How is your GUT HEALTH??
We take our car into the shop for an inspection and tune-ups to prevent future damage to our engine.
Why do we not do this for our own body?
We only have one body- so why don’t we investigate our gut health…Test instead of GUESS!
…as we can’t turn in the one we have for an upgrade and get a new one!
My wish is for everyone to be motivated to “test and not guess” and take ownership for our one “car” that lasts our lifetime!
Don’t you want to improve your aging process and enjoy your future life…as retirement?
I know that I want to enjoy traveling the world, climbing stairs, cycling mountains and exploring new areas. I want to live life to the fullest.
How healthy is your gut? What does it look like “under your hood”?
We don’t know if we are healthy on the inside unless we run specific functional lab tests as the GI Map, DUTCH Complete Hormone panel and the Great Plains Organic Acids Test. Learn more here about my HEALTH DETECTIVE Services as a certified FDN practitioner and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
What are your H.I.D.D.E.N. internal stressors that are contributing or a result of your “METABOLIC CHAOS”?
Are you living life as a RACE
or as a JOURNEY?
CHRONIC stress impacts the WHOLE you – including down regulating your immune system and your first line of defense as SIgA. Read more here on the immune system and chronic stress in this research article.
Chronic stress adversely affects the mucosal immune system by way of its negative influence on cortisol levels, inflammation control, and antibody production. Under chronic stress, sIgA production can be suppressed because of elevated cortisol.
Depressed sIgA may indicate one or more of the following:
Learn more here about the GI Map and testing sIgA
1. Autonomic nervous system imbalance
2. Stress causing elevated cortisol production
3. Damage to the lining of the intestinal tract
4. Bacteria, virus, parasite and yeast infections
5. Lactose intolerance
6. Gliadin intolerance
7. Food allergies
8. Antigen intolerance
9. Inflammatory bowel disease
10. Use of anti-inflammatory drugs
11. Need for improved lifestyle management involving diet, sleep, exercise, and emotional handling of stress
An imbalance of protective SIgA can result in a compromised mucosal immunity and eventual gastrointestinal, immunological and neurological disorders.
https://www.biohealthlab.com/wp-content/uploads/310-Secretory-IgA-Test-Guide.pdf
How does CHRONIC STRESS impact our Gut health and thus our Immune System?
Our levels of SIgA can be used as an indicator of gut and immune health- including the condition of the mucosal lining of the GI Tract (where the majority of the immune system resides). We should measure the levels of salivary sIgA to collect clues to gut dysfunction and HPA Axis dysregulation (stress is on… sIgA signalling is turned off).
In general, salivary sIgA levels are influenced by a number of factors including …
- overall immune function
- on-going immune challenges
- circadian fluctuations
- glucocorticoids/stress
ACUTE stress is “good stress” and needed plus typically results in a light increase in sIgA. The diurnal pattern of our main stress response hormone CORTISOL is similar to SIga… high in the morning and lowers throughout the day.
- Mucosal Defense : The mucosal barrier—the first-line of immune defense— refers to all of the mucous membranes that comprise the primary interface between the external environment and the internal environment of the body.
- Secretory Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is present in all mucosal linings of the body including the eyes, mouth, sinuses, throat, gastrointestinal system, respiratory system, vaginal tract and urogenital tract.
- When sIgA is depressed, the body’s susceptibility to a wide range of pathogens increases.
- Unfortunately, the very problems associated with increased susceptibility (as a result of reduced sIgA levels) are themselves often responsible for the initial, lowered, first line immune defense.
SIgA the Protector
- The most recognized function of sIgA includes its role in “immune exclusion” in which it prevents viruses, bacteria and other antigens adhering to and penetrating epithelial mucosa.
- SIgA may also inhibit inflammatory processes that damage the mucosa and preliminary evidence suggests that it may play a role in inducing an antigen specific immune response by a non-inflammatory mechanism.
- A sIgA deficiency may lower resistance to infection.
- sIgA functions in mucosal immunity and intestinal homeostasis through mechanisms that have only recently been revealed.
- In just the past several years, sIgA has been identified as having the capacity to directly quench bacterial virulence factors, influence composition of the intestinal microbiota by Fab-dependent and Fab-independent mechanisms, promote retro-transport of antigens across the intestinal epithelium to dendritic cell subsets in gut associated lymphoid tissue, and, finally, to downregulate pro-inflammatory responses normally associated with the uptake of highly pathogenic bacteria and potentially allergenic antigens.
