you and your family.

 

Learn More About SIBO In Our FREE Video Course

To go deeper on the topic of SIBO,  and the impact this is having on your family, register at this link for our free video course series on Conquering Hormonal & Gut Burnout & Rebalancing Naturally - https://www.chrisandfilly.fm/minicourse 


Co-Authors: Chris & Filipa Bellette are the Co-Founders of Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, which is best known for turning time-poor, burned-out & frustrated professional working Mums & Dads, into Power Parents who are present, healthy & connected to their family, their passion, and their purpose in this world. They have worked with over 2,000+ burnout clients in the last 10+ years, with their own passion for creating Power Parents coming from their own personal experience of body, mind & family breakdown, after a prolonged period of physical and mental stress.

 

Filipa is an accredited Clinical Nutritionist, and a Functional Medicine Practitioner, graduating from the Kalish Institute of Functional Medicine. She is also a Ph.D. thought-leader, author, and award-winner writer in Human Rights. Chris is an accredited Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, holistic personal trainer, and holds a Bachelor of Human Movement Science, and has won multiple placings in state and national level sporting competitions.


To find out if this is something we can help you with, head over to book in for a - Free Discovery Call

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