Paleo Supplements: Heal Leaky Gut and Help with Autoimmune Conditions
The Paleo Diet and Leaky Gut 
Following an Autoimmune Paleo protocol is a great way to start healing from Autoimmune conditions, and other health issues associated with having poor digestion. Did you know that even if you have the most perfect diet, you still not be fully digesting the foods you are consuming? Autoimmune Disease is associated with having poor digestion. Therefore, you may not getting the nutrients from the foods you are consuming, and you might not be feeling better. Following an Autoimmune Protocol and removing hard to digest foods is the best thing you can do for your health! However, there are some supplements that when taken with an autoimmune protocol, can help ease the burden of digestion, and give your intestines a chance to start healing. We are going to talk about healthy digestion, as well as three digestive supplements that work synergistically with a healthy real food lifestyle, and can get you on your way to feeling better!
1.Bitters
Digestion starts in the mouth. We have enzymes in our saliva that help to break down sugars in the foods we eat. This is why you need to chew your food slowly and thoroughly, to begin the process of digestion. Once food passes through the esophagus and into the stomach, the acidic environment of the stomach churns, and further breaks down the proteins in food. However, most Americans have chronically low stomach acid. The stomach needs to be very acidic, 1.5-3.0 on the PH scale. Do you feel like food is just sitting in your stomach? Are you “turned off” by eating meat? Do you get bloated after meals? Struggling with acid reflux? These are all signs of low stomach acid. If undigested food is passing through the stomach due to low stomach acid, this can lead to more digestive trouble in the intestines. The first supplement I recommend for people struggling with low stomach acid is called bitters. What are bitters? Bitters is a tincture that tastes bitter in flavor. Bitters are associated with healthy digestion. Our ancestors consumed bitter tasting foods all the time: dandelion greens, bitter roots, bark. In fact, most wild foods do have some bitterness to them. Nowadays we consume mostly sweet and savory foods. Due to the high consumption of processed foods, we are not regularly getting “bitterness” in our diet. Bitters stimulate the flow of saliva, therefore more enzymes to break down food. Bitters also stimulate the production of digestive juices, including HCL (stomach acid). One dropper of bitters on the tongue before meals tells your body to wake up! and get ready to digest food. Therefore, I recommend bitters to my clients before even introducing HCL (stomach acid) supplements. The brand I recommend is Urban Moonshine.
