HouseCall: Colitis, IBS, SIBO, Calorie Deprived, Flatulence, Pizza & Donut Diet, Gassy Supplements, Gut Issues

Welcome back to our weekend Cabral HouseCall shows!

This is where we answer our community’s wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging questions to help people get back on track!

Check out today’s questions:

Nancy: Not sure how to join your Facebook page;I believe I have developed food sensitivity and IBS or colitis after taking antibiotics a couple of times a year for a variety of problems. I think this summer put me over the edge with 2 rounds of antibiotics, most recently Augmentin. My elimination has not been the same since. I also developed swelling of the lips after going vegan and think I can say it is from a peanut butter powder / peanuts I was using. I have never had these problems like this before-my rainbarrel is definitely full.I am not certain where to begin, but I know my digestive system is Way Way off. Was also diagnosed last year on colonoscopy with diverticula for the first time ever. I was quite surprised about that. I am 64 and have always watched my diet.Do I need to start with the gut rebuilding products? I have been listening to your podcasts. I need a little guidance on where to start here and what products to get. Thanks. Nancy

Isaac: Hi I have IBS maybe SIBO and also some anxiety/nervous system type of issues I want to get tested for. Im in the health field and dont feel like I need a coach or someone to meet with on a regular basis. Im wondering if its a good option to just get a test for each of these things and then I saw they come with a 30 min coaching session. Would this provide me with supplement/diet recommendations based on the tests? Would this be a good route if I not wanting the coaching on a regular basis?

Kristy: Hello, I was just wondering if you ship to New Zealand at all? Many thanks!

Tijana: Hi Steven Cabral’s support team!I am 19 years old and I am suffering from hypothalamic amenorrhea. I have not had a regular period in around 3 years. I have maybe had 1-3 over the 3 years but for the past year I have not had a single one. I am aware that I am suppose to exercise less and eat more in order to get my period back as well as reduce stress (mental and physical). Which is very hard for me as I love going to the gym and pushing myself. I have not been able to lose any weight even though I am exercising lots and eating a relatively healthy lower calorie diet. I am at the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life weighing 145lbs and I am 5 foot 7. I also have extreme cellulite. I have a decent amount of muscle on me which makes me question why I have so much cellulite (never suffered from cellulite before). One last thing to mention is I am extremely constipated, I never ever have regular bowel movements, maybe 2 times a week if I am lucky. I have been following your team for a while now and just wondering what is the best way to go about my situation. Please help. I live in Canada and I am able to run any blood test for free. Am I able to send your team my blood test results? Thanks, Tijana

