Dealing with recurring SIBO? Here are 5 mistakes you might be overlooking.
- You’re stressed out – It’s no secret that mental and emotional stress have an impact on physical health. What’s fascinating is that stress can even affect the microbes living in your gut. For example, stress hormones can interfere with digestion, reducing stomach acid and inhibiting the wave-like motion of the intestines. The end result? Microbes that grow where they’re not supposed to. To make matters worse, stress is pro-inflammatory and weakens your immune system. This means that if you’re stressed out, your SIBO treatment might not be working. And chances are higher that you’re more likely to be faced with an infection, along with another round of antibiotics.
- You’re eating a bunch of processed carbs – You don’t have to stick to a rigid SIBO diet forever. But if your SIBO treatment isn’t working, or has stopped working, check in with your diet. Are you snacking on processed foods? Have refined carbs wiggled their way back into your diet?
- You’re not taking probiotics – With too many microbes in your small intestine, why would you even dream of taking more? Well, as nutritionist Angela Pifer explains, in most cases of SIBO, probiotics are not the sort to cause trouble. In fact, they’re the sort to do good things like: reduce inflammation, maintain a healthy gut pH, battle it out with the “bad guys”, and repopulate your colon with healthy tribes of microbes after antibiotic therapy.
- Your stomach acid needs some muscle – By muscle, we mean the very thing that enables your stomach acid to do its job – a low pH. If your stomach acid is too alkaline, it has a hard time breaking down food and killing stray, pathogenic bugs that might find their way into your gut. The problem with undigested food is that it’s fodder for microbes. And when microbes eat, they produce gas and painful cramps – ouch! Beef up your stomach acid and your SIBO treatment by: getting rid of any antacids you’re taking, chewing your food well, taking a moment to relax before sitting down to eat, and sipping on a glass of water with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before your meal – some folks swear by this!
- Your intestines are injured – In the case of recurring SIBO, oftentimes the intestines have lost their ability to fully sweep away bacteria and food particles. Leaving said bacteria and food particles to ferment and grow in the small intestine. This sweeping motion is part of your migrating motor complex (MMC). You can help out your MMC and your current SIBO treatment by following these tips: avoid snacking or eating too often (this gives your intestines plenty of time to flush out food), get enough sleep – nighttime is when your MMC really shines, and take a supplement that stimulates movement.
Courtesy of: http://holisticsquid.com/sibo-treatment-hacks/