I want to share an interesting story with you about the Illinois prison system and their experience with a high soy diet. In 2002, the governor of Illinois determined that it would be a great cost savings to the state to lower the cost of food in the prison system. So in 2003, inmates began receiving a diet high in processed soy protein as a replacement for meat. Up to 60-70 percent of the protein from every meal came from soy.
It wasn’t long after that these prisoners began to experience chronic health symptoms such as:
chronic and painful constipation alternating with diarrhea
Hmmm… Do you see any correlation with the symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome?
What might be even more interesting is that still to this day, the FDA continues to claim soy as a health food. Even though there are numerous scientific studies that show the adverse health effects of soy.
OK… now let’s take this one step further.
The same FDA that is making these soy health claims has over 288 studies regarding the toxicity of soy filed under their “FDA Poisonous Plant Database”.
I think you can make your own conclusions about soy and its place in your diet at this point.
Eat: Make your own salad dressing with olive oil and balsamic or apple cider vinegar.
Not: Store bought salad dressing as these are predominantly made from soy oil.
Bonus Tip
Soy oil is used everywhere because it is so cheap. So if you think your vegetable oil is really from vegetables then read the label and think again.
Author Bio:
Karen Brimeyer is a nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and health consultant. She has helped over a hundred personal clients heal their leaky gut, digestive problems, lose weight, and resolve their chronic symptoms and conditions.
She is the owner of Optimal Self-Healing in Tampa Bay Florida, a private nutrition and health consultation business and author of the Leaky Gut Cure program.
Karen has worked with a wide variety of populations from new moms to athletes overcome their health problems and achieve optimal health.
Karen found her passion for nutrition as a teenager. While striving to achieve optimal health by following the widely accepted diet and nutrition tips of the media and conventional medicine, she found her own health declining rapidly with the development leaky gut which led to digestive problems and chronic fatigue.
Unwilling to accept her situation, she set out to determine the truth about health which led her through her own research as well as studying and working with some of the best holistic doctors and holistic practitioners in the fields of nutrition, functional medicine, and life coaching.
She has since applied her knowledge with herself to overcome her own leaky gut and achieve an unprecedented level of health and wellbeing. Her happy and healthy pregnancy and now two-year old son, TJ, are a testament to the health she has achieved.
To find out more about this program, click on Leaky Gut Cure
I’m not going to sugar coat this because this is something that is more important than most people realize.
And I’m not going to debate research or any other opinions on the subject because I have personally witnessed on many occasions the impact that conventional and organic food can have on the body. And anytime there is Leaky Gut involved, this becomes much more important.
I have had clients who were eating an extremely healthy diet but continued to struggle with issues until they finally made the switch to organic.
And it’s because of two reasons…
1. With Leaky Gut Syndrome, your liver is already under stress so the addition of even the smallest amount of toxic pesticides, preservatives, and other chemicals is oftentimes enough to push things over the edge.
2. With Leaky Gut Syndrome, you’re already deficient in many key nutrients and conventionally raised food is lower in these nutrients. And your body needs as many nutrients as possible in order to replenish its nutrient stores and heal.
But buying organic doesn’t mean that you have to shop at Whole Foods or some other high end grocery store and pay premium prices in order to get the healthy food you need.
There are plenty of other options available and I’m going to share with you my own resources and how and where I get the best organic food at the best price for me and my family.
Local Organic Food Sources
Farmers Markets
Farmers Market are growing at such a fast pace that they are popping up in almost every city these days. This is great because it’s helping smaller local farmers and businesses reach the public where they can’t necessarily compete in local grocery stores.
And there’s no doubt that eating local food from local farms is best because the produce is allowed to fully ripen instead of being picked way too early and transported half way around the world to your dinner table while ripening unnaturally and losing vital nutrients.
But in my experience, there are also some downsides to farmers markets. First of all, you have to be careful because not all produce is organic so don’t assume just because it’s at a farmers market that it’s the best quality.
And because farmers markets are becoming more and more popular, I’m finding that prices are also beginning to increase because it’s becoming more of a fad and the demand is there.
In the past, I’ve used Farmers Markets as a source for local organic produce, high quality free range organic eggs, raw milk, and raw cheeses.
Oftentimes you can find local Farmers Markets easily by simply typing the name of your city along with “farmers market” into your search engine. But I also use this great website resource below.
Not too many people are familiar with CSAs yet but they are beginning to gain ground and become a more popular choice for getting local organic produce.