Josh: Hi Stephen,I have recently discovered your podcast on iTunes and find it really interesting and insightful, I love it. Your listener questions are great and have prompted my email. I’m hoping you can give me some advice, particularly in relation to my digestive gut health and cystic acne. Brief background about me; I’m a 26 year old male, who lives an active lifestyle – I play Rugby League and resistance train 5 trains a week. My diet is ‘clean’ and balanced. I work as an Architect and as a result, I’m sedentary most of the day – 7.30am until 6pm. Then, I will go the gym after work and rugby train 2x a week, after the gym. Onto my issues, trying to be brief, I appreciate your time is valuable; – I started getting cystic acne roughly around the age of 15 years old. – I went to my local General Practitioner at the time, who put me on a repeat course of antibiotics Lymecycline 408mg. At the time, the antibiotics worked periodically and provided some relief.- Now I believe this is part of my current problem… I still take these antibiotics (although, I have started a regime to slowly come off of them, as I describe below – I’m scared to come off of them in one hit, due to the amount of time I’ve been taking them). – Over the years, my cystic acne has been terrible, then good, then back to terrible. I have visited my GP on numerous occasions, who have either switched the antibiotics I have been taking or provided a topical treatment, as well as, the oral antibiotic. – Again, this has worked on and off for many years. But never actually completely stopped the cystic acne. – After many hours of research over the years, I’m now aware that the antibiotic’s I have been taking are more of a prevention than a cure; and have likely been making my general health worse! (I did broach this with my GP, however they dismissed it). – I battled with the above regime for years and years. Getting huge cystic acne spots, having a period of no acne, then the acne resurfacing. – For at least 6-8 years to present day, I have tried to exclude dairy and bread as practicable as possible; doing this seemingly had little or no effect, as the cystic acne hasn’t budged. Bringing us back to 2018; – Around March 2018, my friends and I booked a summer holiday, I found this as an opportunity to get in to great shape; I was in the best shape of my life (my physique has always been relatively good, but I have never pushed myself and tried to get low body fat). – From March to June, my diet was very ‘clean’ contained lots of vegetables and few carbohydrates. – During the same period, the supplements I were taking consisted of the following – Zinc, Magnesium, 2 tbsp’s of ACV per day, Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Burdock Root and Probiotics. – I found over that time period that my cystic acne flare ups, were very rare. Any spots I did get where minimal, I certainly wouldn’t call them cystic – more small white heads. – I felt great, I got into the best shape of my life and finally after 10+ years my acne was seemingly going. My confidence was at an all-time high and I was loving my life. – I put my reduction of cystic acne down to my diet, active lifestyle and supplementation routine. Note; I was still taking the prescribed antibiotics during this period. Late July to early October 2018; – During a rugby match in July I suffered a complete tear of my distal bicep tendon, requiring surgery. – I had surgery on the 6th August, going under general anaesthetic. – As a result of my surgery, my activity levels reduced dramatically – walking was the only form of activity, were I would walk up to 20,000 steps a day. – My diet was largely the same as the previous, however I started getting my meals made and buying them from a company. – The only differences between my diet and supplementation between pre-surgery and post-surgery were; – Stopped taking Probiotics – Stopped taking Burdock Root – Increased carbohydrates and reduction of vegetables, eaten with my lunch time meal – However, my cystic acne was back as worse as ever and has been present ever since. – I couldn’t put my finger on why my acne was back, so I started doing lots of research, listening to Podcast’s (how I found ATP LAB!). – I come across one Podcast that suggested acne, specifically cystic acne is caused by underlying Streptococcus – SIBO overgrowth, in the gut, which can be caused by the frequent use of antibiotics! – This rang true with me, I had severe tonsillitis as a child, which resulted in me having them removed. I understand tonsillitis / strep throat is caused by group A streptococcus, the same bacteria which the Podcast stated causes cystic acne. – Perhaps, I never fully treated / removed the by group A streptococcus bacteria as a child, which results in my cystic acne; my diet / supplement change post-surgery and the reduction in vegetables, increased carbohydrates and no probiotics allowed the overgrowth of this bacteria? – The overgrowth could also be attributed to the antibiotics, general anaesthetic used during the time of my surgery? – Whether the streptococcus theory is factual or not, I do believe that the bacteria in my gut, is very poor, particularly since surgery – but largely due to the 10+ years of taking antibiotics; which again, could cause my cystic acne. Present day from 10th October 2018; – Listening to your Podcast on acne and the streptococcus Podcast on acne, changed my mindset completely. As a result, I have changed my diet and supplementation routine. – I have tried my best to incorporate as many of the strep killing foods / vitamins and minerals into my diet as possible. By no coincidence, these strongly match the foods / vitamins and minerals, many experts suggest consuming to prevent cystic acne. – Present day diet from 