Episode 18 - The Importance of Gut Health with Dr. Phil Harris

The Importance of Gut Health with Dr. Phil Harris This week’s episode of The MaxLiving Podcast features naturopathic physician, Dr. Phil Harris, who talks with Dr. Nick Wilson and Dr. Traci Gross about the importance of gut health. Did you know that the majority of diseases start in the gut? You may think that you don’t have gut problems because you don’t get stomach pain and have normal stool, but in reality, your gut is connected to a lot more than just that. Dr. Traci mentions that “research is finding more and more now that gut health is linked to autoimmune diseases, cognitive disorders, brain function, cancer, fatigue, learning disabilities, allergies, asthma, food sensitivities” and more! The digestive system and the gut are extremely important. The gut absorbs nutrients we take in, which allows our cells to function properly. But, if we don’t get enough nutrients, or if our gut has problems absorbing nutrients, it can cause a variety of health problems. Dr. Phil tells a story about a patient of his who had weight issues, headaches and low energy and recommended that she go on a high nutrient diet. Unfortunately though, this didn’t help her problems. After submitting a urine test to a lab, they found out that her gut was only absorbing less than 10% of the nutrients she was taking in. Dr. Phil put her on a cleanse to help reset her gut, and she finally started to see results. She started to lose weight, gain more energy, have less headaches, and her gut absorption increased to 40%. “The lining of your gut is often called the second brain” (Dr. Phil). It includes the esophagus, stomach, small & large intestines, gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Because the gut involves so many organs, it’s never working alone. It’s constantly “absorbing nutrients, producing vitamins, excreting toxins, regulating hormones and regulating your metabolism” so that your body can function properly (Dr. Nick). Dr. Phil talks about his daughter who suffered from skin problems as well as meconium poisoning and how he learned about the importance of gut health and innate intelligence. By detoxing naturally through drinking raw juices, her body got the nutrients it needed to rid her skin of swelling. At the end of the day, “innate is always correct and knows what it’s doing, but it simply has things standing in its way” like toxicity in the gut (Dr. Phil). Through taking care of our gut, our body can ultimately heal itself. Our MaxLiving doctors are committed to helping you live your life to its full potential. If you’re interested in learning more about the importance of gut health, our MaxLiving clinics across the country are hosting a workshop called “Love My Guts” this month! For more information about Love My Guts, contact your MaxLiving clinic or click here to find a clinic near you: https://maxliving.com/locations/ Check out our Advanced Gut Health Bundle. Subscribe today via Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.