Your diet plays a big role in your gut health.

If you're eating a bunch of sugar, processed foods, and not enough fiber, you'll likely have some gastrointestinal tract issues.

And nobody wants that.

Nowadays it seems like everyone has some food sensitivity or a full-blown food allergy.

So it's important to understand the difference between the two and the surrounding health issues.

On the surface, food sensitivities and food allergies may seem like the same thing (they can even cause some of the same symptoms); however they are, in fact, two different conditions.

The least common of the two is a food allergy.

A food allergy triggers a response from your immune system that can make you super uncomfortable.

If you are lactose intolerant and can't digest the natural sugars in milk and other dairy products, it's no joke.

You eat a little cheese and suddenly your stomach yells, "Oh no you didn't!"

It's like a party in your gut, but instead of confetti and balloons, it's all cramps and bloating.

You're better off just sticking to almond milk.

Food allergies can also be life threatening.

According to the CDC, each year around 200,000 people seek emergency medical care due to food allergies.

On the other hand, food sensitivity or food intolerance symptoms are less serious but are more common.

When you have a food allergy, your body essentially treats the food as a foreign invader and therefore mounts an attack against it.

The reason for the ambush is that food particles and other molecules have traveled from your intestines into your bloodstream via your "leaky" gut; but that's not supposed to happen.

How to Fix Your Leaky Gut

I remember when I was a kid, my mom would give me swig of Pepto-Bismol  for my stomach issues.

Now, you've got people talking about gluten-free and vegan diets to keep their guts from leaking.

So what's the deal with gut permeability?

Back in my day, it was just called a bellyache.

But now, apparently, what you eat can make your gut behave like a strainer.

Allow me to explain in simple terms.

Your small intestine is like a superhero, swooping in to absorb all the good stuff from your food. 

A normal, healthy intestine has walls that are tight, allowing only small molecules such as vitamins, simple sugars, and amino acids to pass through it.

In fact, 90% of food absorption occurs in your small intestine.

And just like a superhero's sidekick, your circulatory system is there to pass those nutrients around to the rest of your body.

But it's not all smooth sailing.

There are special absorptive cells, called enterocytes, that work overtime to make sure those precious nutrients make it across your intestinal lining and into your bloodstream.

But when your gut becomes overly permeable, larger molecules, toxins, bacteria and bits of undigested waste pass through into your bloodstream.

And since these sizeable molecules aren't supposed to be in your bloodstream at all, your body lets out a war cry and prepares for battle.

The big particles are treated as foreigners, triggering an immune reaction; which results in digestive problems, autoimmune diseases, and additional food allergies.

If your body begins producing antibodies to fight off certain foods and food groups, then those foods will be treated like the flu virus, E. coli bacteria, and other pathogens that invade your body and can cause serious health issues.

You see, leaky gut is triggered by many things, including your diet:

• Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin
• Alcohol and caffeine
• Antacid medications
• Food additives
• Allergies to food
• Stress
• Infections within the bowel itself
• Diets high in refined flours, sugars and other processed foods
• Candidiasis 
• Antibiotics

You may experience a range of symptoms such as fatigue, joint and muscle pain, pain and bloating in your abdomen, skin rashes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and depression.

The good news is that if you think you have leaky gut, there are several action steps you can take to kickstart the healing process.

The key is to remove anything that may be contributing to your condition, while at the same time feeding your body what it needs to begin repairing the damage.

Try the following suggestions to stimulate healing:

1. Eliminate alcohol and caffeine from your diet
2. Stop using all anti-inflammatory drugs (with your doctor's permission of course)
3. Chew your food thoroughly and take a digestive enzyme to aid digestion
4. Take probiotics to increase the number of friendly microbes in your intestines
5. Eat at least nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day
6. Stop eating refined, white flour, sugar, and processed foods
7. Drink plenty of filtered water

Maybe you are thinking, "That's too hard to do. I'll just stick to my deep-dish pizza and hope for the best."

But if you continue to eat chicken nuggets and fried mozzarella sticks, your gut is going to be like a screen door in a hurricane.

Not very tight.

And don't attempt to offset poor nutrition with the occasional cleanse or detox.

Your gut isn't a car, you can't just eat poorly all of the time and then expect it to run smoothly after a random tune-up. 

Summary:

Gut permeability is the ability of substances to pass through your intestinal lining and into your bloodstream.

When your gut lining becomes too permeable, it can lead to inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and other serious health issues.

Your diet can play a significant role in gut permeability, as certain foods can either help to maintain a healthy gut lining or cause damage.

A diet high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can contribute to gut permeability.

On the other hand, a diet rich in fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients can support a healthy gut lining and reduce inflammation.

Ons simple thing you can do to feel better today is to eat unprocessed food (think grilled chicken with a baked yam) and lay off the sugar.

Your gut will thank you.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online longevity personal trainer, or you want to visit the best age-management personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.