10th October 2018, largely reflects that post-surgery. Lots of vegetables, typical day; Breakfast: 4 whole eggs, cooked with coconut oil. Lunch: 200g chicken breast Large servings of broccoli, cauliflower, red & white cabbage ‘Stir-fry’ of spinach, kale, onions, asparagus Mixed with turmeric, ginger, garlic granules. Dinner: 200 – 300g chicken breast Large servings of broccoli, cauliflower, red & white cabbage ‘Stir-fry’ of spinach, kale, onions, asparagus Mixed with turmeric, ginger, garlic granules 110g quinoa, bulgur wheat and wholegrain Hummus. Snack: Tin of tuna Half an avocado 100g pickled beetroot – Around 2,600 calories – 230 grams protein, 160 carbs and 110 fats. – Present day, daily supplementation from 10th October 2018; Calcium Magnesium plus Zinc – Solgar -Take two before bed -Take one at lunch Zinc Pilcolinate – Now Foods Zinc Picolinate 50mg-Take after tea Vitamin D – Carlson labs D3 5000mg -Take after tea Vitamin A – Now Foods, Vitamin A, 10,000 IU -Take after teaBurdock Root – Now Foods 430mg-Take two before bed-Take one at lunchDandelion Root – Now Foods 500mg-Take one before bed-Take one at lunchACV – 4 tbsps / day-Take two tbsps in morning-Take two tbsps before bedFibre – Now Foods Fiber-3-Take two tbsps with ACV on a morningFish oils – Now Foods Ultra Omega 3 Fish Oil-Take two with lunchProbiotics – Now Foods GR8-dophillous-Take two at soon as get to work, 2 hours post breakfast, don’t eat for 2 hours afterwards-Take one mid-afternoon, 2 hours post lunch, don’t eat for 2 hours afterwards Multi vitamin – Nature’s Way, Alive! Max3 Daily-Take three with lunch-Garlic – Raw-Swallow two whole cloves (crushed), before bed- As you can see, my diet is very clean (quite boring) and many of the foods contribute to strong gut health? I still to avoid dairy and bread – maybe it doesn’t help with my acne and may help my gut health? – However, since starting the above regime, my flatulence and bloating has been overwhelming and without wanting to provide too much detail, it smells! But my stool is of a healthy consistency, due to my high fibre intake. But, I cannot understand why I have so much flatulence. My overall health is good. I rarely get any illness or any other issues, only cystic acne! – Side note; I’m more than happy to sit this one out and wait for the flatulence to stop / reduce, if it will. Continuing my present day regime. – As noted at the start, I have also began a regime to stop taking the antibiotics. I’m scared to come off of them in one hit, due to the amount of time I’ve been taking them. – Reduction regime; Take one acne tablet every four days then have a day off, for a month. Take one tablet every three days then have a day off, for a month. Take one tablet every two days then have a day off, for a month. Take one tablet every other day, for a month. Take one tablet every three days; tablet, day off, day off, tablet…, for a month. Take one tablet every four days, for a month. Take one tablet every 5 days, for a month. Stop taking acne tablets. My theory as a whole; – Taking antibiotics for most of my life has resulted in me having poor gut health, maybe group A strep / candida / leaky gut / H pylori?? This has a direct cause to cystic acne causing bacteria. – Increased carbohydrate, reduced vegetable consumption during my lunch time meal and stopping taking probiotics (all post-surgery), as helped bad gut bacteria thrive and increase my cystic acne. – A moderate carbohydrate diet results in acne for myself – moderate to high GI. A recent food intake and resultant cystic acne, may help prove this theory – – I had plain Quaker oats, instant oats two nights in a row before bed (Thursday and Friday), then the Saturday I got one of the worst cystic acne spots I have ever had. When I look back through my diet on MyFitnessPal and correlate to my acne flare ups, there seems to be a strong correlation, particularly post-surgery. – As a complete side note, a couple of points; – For a 26 year old male, my libido is very low. I rarely wake up with ‘morning wood’ etc and random erections are very infrequent. I discussed this with my GP and I had a blood test to test my testosterone levels. The GP stated they would inform me of my results, only if, the results showed anything irregular. They did not contact me. It has been like this for a couple of years. I couldn’t certain how long. – When I drink alcohol and go on a night out, my mouth can stay dry and ‘claggy’ with white salvia for up to 3 days afterwards, I appreciate alcohol dehydrates you but I don’t think it is normal at all. Especially when, I can drink up to 5 / 6 litres of water a day. Link to poor gut health? Questions; – Is my current regime, feeding the bad gut bacteria, hence my flatulence? From my research I’ve heard that introducing cruciferous vegetables and probiotics at the start of a regime to kill bad bacteria is the wrong approach? – Or is the flatulence a result of a change in diet and killing of bad gut bacteria? – Can I stop taking the antibiotics completely immediately? Or is my reduction regime sensible? – Does bad gut health / group A strep infection have any link to low libido? -Lastly, does my theory and current diet regime seem appropriate to make my gut health better and finally , after 10+ years stop my cystic acne? I really hope you can help me and provide some advice. My confidence is at an all-time low, I have spent thousands on different skin care products over the years to try treat my cystic acne, I finally believe I could be on the right track, by trying to increase the amount of good bacteria in my gut and removing the antibiotic use, I just don’t understand the flatulence. I did well at trying to keep this brief. Apologises. I look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks Josh

