Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Stool Testing: Is There A DIY Version?

Stool testing is an invaluable tool when you’re trying to get your digestive system as healthy as possible. If you go to a naturopathic physician or functional medicine doctor, you can be paying anywhere up to $1,000 for the test. I think the test through Direct Labs is about three or four hundred dollars. Direct Labs are a company we’ve worked with now for about four or five years Yes, you can buy your own stool testing kit. It’s easy enough to call up Direct Labs to test yourself, particularly if you live in the USA. If you live outside of the USA, it’s not that easy to do. If you live outside of the USA, stool testing generally must be organized through other companies.

Some of the best labs in the world for stool testing are American. I particularly like Doctor’s Data out of Illinois. Genova Diagnostics is another excellent lab for comprehensive stool analysis.

Even if you can’t buy your own kit, I believe that stool testing is well worth the cost. Without knowing what is going on in your gut, it’s hard to know what treatment you need. A comprehensive stool analysis will comment on Candida, other yeasts, bacteria, and parasites. It also measures inflammation, immune function (IgA), and short-chain fatty acids. Stool testing can monitor your progress while in treatment. The results of serial stool testing allow you to tweak your treatment plan based on the changes or lack of changes occurring in your intestinal tract.

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I’ve had many clients who wish they would have had the stool test years ago. It would have saved them vast amounts of time, energy, and money had they done a stool test right at the beginning of seeking help for their gut problems.

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Questions & Answers, Yeast Infection Signs And Symptoms

Do Antivirals Interfere With Stool Testing?

Valacyclovir, acyclovir, and similar drugs are antivirals drug prescribed for oral herpes, genital herpes, and other viral infection. Antivirals work by inhibiting the enzymes required for viral DNA replication.

I don’t recommend using drugs like valacyclovir or other medicines with highly specific, potent activity. I don’t expect that antivirals would have any effect on a stool test, so I have no concerns in that regard. Probiotics can interfere with stool testing, so discontinue them about 14 days before taking the samples. Although antivirals don’t interfere with stool tests, I still don’t recommend them to my clients. I’m not very happy to see my patients on antivirals because I have concerns about prolonged exposure to synthetic medications.

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If an antiviral is being considered, another option is to take L-lysine, an amino acid that inhibits viral replication. L-lysine has no side effects. It is not uncommon for people with herpes to follow a high L-lysine diet to help prevent a recurrence. Taking the amino-acid L-arginine out of your diet can also help because L-arginine stimulates viral replication. Chocolate and nut are examples of foods that are high in arginine.

I believe that people don’t need to take synthetic drugs like valacyclovir or acyclovir when there are natural alternatives. I don’t think it’s possible to get away scot-free if you take drugs on a prolonged basis. Even if the target is a virus or another type of infection, other bodily systems are affected by pharmaceutical medication. My concern is that the long-term cost of being on prescription medication may be much higher than any short-term benefit.

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Questions & Answers

Constipation: A Treatable Condition

I see constipation almost every day in my clinic. Many people suffer in silence with this terrible condition. Fortunately, constipation is treatable. But, if you want to get rid of constipation fast, it’s not just about drinking water, eating fiber, or walking more. It’s about doing all those things and more.

If you’ve had a bowel problem for a long time, it could take six months, or even a year, for the bowel to get back into great shape again. It’s highly likely that you can address your constipation successfully if you take the right steps.

If you have had a problem with constipation for years, the first thing I recommend is a comprehensive stool test to determine what’s going on inside. It may seem illogical to ask someone who is constipated to do a stool test, but there are ways to produce samples. A small amount of sample is all we need. Three of those samples over a week, or even over two weeks, is fine. You may need to drink some apple, pear, or prune juice to help get those samples.

Once you get the results of the stool test, act on anything that stands out as a red flag. In 50% of the cases of constipation that I’ve seen, the problem was a lack of beneficial bacteria. A person may have had an antibiotic 10, 20 years ago, that could still be causing a problem.

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Along with addressing the comprehensive stool analysis, I recommend that everyone get walking. Walking for half an hour a day and having a little bit of pear or apple juice, might be enough to get regular bowel motions happening.

Your diet should include foods that help lubricate your intestine and promote bowel flora. I also recommend bitter foods that stimulate bile flow into the gut. Fermented and cultured foods will encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and improve your bowel function.

Having proper bowel motions requires a healthy level of beneficial bacteria. That’s why probiotic supplements can be helpful if you’re constipated. I recommend checking out CanXida Restore. This product contains several probiotics and multiple digestive enzymes. Taking a CanXida Restore at breakfast and with the evening meal will help get the bowel working.

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Questions & Answers

Constipation And Fruit Juice: Do They Go Together?

The three best natural juices for constipation are pear juice, apple juice, and prune juice. Apple juice contains sorbitol, a sugar that is difficult to absorb in the intestine. Sorbitol creates a watery environment in the gut, which makes stool softer. A softer stool is much easier to pass. I prefer green apple juice made from Granny Smith apples.

Some people find that chewing gum with sorbitol also helps the bowel. I’m not a big fan of chewing gum. I don’t think it’s a great idea for your stomach.

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Pear juice contains three to four times as much sorbitol as apple juice. You might want to try eating a pear every day if you’ve got a bowel that’s difficult to move. Pear is a healthy fruit to eat, and some people with Candida can eat it without any problem. Other people may find they get a lot of bloating or gas from eating a pear. It’s trial and error, but pear juice is especially good for constipation.

Be careful also with stewed fruit. Pectin levels increase when fruit is stewed. Pectin is a type of starch that can bind the stool and make constipation worse. Pectin is quite high in apple, so don’t make the mistake of thinking that stewed apple is good for constipation. Apple juice is much better for getting the bowels moving. You are better off eating the fruit raw in its whole and natural state, rather than stewing it. People who stew fruit often add sugar, which is not a great idea.

Prune tea is fantastic for constipation. You can make prune tea by putting three or four prunes into a cup of boiling water. Stir it, leave it for about five minutes, and then drink the tea. One prune tea per day is excellent for constipation.
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Questions & Answers

Sugar Cravings: Is Erythritol The Answer?

A viewer once asked me for my thoughts about including erythritol in the diet. Erythritol is a manmade sugar made from non-GMO corn. Corn starch or corn sugar from the corn is modified into a simpler sugar called erythritol. Oligosaccharides from starchy vegetables are also added to the mix. I recommend people keep away from manmade sweeteners. If you really must have something sweet, I recommend you have a very small serving of honey. Honey is a natural product that is very sweet. It only takes a tiny bit of honey to sate sugar cravings. If you opt for Manuka honey with its higher hydrogen peroxide content, you’re also getting some antimicrobial function from your sweetener.

Honey is a fantastic substance. You can leave a jar of honey open for 100 years without any rot or mold. If you leave a jar of jam out for three or four days, even jam made with synthetic sugars, there will be bugs crawling on it and yeast growing in it.

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I find that a lot of people have a “need” for sugar in their diet. However, when you start to emphasize vegetables, fruits, and leans protein, often the desire for sweets drop off. You’ll find that you no longer need sweet foods like chocolate and cookies. It’s essential to limit your intake of sugar because it can encourage colonization of the gut by Candida and harmful bacteria.

Increasing the intake of bitter food will suppress the desire for sweet foods as well. You can find videos on my YouTube channel that go over the bitter foods I recommend. You can’t go wrong by adding some bitter foods to your diet as they reduce your sugar cravings and improve your digestion tenfold as a result.

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