THE ROOT CAUSES OF DISEASE - PART 4: THE MICROBIOME

• Important for healthy digestion 

• Microbes form up to 80% of your immune system - preventing diseases of all kinds

• Reduce allergies and inflammation 

• Balances brain chemistry, hormones, and helps to manage stress

• Affects your emotions, mood, and food cravings

• ​Synthesizes key nutrients and enzymes

• Synthesizes & repairs DNA

• Poor diet high in processed foods, sugar, pesticides, preservatives, etc.

• Insufficient or no breastfeeding 

• Over hygienic - especially with antimicrobial soaps and household cleaners 

• Antibiotics - even a single course can set the stage for chronic disease

• C-section birth 

• Chlorinated/fluorinated water 

• Environmental pollution and toxins 

• Electromagnetic Field (EMF’s) radiation emitted by electronics

• Vaccines & medication

Autoimmune disorders: Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, allergies, ALS, cancer (all types), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, eczema, emphysema, endometriosis, diabetes, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (colitis, Crohn’s), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory conditions, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, thyroid disorders
Mental health disorders: anxiety disorders, addiction, bipolar, depression, Schizophrenia, Alzheimers, autism, ADD, ADHD 
Other: weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular disease and virtually every other named illness! 

1. The probiotics are already dead in the bottle:  Many authorities claim this is the case for most probiotic supplements on the market.

2. Not adapted to your body: Your body's native bacteria have been passed on from generation to generation and have been constantly evolving to adapt to your body's changing internal conditions and to compete with evolving "bad" bacteria. Commercial probiotics grow in isolation and are not well adapted to your body's conditions and are not trained to fight the "bad" bacteria that you carry. As an analogy, it is like sending untrained soldiers into the middle of a battlefield and expecting them to have the same ability as veteran soldiers and coordinate their functions with the rest of the team. That said, the probiotics found in supplement form are often quickly killed by competing bacteria and/or simply can't adapt quickly enough to the internal conditions of your body (i.e., tissue damage as well as altered ph levels and biochemistry). 

3. Wrong probiotic strains and/or wrong dosage: there are over 3000 species of bacteria in the healthy human body, yet there only about 40 different probiotic strains available as supplements - most products, of which, only contain 2 or 3 strains. For optimal results, you need to determine which specific strains are needed and at what dosage. Taking too little or too much probiotics can create unnecessary competition in your gut, resulting in adverse health effects.   

4. Pasteurization: Commercial brand probiotic rich food, such as yoghurt or fermented vegetables, are usually pasteurized - a process that kills all of the probiotic bacteria.  

5. Not recognized by the immune system: Good bacteria in your body have genetic markers identifying them as “self” - preventing the immune system from eliminating them. Commercial probiotics do not have these genetic markers. Research shows that most probiotic supplements do not successfully colonize the intestinal tract and usually end up being eliminated through bowel movements. 

1. Custom Probiotics: At our clinic, we utilize a wide variety of newly available bacterial strains and provide our clients with custom made probiotic blends to meet their specific needs. In addition, we can also test for the specific dosage needed for each person and determine the length of time they require supplementation.

2. Beyond Supplementation: In addition, we are utilizing state-of-the-art techniques to stimulate the populations of key types of bacteria already present in the body, without the need for supplementation (including specific strains of bacteria that do not yet exist in supplement form).  

3. Energetically Tagging Probiotics: As mentioned in point 5 of the previous section, commercial bacteria lack the genetic markers identifying them as "self" and aren't always recognized by your immune system, which means they quickly pass through your digestive tract and are eliminated through bowel movements. That said, we are researching ways to energetically tag probiotics with the constitutional frequencies of your body to enable them to be better recognized as safe by the immune system. We hope this approach will allow probiotic supplements to have a better chance of successfully colonizing the digestive tract, so that you can reap the full benefits of these friendly bacteria and eventually stop supplementation altogether.  

It is important to properly prepare your body 2-4 weeks prior to taking probiotics to maximize their efficiency and their chances of successfully colonizing your digestive tract.
 

1. Cleanse the body of parasitic, fungal, and bacterial infections - which can be assumed to be present to some degree in anyone who hasn’t been treated. Excellent anti-microbial herbs, include Artemesia (Wormwood), Black Walnut, and clove. There are excellent natural anti-microbial formulas on the market including (1) Wormwood combination and AP Formula by Epigenetics Ltd., (2) Artemisiacom and Paracom by Energique Inc., and (3) ParaFree soft gels by Young Living Oils Inc. Discuss your protocol options with a qualified practitioner as a very strategic approach should be taken.

2. Repair tissue damage in the intestinal tract and optimize your body's detoxification pathways using specialized orthomolecular nutrition protocols designed by a qualified practitioner.

