5R Gastrointestinal (GI) Restoration Program
No discussion about the Digestive System would be complete without a discussion of the 5R GI Program. This program has been used by countless people to restore optimal GI function.
Julie had GI discomfort, could not eat many foods, and had been on acid reflux medication for years. To make matters worse, she had been diagnosed with osteopenia, a possible complication of long-term antiacid (proton pump inhibiter) use. Within two weeks of following the protocol below she was symptom free and off her antiacid medication. It is amazing at how fast this simple program can restore optimal GI function.
First let’s review some key questions that may show you that you need to do this.
Key Questions Pertaining to Gut Health:
What foods are you taking in (do you react to certain foods)?
2. How is your digestion (do you have enough stomach acid, has your gallbladder been removed)?
3. Is stress a factor?
4. What type of bacteria live in your intestinal tract?
5. Do you have a daily bowel movement without the use of laxatives?
6. Do you have a Leaky Gut?
7. Do your symptoms worsen with probiotic supplementation? Rule out SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), often associated with inflammatory bowel disorders.
8. Have you been taking antiacids?
9. Do you have frequent gas and bloating?
Restoring GI health can be possible with a targeted program focused on nutritional support, healthy eating, exercise, and stress reduction. The 5R GI Restoration Program provides a comprehensive approach to promoting GI health.
Explanation of the 5-Rs:
1. Remove all dietary triggers such as gluten, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, soy, and alcohol. All processed foods and beverages should be eliminated along with unnecessary medications. Stop eating any foods you suspect you are allergic to or cannot tolerate.
2. Replace the eliminated foods with fresh fruits and vegetables, high-quality protein, and healthy fats. Add fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha) to your daily diet.
3. Reinoculate your GI tract with beneficial bacteria to help restore and rebalance the microflora. A probiotic supplement containing both L. acidophilus and B. lactis strains of bacteria should be added to your daily diet, in addition to at least one serving of fermented foods.
4. Repair your GI tract with targeted supplements and lifestyle modifications intended to promote healthy inflammatory markers and accelerate healing.
5. Retain the gains. Gut health is an ongoing process. Adopt the eating, exercise, and stress management strategies you have been following on the 7 Systems Plan as part of your new lifestyle. Continue to eliminate dietary triggers, follow a clean eating plan, and take the nutritional supplements recommended below.
5R Targeted Nutritional Support
Proper nutrition plays a critical role in immunity, gut health, and overall well-being. It can also be challenging to consume adequate nutrients through diet alone. For this reason, I recommend using supplements for nutritional support.
The 5R GI Restoration Program relies upon several targeted supplements to remove, replace, reinoculate, repair and retain to promote a healthy gut:
Remove: Nutricidin
Replace: Digestive Complete
Reinoculate: UltraBiotic Complete
Repair: Dynamic GI Integrity, Dynamic GI Defend and D3 5000 with K2
Retain: Dynamic GI Restore
NOTE: The first 4 R’s last 10 days and all four steps can be done at the same time. The last R is from day 11 to day 24.
The 5R Supplementation Schedule
REMOVE all dietary triggers such as gluten, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, soy, and alcohol. All processed foods and beverages should be eliminated along with unnecessary medications.
This stage occurs during days 1-10.
Nutricidin — 1 softgel, 3 times daily for 10 days, away from probiotics
REPLACE eliminated foods with fresh fruits and vegetables, high-quality protein, and healthy fats. Add fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha) to your daily diet.
This stage occurs during days 1-10.
Digestive Complete — 1-2 capsules per meal can also be added If needed – (requires 1 bottle)
REINOCULATE the GI tract with beneficial bacteria to help restore and rebalance the microflora. A probiotic supplement containing both L. acidophilus and B. lactis strains of bacteria should be added to your daily diet in addition to at least one serving of a fermented food.
This stage occurs during days 1-10.
UltraBiotic Complete — 3 capsules twice daily for 10 days. (requires 1 bottle)
REPAIR the GI tract with targeted supplements and lifestyle modifications intended to promote healthy inflammatory markers and accelerate healing.
This stage occurs during days 1-10.
Dynamic GI Integrity — Mix 1 scoop in 10-12 ounces of water twice daily, for 10 days. (requires 1 canister)
Dynamic GI Defend — Mix 1 scoop twice daily, for 10-days. (requires 1- canister) NOTE: Continue until canister is finished.
D3 5000 with K2 — 2 softgels per day, until bottle is finished. (It is advisable to run a “25-(OH)D” serum vitamin D test.) See your 7 Systems Provider for this test. If you do not have one, click the image below for an at home test.
RETAIN your new healthy gut. Adopt the eating, exercise, and stress management strategies you have been following the past few weeks as part of your new lifestyle. Continue to eliminate dietary triggers, follow a clean eating plan, and take any nutritional supplements recommended by your healthcare practitioner.
This stage occurs during days 11-24.
Dynamic GI Restore — 1 level scoop into 8 ounces of water, twice daily, starting at day 11 until day 24. (requires 2 canisters)
The 5R GI Restoration Program Outline
The 5R GI Restoration Program has two steps that occur over 24 total days. Days 1-10 involve remove, replace, repair, and reinoculate. Days 11-24 involve retain. For best results, closely follow these guidelines.
STEP 1
Days 1-10: Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Repair
Refer to the Meal Planning Choices (below) to plan and prepare simple and delicious meals. Enjoy the foods and beverages on the recommended list and eliminate the items on the avoid list.
Consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, including at least 1 dark green leafy vegetable serving per day.
Start to move more. Find an exercise type that you enjoy and stick with it.
