The Ultimate Gut Healing Protocol
Hiking on the Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
Healing your gut is like growing your inner forest, returning to who you really are, and living your life to the fullest, embodied. Entire books have been written on this very topic, with various studies on the gut emerging in only the past decade alone. By now you probably know the very real role your GI tract plays in orchestrating your overall health. It’s where you digest your food, where you get your intuitive “gut feeling”, and where your body produces important neurotransmitters like serotonin. Implementing consistent practices and maintaining them to restore your gut is really a lifelong love affair, and here I will very briefly explore how this could transpire. Healing is always happening in any circumstance. I believe this so strongly... life is magic. An infinite field of possibility is always available in every moment as we co-create this reality. Mainstream and even various alternative health practitioners like functional practitioners often label things as impossible when they themselves or their specific modality or system does not have an answer. There are so many systems out there, and your unique life and the way you navigate things is always a place to come back to and examine. Don’t hesitate to dive further and do your own research according to your context.
You see, the gut is like the gatekeeper of our body. Leaky gut, or “intestinal permeability”, is where the intestinal lining is damaged to the point where it lets undigested food particles, waste material and bacteria into the bloodstream. Until something passes through this lining, it could actually be considered outside the body, and when the gut barrier begins to break down, things that shouldn’t be passing through end up getting directly in the blood, leading to pretty much every illness from eczema to allergies, infections, autoimmunity, arthritis, and more. The symptoms of a poor gut can be really vague and indistinguishable from the symptoms of other illnesses. Leaky gut even inhibits your body’s proper assimilation of food, which means you’re not properly absorbing the nutrients you’re getting, leading to things like weakened immunity and nutritional deficiencies.
“The way to someone’s heart is through their gut microbiome.”
Dairy and gluten are often blamed for gut issues but the reality is that a stronger (healed) gut can handle and digest both heirloom ancient grains and organic pasture-raised grass-fed dairy from farmers you trust. Inflammatory dietary triggers and leaky gut are often caused by diet, lifestyle and living area (literal surrounding environment), but believe it or not, many people are able to successfully reintroduce certain foods (particularly dairy and gluten) after healing their gut properly. Gut health is a very multifaceted issue. Things like gluten aren’t actually the problem so much as the hybridised genetically modified strains of modern wheat paired with glyphosate, no longer resembling what our ancestors had grown to become accustomed to, and where the Peyer’s patches in the intestines no longer recognise these profiles and respond with immune activation/autoimmunity. Things like lectins in plant foods aren’t actually the cause of leaky gut, but once you have leaky gut, lectins can really trigger the symptoms of it. The food allergies are actually a byproduct of leaky gut, and once faced with inflammation and food sensitivity, it perpetuates the problem.
Simply removing them will not heal your gut alone, though. The main culprit of leaky gut is toxins, particularly Glyphosate, aka the infamous toxic Roundup herbicide created by the overlords at Monsanto, which is basically ubiquitous not only in conventionally farmed foods but increasingly also the environment including rainwater, soils, and even in the air, meaning it’s even contaminating organic crops. Yeah... it’s a lot.
OTHER THINGS THAT AFFECT GUT HEALTH:
• Junk diets. Nutrient-poor diets make ineffectual bacteria and yeast grow in the gut, creating a damaged ecosystem.
This illustration provides a comprehensive overview regarding the effects of gut microbiota on host physiology and factors that influence gut microbiota composition in health and disease. (Via Mayo Clinic)
• Medication overuse. Anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, acid blocking drugs, and steroids damage the gut or block optimal digestive function.
• Infections and gut imbalances. This includes SIBO, yeast overgrowth, and parasites.
• Toxin overload. This includes most personal care products, and mercury and mold toxins. Think of toxin-based illnesses as a bucket, and each time you expose yourself to toxins, it adds water to the bucket and eventually it overflows.
• Inadequate digestive enzymes. Stress, acid-blocking medications, and zinc deficiencies can all inhibit proper digestive enzyme function.
• Stress. Chronic stress alters your gut nervous system, contributing to leaky gut and changing its bacteria. Utilise nutritional repletion and other modalities to make stress work to your highest advantage. Everything in all of reality is thrumming oneness with itself. Break free and live in the eternal, present Now.
Gut inflammation is one of the roots of all Neolithic diseases (the era that emerged when humans ceased to be thriving nomadic hunter-gatherers and adopted stagnant settlements and agriculture), including systemic and neuroinflammation. Dysfunctional mitochondria and circadian biology, malnutrition, and inflammatory/oxidative stress in general also play a role and are major contributing factors to many, many conditions. Gut inflammation and leaky gut both go hand in hand in a vicious cycle; we cannot address one without implication of the other. When we resolve both by addressing them simultaneously, we enable the gut to begin to repair itself.
Something important to also note here is that our gut is like the second brain, and the predominant center that generates our intuition, that “gut feeling” we’re all familiar with. Not unlike brain fog, our guts can become desensitised and literally leaky from years of toxicity, dulling our intuitive power and disempowering us as humans. When you embark on this (or any) gut healing protocol or even parts of it, not only can you reclaim your intuitive senses and protect yourself, but you can also embark on a journey of profound growth and revelation. Knowing the lifestyle that most people lead (or have led in the past) pretty much makes everyone a surefire candidate for leaky gut, so I’m willing to bet you have nothing to lose—implementing even just some of this protocol will benefit you.
Hometown cycling
We (...most of us) are a quantum bioelectric sunbeam. The body is insanely and beautifully resilient, and despite massive damage, healing is always happening as long as you’re alive. In fact, symptoms and discomfort are messages, a healing response, an indicator of a lack of movement, connection, light, sound, loss of electrons, loss of structured water. Your power lies in your personal connection to your environment as the body gathers what it needs to heal. I’d invite you to see your current state as an adaptation to your previous habits. Your body is always communicating with you, always healing.
When embarking on this protocol, keep in mind that the healthier you are to begin with, the quicker the results will be, and it should take about a few months of consistency to really start experiencing beneficial changes. Also, remember that science and information is always changing as we evolve and adapt to toxic environments, so not everything here is set in stone. Consult your trusted practitioner. You always have the veto power to decide what to pick up if it feels right, and what to leave if your heart says it isn’t the right path.
