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In my functional nutrition practice, I work largely with the IBD population. Most of my clients (let’s say 8.5/10) have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or microscopic colitis. If they don’t, there is a good chance they have a different autoimmune condition or IBS/generalized gut issues, in all of which, gut health is a top priority.
Here is a list of the products I find myself advising to my clients over and over (with great results!). Each are linked for purchase in my Fullscript storefront, where clients and non-clients can purchase professional grade supplements that they need at a discount.
Digestive & Healing Supports
Supplements that fall under Digestive Supports are ones that help you actively digest your food. Gut permeability, inflammation, chronic stress, and more are some factors that point to the need for digestive support.
A digestive enzyme works as it sounds. It supplies extra enzymes in addition to what you make naturally, that act on the breakdown of your food. We want our food to be as broken down as possible before it moves onto the next phase of digestion. When food moves through the digestive system and it is not broken down well, we are more likely to experience digestive symptoms like bloat, pain, and abnormal bowel issues. You simply take one with your meals.
When it comes to healing the gut lining from permeability and inflammation, the use of supplements can be incredibly helpful, in addition to a clean, nourishing, whole-food diet.
A few of my favorite healing supplements are: GI Revive, GI Resolve, Gastrazyme, and EnteroMend. All have worked well for different clients (everyone is different!). These are different plant, herb, and nutrient formulations meant to strengthen and heal the gut lining. When I have clients experiencing bloat, reflux, pain, and gas, there is where I start them supplementally.
My favorite probiotic is RestorFlora! Probiotics are helpful gut bacteria that are a part of the gut microbiome. Not only does it work well for bowel issues, especially aiding in forming normal bowels with less urgency, it doesn’t typically cause any issues like some strong probiotics. Prebiotics can also be helpful. Prebiotics are fibers that feed the probiotics. Studies show prebiotics can be more beneficial for IBD than IBS, so skip if you are experiencing IBS. Mega-Pre is a go-to prebiotic of mine.
Nutritional Status
Supplements that I use for Nutrition Status support are there to provide extra nutrients. It is very common in Crohn’s disease and all forms of colitis for symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, and for women of menstruating age, loss of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea) due to inflammation/gut permeability/lack of nutrient absorption. When not all nutrients can be attained from food, these supplements are very handy!
Elemental Heal is a complete meal replacement, that uses a complete whey protein. Yes, whey is dairy, but many who are avoiding dairy do OK with a whey protein! Read this blog post on how to use Elemental Heal! It is a personal favorite of mine. I use it to make smoothies often! For my clients, it has been a dependable source of nutrition for many clients struggling in flares and has helped them regain their tolerance for solid food.
A good quality multivitamin fills in the gaps whether you are not eating a well-rounded diet (due to digestive issues or otherwise) or are not at a high nutrient absorption rate (this will occur with inflammation, intestinal permeability, scarring, etc.) The Twice Daily Multi is my go-to! Affordable and has what you need.
Liquid iron or iron pills are often poorly absorbed or cause further GI upset. Food as medicine is always the way to go for me, and liver and other organs are rich sources of bioavailable iron, B vitamins, copper, vitamin A, and more, making these capsules a great aid for low iron and related symptoms, like fatigue!
In summary
I use these products often, but there are more favorites in my Fullscript store, and I add products from time-to-time that I want to put front and center. In my practice, an effective, appropriate supplement protocol is one of the pillars in my practice. The right supplements can make an impactful difference (as long as you are using high-quality supplements that are right for you!)
For one-on-one guidance on what dietary, supplemental, and lifestyle protocols that would be best for YOU, secure a spot in my three-month program! While working with you individually, I will break down your major goals into small, digestible 🙂 steps over the course of a few months. This program is the foundation for healing for my clients!
