The three tests for solving IBS

Everyone has a unique root cause for their digestive issues, and solving the problem requires a deep dive into what’s driving symptoms.

While people are able to Google their symptoms or educate themselves online, following generic diet or protocol recommendations that aren’t tailored to each unique body or root cause is like playing darts in the dark. You may hit the target with blind luck. But the chances are low.

Random trial and error may feel like moving forward but each failure contributes to burn out, discouragement and hesitation to try again.

It can leave people thinking there’s something wrong with their body, rather than questioning the approach.

We can “turn on the lights” before we aim at a solution by taking a personalized approach based on current body data. We can measure what’s going on in the body to come up with the best approach.

I use three tests in my health coaching practice to dig deeper into the root cause of symptoms. These tests reveal the barriers that are preventing the body from healing itself.

The three tests look at the large intestine, stomach and biome (GI Map stool test), the small intestine biome (SIBO breath test) and hormones, immunity, thyroid, adrenals, blood sugar, inflammation, mitochondrial health and nervous system balance (the hair tissue mineral analysis test.)

The combination of these three tests we look at the most important systems of the body that affect gut health, mood, resilience and energy. We don’t miss anything that can prevent healing.

These tests show is if the body is ready to start a healing protocol or if it needs more support first. Many people try to heal their gut when there’s no resilience in the system. You have to build your body up first, because healing is stressful on the body. When one is in burnout the body can’t handle healing.

I added the hair test because I found that gut tests alone did not give the whole picture of what was going on in the whole body, just the gut.

For example, the gut needs supported adrenals to heal. If the adrenals are burnt out or overactive, healing takes a backseat. The hair mineral analysis tells us if the adrenals and body are ready to heal.

Understanding what is going on with your body is a superior strategy than shoot in the dark Google searches.

We all want a quick fix but the latest popular diet or supplement is usually not enough to address the problem. And diminishes people’s hope that there is a solution.

Hope is the fuel that moves us forward through difficult times.

Below are more details about each test I use, and why I use them.

GI Map

This test changed my client success rate because it finds infections and overgrowths that other tests miss. H. pylori in particular.

H. pylori is a bacterial infection of the stomach that leads to downstream imbalances in the biome. It causes low stomach acid, which can result in SIBO, yeast overgrowth and parasites in the small or large intestine.

One of the most important markers on this test measures gut immunity. It is called Secretory IGA or Sig A. It also measures inflammation, intestinal permeability, gluten tolerance, digestion and fat absorption, beneficial bacteria, bacterial and yeast overgrowth, parasites, liver health, viruses, food born pathogens and worms.

This information provides a clear picture of what’s going on in the biome and with digestion. What infections are dragging the system down and preventing healing.

It also measure the digestion of fats, protein and carbs and gives us clues about stomach acid strength.

H. pylori is one of the most common infections I see and it can be the reason why other overgrowths (SIBO, yeast, large intestine bacterial overgrowth and parasites) are hard to fix. H. pylori often needs to be addressed before the other infections or overgrowths can resolve.

H. pylori can cause many symptoms, including reflux, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, food sensitivities, mood and skin issues (rosacea or acne), nausea, burning stomach pain, histamine intolerance, weight loss and fatigue. It is also associated with UTIs.

H. pylori is hard to test for, so even if it comes out negative on the GI Map there are several clues and signs that it is actually there. And it tests for virulent strains of h. pylori which can be harmful and lead to ulcers and other health issues.

H. pylori is such a common cause of digestive distress that I wrote a book about it here.

The GI Map lets us know if digestion is an issue and how to lower inflammation by addressing the correct overgrowths.

While it provides a ton of information, the GI Map can’t tell us what’s going on in the small intestine. There is another test for that.

The SIBO breath test

The small intestine is where we absorb most of our food. When there is a problem here it can cause food intolerances, and inflammation. Hallmark symptoms are bloating, gas, gut pain, body pain, rosacea, diarrhea or constipation, anxiety and brain fog. It can also cause reflux or GERD.

The SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) breath test measures the overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. It tests for hydrogen and methane gases using lactulose or glucose. I use lactulose because it provides more accurate readings.

There is a third gas that’s much less common called sulfide. It is characterized by sulfur smelling gas and intolerance to sulfur containing foods. There is a test that looks at all three called Triosmart.

People with SIBO can be overweight with weight loss resistance or underweight based on the type of gas they have. It is not uncommon to have both gases. Some doctors diagnose SIBO without testing, or only test for hydrogen gas and often prescribe an antibiotic called rifaximin with no dietary or health advice. This approach only works temporarily as the SIBO comes back.

SIBO can be challenging to address. Antibiotics rarely are the total solution and can actually cause SIBO. I help clients determine the root cause of the SIBO so we can work upstream to fix it. I also wrote a book about addressing SIBO naturally here.

Getting more and more bloated after eating and looking pregnant at the end of the day is a classic sign of SIBO. So is garlic and onion intolerance. But SIBO can be present without any of these symptoms. That’s why we test for it.

While both the GI Map and SIBO tests have extremely helpful in determining root cause, they don’t give the full picture of what’s going on in the body. That’s why I added the hair tissue mineral analysis test (HTMA).

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)

The HTMA has a special place in my heart. It was the only test I took to heal 20 years ago.

It requires a hair sample and measures major metabolic functions and systems in the body through mineral levels. It also measures levels of heavy metal toxicity. Metals compete with minerals inside the cells, often pushing out beneficial minerals and their health benefits.

When you lack minerals, you lack the building blocks of metabolic processes in the body. Your can’t build stomach acid, your adrenals suffer due to lack of potassium and sodium and the thyroid needs enough selenium, iodine to work well. zinc nourishes the immune system and magnesium helps the nervous system function well.

Mineral levels reflect how much stress the person is under over the course of a few months. Stress can be physical, as well as emotional, so the results can be surprising if there’s no apparent emotional stressor in life.

Supporting mineral levels improves mitochondrial function and cellular health. This helps the body recover better.

This test is looks at adrenal and thyroid function at a cellular level. And shows what nutrients are missing for good adrenal and thyroid function. Often these systems need to be addressed to heal the gut.

The HTMA can predict a thyroid issue before blood tests reveal a problem.

I used a mineral balancing program to heal my gut. If you give the body what it needs for healthy cellular function, it may be able to heal without antimicrobial herbs. This is good news for people who can’t tolerate killing herbs. A system in deep burn usually can’t tolerate many foods or herbs.

The combination of these three tests gives a wholistic view of what’s going on with the body for target intervention. No more shooting in the dark with all this information.

Tough cases and symptoms need to go down to the cellular and biome level to fix what’s not working. This is what I call root cause healing. It’s very different from what’s practiced by conventional doctors who don’t have time to listen and can only offer meds.

If you feel disconnected from your body, anxious about your unpredictable symptoms or need to push through your day, understanding what’s not working for you and why can be calming and empowering.

If you’re inflamed, running on stress hormones, and riding a blood sugar rollercoaster, the test will show it. And these must be addressed before healing can happen. Supporting the adrenals, regulating blood sugar, and lowering inflammation often holds the key to healing.

I offer all three tests and lots of personal attention and email support to help you solve your gut problem. The tests can also be ordered individually.

Reach out to angelaprivin@yahoo.com with any questions.