Personally, most of this isn’t too far off from my regular lifestyle as it feels good in a way I never knew I could feel before, and I’ve actually healed a small patch of eczema I’ve had since 2018 through the consistent practices here, no creams or balms needed (even any “natural”/non-toxic eczema balms). This protocol will first help heal your gut, and from there you can decide which foods you want to reintroduce if you have any intolerances. Although these habits really could (and probably should...) be sustained over a lifetime, your flexibility enhances once your gut properly heals—you can reintroduce foods containing lectins and even many foods you were previously “allergic” to, and follow your intuition!
It is also my intention to try to share the reasons behind foods, supplements, and practices. Too often we are given mainstream prescriptions and even herbs from holistic practitioners (like in TCM) without knowing the why behind them, and by understanding the underlying mechanisms with our rational minds (at least loosely), our body and mind work synergistically in our favour, improving the mechanisms and manifesting health. The placebo is real, and we should harness the power of the mind in its role in generating whole-body health and recovery. Keep an open mind, and use common sense along the way.
It starts with unfiltered, full-spectrum sunlight.
Sandbanks, Ontario
BUILDING YOUR SOLAR CALLUS
This might be truly jarring especially if you tend to be of the darkness like myself, but daily sunlight exposure on bare skin to tolerance without contact lenses, prescription glasses, or sunglasses should be a part of most any health recovery and regular routine. And no, vitamin D pills do not suffice since they are not effective in the same way.
Spend some time in the sunlight without toxic sunscreens, exposing your bare face, eyes and skin to unfiltered, full-spectrum sunlight. Morning light is safest. Not too much, not too little. Even in the shade is fine as you’ll still be getting the full spectrum. It modulates your genes, informs your DNA not only to program your circadian rhythm but informs our physical bodies in cosmic ways not yet understood by science. Most people today are not prepared to be exposed properly to the sun, so first building a solar callus to increase resilience is imperative. Trust me, I know what it’s like to be very uncomfortable in the sun!
The evidence is no doubt very clear that sun exposure to the point of sunburn increases your risk of certain types of skin cancer, but sun exposure within your skin’s range of tolerance (without burning) is actually associated with a reduced risk of essentially all major types of cancer. A healthy light environment also leads to emotional health.
Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
METHOD
First, you will want to build your solar callus gently in the early morning UVA light (from around 8-10 am) and evening light each spring season to increase your personal sunlight tolerance without burning. Even just 5-10 minutes to begin with is fine, and work your way up according to tolerance throughout the summer and into the fall, storing accumulated vitamin D over the winter. You will notice that you approach burning less and less as you increase your tolerance.
Try to expose as much skin as you can to the direct morning light (which is the safest sunlight), with special focus on light indirectly through the eyes and particularly on the belly for your gut microbiome. This triggers key pathways in the brain and body, impacting mood, focus, hunger, libido, blood pressure and more. Sunrise and sunset are both the most crucial for repair processes and circadian rhythm, and should be priority. Don’t look directly at the sun obviously, but take any glasses/lenses off when safe to do so in order to allow the light to inform your body by letting the full light spectrum into the eyes. Gaze at the sky with naked eyes east to the brightest parts of the sky. It doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy, rainy, foggy, snowy, or you’re surrounded by trees. All of the code that your eyes and brain needs to set your circadian rhythm is there. Face and back of neck exposure to the light are also recommended.
Read: The Microbiome in Health and Disease from the Perspective of Modern Medicine and Ayurveda
Building up your solar callus should be consistent every morning for at least a month before exposing yourself to midday sun (the time with the highest UV index and a more risky time for burning). Only do what you’re comfortable with. Naked (or near naked...) sun time is a transformative practice and one of the most powerful ways to love yourself and connect with your body.
Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
BEGINNER:
-Sunrise and/or morning sunlight at least 30 minutes (3 minutes minimum)
-Sunset and/or evening at least 30 minutes
INTERMEDIATE:
-Same as above, but start to include midday/noon for 5-10 minutes at first, even in the shade is fine as you still get the full spectrum of light. Midday light (highest UVB exposure) is essential for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. The more melanin you have in your skin, the longer you may need to expose yourself to midday sun for vitamin D production, depending on your latitude. ‘Dminder’ is a useful phone app that can track your levels safely at your location.
ADVANCED:
-Whenever and wherever you’re able to get out to expose yourself to the full spectrum light without burning.
Sun burning or sun damage, is in essence, inflammation and oxidative stress produced by the UV light spectrum along with poor redox status (your body’s ability to deal with oxidative stress). Sun damage (as well as chemical sunscreen use) contributes to melanoma, so avoid burning and be smart about it! An ancestral diet will help cover all the nutrient factors from the inside out when it comes to inflammation/oxidative stress protection, aside from molybdenum mostly found in properly prepared beans or in a low-dose boron supplement (which can be low depending on agricultural soil quality. More on diet in the sections below).
Once your solar callus is built up to an extent and you feel more confident (and less uncomfortable) in the sunlight, generate as much vitamin D as you can via sunlight exposure throughout the day while blocking blue light when possible and eating more delicious seafood. The key is to avoid burning, and immediately cover up or go inside once you start feeling uncomfortable or start to feel yourself burn. Use a hat, clothing, and/or mineral based, non-nanoparticle zinc sunscreen for long days outdoors. It has to be consistent, but minimal sun exposure for even just 10-20 minutes per day for as many days in a row as possible will support gut healing and give you a nice inherent glow eventually. It’s just akin to how arduous a process gaining muscle is. The quantum nonlinear effects will ensure that even a small stimulus of full spectrum sunlight at just 3 minutes every morning is all that’s needed to trigger the key pathways. Small, consistent, and profoundly impactful.
Building your solar callus and increasing your vitamin D levels will begin to reduce full-body inflammation and creates the basis for a healthier and more restored gut microbiome. Other sources of vitamin D include salmon skin, pasture-raised eggs (from outdoors), nitrate-free, pasture-raised lard, and other sun-raised foods (not supplements, which are not effective in the same way).
Consider also investing in a pair of blue light blocking glasses for whenever you’re using tech screens indoors, especially if you’re someone with a tech screen job like myself. Tech screen workers are more prone to gut issues. Cell/television/radio towers and nnEMF exposure (tech devices and wi-fi) also play a role in disrupting our gut microbiome, so consider moving to resolve any gut dysfunction. Magnesium supplementation can also help mitigate the effects of nnEMFs, which brings me to my next point...
2. MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE SUPPLEMENT
The cells in our body require minerals to make energy and hormones, and adequate minerals and hydration are almost more important than what you eat when it comes to cultivating gut health. Minerals are like the sparkplugs of life, starting many enzymatic reactions essential for metabolism, digestion and detoxification pathways. One of the most important minerals is magnesium.
