Digestive issues are the most common complaint in my practice and gut parasites aren’t a pretty subject, but one we definitely need to know about.
These little blighters may be the cause of your digestive problems, as they’re really common in Australia and can often be the diagnosis that’s been missed!
It’s pretty easy to get a parasite infection, especially if you’re like many others and don’t have enough good gut bugs to protect you against infections.
Intestinal parasites can cause inflammation in our gut lining and can give us leaky gut, causing our liver to suffer from the toxins that the parasite produces.
This can make us feel really terrible.
These are the common offenders:
Giardia, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Aeromonas, Entoamoeba histolytica, Dietamoeba, Blastocystis, Cryptosporidium, and Clostridium difficile.
Symptoms of a Parasite Invasion
Note: Irritable Bowel Syndrome can often be mistaken for a parasite infection.
– Tummy pains, bloating, diarrhea, constipation (IBS like symptoms)
– Having had a case of food poisoning and never feeling right again
– Hunger shortly after a meal
– Poor sleep, big fatigue
– Anxiety, foggy head, depression, mood changes
– Aching and pains
Intestinal parasites are very easily spread and that’s why it’s important to wash your hands regularly, before eating and after touching animals.
The parasite ‘Giardia’ is really common in day care centers and retirement homes where there is close contact.
This for example can lead to the infected child easily passing it to the rest of the family.
The Good News Is…
Parasites can be treated, although in some cases it can be difficult.
Remember to get re-tested after treatment to make sure they’re gone.
The takeaway here is to get tested!
The best test is a simple stool test which you can do in the privacy of your home.
Treatment of Parasites
Parasites like to live in an unhealthy gut, so we must change the environment by improving the health of your gut so it’s no longer a good home for parasites to live.
Natural treatments for getting rid of parasites are:
– No snacking. Rest your digestive system between meals which increase intestinal waves, pushing parasites out of your system
– Cut out sugar, dairy and grains. Parasites love sugar.
– Eat anti-microbial foods like onion, garlic, coconut oil
– Add lots of fiber to your diet (gradually and increase water) to drag the parasites out
– Take a probiotic with lots of different strains to heal the gut
– Have slippery elm, bone broth, fermented vegetables, kefir and glutamine which all help to heal the lining of the intestines
Antibiotics are the most common treatment by your GP, although not always effective as these parasites are developing a resistance to them. Antibiotics will also damage your general gut health in the process. Research has shown that it can take 2 years for our body to gain back lost health from antibiotics.
Remember that antibiotics kill the bad AND the good flora in your gut. Taking probiotics with your antibiotics (3 hours apart which, although a must) is like putting a teaspoon of good bacteria back into a bathtub… a big job to get it right again!
I’ll be giving you a step by step system on how to get rid of parasites and other gut offenders in Empowered Women’s Health (EWH). Gut health is where we always begin… to then address other women’s health issues such as weight, hormone imbalances, low energy, stress and anxiety, thyroid and autoimmune conditions (just to name a few.)
So don’t forget to sign up here to this special mailing list, to know more about what EWH can do for you. I can’t wait for you to see it 🙂
Comments