5 Steps to Heal Your Gut Faster

Last Updated on December 7, 2023 by Cathy

If you have an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis (MS), you have a leaky gut. A leaky gut is when the lining of your gut begins to break down allowing food and toxins to enter the bloodstream. Use these 5 simple steps to heal your gut faster.

You may be wondering “How long does it take to heal a leaky gut?”

There is no easy answer to that question.

Everyone is different, you may have just been diagnosed with a few symptoms. In that case, it won’t take you as long. However, if you’ve been suffering for a long time with serious damage caused by MS it will take longer.

The other problem with MS, the central nervous system is the slowest to heal. You will need to stay positive and committed to healing. There are some steps you can take to make your healing process faster. You can get a two-day menu plan for gut health at the bottom of this article.

Gut Bacteria

Researchers have linked gut bacteria associated with inflammation with MS patients. The National MS Society is currently funding a larger study to determine the outcome. This may lead to the development of probiotic strategies for stopping the progression.

Unfortunately, research takes years and who wants to wait? There is growing evidence connecting an unhealthy gut and MS. So why wait, start improving your gut today.

1. Be Strict About What You Eat

No one is perfect… we all cheat at some point. Holidays are the worst! Don’t beat yourself up if you do slip up. But don’t let ‘cheating’ become a habit either. It only sets your gut-healing process back. Following a strict anti-inflammatory diet will help speed up your healing process. Looking at the final result will help give you the boost you need to succeed.

Inflammatory Foods:

• Gluten and Grains
• Dairy
• Refined Sugar
• Processed Foods
• Canola oil

2. Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

To heal, you need to eat nutrient-dense foods every day. If you remove inflammatory foods and do not replace them with healing foods your gut won’t heal as quickly. Include a mix of different foods to get a variety of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables will become your main source of food. Include dark leafy greens, sulfur, and colorful vegetables during every meal.

Eating lots of vegetables may be hard at first, but add them to smoothies or juices. Eat organic as much as possible to avoid pesticides. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a list of produce with the most amounts of pesticides. Eat wild-caught fish, organic grass-fed meats, and organic pasture-raised poultry. Don’t forget to include organ meats, they’re an excellent source of many nutrients.

The Best Healing Foods:

• Bone Broth
• Probiotic-Rich Foods (fermented vegetables, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi)
• Healthy Oils (coconut, olive, avocado)
• Omega 3’s (salmon, sardines, mackerel, flaxseeds)

It is also a good idea to take a good quality probiotic. Researchers linked poor gut bacteria with people with MS compared with healthy people and they are currently looking into using probiotics as a possible treatment for MS. A good probiotic to start with has 15 billion live cultures especially if you are not used to taking them.

3. Bone Broth Fast

I know, it’s probably not something you want to do. It’s so healing and nutritious, that your gut will love it. Your entire body will love it! A bone broth fasts for 1-2 days to keep food and toxins from crossing your gut lining and into your bloodstream. Bone broth is rich in minerals and fights inflammation. It’s easily digestible and heals your gut lining.

Chicken broth is better for healing your gut if it’s seriously compromised such as IBS, or Crohn’s. Otherwise, beef bones are the better choice. They include more marrow, connective tissue, and minerals which help heal your gut quicker.

If you’re like me and can’t afford to lose any weight, try a 12-24 hr fast. My face had been breaking out so I tried an experiment using chicken one Saturday and beef the next Saturday. I was amazed at how much better my face looked from fasting with beef bone broth.

Making bone broth is extremely easy. I have a great beef bone broth recipe you can follow. Add it to soup, or a recipe, or drink it from a mug. For the quickest results, drink it every day.

4. Manage Your Stress

Stress is a huge factor when it comes to MS. Stress triggers MS, and it also creates flares. Chronic stress is what set me back and caused my walking to get worse. Stress releases chemicals like cortisol that are damaging to your gut.

Have you ever noticed, that when you get stressed you can feel it in your gut? It’s that “flight or fight” response affecting your nervous system and blood flow. Stress causes inflammation in your gut. Managing your stress should become a top priority while you’re trying to heal.

Tips to Manage Stress:

• Meditate
• Yoga
• Deep Breathing
• Walking

5. Sleep

Lack of sleep impacts your gut and slows your healing process. Your body repairs itself while sleeping. I know that getting enough sleep is hard. Especially when you’re suffering from MS fatigue. But getting enough sleep is extremely important for your gut and body to heal. Try to get a good night’s sleep of eight hours.

Tips to Better Sleep:

• Remove all electronics 20 minutes before bed.
• Go to sleep at the same time each night.
• Keep your bedroom dark.
• Turn the temperature down a couple of degrees.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks before bed.

Commitment

You have to commit to changing your habits to heal. Sticking to a strict diet all week and then going out for pizza on the weekend is not going to help you.

To heal your gut faster, focus on incorporating gut-friendly foods like probiotics and fiber-rich vegetables into your diet, remove processed foods, and manage stress levels, and supplements that can support gut health.

Two Day Menu Plan for Gut Health

Get the password for the library with my Two Day Menu Plan for Gut Health here by filling out this form:

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