Disclaimer: do not consume without knowing an accurate dosage, and ask your trusted practitioner to see if any supplement is right for you, especially if you have a kidney, heart or respiratory condition if you’re considering magnesium. Otherwise, simply stick to whole food sources of magnesium.
Non-native EMF exposure in today’s highly inflammatory environment, especially concentrated in major cities, causes hyperactivation of our voltage-gated calcium channels and results in an underlying vague inner feeling of tension and anxiety. Multiple forms of magnesium supplementation will be your best defense here as your primary protection, not only from the nnEMFs, but also as a general healing supplement and protective measure.
Magnesium is the master electrolyte mineral. It helps regulate blood pressure, induces neurogenesis by literally regenerating the brain, and is necessary for RNA, DNA and protein synthesis among several other functions. It is the biggest detoxification and repair agent in the entire biology and is one of the most important defenses against the inflammatory modern environment today. I typically don’t like supplements (it’s a shady AF industry, often a waste of money, and whole food is usually more effective with its cofactors), but magnesium from a reputable source is safe, natural, affordable and gentle, especially when considering the increasingly depleted minerals and nutrients in mono-cropped soils from industrial agriculture (most grocery store foods no longer provide the adequate building blocks they once did).
Unresolved stress has permeated people’s social, emotional, and psychological issues more than ever, sapping magnesium levels daily, with most people deficient today. Magnesium must ideally be repleted on a daily basis as a preventative/reparative approach to mitochondrial dysfunction. It benefits all areas of your body and mind, is critical for bone health, and you can use it as much as it benefits you, as one nutrient with many downstream effects and a key cofactor for the active form of vitamin D synthesis and motion from sunlight. Whenever I feel off or experience any headaches, moodiness, menstrual cramps, PMS, muscle soreness or digestive issues, I immediately take some magnesium and feel so much relief.
Magnesium is naturally present in many foods (especially leafy greens), except we must consider the mineral depletion in most modern agricultural soils and foods, so I’m willing to bet you can benefit from supplementing it in multiple ways. It also richly and naturally occurs in seawater, abundant in the hydrosphere, and goes into over 3,000 different processes in the body with 350 different biochemical reactions that help your cells function.
For thousands of years, we evolved along the coasts, feasting on mineral and DHA-rich shellfish and fish that grew our brains, where the majority of human development occurred in the context of salt water and ocean spray along the land/water interface. Bathing in magnesium-rich sea water is preventative in that it reduces inflammation and mood disturbances, reverses skin conditions, nourishes you through porous skin and is naturally anti-microbial in acidic environments. Supplementing (orally and/or transdermally) with magnesium is necessary especially if you’re landlocked like myself and don’t have access to the ocean to swim in.
Magnesium is also highly beneficial for brain health, resolving inflammation, and along with proper nutrition, barefoot earthing and sunlight, balancing out our biochemistry that drives compulsions and addictions (emotional, mental, physical) down the line that are caused by modern society.
Here are some types of magnesium that are recommended. You can use any combination of magnesium types available. Most forms of magnesium are actually limited in their absorption via digestion except for magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride and magnesium (bis-)glycinate seem to be the most widely available and beneficial (I use and alternate both kinds). Look for 100% pure magnesium. I switch up brands all the time but I currently have a bulk stash of Now brand magnesium chloride flakes.
• Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, or pure magnesium chloride flakes (MgCl2) – among the most bioavailable and my personal favourite. MgCl2 is the body’s default tissue salt.
• Magnesium bisglycinate or glycinate
• Magnesium bicarbonate
• Magnesium gluconate
• Magnesium fumarate
• Magnesium taurate
• Magnesium threonate
Magnesium chloride specifically is the body’s default tissue salt. Mg is dissociated from the weak chloride bond, leaving a small Mg ion that will readily permeate through cell walls, entering your cells to do its magic. Magnesium chloride oral and topical solutions are available pre-made, but it’s way more affordable and just as effective to use a homemade magnesium chloride spray (transdermal, goes through your pores), or quick homemade magnesium (oral) drinks which will last much longer for months and months. It consists of just magnesium flakes dissolved in water. A transdermal magnesium supplement is also great if you do lots of physical activity, with less possible side effects than oral administration—although you can do both oral and transdermal, and switch it up whenever you feel like it.
Homemade transdermal magnesium recipe:
- 150 grams magnesium chloride flakes
- 1/2 liter distilled or filtered or spring water
(or a ratio of about 1:4 flakes to water, doesn’t have to be exact!)
Method:
1. Add the flakes to the glass spray bottle.
2. Dispense filtered water over the flakes to fill up the bottle.
3. Close the lid on the glass spray bottle and shake to instantly dissolve the flakes in the water (or stir with a non-metal utensil).
4. Spray liberally about 4-8 times or more onto the skin of different areas of the body, as needed. Avoid face and mucous membranes.
Avoid using a metal stirring spoon or metal container. When magnesium comes into contact with metal, the metal contaminates the magnesium. There might even be toxic aluminum, so opt for glass containers and wood/bamboo stirring and scooping spoons.
Iceland
Transdermal magnesium route of administration:
Magnesium chloride is the best kind for this method, since it is so permeable. Topical/transdermal magnesium is less likely to cause a laxative effect as much of it does not get into the gut before it has been absorbed by the body. In general, spray the magnesium solution topically, specifically on the back of the head, back of neck, under armpits, and/or full upper body to resolve any underlying nervous system inflammation, and over the lower abdominal area to soothe menstrual cramps. 4-8 sprays will generally suffice. This topical route of administration is absorbed through the skin’s pores where it is most bioavailable with the least risk of side effects. If it gets itchy, this is a sign of candida waste excretion from high consumption of alcohol, grains and refined sugars. Simply have a damp rag on hand to wipe off the salt and reduce itching. Magnesium can also help provide great relief from food poisoning. At first, transdermal magnesium may be uncomfortable and make you feel unpleasant, slightly itchy, or unhappy due to the induced alkalinity, but will subside with consistent use over time. You could also consider using a magnesium float tank at a spa for an allotted amount of time.