- Causes of Depressed and Elevated SIgA Chronic stress adversely affects the mucosal immune system by way of its negative influence on cortisol levels, inflammation control, and antibody production.
- Under chronic stress, sIgA production can be suppressed because of elevated cortisol.
- A reduction in sIgA levels heightens the risk for an invasion of opportunistic organisms—namely viruses, parasites, bacteria, fungus, and yeast.
- Infections drive inflammation and erode the barrier, compromising the secretion and transport of sIgA.
- Cortisol and DHEA(S) (steroidal hormone, immune modulators) systemically modulate the production of the immunocytes that produce sIgA.
- When cortisol and DHEA values are out of balance, immunocyte production can be suppressed resulting in lowered first-line immunity.
- Sympathetic flow governs the ability of the immunocytes to release sIgA…sympathetic overload (prolonged fight/flight) can result in lowered sIgA production and further compromise first-line mucosal immunity
- https://www.biohealthlab.com/wp-content/uploads/310-Secretory-IgA-Test-Guide.pdf
- https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/sites/default/files/u16/GI-MAP-Interpretive-Guide.pdf
Specific functional lab tests can evaluate your status “under the hood”… otherwise we don’t know why we are experiencing odd unexplained symptoms as chronic fatigue, weight gain, skin issues, inflammation, food sensitivities and the list goes on!
Don’t you want to know the root causes to your main health concerns, gut health or complaints?
Don’t you want to know your “areas of opportunity” to determine a road map to improve your immunity and build resilience in today’s uncertain world??
What is the cost to run these specific tests?
Here are examples of the some of the labs we can choose (based on the individual client) through our FDN Medical Director Program (MDP) then clinically correlate the lab results with your main health symptoms/concerns/complaints!
In my FDN Practitioner and Nutritional Therapy “Health Detective” Coaching program- we work together to investigate your “crime scene” by collecting clues with functional lab tests and other nutritional therapy assessments to transform the WHOLE you from the inside out.
We work in three phases… REPAIR, REBUILD and RESTORE your body back to balance or homeostasis. You may just be curious about the status of your health (see my “HEALTH OPTIMIZER” program) or you have specific health concerns and mysteries you would like to investigate deeper (90-day or longer Transformation HEALTH BUILDING program).
- Great Plains Organic Acids Test: $309 plus $75 MDP Fee (urine)
- Genova Diagnostics GI Map: $359 plus $75 MDP Fee (stool)
- DUTCH Complete Hormone Panel: $250 (urine)
- Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer & IP Test: $199 plus $75 MDP Fee
- Vibrant Wellness Food Sensitivity: $199 plus $75 MDP Fee (The Vibrant Wellness Zoomer tests measure IgG and IgA reactivity to all major cow dairy, egg, peanuts, corn, lectins, seafood, nut, and soy.). If you run both the Panel 1 and Panel 2 combined = $298 plus MDP fee
- Cyrex Labs food sensitivity test for raw and cooked foods.
- Microbiome Labs BiomeFX and Total Gut Restoration Program $299
For sure I would test your gut health (GI Map) and hormones (DUTCH test) …then if you could run a third lab then choose Organic Acids Test.
Another way to start improving your resiliency and ability to deal with stress – which will help improve your immune system is with essential oils as my favorite healing oils from Vibrant Blue Oils. We use the adrenals, liver, hypothalamus and parasympathetic oils at night before bedtime at our house!
During this frightening time, I wanted to share some easy resources on how you can keep yourselves and your loved ones healthy from the safety of your own home. Today I am sharing a free resource from my friend and colleague Jodi Cohen on how you can clean surfaces and boost your immune system and general health with essential oils. I know there has been a lot of talk about the anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties of essential oils and how they can help us clean surfaces, sanitize hands and fight infections.
“The Goldilocks Effect”
For now, how can you stay healthy? Build your gut health and decrease your sources of CHRONIC stress! We need to investigate your external sources of stressors and run functional lab tests to identify hidden internal chronic stressors that contribute (or a result of) imbalances impacting your hormones, immune, digestion, detoxification (liver function, energy systems (mitochondria) and nervous systems.
During this frightening time, I wanted to share some easy resources on how you can keep yourselves and your loved ones healthy from the safety of your own home. Today I am sharing a free resource from my friend and colleague Jodi Cohen on how you can clean surfaces and boost your immune system and general health with essential oils. I know there has been a lot of talk about the anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties of essential oils and how they can help us clean surfaces, sanitize hands and fight infections.
Click here to learn more about the immune system and how essential oils can help you improve your health!
Learn more about my health detective services here
