Episode Highlights with Steven Wright​

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• Steven’s interest in gut health evolved from a multitude of childhood health issues which continued into adulthood. He spent close to $400,000 trying to find answers.

• Steven tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (a restrictive diet) for a few years with great results. 

• Steven believes that many inflammatory issues of the digestive system are due to our loss of enzyme function in the small intestine.

•  If you're in pain from IBS, bloating, or other issues, an elimination diet (simply just eating meats, fruits, and vegetables) for four to six weeks could change your life. However, it’s important to support the organs that are not able to break down certain foods.

• Many diets are versions of elimination diets, which if you stay on for too long, can create nutrient deficiencies and disrupt the microbiome.

• Diets and new supplement fads come and go, but we keep forgetting that the stomach stays the same, or it gets worse as we age.

• A low stomach acid condition can set you up for IBO or candida.

• Mainstream medicine is all about suppressing stomach acid and taking antacid, but this is backwards.

• Low stomach acid is at pandemic levels, especially as people age.

• HCL levels drop when the body is in the sympathetic mode. 

• To improve digestion, calm your body down before eating by saying a prayer (or words of gratitude), or by taking five deep breaths.

• If you have chronic digestive unwellness, h pylori, or you're over 50, you might have to supplement with Betaine HCL (replacement stomach acid) to get levels back to normal.

• For less than 50 dollars and in one week, you can find out if low acid levels are a problem for you.

• You can buy Betaine HCL supplements (hopefully the one with pepsin) online and take a HCL challenge. Just take one capsule with your dinner (with protein) and increase the dose each night until you feel a burning feeling (heartburn-like symptom) or loose stools. Then just take a half teaspoon or a teaspoon of baking soda mixed into water to neutralize the acidity. Reduce the dose back down to one less capsule the next day, as this is your correct dose. For example, if the burning sensation occurred with four capsules, then your dose is three.

• The small intestine is very complex. It is the source of the immune system, it is responsible for breaking down food, and absorbing most of the nutrients.

•  Steven believes that a digestive enzyme deficiency accounts for many small intestine issues.

• Sibo, candida yeast, or infection in the small intestine often contributes to a deficiency in digestive enzymes.

•  Immune cells account for 80 percent of the whole microbiome at the top of your large intestine.

• Steven believes we can “retolerize” ourselves to the world through the use of  specific bugs, fermented foods, and other ways.

•  If you purchase a probiotic, look for a brand that has been studied for the condition you want to address and choose one that lists numbers after the name.

• Steven recommends starting with enzymes and HCL supplements before going with prebiotics and probiotics for issues such as unexplained IBS or IBD. Those conditions are associated with low butyrate acid levels so start with a butyric acid supplement.

• Get your digestion in order by supporting your organ functioning, and then add a probiotic. You'll be getting your nutrients, removing the nutrients from the SIBO or from the candida, and you'll be supporting a better microbiome -  if you do those two correctly.

• You can change your microbiome by eating vegetables high in polyphenol blends to help produce a better microbiome. 

• Enzymes with a mineral cofactor will work better (will turn the enzymes on), so if enzymes have not worked for you in the past, make sure to buy a supplement with mineral cofactors.

• You can take six enzymes with a meal. There's really no upper limit per day we're talking about taking with enzymes. Dose appropriately to your condition and body.