Oral magnesium route of administration:
Use one teaspoon of flakes stirred into 1-2 cups distilled/filtered/spring water. Oral consumption of magnesium solution is also effective, simply take a few sips (maybe a shot glass) of the diluted solution, and don’t go overboard or you may experience minor side effects. This has proven to be extremely effective at relieving menstrual cramps for me without any of the liver damage from painkillers like Advil or Tylenol. High doses of oral magnesium supplements may cause minor side effects due to the relaxing of muscles in the intestinal tract, such as loose bowels, cramping and stomach aches, and may interfere with various antibiotics, blood pressure meds, muscle relaxants and water pills, making them ineffective. None of this would happen with topical magnesium though, as your skin immediately absorbs it and bypasses all the possible side effects.
To use at least 2 or multiple forms of magnesium will give you the greatest results, though I personally just use magnesium chloride or glycinate, and I usually only take 1/2-1 tsp diluted on any given day as a smaller person. Magnesium gel or oil are also fantastic ways to boost your magnesium levels and to relax before bedtime, as melatonin secretion is a magnesium dependent process.
Magnesium is best taken before bedtime as this is when most detox, cleanse and repair processes occur. Daytime doses can be smaller and spread a few times (3-5x) throughout the day, and you’ll also want to try to take it around having meals. This can be used daily or as needed, and before bedtime to support a deeper, more restful sleep, aid in recovery from training, and ease menstrual cramps. Transdermally, the back of head, brain stem, armpits, and full upper body work well as a general restorative practice and even a non-toxic deodorant. Either method will be optimal when combined with a safe amount of sunlight exposure to support the vitamin D synthesis. Eat lots of potassium-rich foods at the same time, since isolated magnesium supplementation creates drastically reduced potassium levels.
Start off small with the magnesium supplement as you gauge your own tolerance level, be consistent but don’t overdo it all at once. How much you need depends on your activity levels, diet, and other factors, but I believe you’ll know when enough is enough.
3. Do your best with a 100% organic, non-toxic life.
Wild Greek mountain tea (sideritis)
This is not intended to come across as elitist or preachy in any way—it’s just a reality that removing or reducing inflammatory substances will lighten your burden and help you heal from and prevent complicated illnesses, and so you will need to commit to the best of your ability with the resources you have on hand. Just do your best. That’s all anyone could really ask for, but at some point you’ll have to get real with what your best entails. Get really honest with yourself; examine your spending habits and priorities, and evaluate them in relation to your self-worth. In what areas are you self-sabotaging, what are you spending on that isn’t supporting your wellbeing (if being well is indeed your goal)? Is it helping or harming you and your relationship to self and other? Only you have the answers to this.
You will also likely want to maintain about a 50/50 raw and home cooked, anti-inflammatory, generally omnivorous ancestral diet to increase your sun tolerance and resilience, as well as reducing any inflammatory triggers from your intake which all play a role in your body’s defense against oxidative stress and inflammation. Go organic whenever possible—there is no way to out-supplement your way to a healthier gut when constantly exposed to the triggers (pesticides, herbicides, agricultural toxins, general toxins, genetically modified foods, and hybridised foods) that contribute to the problem in the first place. Refer to the zero tolerance list below. You’ll want to avoid all of the common triggers: refined sucrose, industrialised vegetable/seed oils (present in even most fine dining establishments), corn, soy, wheat/gluten, legumes/beans, smoke, alcohol, and caffeine. Many people notice a higher tolerance to sunlight upon removing the triggers, burning less and less with daily, brief sunlight exposure.
If you find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of information presented here, I would generally just start off with simple home cooked meat/seafood (muscles and organs), sea salt, spring water, gelatinous bone broth, quality dairy including kefir and/or colostrum, cooked vegetables, cooked and cooled potatoes/rice, and some kind of fermented food and/or seasonal fruit... then dive more into the details once neurogenesis occurs ;)
Before we get into what to add, let us review the major inflammatory factors that contribute to gut inflammation and dysfunctional intestinal brush border (gut lining) to remove first!
• Refined sucrose, and artificial sweeteners (includes processed honey and maple syrup, agave, molasses, aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin)
• Soy (only ancestrally fermented soy like in the form of miso is fine, but there are non-soy alternatives such as chickpea miso that are preferred in the US. Soy is almost always genetically modified and also full of lectins)
• Corn, and all its derivatives (you can find a list of foods that contain corn, but really it is any processed food that comes in a box)
• Grains (gluten/wheat, all bread, pastries, cereals) (ancient grains are less of a concern if soaked and fermented although, for an efficient recovery, it is recommended that they are also eliminated if issues persist)
• Oats (again, should only be eaten if fermented but same as above applies)
• Legumes (same as above applies)
• Seeds and nuts (same as above applies, minus the fermentation)
• Industrialized vegetable/seed oils (highly rancid and toxic, chemically extracted canola, soybean, sunflower, etc., though should be eliminated altogether for this period even if cold-pressed so as to reduce Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio in favor of O3. Studies have shown that consuming vegetable oil triggers inflammation in the body for over 100 days, playing no part in an even remotely healthy diet. Your brain’s worst enemy. Always a h*ll no from me.)
• Low-quality commercial animals (they are often fed grains, corn, and soy, so their fats are too rich in O6)
• Cow dairy, aside from kefir which preferably can be sourced as goat kefir
• Alcohol (no exceptions)
• Caffeine (coffee especially, but green/black/white tea as well for a period, can be reintroduced when the gut is repaired)
• Smoke (tobacco and cannabis)
• NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) and proton pump inhibitors/antacids
• Excessive training (resistance and endurance)
• Isolated blue light (technology and staying inside all day)
• nnEMFs (move if you live near any cell towers)
Source for this list: grimmsapothecary.net. Again, for exceptionally detailed help with harm reduction, recovery, or tapering off of any substances or medications, consider a virtual consultation there. You have control over your health destiny.
To learn how to make my roasted rack of lamb recipe, visit my recipes section.
MEATS
Animal foods essentially store not only the lifetime of accumulation of the benefits (and any poisons), but also the energetics the animal carried. Whenever possible, dedicate some time and energy to supporting your local regenerative farmers who provide ethically pasture-raised, grass-fed (and ideally grass-finished) animal foods, poison-free. You are what your animals ate, so if they were raised miserably in a horrible indoor environment, fed a species-inappropriate diet of GMO corn, soy and grains sprayed with gut-irritating chemicals like Glyphosate, you will be assimilating that too. Start where you are, and do what you can with what you have.