Katie: Hi Dr Cabral I am currently one of your wellness clinic patients and active listeners / readers. LOVE YOUR WORK! My question is what is your thoughts on the equalation diet? It claims you can eat whatever you want and be healthy and lose weight? It gets some great results which I struggle to understand given I strongly believe certain foods are not good for you eg. dairy, sugar, processed foods, which all feature on this diet. Really interested to hear your thoughts! https://www.equalution.com/

Chris: Hi, Do you provide on-line training? I am in Austalia and am looking to change carreer into the health and wellness area and have a great interest in a lot of the information that Dr Cabral provides. I’d really like to learn more so that I could use it in a procatice setting. Thanks, Chris

Jamie: Hi there, just finished week one of the CBO protocol. Bloating and constipation seems to be worsening. I’ve upped vitamin c and magnesium (calm), drink a ton of water, plenty of body movement daily etc. I’m doing the healthy fats too. What do you recommend at this point? I’d already planned on the intestinal cleanse at the midway point but should I stop CBO and do it now or try to hang in there until week 6? I’m doing the nutritional support powder every morning with the blueberry smoothie. I added prune juice to it yesterday out of desperation. I’ve struggled with this issue for many years and have tried everything it seems, except I’ve never done an intestinal cleanse. Just looking for some direction as to what to do next. Thanks so much. Devouring the podcasts. ~Jamie

Amelia: Hi there! Not sure where to ask this question on what test to get so I am going to lay it out right here! If this is the wrong place, please let me know where I can find it on the website. I am a 23 years old, haven’t had a period since 2017 before I took Plan B. For over a year now I have had gut issues…loose stools, constipation, bloating, pain, food sensitivities, etc. In August 2018 (few months ago) I went to a functional medicine doctor who did a blood test on me. Came back with low cortisol, free T3, T4, testosterone, progesterone…and high TSH and thyroid peroxidase. I am now on Adernal Cortex and Nature-throid. My doctor was not worried about my gut problems, I on the other hand am very interested in this subject and am aware of the correlation between gut issues, stress (a whole other story), and health issues. My question is…what should I be doing now? I cannot afford an OAT and Stool test at this moment but I think that is the next big step. I have eliminated so much from my diet yet I still am having gut issues. On top of that I am noticing cold sore like things around the edges of my mouth and my puffy face still seems to be here. Please help! I am a less than rich college student who wants to heal herself and is struggling to get back to my old self! Have a nice day and thank you for reading my message, I am sure you get a ton. Amelia

Olivia: Hi there, I’ve been suffering with serious gut, candida, hormonal and mitochondrial issues over the past two years and am interested in working in Dr. Cabral to try to resolve these health problems. Could you kindly let me know how I should proceed? I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for tuning into today’s Cabral HouseCall and be sure to check back tomorrow where we answer more of our community’s questions!