The concept is simple in that instead of paying for and buying your produce as individual items and paying per pound, you instead buy a share or part of a share of the produce directly grown from the farm. So whatever the farm grows each week you get your share of the yield.
The biggest downside is that you don’t necessarily get to choose exactly what you want. Instead you get what the farm grows so be sure to check with the CSA to see what crops they grow. You also typically pay upfront for your share as a lump sum.
And if the yield is particularly good them you can get far more than your money’s worth. But on the other hand, if there is a late season freeze and the crops are slow then you can also have a week or two with less than normal yield.
I have belonged to a CSA for a couple of years and I love it. You can literally get some of the best produce for the cost of conventional produce in the grocery store or even cheaper. You can’t beat it as long as you’re not picky as to what you get.
I also use the Local Harvest website below to find local CSAs.
Local co-ops are one of my favorite resources for getting organic food because they tend to give a little more control over what is ordered while still getting some great prices.
But a co-op typically works by getting a group of people together who all want to take advantage of buying in bulk and sharing the cost and savings.
Then whoever leads the co-op is responsible for contacting local farms, distributors, or other sources to get the best prices on bulk orders and order accordingly for the entire group. Then after the produce is delivered, it’s divided up equally amongst the co-op members.
I am part of a couple of co-ops that are both quite different in the way each on operates. One co-op that I belong to operates more like a grocery store where you place your order ahead of time and have the freedom to choose exactly what you want from a list of the best deals that week. They also carry an array of all natural and organic meats, eggs, raw butter, raw milk, raw nuts, and various dry goods.
The other is a smaller fruit and vegetable co-op that isn’t quite as flexible. You provide input as to your preference but in the end, the majority wins.
There are some great resources for finding co-ops but I’ve found one in particular to be the best which is to find your local Weston A. Price Chapter who are always active and in the know about any local co-ops or other organic food sources. Just look up a local chapter near you and ask them for some resources.
I saved the best for last. It’s unfortunate that our food supply has gotten so far off-course today with tip toeing around rules and regulations that there’s really only one true way to find out if even the organic meats, eggs, vegetables, or milk is truly the best quality.
And that’s by talking directly with the farmers themselves.
I’m very particular about this so you better believe that I either call or more often visit the farms that I buy from directly. I want to see the cows grazing in grass covered fields like they should. I want to see the chickens pastured and eating natural bugs, insects, and feed like they should. I want to see that the animals are healthy and the conditions are clean. And any good farmer will gladly welcome you and tell you that you should do the same.
If a farmer isn’t welcoming you to their farm then that’s a red flag.
And I’m far more particular about my meat sources than anything because there are so many loopholes that getting the highest quality meats can be quite difficult.
For example, it’s not only important anymore to get grass fed beef but to also make sure that it’s grass finished. Many farmers advertise their beef as grass fed which is great for achieving the perfect ratios of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
But many then turn around and corn feed their cattle for the last few weeks to fatten then up in order to make more money for the weight. But the problem is that even in the last few weeks, the corn will completely alter the Essential Fatty Acid composition of the cow.
So I always check directly with the farmers that I buy my meat or other animal products from.
And when you go directly to the farm you can also get some great discounts. We get the best grass fed and grass finished beef for just about the same price as grocery store beef by buying in bulk. We buy either a quarter or half of a cow and store it in our deep freezer. And this way you also get all different cuts of meat including steaks and fillet which is a nice bonus.
Here are a couple of resources that I use for finding local farmers that offer a variety of meats:
One of the best ideas for getting organic produce for the absolutely best price is to start your own organic food garden.
My husband and I actually started our own little garden as a side project and it’s turned out to be quite useful. It’s great for those days or weeks when you need a little more produce on hand.
And don’t think that you need a green thumb to do this either. In all honesty, I have a hard time keeping my house plants alive.
But there are plenty of books and guides that will walk you through it just like this one:
If I can do it, you can too!
Utilize the Power of the Internet
Of course there’s always the possibility that you live in some area void of health conscious people or local farmers. Or maybe you’re just not interested in becoming that involved with your food (although I do highly recommend it if you want the best for the best price).
So now with the power of the internet, you are able order farm direct and get some of the highest quality meats delivered directly to your doorstep.
Although I haven’t personally looked for a similar company outside of the US, I’m sure they do exist and with a little bit of looking you’re likely to come up with something. Otherwise, you still have the other resources above.