Here is a list of some great options for meats. Aim for wild-caught or pasture-raised, grass fed and grass finished:
• Venison
• Boar
• Moose
• Reindeer
• Seal
• Beef and chicken (though these don’t have the most optimal nutritional profiles. Do try to source these well as most are hybridised and not ideal for the human genome)
• Turkey
• Bison
• Nitrate-free bacon/pork
• Lamb
• Duck
• Goose
• Quail
• Rabbit
Elk
Funnily enough, I speak as an ex-vegan. Reintroducing high-quality, ethically raised, regeneratively farmed and wild-caught animal foods after 15 years of vegan/vegetarianism has had a profound impact on not only my mental health but my whole-body health and life trajectory, providing myself with the bioavailable cofactors to support mitochondrial function and reversing the risk of permanent neurological damage, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia from a long term plant-based meatless diet. Vegan/vegetarianism (whole food plant-based) can certainly be useful as a short-term “cleanse” or reset like in Ayurveda, and it was great at first for me, but will eventually deplete you and can be dangerous over the long term. Here’s how I’ve come to see it: “plant-based” is generally ok if you’re just doing a short retreat or cleanse in an insular, low-stress environment. Opt for something along the lines of omnivorous “pro-metabolic” for better support if, for example, you perceive yourself to be stuck in sh*tty landlocked or urban environments at a job you hate, and you’re really looking to max out your brainpower to get out of those unhealthy environments (and get to work online, or start your own thing). Both ideologies are insignificant in the grand scheme of things and your divine inner knowing.
Consider cooking with grass-fed ghee, tallow, lard from nitrate-free bacon, suet, or virgin cold pressed coconut oil (all of these are quality, ancestral brain boosting fats that have high smoke points). High quality olive oil at lower temperatures. Introduce probiotic kefir, raw grass-fed milk, grass-fed butter, pasture-raised eggs, seafood, nose-to-tail meats (muscle meats, organs like liver, heart, kidney, brain, and gelatinous homemade bone broth). Aim for organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed, grass-finished meats and wild game. Gut healing collagen and gelatin from gelatinous bone broth literally restores the gut’s tight junctions and balances out the methionine from muscle meats. The more methionine you consume, the more glycine you’ll need to balance it out. There’s a reason they called it “chicken soup for the soul”.
A note about organ meats: they are so, so rich in nutrients that the general guideline is to enjoy them only once every week or two. If you feel it is necessary, you could consider testing serum zinc/copper, ceruloplasmin, and vitamin A levels to ensure you’re not overdoing it. Even just 1 teaspoon a day can suffice as nature’s multivitamin.
Gut-destroying glyphosate is a glycine-phosphate that displaces proper glycine in gene expression, getting into your myelin and connective tissue. Your immune system then attacks your own myelin and connective tissue, creating autoimmunity. One of the reasons homemade ancestral gelatinous bone broth is so important in this industrial age is that the glycine replaces the displaced glycine from myelin and reverses the damage, which might explain why so many people who (ideally temporarily) adopt a nose-to-tail “carnivore” lifestyle heal naturally from autoimmune conditions. You could also supplement with magnesium glycinate which does the same, but not as a substitute for bone broth.
SEAFOOD
Seafood is the only way you can get specific bioavailable SN-2 position DHA and EPA fatty acids into your diet, the only bioavailable omega-3s with the nutritional cofactors (isolated supplements, plant foods, and even fish oils are not the same).
This is particularly protective when it comes to the excessive intracellularly dehydrating artificial isolated blue light exposure from tech screens today, especially for tech field adjacent workers like myself, replenishing the DHA that the artificial isolated blue light destroys in our skin and eyes.
Recipes like sushi and ceviche are excellent protective food sources in this regard since raw or lightly cooked fish preserves more of the DHA that gets denatured by excessive cooking. DHA in SN-2 position becomes planar and turns the central retinal pathways of the retinohypothalamic tracts into an LED array, decoding wireless communication with the sun. Magic, I tell you.
The human brain evolved and depended on a rich source of DHA from the land/water interface. Our DHA processes sunlight into electrical signals (photoreceptors), like a canvas in a painting, with sunlight as paint. Iodine from seaweed also protects DHA and neural synapses from oxidation... both helping to preserve the timing of the master circadian clock (SCN). DHA and iodine intake are both critical to helping with sunlight signal optimisation and circadian clock processes. You require DHA in the eyes and skin to systemically take in red/IR light (sunrise/sunset) effectively.
Plant foods like chia seeds are preached to be high in omega-3s, but they are in fact only rich in ALA, the precursor to the form that our body actually needs with a very low conversion rate of about 5% (although I still enjoy them). Bigger fish is rich in DHA as well but also tend to have more mercury and other toxins. Stick to the smaller fish and shellfish.
When it comes to seafood, wild-caught is best, although farmed fish is better than nothing if that’s all you can afford or access.
Some great examples of seafood include:
• Alaskan salmon (hello, sushi and poke bowls)
• White fish (cod is a favourite of mine)
• Sardines
• Anchovies
• Oysters and other bivalves
• Mussels
• Squid
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Crab
• (Small amounts of) tuna
Note: many of the smaller fish are canned and often packed in rancid industrialised canola oil. Opt for the ones in organic olive oil or plain distilled/filtered/spring water. Also, if histamines are an issue for you, note that fresh/frozen fish has much lower histamine levels than canned fish. If you’re concerned about unavoidable microplastics, just know that sweating or sauna can detoxify BPA through the skin, no problem. Try sweating in the sun.
Our ancestors who were landlocked consumed animal brains (DHA) to make up for the lack of seafood that you could get from coastal areas. All known cultures consumed grass-fed meats, butter, eggs, etc. for retinol, and carotenoid-rich vegetables. Ancient cultures were also able to utilise the Bazan effect (recycling DHA) so daily consumption of DHA was not necessary as they could get away with this lower conversion rate for longer periods. However, with the advent of artificial isolated blue light in tech screens and the destruction of the Bazan effect, this no longer applies today. In today’s context, it is advised to try to get your seafood or brains in a few times (1-2 at least) a week.
LECTIN-FREE VEGETABLES (MOSTLY COOKED)
Lectins are a sugar-binding plant protein that attach to cell membranes. They occur naturally in many vegetables and grains, preventing the absorption of nutrients. Plant foods, like all living things, are armed with their own subtle, yet powerful protective mechanisms that ensure their survival. Phytate (phytic acid), tannins, lectins, protease inhibitors, and calcium oxalate are some of the main “offenders” that can inhibit optimal nutrient absorption. These anti-nutrients present within plants have been examined and labelled under a microscope, but ancient peoples understood how to get past these mechanisms far before globalisation and modern technology.
