What does a gut/brain issue look like?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Most individuals that have a gut/brain connection issue would not recognize the symptoms that tie into this disruptive imbalance. Typical symptoms of a gut/brain connection imbalance are listed below.

• Difficulty digesting your food
• Constipation or irregular bowel movements
• Increased bloating or gas
• Distended stomach after eating
• Challenges breaking down protein, fat or starches
• Stomach discomfort after eating meals

To understand this connection, let's first look at a simple fact. 90% of your brain function is based on automatic function, while 10% is based on your motor system in which you have voluntary control. The 90% autonomic function does not involve any voluntary control. This 90% autonomic function travels from the brain, to the brainstem and eventually to the vagus nerve. This vagus nerve, which can be defined as the "wandering nerve" communicates with the enteric nervous system of your digestive system.

If the output through this pathway is insufficient this can lead to a host of digestive and other issues. This can include but not limited to:

• Poor motility or movement of your food through the digestive system
• Constipation
• Lose of bowel or bladder control
• Low stomach acid
• Poor pancreatic enzyme production
• Insufficient release of bile from the gall bladder to break down fat
• Leaky gut
• Chronic yeast issues
• Chronic pathogen infections
• Inflamed gut
• Food sensitivities
• Insufficient blood flow to the intestines, hindering function and regeneration

While all that is mentioned above is an issue in itself, leaky gut can lead to many other challenges. First let's define leaky gut as the development of intestinal permeability. When healthy, the lining of your small intestines form a barrier know as "tight junctions" which form an impermeable barrier to protect your blood stream from the contents of your gut. These tight junctions should allow low molecular weight particles into your blood, such as properly digested macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, enzymes, co-enzymes and such. When this barrier is "leaky" this will allow larger molecules into your blood stream such as poorly digested proteins, bacteria, fungus and other pathogens. This will eventually lead to malabsorption, inflammation, brain challenges and chronic disease states.

Poor brain health, brain trauma or brain degeneration often plays a role in the development in leaky gut. Leaky gut creates inflammation, which in turn leads to further progression and worsening of leaky gut. This is a viscous cycle that so many enter and seemingly cannot escape.

This is one of the reasons that I offer "The PAIN of Inflammation" program to my clients and followers of Depke Wellness.

Also understand that leaky gut can also lead to an autoimmune condition that attacks the brain. This is because the chronic inflammation excites the immune system into a constant state of high alert. This often leaves our immune system confused in recognizing actually intruders and our own bodies tissue. This can actually leave the brain and many other areas of the body open to this constant attack.

While we can see here that poor function of this pathway from the brain, brain stem, vagus nerve into the enteric system can have a major impact on your gut health, it is also essential to recognize that this is a two way street. Poor gut health has been shown to also lead to recognized brain issues such as depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, brain fog and memory loss, just to name a few.

Many that are reading this today, will likely recognize that a gut/brain connection issue is likely a problem. Let's take some simple steps to reestablish your vagus nerve activity to assist this connection. Just like you muscles, your neurons need constant stimulation for optimal health. Without activity they will simply lose function. Remember, we mentioned earlier that 90% of your brain's output goes through the brainstem, into the vagus nerve and eventually into the nervous system within the gut.

Here are some simple exercises that you can use to stimulate the function of your vagus nerve.

• Gargle with water several times per day. This will activate the muscles in the back of the throat, activating the vagus nerve and stimulate your gut. Three times per day, drink a glass of water, while gargling each sip long enough for this to seem to be a challenge. The longer you gargle, the better the stimulation.
• Singing loudly can also stimulate the vagus nerve, so when you are driving in your car or taking your shower, let it rip. Sing out your favorite songs and enjoy improved gut/brain health.
• You can also stimulate your gag reflex by using tongue blades. Simply place the tongue blade on the back of your tongue and push down to activate this reflex. The gag reflex is like push-ups for your vagus nerve. Just like push-ups to build your chest and triceps, you have to create some consistency here to make a difference, so do this several times per week.

To get deeper into the inflammatory response of the gut/brain connection challenges, I will be reviewing "The PAIN of Inflammation" program for you shortly. This will involve addressing the underlying causes of infection as well as the feedback loops that continue to cycle inflammation as shared with leaky gut in this article above.

In the end, recognize that your gut and brain functions as one system and not two different systems. Focusing your attention this gut/brain system can change your life!

If you have any questions or comments on this article, feel free to post below for us to respond personally.

Constipation...uggg!

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath 

So why would I say "ugg" to constipation? Well, because if you are constipated "ugg" is exactly what you would feel like.

There is one important fact discuss at the beginning here and that is to define constipation. Most people think that one bowel movement per day is actually healthy. Guess again. One bowel movement per day is actually still constipation. Understand that the time frame from when you eat your food to the time this food exits your body, should occur in 18 hours or less. So with that said, one bowel movement per day will hold the residual of approximately six meals in your digestive tract at all times and most of this would be impacting the colon. Even if you are moving more than once per day but your movements are arduous while releasing small "ball like" waste, this would also be constipation. Also recognize that it is not unlikely for those with constipation to cycle back and forth from constipation and diarrhea. To go one step further, if you would like to reach optimal bowel movements, you would have one shortly after each meal. If this seems unreal to you, think about an infant. Feed a baby, poop, feed a baby, poop. Get it?

While this is not always the favorite subject to discuss, this is often invaluable information to have.

So what's the big deal if your constipated? Some may feel that this is going to release in good time any, so why should I be concerned?

That's a great question that needs to be answered.

The big challenge here is tied into toxicity in the body. First understand that your liver is the body's primary organ of detoxification but does not have an exit out the body. Your liver actually dumps toxins into your colon for eventual but relatively swift removal. This is of course if you are actually moving your colon optimally which would be a minimum of two health, easy bowels movements daily. 

