How Chris turned around his energy and immune system inside 60-days
Don’t be fooled by appearances.
Although athletes look fit and healthy on the outside, some of the toughest cases I’ve worked with have involved high level sportsmen.
Chris, a premier league football player in the U.K. was referred to me because he was struggling to heal from an injury.
He was feeling very low on energy, lethargic and depressed.
No matter what he did, he simply couldn’t heal from a knee injury and was beginning to fear for his career.
He was also worried about his relationship with his wife, which was suffering because of his low energy and mood.
I explained to Chris that his immune system needed to be working properly for his injury to heal.
Around 70% of the entire immune system is in the gut, so I explained that I wanted to run a stool test to find out what was happening.
Chris was surprised because he didn’t really have any digestive symptoms.
I put my foot down and said that I wouldn’t work with him unless we looked at his gut, as it’s so important.
Reluctantly, he agreed.
And it’s a good job he did because the stool test result made for some very interesting reading.
Chris’ ‘bad bug’ burden
Chris’ stool test revealed the following imbalances in his gut microbes:
H. pylori infection (can slow stomach acid production down and lead to key nutritional deficiencies like B12 and iron that affect energy and mood)
Yersinia infection (can alter thyroid function and reduce energy levels and mood)
Dientameba fragilis parasite
Blastocystis hominis parasite (implicated in chronic fatigue and joint problems)
Just one of these ‘bad bugs’ on its own had the potential to cause Chris’ symptoms, let alone all four hanging around in his gut together.
Chris and gluten
Chris’ stool test also showed that he had a gluten sensitivity, as shown by a very elevated anti-gliadin sIgA, below.
Gluten intolerance or sensitivity is a major problem in society, and athletes are no exception to this rule.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic went on a 40+ match-winning streak when he began eating a gluten free diet.
Gluten sensitivity can wreck anyone’s body, including an athlete’s, and the fact that Chris was clearly gluten intolerant was a major finding.
Chris’ digestive capacity
Chris’ stool sample had elevated levels of triglycerides, LCFAs and total fat.
This meant he wasn’t digesting and absorbing fat into his body when he ate it.
The likely reason for his poor fat digestion was a damaged gut from infections and gluten.
It’s important to remember if you can’t digest and absorb fat, you can’t get fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, K and coenzyme Q10 into your body either.
Over time, this can lead to significant malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies.
No wonder Chris felt so low and couldn’t heal from his injuries.
Helping Chris fix his gut
Chris started on a gluten free diet (the basic diet plan in my H Pylori Diet book) and soon begun feeling much better.
He also stopped eating processed foods and cut down his vegetable oil intake.
I designed two 30-day herbal protocols to help rebalance his gut microbes by removing H. pylori, Yersinia and his parasites.
We then shifted our focus across to healing his damaged digestive system using some key nutrients such as zinc, vitamin D and l-glutamine.
A remarkable turnaround
Despite all his ‘bad bugs’, the step that made the most difference for Chris was going gluten-free.
By doing so, he was able to stop throwing fuel on the fire inside his gut and allow it to begin healing.
Removing the bad bugs and taking specific actions to heal his damaged gut lining did the rest.
To his surprise, Chris’ energy levels suddenly skyrocketed, his moods lifted and his wife said he was like a new person!
To add the cherry on top, Chris’ injury began responding to treatment and he was able resume training with the first team.
Look at the gut first
When someone has a mysterious set of complaints or symptoms that aren’t budging, I always look at the gut first.
The gut can be in terrible trouble, yet you may not feel it.
Many people have a damaged gut and have no digestive symptoms at all.
Instead, they feel tired, grumpy, lack zest for life or have a low sex drive.
Or, they have inflamed and aching joints, skin problems or difficulty sleeping.
It’s all caused by inflammation, which often begins in the gut because of food and microbe imbalances.
Chris was a perfect example of how this all plays out, yet he was able to turn things around very quickly.
You can do the same
If you commit a little time and energy to yourself, you too can achieve health improvements like Chris and many others.
It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, what your profession is, or what your doctor or specialist has said.
Sadly, medical opinion – even at professional sports clubs – isn’t always right and it can be very disempowering not to know why you don’t feel well.
Docs just aren’t that interested in your gut unless you have violent diarrhea and vomiting.
But most often, and as Chris found, your gut’s where it all begins.
So if you have any digestive symptoms at all, it’s wise to run a stool test because you’ll uncover reasons for symptoms outside your gut as well.
It’s simple and effective.
You just provide a stool sample in the comfort of your own home – there are no embarrassing clinic visits and nurses or doctors to contend with.
You pop a sample into the test tube and mail it back to the lab for analysis in the packaging provided.
It looks for 55 different reasons why you might feel under the weather.
We analyze the result for you, and give you some guidance on what it all means, and the action steps you need to take to begin feeling better.
I’m biased but I think it’s a no brainer.
Irrespective of what your doc has told you, you CAN feel better, faster, and a stool test is the best starting point.
I don’t allow a year to pass without doing a stool test – I’ve done lots now – because I want to make sure each year that my gut is in tip-top condition.
What’s more, if the test comes back blank and we can’t help, I’ll refund every penny.
What do you have to lose?
You can learn more about a stool test, or order one, here.
Best,
Dave.
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