Soaking, sprouting, fermenting, and cooking plant foods are some of the ways to acknowledge these barriers to nutrition, maximise the nutritional profile and preserve food—and this wisdom has culminated over thousands of years of civilisation. We can see this across ancient medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Modern people have mostly forgotten the art of traditional food preparation and the processes that have been lost with the advent of industrialisation and the need to speed up the supply chain. We should prepare any plant foods properly like our wise ancestors did to enable the nutrients to become more bioavailable. This is particularly important considering the general depletion of nutrients in industrialised agricultural overfarmed soils today.
No need to fear the green veg.
Cooking reduces anti-nutrients to a degree (especially pressure cooking), but when you’re on a serious gut-healing protocol, lectins should really be avoided altogether to enable digestion with as much ease as possible... especially if you’re dealing with autoimmunity or low levels of chronic stress 24/7. Some plants are better than others, but definitely avoid all grains and legumes during this period as they contain too many lectins and other gut-irritating triggers like glyphosate to allow you to actually reverse a damaged gut. You can mindfully re-introduce them (properly soaked, sprouted or fermented, 100% organic and heirloom) when you do heal your gut. If the body is healthy and resilient enough, lectins can actually be a form of good hormetic stress.
Foods with lectins to avoid during this period include some vegetables (especially nightshades), seeds and nuts (except macadamia nuts), beans and legumes, grains (wheat, barley, brown rice, millet, etc.) and processed fortified flours (which tend to be fortified since the 1940s with literal iron filings that accumulate in your organs), conventional dairy (corn fed, non-pastured), grain-fed and non-pastured animal proteins or anything from A1 cows (hybridised).
A quick hop on your preferred search engine will provide a clear roadmap to the lectin-free (or low lectin) plant foods. Some of these include:
• All cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts)
• Bok choy
• Swiss chard
• Arugula
• Watercress
• Celery
• Onions
• Scallions
• Carrots
• Beets
• Garlic
• Mustard greens
• Algae
• Artichokes
• Radishes
• Microgreens
• Cilantro
• Dandelion
• Mushrooms
...Basically all leafy greens are in the clear! If you cannot tolerate them, you could add them to your bone broth to at least enhance the nutrient profile.
Apple picking near my hometown
FRUITS
Only if you can tolerate them as they can contribute to inflammation if the gut is sensitive. If SIBO is present, fruits should be eliminated temporarily. Seek seasonal, local, organic, fresh.
Fruit, especially when paired with protein, is a mineral rich source of sugar, which in this context, plays a vital role in thyroid hormone conversion of T4 to T3, which fuels your metabolism. Think about our human ancestors who wild foraged local fruits with thriving microbiomes (especially the Hadza) from being in the sun for long periods of time. Sugar is so often demonised in modern culture but can actually be pro-metabolic (à la Ray Peat)! Context, type of food, and amounts matter.
DAIRY
Dairy is a tricky topic as it can either be really healing or really damaging depending on the type and quality of the dairy. Cow’s dairy (A1 hybridised) is generally not compatible for the human genome, but A2 cow’s milk does seem to work for some people. If you are tolerant to dairy, which many people are, stick to either A2, full fat (whole), organic, preferably raw if you can access it, grass/hay fed, pasture-raised, and even better if it has been fermented like kefir. Goat kefir from my local small farmer is a dream for me as someone who often breaks out in acne from even organic pasture-raised cow’s dairy (it’s the low quality Canadian practices—in Finland conventional dairy was fine for me!). Goat or buffalo milk are excellent alternatives. The most healing dairy will be from the smaller farms you trust. Think Mongolian nomadic diets rich with raw milk.
You’ll want grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic. Dairy from animals raised on conventional grains not only comes with the inflammation from the GMOs and hybridisation, but also the lectins, pesticides and herbicides that make their way directly into the fat of the animal and into the milk. Avoid conventional North American dairy (especially low-fat renditions) if you care even remotely about your health.
STARCHES
Yams, sweet potatoes, white or brown rice, beets for complex carbs. Low carb may be necessary for resolving SIBO.
PROBIOTICS
Probiotic fermented foods nourish and repopulate the gut microbiome with healthy bacteria, reducing inflammation as well. When we focus on increasing commensal (symbiotic) bacterial strains, taking a terrain-based approach, we can benefit from their protection against less beneficial strains, vitamin production, and a stronger gut wall (goodbye, leaky gut!). For most people, restoring bacterial balance can be enough to restore the microbiome and even provide anti-microbial benefits. When feeding our butyrate-producing bacteria, we provide fuel for the epithelial cells, helping maintain the intestinal lining.
The best examples of fermented foods include kefir (preferably goat’s as the nutrient profile is more suitable for the human genome), miso (non-soy if you’re in the US/Canada), yogurt, kimchi, raw local honey, natto, beet kvass, etc. Start off small if you’re not used to them and tune in to biofeedback. A spoonful a day works well for me.
“A single spoonful of sauerkraut contains more probiotics than the whole bottle of probiotic pills.”
4. HYDRATION
Hydration is the crux of gut health. Our bodies are mostly water. Water is life, and the ways in which you hydrate and the quality of water that you drink can make or break your whole-body health. I will not get into why it’s not a good idea to go for the trash sports/energy drinks, flavoured beverages and pasteurised juices, but the first thing you should invest in when it comes to drinking and cooking water is time allocated to collecting wild spring water, or sourcing spring water from a local supplier.
Wild spring water is medicine; it is alive and has a memory (look up Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier and Indigenous wisdom), and since the dawn of time, humans and animals alike have always gone for the moving water, uncontaminated. It is water from the source. Coherent cellular (structured) water is the fourth phase of water, neither solid, liquid nor gas: more of a gel. It is what our bodies are made up of—and also the basis of thriving gut health.
When I collect wild water in glass jars for drinking and cooking, I sometimes run it through my Berkey filter at home to get any sediment out, then boil/cook with it before consumption to be on the safe side. Of course, it should be clean enough to drink at the source if you prefer to live more fearlessly! I also get mine ordered in glass bottles via a local supplier, which is more expensive but saves time and really forces me in a good way to examine and prioritise what I’m spending on. Some spring water is indeed contaminated, so do keep that in mind when harvesting, and do your research. Find A Spring (findaspring.com) is a great resource to find and keep track of drinkable springs near you, pretty much anywhere on earth.