Now if the colon is not moving optimally, there are some real challenges and here's why. The colon itself is designed to be a transport unit and not a storage unit. The walls of the colon are permeable and if residue and toxins remain impacted in your colon for too long, or one bowel movement daily or less, you will then reabsorb the toxins and residue from your colon into the tissue and eventually back in your blood to be disbursed throughout your body. 

I understand that this sounds like an issue in itself, but there's more. Let's look deeper at what's going on in the liver. When toxins go through the phase I liver detoxification, these toxins are converted from a fat soluble form into a water soluble form so they can easily be released into your colon. When this conversion occurs the toxins are actually now more toxic than they were in the first place. This issue of course is if your living with constipation. If you are these "more toxic" toxins are reentering your body, getting into your blood and wreaking havoc on the cells of your body.

I trust that this is enough information to motivate you to reach the goal of two or more healthy bowel movements per day. So how do you do this if you are a one or less person? 

Follow these tips and you are likely to see improvement in your bowels movements.

Welles Step (squatting bench)

• Drink one quart of water daily for every 50 pounds of body weight
• Take two of your Depke Wellness Prebiotic/Probiotic Formula every morning
• Chew your food thoroughly
• Take one Depke Wellness Prime Enzyme Support with each meal 
• Do not consume cold water with your meals and keep water with meals to 6 ounces of tepid water
• Get out and move even if this a 20 minute walk daily
• Use a squatting bench to assist in proper alignment of your colon while releasing
• Slightly steam your vegetables
• Increase vegetable consumption
• Add some berries or apple
• Look at the possibility of low back issues, specifically L4 which is tied into colon health, knee pain and headaches
• Deep breathe prior to meals so you can eat in a relaxed state

If you follow these tips, it is likely that you will improve the flow of your colon and live a less toxic life.

If you follow all of these recommendations and you still find yourself constipated, this would be a time to look into either coffee enemas or colon hydrotherapy with someone that is an expert on this level.

Enjoy your healthy bowel movements!

Thyroid Treatment...Ridiculous!

by Glen Depke

I see it time after time with clients diagnosed with thyroid challenges.

• An individual has all the symptoms of a thyroid challenge
• Thyroid labs are off
• Medication is prescribed
• Labs are now normal
• Yet all the symptom challenges remain unchanged

Here's another senario.

• An individual has all the symptoms of a thyroid challenge
• Thyroid labs all come back as normal in the reference range
• They are told everything is fine, yet they are still suffering with symptoms

Now do you get while I say thyroid treatment is ridiculous? 

I have not discussed the thyroid much in the past because I generally recognize the thyroid challenges are very often not tied into thyroid function. I truly cannot hold back any longer.


This has to be discussed.


First we will recognize what most doctors are looking at in regard to thyroid function. Most are looking at TSH, T4 and T3. TSH is the thyroid stimulating hormone that is produced in the pituitary gland who's purpose is to communicate to the thyroid how much T4 and T3 to produce. The T4 and T3 are hormones produced in the thyroid to allow the benefit of normal body function. So with this information, many practitioners are making diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction with this information. 
 
Let me show you why this is ridiculous.


Here is the comprehensive way of looking at what is going on with your thyroid.

• Hypothalamus send thyroid releasing hormone (TRH) to the pituitary gland
• Pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to the thyroid gland
• TSH stimulates the thyroid to utilize iodine to create T4 and T3
• 93% of this production is T4 and 7% isT3 (Recognize that the body predominately functions on an active form of T3)
• 60% of your T4 is converted in the liver into  active T3
• 20% of your T4 is eventually converted in active T3 in your gastrointestinal tract
• 20% is converted into reverse T3 which is an inactive form
• Any remaining T4 is converted into active T3 in peripheral tissue

Even with this said, there is even more to understand when addressing thyroid function. Here's more

• One of the most common and often not assessed challenges for the thyroid is and autoimmune thyroid condition
• Another key factor is your (TBG) or thyroid binding globulin which is the protein that acts as the delivery system to transport the active T3 to the cells of your body for use

So what do you test if you are suspecting a thyroid challenge so you can actually address this properly and eliminate your symptoms?

• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) 
• Total thyroxine (TT4)
• Free thyroxine index (FTI)
• Free thyroxine (FT4)
• Resin T3 uptake
• Free triiodothyroxine (FT3)
• Reverse T3 (rT3)
• Thyroid binding globulin (TBG)
• Thyroid antibodies

Now there's one more key here. It is important to recognize functional ranges rather than the typical reference ranges on the typical blood panel results. Often those outside of the functional or optimal ranges will already be suffering with the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.


One last topic to mention.


What are the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction?


Here you go...

• Fatigue
• Weight gain despite adhering to your diet
• Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
• Depression
• Constipation
• Hypersensitivity to cold weather
• Poor circulation and numbness in the hands or feet
• Muscle cramps while at rest
• Increased susceptibility to colds and other infections and difficulty with recovery
• Slow wound healing
• Excessive sleep required to function normally
• Chronic digestive challenges such as low stomach acid
• Itchy dry skin
• Hair falls out easily
• Dry skin
• Low body temperature
• Edema, especially facial swelling
• Loss of the outermost portion of eyebrows

There you have it. The most comprehensive information I can provide in a short article. I trust that you can use this in some positive manner in your life.


I will be presenting a complimentary webinar on thyroid function coming soon. If you want this update and you are not currently signed up for the Depke Wellness newsletter, click here to register for our weekly newsletter and update on upcoming complimentary webinars.


If you have any comments or questions about this article, feel free to leave this below for me to answer personally.