HEALTHY LIVING


Get Rid of These Foods to Heal Your Leaky Gut


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like to tell my patients that changing their diet takes intestinal fortitude.


That’s right — it takes guts to clean up your gut. Eliminating some of your favorite foods and beverages


can be tough, especially if they’ve brought you comfort. But there’s a big payoff: You will begin to feel better almost immediately. However, it will likely


take at least eight weeks for your gut to fully heal.


Six steps to a healthier gut in


just eight weeks. :: BY DAVID BROWNSTEIN, M.D.


Food and Symptom Diary Studies have shown that recording food


intake also helps those who struggle with weight loss. In fact, researchers found that


people who kept a food diary lost nearly twice as much weight as those who didn’t. If you’ve already taken a leaky gut test and you


know the types of foods your body is intolerant or allergic to, you can immediately remove those foods from your diet. If not, record what you eat and drink before starting the diet and then throughout the next eight weeks. Remember to write down improvements you


experience (more energy, less stomach pain, etc.) as well as symptoms.


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Get Rid of Gut Guzzlers Healing your gut begins with removing


the foods and ingredients that deplete vital nutrients from your body. Dairy might be the


worst of these foods. That’s because as we age, many of us lose the ability to break down lactose, the primary component of milk. People with lactose intolerance do not have an allergy, but they are unable to digest lactose. An estimated 65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. But lactose intolerance is not the only issue


with dairy. The milk protein casein is associated with dairy allergies and leaky gut syndrome. A casein allergy occurs when your body’s immune system mistakenly thinks the casein protein in milk is harmful, and inappropriately produces antibodies for protection. Lactose-free milk still contains casein, so if you have been diagnosed with a casein allergy, lactose-free milk will still cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms of both casein allergy and lactose


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Say Goodbye to Gluten Another common


condition I see in patients with leaky gut syndrome


is gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein naturally found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. It acts as a binder that holds food together; it’s what makes pizza dough stretchy. Without gluten, the dough would fall apart. Gluten is also sold as vital wheat


82 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | MAY 2025


gluten for baking or for making seitan, a vegan high-protein food. Less obvious sources of gluten include soy sauce and modified food starch. The problem with gluten is that


intolerance include bloating; pain; gas; diarrhea; gastroesophageal reflux (stomach contents rise up into the esophagus); swollen lips, tongue, and throat; skin rash; coughing; wheezing; nasal congestion; and runny nose. To avoid these triggers,


it can cause serious side effects for some people when the body interprets gluten as a toxin, causing the immune system to overreact and attack it. This results in inflammation.


eliminate foods containing cow’s milk, such as baked goods made with milk, buttermilk, cheese, chocolate (white, milk, or dark), cottage cheese, cream and creamed soups, ice cream, sour cream, and yogurt.


©ISTOCK


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