US Wellness Meats
I have been ordering from US Wellness Meats for a little while now and I’m really enjoying how easy it is. And from all of the research that I have done, they are a very high quality trusted source.
All of their meat is flash-frozen (which is best) and shipped to you extremely quickly packed with freeze packs to ensure that everything remains frozen. And the shipping is free and already factored into the already reasonable prices that they offer.
I will continue to order at least some of my meats from here, especially the specialty ones that are harder to get locally. I like to rotate my meats as much as possible and get a good variety. But you can’t beat the convenience.
That should pretty much cover just about all of your options and I’m sure you can easily find one or more ways to avoid paying a premium for organic food in the grocery store.
And trust me when I say that I’ve heard just about every excuse there is as to why people just can’t get high quality organic food to help improve their health.
So now that I’ve given you my personal resources and shown you where to buy organic food for cheaper than grocery store prices, you have no excuses not to.
Karen Brimeyer is a nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and health consultant. She has helped over a hundred personal clients heal their leaky gut, digestive problems, lose weight, and resolve their chronic symptoms and conditions.
She is the owner of Optimal Self-Healing in Tampa Bay Florida, a private nutrition and health consultation business and author of the Leaky Gut Cure program.
Karen has worked with a wide variety of populations from new moms to athletes overcome their health problems and achieve optimal health.
Karen found her passion for nutrition as a teenager. While striving to achieve optimal health by following the widely accepted diet and nutrition tips of the media and conventional medicine, she found her own health declining rapidly with the development leaky gut which led to digestive problems and chronic fatigue.
Unwilling to accept her situation, she set out to determine the truth about health which led her through her own research as well as studying and working with some of the best holistic doctors and holistic practitioners in the fields of nutrition, functional medicine, and life coaching.
She has since applied her knowledge with herself to overcome her own leaky gut and achieve an unprecedented level of health and wellbeing. Her happy and healthy pregnancy and now two-year old son, TJ, are a testament to the health she has achieved.
To find out more about this program, click on Leaky Gut Cure
We’ve already discussed how the right kind of exercise can really help to improve your health and speed up the Leaky Gut healing process. So I want to share with you just a few of the great exercises that I use to help stimulate the nervous system and help the body to start healing faster.
And you can do these simple exercises in the comfort of your own home.
Keep in mind that these exercises are not meant to be performed rigorously or to the point of exhaustion. Instead they are meant to be performed in a controlled manner with more of a focus on your breathing.
The goal is to positively stimulate your nervous system which will also give you the added benefit of increased energy levels and a better sense of wellbeing.
Also note that exercises like these are also known to release endorphins which will positively impact your mood and improve symptoms of depression.
Please use extreme caution when performing any sort of exercise including the following. If you suffer from any type of back pain, neck pain, or sciatica then there are some good all natural programs to help you overcome the pain before performing these exercises.
Otherwise, here are the exercises…
1. Prone Cobra
The prone cobra is a great exercise for opening up and increasing mobility in the thoracic spine. This one exercise can greatly increase your energy levels.
Lie face down with your arms at your sides.
Take a deep slow breath and as you inhale, lift your chest off the ground while squeezing your shoulder blades together and rotating your arms so that your palms face away from your body and your thumbs are pointed up.
Keep your head and neck in line being careful not to tilt your head back while keeping your toes on the ground.
Hold this position until you need to breathe out and exhale slowly as you slowly lower your chest back to the floor.
If you feel stress on your low back, then squeeze your buttocks together before initiating the movement.
Depending on your physical condition and state of health, these simple exercises might seem extremely easy or extremely challenging. Either way, they will still provide the same benefit to help you achieve your overall goal of helping your body to heal your gut.
Karen Brimeyer is a nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and health consultant. She has helped over a hundred personal clients heal their leaky gut, digestive problems, lose weight, and resolve their chronic symptoms and conditions.
She is the owner of Optimal Self-Healing in Tampa Bay Florida, a private nutrition and health consultation business and author of the Leaky Gut Cure program.
Karen has worked with a wide variety of populations from new moms to athletes overcome their health problems and achieve optimal health.
Karen found her passion for nutrition as a teenager. While striving to achieve optimal health by following the widely accepted diet and nutrition tips of the media and conventional medicine, she found her own health declining rapidly with the development leaky gut which led to digestive problems and chronic fatigue.
Unwilling to accept her situation, she set out to determine the truth about health which led her through her own research as well as studying and working with some of the best holistic doctors and holistic practitioners in the fields of nutrition, functional medicine, and life coaching.