Sometimes, especially when travelling, plastic bottled spring water may be your only option, and in my opinion, is at least preferable to neurotoxin, pharmaceutical, heavy metal, and chlorine filled municipal tap water. Any plastic bottles should ideally not have water sitting in them for long periods of time as they’ll leach chemicals from the plastic. Know that BPA can easily be sweated out by movement/sweating, or sauna.
Hiking on the Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
The next best thing after spring water is to reverse osmosis (RO) filter your regular tap water. If you have RO water, you need to remineralise it. The thing about RO is that it removes everything from the water... not only toxins but even any minerals critical to human health, so do remineralise afterwards with magnesium and/or sea salt and/or legit trace minerals and/or cooking with mineral-rich foods. Same goes for drinking purified/distilled water—over time you’ll create mineral deficiency and trigger issues such as osteoporosis. If you can’t install a filter under your sink, a portable tabletop device works fine. Aquatru is a great option but can harbour mold so should be cleaned regularly. Berkey was too, but the fluoride filter attachments have been found to leak toxic aluminum so I can no longer recommend including them for filtering tap water. You could also look for RO filtered water machines or dispensers at your local grocery store.
Ideally restructure your reverse osmosis water by placing it in direct sunlight for a few hours such as in an herbal infusion, stirring it into/running it through a vortex, or exposing the water to a red/IR light device. Imbue your water with positive energy and vibrations.
For showering, use a basic shower filter as well to filter out things like chlorine, and you could carry it with you when you travel. I use Santevia and replace the inner filter once every year.
Fruits, vegetables, soaked chia seeds, meats and coconut water are also great sources of structured hydration. Sea salt your cucumbers, salads and lemon water for added effectiveness and minerals.
Well water can be great but also often poisonous. There are many contaminated soils, so be very sure about your sourcing. Get it tested once every 1-2 years to ensure it’s still drinkable.
Tap water is straight poison. The chlorine not only kills bad bacteria but also obliterates any good bacteria in your gut, and it’s absolutely impossible to thrive if you’re taking in chlorine (ingested or showering in it) every day. Not to mention fluoride (neurotoxin), heavy metals from pipes, and other additives including Glyphosate and pharmaceuticals which are not filtered out at processing plants. Municipal tap water is only treated for pathogen removal and not all these other additives. Personally, I’m repulsed by the taste alone, I know something’s not right with it. I truly believe if you do a single thing in your lifetime for your health, it should be ceasing consumption of unfiltered municipal tap water.
Brita-style filters are nothing short of a scam in that they fail to remove *any* of the harmful chemicals in tap water, and their aluminum filters actually increase the heavy metal toxicity of the water, worsening your health. I’ve found that the water still tastes like garbage even after having run through the filter. Waste of money.
Kangen or other MLM-type products are probably not worth the investment and most likely a waste of money. Kangen may be a shiny expensive product but at the end of the day it is an ioniser rather than an actual filter. It could be useful if you've got the funds and are looking for the molecular hydrogen benefits but personally, sourcing clean and pure spring water from the earth is more important in the first place. Water has a memory, and while reverse osmosis filtered water is ok, it still carries the imprint of the toxins and other particles that used to be in it.
5. SLEEP
You know it, I know it: sleep is a fundamental pillar that should be protected at all costs. Deep sleep heals the cells of your body overnight, and there is no healing without proper rest. Even a single night with sub-7 hours of sleep impacts your health significantly. Prioritising consistent, high quality sleep is literally the foundation of health, period. Harness the power of circadian medicine and make the most of your body clock.
Not all sleep is created equal, unfortunately. Pillars of a great sleep:
• Same bedtime 7 days a week consistently over time
• Sleeping in total darkness (use an eye mask or invest in blackout curtains if you must. Increased melatonin secretion has extremely wide-ranging benefits across all organ systems.)
• Sleeping in a slightly cooler room temperature
• No stimulants, especially after midday/noon
• No large meals 3+ hours before sleep
• No exercise 3+ hours before sleep
• Adequate sunlight exposure during the day
Beeswax (non-toxic) candles and blue light blocking glasses (I use clip-ons). A dim salt lamp can also help promote relaxation with less intrusive artificial light.
• Minimal artificial light exposure past sundown (use blue light blocking glasses and red light)
Sometimes I slip up and stay up reading too late, but no worries if this happens: just get back to closely following the setting of the sun again in a consistent manner, and you’ll get back to great sleep in no time. A circadian lifestyle will help reset the innate and adaptive immune system as well.
Darkness is stressful to the body and artificial blue light is toxic, damaging the mitochondria and the enzyme cytochrome oxidase. The damaged mitochondria reduces the conversion from cholesterol to pregenolone, contributing to serious stress, hypothyroidism, and other setbacks. Cortisol increases in the darkness, and so does the production of protective hormones. Use incandescent lights or candlelight from sunset to bedtime, or in poorly lit environments, and get adequate vitamin A via eggs, liver, cheese, milk and cream. Darkness is the time for sleep. Embrace it!
The dark is as important as the light, so hold space for it. Night is when we recharge, reboot and regenerate in darkness. Limit your artificial light exposure past dusk, and opt for dim red light or candlelight from air purifying, non-toxic beeswax candles, as well as blue light blockers. Even a street light hitting your skin will inhibit the regular healing process. Get dark.
6. MOVEMENT
Cycling outdoors is one of the most enjoyable aspects of life for me.
Find a way to give yourself the gift of movement, ideally outdoors, and try exploring your relationship to exercise because many people approach a rigid, forced exercise program from a place of self-hate. Too often we pick up protocols which then become destructive and even uninteresting and disconnected from our inner purpose. Move naturally in a way you enjoy, and integrate movement throughout your day in ways that genuinely make you feel more alive. Stagnation is death. The benefits of movement have less to do with body composition and more for mental and whole-body health, although either way, by incorporating natural movement throughout your day, your hormone sensitivity will increase as will your resting metabolic rate, and your cells will be nourished with fresh oxygenated blood, healing your body. Sedentarism and domestication is not only harmful, but linked to consumerism, materialism and the destruction of our planet. On the other hand, extreme exercise obsession can be just as harmful as a sedentary lifestyle, so find a legitimate balance between movement (yang) and rest (yin). Rewild your soul! Some ways to move (and hang out with friends and coworkers) include:
Hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping, foraging, playing, and exploring in nature (consider yourself lucky if you have reliable hiking buddies). Disconnection from the wild outdoors and each other, and the consequences of this is probably the single most tragic thing I have witnessed and experienced in this culture and this lifetime.
