CLEANSE: Clean Gut = New Gains.
A few times a year I decide to clean the system. A bit like a spring clean... but for the body.
I’ve done it many times before and always feel a boost from improving the environment my cells are living in. Cells are constantly responding to what’s going on around them both energetically and chemically. I recommend checking outBiology of BelieffromBruce Lipton. I went to see Bruce speak in Sydney last year with my wife and loved meeting the author of 2 of my favourite books (Spontaneous Evolution is the other of his that I loved).
What’s the deal?
1. Minimum of 2 days vegetarian and with lots of water and herbal tea prior to the cleanse.
2. Salt water flush to start the day.
3. Fast until dinner. Only fat (coconut / MCT oil, fermented veg and gelatine allowed in small amounts during day 2 and 3. (I had a fresh vegetable juice on day 2 also)
4. Meat (days 3-5 only), vegetables and salad for dinner.
5. Oil pulling twice per day for 20 minutes.
What was the result. It’s hard to express exactly what this feels like but the sensation is clean. I love the feeling of an empty digestive tract.
What does a healthy gut do?
NO LEAKY GUT HOLES - An empty digestive tract is able to clean and repair itself. The pipe from the mouth to the anus should be without holes or sores where invaders can ender the body.
SHAG CARPET ABSORPTION NOT HOSE PIPE - When the gut is able to decrease inflammation or cramping then there is a greater opportunity for nutrient absorption from the micro-villi which are lost when the gut is inflamed.Micro-villi can be understood as shag carpet lining the gut with finer and finer hairs capable of bringing different nutrients into the blood stream. When the gut is inflamed the interstitial fluid folds these micro-villi out to create the equivalent to a garden hose (instead of the shag we're meant to have). The surface area for nutrients to be actively integrated into the body are drastically decreased.
PROVIDE A HOME FOR GUT FLORA - Healthy gut flora rely on the structural integrity of the gut to be able to set-up base. Why do you want bacteria and other micro-organisms in the gut? Well these are the guys that actually do a lot of the eating for you. They can process foods and produce nutrients that can otherwise be difficult to get.
GOOD GUT FLORE = IMMUNITY - The little critters in the gut also provide most of our immune protection from the outside world. Just as there is a living ecosystem on the skin that prevents infection via the skin, the pipe from the mouth to the anus also has a system and balance for keeping out undesirables.
DRUGS ARE BAD (AT LEAST THE ONES FROM THE DOCTOR AND PHARMACIST)
ANTI-INFLAMATORY DRUGS & LEAKY GUT
Research shows that even from the first dose of NSAID’s bleeding in the gut can result. Chronic bleeding can cause anaemia and other issues. Even from the first time that gut wall is compromised the immune system has to go into over-drive to protect itself against undesired matter entering the blood stream that should have been protected by a continual structural barrier.
Reference :
Wijck, K., Lenaerts, K., et al. Aggravation of Exercise-Induced Intestinal Injury by Ibuprofen in Athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
NOTE The lining of the gut is about as thick as your eye-lid which makes it quite fragile and vulnerable.
ANTI-BIOTICS
Many medical experts acknowledge that antibiotics are over prescribed. They have been shown to cause permanent damage to the gut especially when administered early in life. Just like cancer treatments that revolve around killing bad cells and good cells and hoping there is enough vitality left to regenerate the good cells without the non-cooperating cancer cells proliferating again. The same scenario goes for the antibiotics. Yes, some of the germ cells that are unchecked by the bodies own weakened immune system will be killed but at the same time the healthy cells of the gut, your natural immunity will also be greatly damaged. Antibiotics make future infection more likely as the bodies first line of defence is now weakened or non-existent.
Should I Be Vegetarian For Healthy?
I don’t believe in vegetarianism / raw veganism for the long-term but I do believe it is very powerful in helping the body to clean itself and detoxify. Protein intake should also be lowered from time to time to allow cellular cleansing and recycling of nutrients to occur via the process of AUTOPHAGY.
Will eating 4-8 meals per day be good for my gut?
Minimally consuming food rather than maximally consuming may not be preached by the body composition experts of our time but it is a habit of many (not all) of the elite high volume athletes that I’ve met. Eating 1-2 big meals / day rather than 6 meals through the day is something I found to be surprisingly common among CrossFitters, gymnasts and other athletes. To consume food as required rather than force feeding to maximise metabolic rate.
Remember digestion is also a process that requires energy from the body. It’s also a process that needs to be functioning well for high performance to be consistently possible.
Gut Health To Get Buff?
We've all seen the super skinny not to healthy guy that eats junk but can't add mass. Pimples and bad smells tell us that getting the gut working will be the key to building a new physique.
Suspect Gut Issues If This Guy Walks In Your Gym
A high level of immune function is also essential for adding muscle mass
Systemic inflammation will make you look bloated even with low body fat levels
High toxicity in the gut will cause you to hold more fat around the gut to store toxins
Systemic inflammation is correlated with poor blood sugar control and is on the cascade to diabetes. Good blood sugar management is essential for staying lean
When you're sick you can't train which means your loosing your skills and your strength
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