It’s time for another case study, this time on a client who was suffering from severe digestive and skin problems.
You can see some other case studies we’ve done here:
Meet Tasia.
Similar to my experience of being diagnosed with celiac disease and then a parasite, Tasia had been to her family doctor, explained her symptoms and had essentially been dismissed. This was incredibly frustrating for her, and one of the reasons she ended up working with us at HEAL.
Gut Testing
The first thing we did was order her a very comprehensive gut health test, called the GI Map. This is a stool test that looks for parasites, bacteria, fungi and more, by targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested. It’s incredibly comprehensive and a test we love to run on clients that are struggling with severe digestive issues. We also run other types of digestion tests at HEAL, this was just the one that was the right fit for what we were looking for.
Sure enough, a number of important markers came back as abnormal on the test result, giving a great explanation as to the symptoms she was experiencing. Firstly, she tested positive for high levels of H. Pylori, a bacteria that can contribute to ulcer formation. H. Pylori is actually a common bacteria that 1 in 2 people have, and only becomes a problem when it becomes overgrown. It suppresses stomach acid production, which in and of itself creates a whole host of digestive problems because it prevents the proper breakdown and absorption of food.
She also tested positive for high levels of certain opportunistic bacteria, ones that only become a problem when they are in too high of a quantity. The specific strains she tested high for are often associated with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), which can also cause IBS and a combination of bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
The final major outlier on the test was candida, an overgrowth of yeast in her system. This in combination with the other results was a huge contributor to her skin issues (psoriasis and eczema).
Diet Before The Gut Test Results
While we waited for the gut health test results to come back, I put Tasia on a modified paleo diet, as this will often help stop the symptoms short term. If there are parasites, bacteria imbalances or fungi, it won’t necessarily address the root cause, but will help improve symptoms while we wait.
Diet After The Gut Test Results
Given that Tasia was experiencing a combination of SIBO and candida, we started on a modified low fibre, low starch diet to starve the bacteria and yeast. She received weekly meal plans with recipes that supported this way of eating so that it was simple and easy for her to do. She was surprised how much she enjoyed the food.
Supplements
The supplements were key to this protocol, and we used a combination of different herbs to eradicate the H. Pylori, increase Tasia’s stomach acid, kill off the candida with anti-fungals. We also used a specific strain of probiotic, called Saccro B (for short) to help round it out. Interestingly, this is a scenario where putting a client on a generic probiotic may have actually exacerbated her symptoms, and why everyone is unique and you always want to get specific help for your specific issues.
I spoke to Tasia earlier this month, after being on the protocol for just over a month. She was so pleased with how she was feeling. Her digestion was back to normal, with no diarrhea and she was no longer worrying about when her stomach would act up. Her scalp had majorly improved and she said the psoriasis was almost gone. YAY!!
I am really happy to share this story because it reminds me of my own experience, where I felt like nobody could help and I was just going to have to live with my digestive problems. If you are reading this and struggling, I encourage you to reach out and book a complimentary 15 minute session where we can explain how we work with clients, and understand if we can help you! Click here to book now.
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