3. Test and maintain your stomach acid levels: Mix 1/4 tsp of baking soda into 8 ounces of cold water. Drink the solution first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything. Time how long it takes to belch. You should belch within 2-3 minutes. Repeated belching can be a sign of excess stomach acid, while no belching is a sign of low stomach acid. There are also many other clinical indications of low stomach acid that a qualified practitioner can test you for. Common causes of low stomach acid include GMO and processed food and many types of medications. Antacids can create chronically low stomach acid and cause gastric inflammation, leading to chronic health complications. Should you have low stomach acid, you will need to work with a qualified practitioner to determine the cause, and take steps to naturally increase your stomach acid levels. Those who have had their gallbladder removed will also require special attention. 

4. Using gentle detoxification protocols, including gold-roasted coffee enemas every other day for at least one weak can be very effective for removing accumulated sludge from your liver, gallbladder and intestines. Consult with a qualified practitioner to discuss your options and to design a safe protocol to meet your needs.  

5. Eliminate sources of toxins in your food/home (see previous article: Toxicity). A good rule of thumb is to not use any products on yourself or in your home that you wouldn’t eat. 

1. There are many genetic variations of the same species of probiotic bacteria. For example, one company that sells Lactobacillus acidophilus may have a genetic strain that is different than another company's Lactobacillus acidophilus. One brand may work much better for your unique body than another.

2. For some, a broad spectrum probiotic supplement is best, while for others a more targeted approach, selecting only the specific strains of bacteria needed is more appropriate. Always work with a practitioner who is experienced with probiotic therapy to help you determine your specific needs.

3. Choose freeze-dried probiotics in powdered form. Store in a glass container in a cool, dark place. Exposure to air, heat, and light can make the product ineffective. 

4. Add your serving of probiotics to a glass of purified spring water and let soak for about 20 minutes. This process will allow the bacteria to “wake-up,” so they can be active and ready for battle once they enter your body. As a bonus, bacteria double their population every 20 minutes, so you will also get an even greater potency out of your supplement. Skipping this crucial step is like dropping soldiers into the middle of a battlefield while they are asleep and unarmed! N.B. using tap water containing chlorine and fluoride or using water that is over acidic or alkaline will kill the bacteria. Only use purified spring water.  If you’re supplement is in capsule form, open the capsule and pour the contents into a glass of water.

5. Take the supplement at least 2 hours after your last meal of the day, preferably last thing at night, when the stomach is empty and stomach acid is at its lowest. Taking the supplement with food will likely make it ineffective because the high acidity of the stomach will kill the bacteria.

6. Swish the probiotics around your mouth and teeth before swallowing as it will help prevent cavities and fight periodontal disease. Probiotic bacteria need to colonize every mucous membrane of the body, including the mouth, sinuses, esophagus, lungs, and intestines. 

7. The optimal dosage for probiotic supplements is unique to each person and should be tested by a qualified practitioner to determine the optimal amount you should take. Taking too much or too little, or taking the wrong strains can destabilize the delicate balance of the microbiome and have adverse effects on your health. While some strains of bacteria only require smaller doses of about 1 billion Colony Forming Units (CFU) to be effective, many require at least 10-20 billion CFU. Therapeutic dosages can go up into the 100’s of billions CFU.

8. Feed your probiotics with the foods they need to thrive such as Organic, whole-foods, especially plant-based foods that are rich in fibre. Many probiotic supplements include the prebiotic inulin or Jerusalem artichoke, but do not use these products until you have cleansed your body from the bad populations of bacteria as they may also use these prebiotics to fuel their growth.

9. Chew your food properly and don’t swallow until it reaches the consistency of baby food. Larger chunks of food can remain undigested and may release toxins in your gut, which fuel bad bacteria. 

10. When you begin probiotic supplementation, you may experience a “die-off” effect caused by the “bad” bacteria being killed off by the “good” bacteria. The damaging toxins produced by bad bacteria (such as cadaverine, spermine, putrecine, or even ammonia, which often accumulates in the body with H. pylori infections and candida overgrowth) are going to be released in greater quantities once they die, which may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, headaches, abdominal cramping, etc. At this stage, it is important to gently detoxify your body with the strategic use of key fibres and toxin-binders, which may include, psyllium seed husk, flax seeds, chia seeds, beans, peas, fruit, and vegetables. In addition, far infrared saunas and skin brushing are also great techniques to stimulate detoxification. 

11. Properly prepared homemade yoghurt, using a probiotic starter, that has fermented for at least 24 hours can be a good source of probiotics (up to 700 billion CFU/ounce) for those who can tolerate it. Properly prepared homemade fermented vegetables, using a potent probiotic starter with key bacteria strains, can yield up to 10 trillion CFU/ounce with a significant source of vitamin K2. 

12. Other ways of introducing friendly bacteria to the gut include probiotic retention enemas and fecal transplants (always consult a Medical Doctor regarding this procedure), which are both showing promising results, when done properly, in re-inoculating the gut with probiotic bacteria that target key diseases.