Morning/evening walks around the neighbourhood/parks (also for circadian rhythm alignment)
Cycling around town
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Not using Western chairs in the house, try sitting and even sleeping on a level surface of the ground/floor to maintain mobility and encourage the natural biomechanics of your body. I’m sitting on the floor with the laptop on a coffee table as I write this!
Swimming in natural bodies of water, outdoors (not chlorinated pools under artificial lighting that cost money to access)
7. OUTDOORS/SUNLIGHT
The sun gives life to nature, we are nature, we (...most of us) are quantum beings. Increase your sun exposure incrementally by carefully building your solar callus. Even just exposing your face to the morning light as soon as possible in the day will help set your circadian clock. 5-15 minutes of midday sun on as much of your skin as possible also increases your vitamin D synthesis (the UV rays are only available when the sun is over 30% of the horizon, at a certain time of the year).
Spending time in nature is a great way to ground yourself with profound impacts on your psyche (Japanese forest bathing, for example, is scientifically proven to reduce stress). Cortisol levels also drop when we spend time away from the stresses of society and industrial artifices. We return to the present, we learn (more often than not) that we’re safe.
Get your bare feet on the ground/grass/sand/dirt/water, relax and make time to smell the flowers. Getting in the dirt/grass barefoot is the original probiotic supplement and a therapeutic way to expose your microbiome to good bacteria! You also charge your cellular water and connect directly with the earth’s Schumann resonance, relieving inflammation as the electrons flow from the earth into our body via our connective tissue and water network. Earthing reduces diabetes, osteoporosis, cortisol, inflammation, stress, cardiovascular strain, boosts the immune system, and slows down aging. Don’t be afraid to play in the mud, grow some food, and know there’s no need to overscrub that hint of dirt left on your organic farmer’s market carrots.
OTHER PRACTICES TO SUPPORT GUT HEALING
Food as medicine could be your priority, especially if your finances are tight, but using ingredients such as coconut oil, a black seed oil supplement (cold pressed ancient medicine), magnesium chloride, andrographis supplement, aloe juice, and an inositol supplement can all be possible options to help reduce gut inflammation and improve any poor microbiome, in addition to the sun exposure, blue light minimisation (as responsible of a use of tech screens as you can muster, as well as usage of blue light blocking glasses), and dietary changes previously mentioned here.
Restoring nutrient capacity to help the body heal itself is quite a different paradigm from the mainstream point of departure. Seafood/bivalves/shellfish and bone broth intake are essential to not only gut restoration but recovery in general, ideally on a daily basis. If allergic to seafood, go for animal brains. Preferably wild caught if you can afford to. As mentioned above, quality meats are also important: grass fed/grass finished, pasture raised, nose-to-tail animal foods (muscles, organs, tendons and cartilage in broth, etc.). Pasture raised eggs if you can tolerate them (low butyrate-producing bacteria is often the cause of intolerance).
Consider drinking copious amounts of aloe vera juice, which will clear out and help rebuild and restore the whole intestinal system, tightening the junctions again, disinfecting and clearing out any junk with its emodin, aloe-emodin and quinine/quinones. A good dosage is about 1 cup for 4-5 times a day or as much as you can tolerate. Invest in one of the large gallon bottles. (Avoid if Crohn’s, intestinal blockages, or ulcerative colitis are present.)
Consider supplementing with molecular hydrogen (H2). This tiny particle is mindblowing in its power in that it attenuates oxidative stress, improves cellular function, and reduces chronic inflammation. There are over 850 high impact, peer-reviewed studies and science-based articles that support the therapeutic efficacy of H2, demonstrating its healing power in over 170 diseases. It plays a role in truly hydrating the cell, and hydration is the basis of a thriving gut. H2 can be ingested via pricey H2 generating water machines or even easy, portable tablets that can be dissolved in water. I personally haven’t tried it yet, but ask your practitioner to determine if a molecular hydrogen supplement could be right for you.
If you’re on the neurotic side, you could use an app like Cronometer to track food intake and make adjustments if necessary (I haven’t needed to do this).
More importantly, seed the microbiome of your mind with new perspectives and commit to resolving your previous experiences. Digest and metabolize the events of your life and you'll accomplish far more than what you could do just by being myopic about food.
RECAP
Hiking in Iceland
Healing is navigating conflict as a means for growth and expansion; a return to harmony. One of the greatest gifts is the regulation of your nervous system, supported by nourishing foods and a thriving gut, and unlearning the conditions that led to this bodily state and letting the body adapt back, getting curious about how we ended up here and changing the environment, beliefs, and conditioning around the things that make us feel less good.
If this guide seems too intense for where you’re at, just try to start off with whatever you can grasp at first, and strike a balance that’s sustainable for you. You don’t have to eat what other people eat, and you don’t even have to follow this protocol. Chances are that you and I live very different lives in different environments. It is always helpful to know why you’re eating what you’re eating, understanding your physiology and how it’s supporting your body, and when it comes to supplements (if any), looking up what systems it targets. A greater understanding of how your body works will help lead you to know on a deeper level what your body needs in terms of nourishment, and you’ll begin to notice patterns you can’t find in books. Balance that out with a healthy dose of enjoyment and eventually move further and further away, not only from this protocol, but from any others as well.
Turn routines into rituals, one day at a time. Every time you choose to do something for yourself, something new, you’re rewiring your neural pathways. Listen to your body, your intuition, your gut. Your body’s love language is unconditional healing. Your life is the medicine. You are perfect the moment you acknowledge that you are! All of these are just suggestions, your intuition has the final say—what is “right” for you at one point may not be “right” for you forever, and can vary at different stages of your life cycle. Get to know the voice in your head and whether it’s leading you astray. Really the only thing that can change your habits is by actually experiencing how good it feels to be alive. I hope you can get something out of this loose protocol, keep moving, and see for yourself how great you can feel every day so you can get out of suboptimal environments, reach your goals, and carry yourself through this amazing thing called life.
The Surprising Gut Microbes of African Hunter-Gatherers on Wired
A Mass Extinction Is Taking Place in the Human Gut on Wired
Impact of a Nomadic Pastoral Lifestyle on the Gut Microbiome in the Fulani Living in Nigeria
