The World of the Microbes

There is a world that is so tiny surrounding us, that most of us don’t even bat an eye to it. “We can’t see it, so it isn’t there.” “Out of site, out of mind.” I have always had a tough time with that statement. Something just irritates me about not thinking of something because I can’t see it. Perhaps I just choose to continue to be curious, or perhaps it’s because I LISTEN to the signals all around me. Either way, my discoveries in this tiny world of Microbes has been a difficult and magical journey. But, I’m willing to share my findings, if you’re willing to be curious like me.

THE TINY COMMUNICATIONS

I used to pass off many of my symptoms as just “normal” side effects of being a new mom. Stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, heart palpitations, acne break outs, nights sweats, and severe brain fog. That’s just called “being a mom” right?! Man, I was so wrong. I got the questionnaire from my OBGYN post delivery (ya know the “do you feel safe at home, are you physically able to care for yourself…” all of the above), but I wasn’t sure what those questions had to do with any of my symptoms. Mainly because they had nothing to do with my symptoms. It wasn’t until I finally had it with the mood spirals, severe heart palpitations, and the intense brain fog, that I bit the bullet and grasped the help of a holistic approach to figure out what was up with me…in a less scientific term.

My Naturopathic Doctor helped me understand that these symptoms weren’t JUST symptoms. They were signals, basically warnings if you will, from my body communicating that there was something wrong. She guided me in an enlightening journey of truly KNOWING my own body, blood, and mentality. After she had moved her practice, I found an amazing Functional Doctor nearby that continued the guidance of discovery. With her help, I dug even deeper into KNOWING my own body, and the magical tiny world of Microbes that were inhabitants within my systems. I know, it sounds a bit sci-fi and creepy…but, if you can accept that you are more alien than human, then it is truly more magical than creepy.

FINDING SOMETHING SMALLER THAN A NEEDLE IN A HAY STACK

These teeny tiny Microbes cannot be seen by the naked eye. So, how on earth can you find them? There are quite a few ways to discover what inhabits your body, but the best way, and most accurate way, is through GI Mapping. I highly persuade anyone and everyone to invest in GI Mapping at least once every two years. How you do that… is find an amazing Functional Doctor (www.functionalmedicine.org), or Naturopathic Doctor that can guide you in understanding the results. In doing so, they will not only put you at ease with finally KNOWING what is causing your symptoms, but they will give you a plan of attack. Many of these protocols given by natural and holistic practitioners are pumped with healing herbs and natural remedies. Just wait til you hear about mine….

MY MICROBIAL WORLD

I began my adventure by having my Functional Doctor oder ALL my labs. Ya see, I have been extremely cautious with my nutrition, exercise, and self care regimen for almost 2 years now, and I still have massive brain fog, acne, and crazy anxiety. My mind is OVER IT! So, I told my Doctor…”Order EVERY lab!” (Remember…YOU are in control of your health, not your Doctor. They are there to guide you and assist you.) That’s exactly what she did! But, as a bonus, she ordered me a GI Mapping test. Something I had never done before. I have absolutely heard of them, but never got it done myself. And, of course, in my geeked out science and health brain…I was actually excited to get it done! WHY would I be excited?! Well, for starters, I had the opportunity to FINALLY get to the root of my symptoms!!!! “When one sits on a tack, one doesn’t treat the pain, they remove the tack!” That is my intent; to remove the darn tack.

Upon receiving my results, I instantly got a message from my doctor saying that I shouldn’t be anxious or scared. That I was ahead of the game, and that we will attack this together. Just by her encouragement and positive words, I already felt motivated to crush these results. My gut had become a breeding ground of bacteria and parasites. H. Pylori is the top complication. My stomach acid is so low that any parasite or bacteria can thrive inside the environment that the H. Pylori is creating. H. Pylori is a lovely little tiny bacterium that lives in your stomach lining, and eats away at your stomach acid. All of which is super important for killing parasites, pathogens, and other bacteria that we consume and encounter EVERY DAY! If our stomach acid isn’t acidic enough, those lovely little microbes, will live and breed in our gut, and reek havoc on our body. Not just your digestive tract. It affects your mental cognition, physical motor skills, and even your eye sight. Your gut is the main hub for every other system in your body. If your gut is out of wack…everything else is out of wack! Even if you have no physical symptoms, your gut could be a hot mess, just waiting for the right time to “let you know” I am messed up. And my body has been letting me know for a few years now. I just finally LISTENED! Thank goodness I did.

I have about 5 different parasites breeding in my gut…but, currently I am in the process of massacring their lovely habitat. My Doctor has been guiding me through some intense protocols, that I will not share due to the individuality of how each person requires customized treatment. But, I will tell you I take about 7 different vitamins, in multiple high doses every day, for a certain duration of time. As well as conducting the holistic treatment for H. Pylori (Colloidal Silver). On top of all of that, my nutrition is on point. I have found so many amazing blogs and research papers about different foods that can help rid your gut of parasites and bacteria. (I have been saving an entire board on Pinterest for H. Pylori Nutrition…check it out if you’re curious). Other than that, I keep my exercise low impact. Yoga has been my friend, and I went for a light jog the other day because I found some energy.

This protocol is not easy, but I AM WORTH IT. So are you! All the effort I put in to creating an amazing home for my family, helping others with their health journeys, and conducting the chaotic orchestra of life…I needed this parasite to yell at me and tell me, “hey, focus on you for a minute!” Not in an egotistical way, but in a caring and empathetic way. I can proudly state that I know where all my blood levels are, I know what goes on inside of my gut, and I am confident that I KNOW ME. I truly KNOW ME. I know me more than any doctor ever will, and I am damn proud of that. I can play out my own health future knowing that I took charge of how I felt, how I feel, and how I will feel down the road. I just wish there were more people that wanted that pride for themselves.

MICROBE WORLD COEXISTENCE

It may seem like I hate microbes, that’s just not true. Microbes deserve to survive and thrive, just not in my gut! They play positive roles in our environment, and occasionally in our bodies. But, when they become overpopulated, they become disruptors to the natural cycle of things…kind of like us humans at times! Microbes seek balance, they don’t want to overpower anything because then, they know, destruction is right around the corner. They need human help. Proper care of our bodies and environment keeps their tiny world, and our world, in balance. Our job as humans, is to constantly keep our bodies and environment in check through prevention. It is much easier to prevent a catastrophe, than to clean up the disaster after it strikes.