She has since applied her knowledge with herself to overcome her own leaky gut and achieve an unprecedented level of health and wellbeing. Her happy and healthy pregnancy and now two-year old son, TJ, are a testament to the health she has achieved.
To find out more about this program, click on Leaky Gut Cure
But there is a catch because I did say the “right” kind of exercise.
Most people don’t know this but not all exercise is created equal so there are some big differences between good exercise and what I call bad exercise. And keep in mind that I use the term “bad exercise” loosely because it’s not bad for everyone.
It really depends on the overall goal of what you are trying to achieve. However, bad exercise can and will slow down, stop, and even worsen Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Bad Exercise for Healing – Cardio Exercise
I’m not entirely sure why, but most people seem to be obsessed with running, treadmills, elliptical trainers, aerobics and many other forms of continuous repetitive cardio exercise.
Yes, cardiovascular health is important but these forms of exercise are not the best way to improve your cardiovascular health. In fact, many competitive long distance runners suffer from enlarged hearts and often die from heart failure at an early age because the heart is really just a muscle. And overuse will cause it to compensate by growing just like any other muscle in the body which is not ideal for proper function.
But there’s a completely difference problem when it comes to your gut.
Cardio Breaks Down Healthy Living Cells
Cardio exercise is catabolic in nature. This means that it promotes catabolism within the body which is another way of saying that it promotes the breakdown of healthy living cells.
The body does this because long bouts of cardio elicits a stress response within the body. And when the body is under stress, it begins to hold onto its stored energy reserves (fat) and use up easier to access protein (muscle).
And hopefully you understand that this is the opposite of what you want when trying to heal. Instead of wasting the healthy living cells that you do have, you need to put your focus on instead rebuilding and promoting the growth of and repair of your cells.
This is due largely from the significant release in cortisol or stress hormone that occurs after performing this type of exercise. As I’ve mentioned before cortisol plays a vital role in turning off your body’s natural healing processes so it can instead respond to the given stress.
Good Exercise for Healing – Anabolic Exercise
If cardiovascular health is a goal, then you can achieve the same but even healthier cardiovascular effect from doing more weight bearing exercise. The more you use your muscles, the more blood they require. And the more blood they require the more your heart has to work to pump blood to them.
The biggest difference is that under these conditions, your heart isn’t being forced to work for long periods of time. Instead, it can work in shorter bursts and get plenty of healthy rest in between.
Anabolic Exercise Builds and Repairs Healthy Living Cells
The opposite of catabolic (cell breakdown) is anabolic which refers to the building, growth, and repair of cells.
So when I refer to anabolic exercise, I’m referring to exercise that elicits an anabolic response within the body which promotes the healing process.
But there still are some variables which need to be considered to ensure that you get the maximum healing effects of your anabolic exercise. And mostly I’m referring to the amount of exercise that you do.
You never want to over exert yourself with any form of exercise, otherwise the benefits will be greatly diminished. Anytime you work out, you should be energized afterward and that energy should continue with you throughout the day.
But if you feel worse and have lower energy throughout the day then you’re likely doing too much.
It’s best to build up slowly over time, especially if you haven’t exercised regularly for any period of time in order to give your nervous system time to adapt to these new demands on your body.
But the benefits are almost immediate and well worth the effort.
Karen Brimeyer is a nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and health consultant. She has helped over a hundred personal clients heal their leaky gut, digestive problems, lose weight, and resolve their chronic symptoms and conditions.
She is the owner of Optimal Self-Healing in Tampa Bay Florida, a private nutrition and health consultation business and author of the Leaky Gut Cure program.
Karen has worked with a wide variety of populations from new moms to athletes overcome their health problems and achieve optimal health.
Karen found her passion for nutrition as a teenager. While striving to achieve optimal health by following the widely accepted diet and nutrition tips of the media and conventional medicine, she found her own health declining rapidly with the development leaky gut which led to digestive problems and chronic fatigue.
Unwilling to accept her situation, she set out to determine the truth about health which led her through her own research as well as studying and working with some of the best holistic doctors and holistic practitioners in the fields of nutrition, functional medicine, and life coaching.
She has since applied her knowledge with herself to overcome her own leaky gut and achieve an unprecedented level of health and wellbeing. Her happy and healthy pregnancy and now two-year old son, TJ, are a testament to the health she has achieved.
To find out more about this program, click on Leaky Gut Cure
