During my own healing journey, one of the many things I had to fix was a leaky gut. I’ll tell you exactly how I fixed it further down below, but first, let me define it.

Leaky gut, or increased intestinal permeability, is a condition where the lining of the intestines becomes damaged, allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to leak into the bloodstream. This can lead to various health issues and the following effects:

1. Immune System Response

When substances leak into the bloodstream, the immune system may identify them as foreign invaders, prompting an immune response. This can lead to chronic inflammation, which is linked to numerous health conditions.

2. Autoimmune Diseases

A leaky gut can trigger or exacerbate autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis have been linked to increased intestinal permeability.

3. Digestive Disorders

Leaky gut can contribute to digestive issues, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), food sensitivities, and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms may include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

4. Mental Health Issues

There is emerging evidence suggesting a link between gut health and mental well-being. Leaky gut may influence mood and mental health, potentially contributing to anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as the “gut-brain axis.”

5. Skin Conditions

Conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne may also arise from leaky gut. The inflammatory substances entering circulation can trigger skin flare-ups or exacerbate existing skin conditions.

6. Nutritional Deficiencies

When the gut is leaky, nutrient absorption can be compromised, leading to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals. This can contribute to fatigue, weakened immunity, and other health problems.

7. Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

Increased intestinal permeability has been connected to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, possibly due to ongoing inflammation and nutrient malabsorption.

8. Metabolic Disorders

Leaky gut may also play a role in metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes. The chronic inflammation and changes in gut microbiota can disrupt metabolic functioning, affecting how the body processes sugars and fats.

Managing Leaky Gut

To address leaky gut, many people adopt dietary changes, including eliminating processed foods, sugars, and gluten, while increasing the intake of whole foods, probiotics, and prebiotics. Lifestyle factors such as stress management and adequate sleep are also important in restoring gut health.

Understanding leaky gut and its potential effects is crucial for identifying and addressing underlying health challenges. If you suspect that you may be experiencing symptoms related to leaky gut, consulting a healthcare professional can provide personalized guidance and support.

So how did I fix my leaky gut?

In short – kiwis.

My doctor told me to go on the L-Glutamine supplement for 90 days and see how it went. Before buying any, I looked it up to learn what it did and how it helped the body. I don’t personally like taking pills or spending money on supplements, especially since I know our bodies only absorb 10% of any given supplement, where we get 80%+ when getting our nutrients from food.

So, I set out to find something else to help in the whole foods world and that’s how I found kiwis and Dr. William Li. I found his studies on kiwis and the reactions his human subjects had:

“…two kiwifruits a day for four days (total of eight fruits) and looked at changes in their fecal microbiome. The differences appeared rapidly. They found that the presence of Lactobacillus was increased by 35% within twenty-four hours of eating kiwi. Another bacterium, Bifidobacteria, increased gradually by 17% over four days in most (83 percent) of the subjects. Both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are considered beneficial gut bacteria that produce SCFAs, which help lower inflammation. The SCFAs help to maintain the integrity of the gut lining to prevent digested food from leaking out, and they improve glucose and lipid metabolism. Eating kiwifruit thus has prebiotic effects that shape beneficial gut bacteria and lower inflammation. The results showed that eating kiwifruit, regardless of the number of fruits, could reduce DNA damage by approximately 60%…

…When the researchers looked more closely at the DNA, they found that eating three fruits per day actually increased DNA repair activity by 66%. So, eating kiwifruit not only neutralizes free radicals, but it also increases the repair rate of any DNA that has been damaged to get it back into shape. An abnormal gut microbiome triggers some autoimmune diseases, so it can be helpful to eat foods that restore healthy gut bacteria. For example, foods like walnuts, beans (black and navy), kiwifruit, and cocoa increase bacteria production of butyrate, which has anti-inflammatory properties shown to reduce the bone and joint destruction of arthritis…” – from Eat to Beat Disease by Dr. William Li

Armed with this information, and my need to rebuild the gut lining and super charge the good bugs in my gut, I designed a smoothie to help me achieve that. I spent the next 90 days sticking to 1 kiwi a day, plus made sure to have multiple different types of yogurts, ferments and fiber to feed the gut microbes.

This time last year, I could barely function, only had maybe 7 safe foods, and was tired all the time. The fatigue was real and as a mom of a toddler, it wasn’t easy.

After a week, I noticed a difference, and by week 4 I was an entirely different person. A year later, I’m functional, have lost over 70lbs, and can walk with my now 3 year old for a couple of miles with no issues. I went from being mostly bedridden to back out in the world, and it’s something I’ll never take for granted again.

This is exactly why I started Nourishing Holistic Meal Prep. I know exactly where people are when they’re struggling and just need one person to believe them. I understand the frustration of yet another doctor telling you your ‘bloodwork looks normal.’ I wish someone could have told me what I needed to do, and I’m grateful for the few doctors who have gone outside of the norm to get this information out into the world.

Now it’s up to people like you and me to keep spreading the information. In most cases, we don’t need more medication. We need a whole foods plant based diet and we need to eat right, consistently. Find a meal prep business close to you that provides these healthy meals, or become that person yourself–like I did.

I sell this smoothie in my business but I won’t gatekeep the information:

Revitalize Smoothie:
2oz yakult
1oz kefir
1 whole kiwi
1/4 teaspoon green blends powder
5g creatine
2 tablespoons greek yogurt

Blend ingredients and you’re ready to drink. I make these on Sundays for my family for the whole week. They will separate out but if you give them a shake before opening then they’re good again.

The good news is these smoothies aren’t just good for gut health, they also have immune boosting properties as well as being helpful for ADHD/Audhd/Autisic people. It’s designed to support everyone and it does just that!

If you’re local to the RGV area, you can buy these and more healthful foods at our shop HERE.