Integrate a daily relaxation ritual into your schedule to manage stress.
Take the recommended supplements as advised by your functional medicine provider.
STEP 2
Days 11-24: Retain
At this point, you should be seeing improvements to your overall health. With the guidance of your functional medicine provider, you may want to start reintroducing some foods to determine specific sensitivities and potential reactions.
Follow these guidelines in gradually reintroducing foods:
Continue taking the recommended supplements as advised by your functional medicine provider.
Begin reintroducing 1 serving daily of a single food category for 3 days. Do this for each food category (wheat/gluten, dairy, sugar).
Monitor how you feel and if you experience any gastrointestinal or allergic symptoms.
If you have a reaction, stop consuming this food category immediately and notify your functional medicine provider.
Food Reintroduction Tips
Avoid foods belonging to multiple categories such as cereal with milk (wheat/dairy), pastry (wheat/sugar), or ice cream (dairy/sugar).
If you experience a reaction again to any food category, eliminate for a few months before reintroducing again.
Ensure adequate protein and calcium intake if eliminating dairy long-term.
Continue to avoid alcohol and spicy food.
Step 3
Day 24 and beyond
Follow the 7 Systems Plan eating guide. Continue exercising, relaxing, and taking your supplements as directed. As you reintroduce any foods back into your diet, watch for symptoms. Things like GI discomfort, bloating, itchy nose or increased pain may indicate a reaction to the food. Eliminate the food and try introducing it a week later. If you have symptoms again you should avoid the food for the time being. This is a very important part of the plan!
Clean Eating
Your diet is critically important to promoting a healthy GI tract and overall well-being. You will learn how make better dietary choices and consume nutritional supplements that help promote a healthy gut on the 7 Systems Plan.
Clean Eating Plan
What you eat has a direct impact on how you feel. Inflammation in the GI tract is a result of sensitivities to certain foods and ingredients. Highly processed, sugar-filled, fatty, and low nutrient food choices need to be eliminated and replaced with healthy options.
Eating clean is simple and affordable. It allows the flavors of fresh food to be experienced. Simple preparations bring out the flavor and taste of foods like never before. On this clean eating plan, you need to follow the guidelines as much as possible for the best results.
Clean Eating Tips
Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily (48-64 ounces).
Avoid eating under stress.
Avoid eating within 2 hours of bedtime.
Eat slowly and avoid overeating. Practice portion control.
Eat 3 small meals per day.
If you are fiber-sensitive, peel, lightly cook, or puree produce.
Food Shopping Tips
Buy organic foods free of pesticides and chemicals, if possible.
Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating.
Select wild-caught fish over farm-raised.
Select free-range and hormone-free poultry and beef.
Become a pro at checking food labels for hidden ingredients.
Meal Planning Choices
Click the button below to download the 7 Systems Plan meal planning choices guide.
Sample Meal Plan
The following is a sample meal plan using the recommended foods. In addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you want to make smart snacking choices too. The meal plan and overall program guides helps to support a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
Below is a sample menu demonstrating how easy it is to plan meals. Buy a week’s worth of groceries and prep meals in advance for simple and quick healthy weeknight meals. Cut up all vegetables for salads and snacks. Double recipes and enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner.
Consistent Exercise
Maintaining a balance between calories in and calories out is the cornerstone to healthy living programs. What we eat is important for its nutritional value and how we move our bodies supports our overall well-being and nourishment.
To maintain optimal health, you should get at least:
30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 5 days per week
Weight bearing exercises 2-3 times per week
Daily light stretching
Exercise has many benefits including:
Promoting digestion
Weight loss
Muscle toning
Improving mood
Tips on how to get the most out of your exercise program:
Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your functional medicine provider.
If you are currently inactive, start with walking. Walk as far as you can, slowly building up your distance and pace.
Add gentle stretches before and after any exercise to help with muscle recovery and overall flexibility.
Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.
You are more likely to stick to an exercise program if you engage in activities that you enjoy. Exercise does not have to be torture!
Try something new. There are lots of online exercise videos, and classes offered at gyms, churches, recreation centers, libraries, or maybe even the local park.
Stress Relief
Stress causes digestive issues. Have you ever noticed your symptoms flare-up during especially stressful times? The flare-ups probably give you even more stress. Your sleeping patterns also are disturbed. With little sleep, you are irritated and respond to stressful situations negatively. It’s a vicious cycle.
To promote a healthy GI tract, you need to learn stress management techniques.
The good news is that you don’t need to make big changes to feel better immediately. Block out just 10 minutes daily to focus on relaxation techniques. Find what works best for you and create a satisfying ritual around your relaxation time. Make it something you look forward to every day. Some options to consider:
Take a short walk
Have a dance party in your living room
Sing your favorite songs
Listen to music
Laugh—read a funny book, watch a short video, or listen to a podcast
Start a gratitude journal
Another option to consider is meditation. It is not as hard as you may think. Meditation is all about breathing. Take deep breaths, feeling your belly and chest expand and deflate with your inhale and exhale. Focus your mind and attention on your breath. If other thoughts distract you, try to refocus on your breath.
Some things to consider if you want to start meditating:
You can meditate sitting upright or lying down. Find a comfortable position for you.
Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the minutes as you are able.
You can listen to soft music while meditating or download a guided meditation.
There are many apps, podcasts, and videos available to teach you how to meditate and promote visual imagery for relaxation.
Once you’ve followed my protocol to repair your gut, your symptoms (or a lack of them!) are the strongest indication of whether or not your gut is healthy. Here are a few good signs your gut is healing and the right track:
Digestive issues disappear: Gas, bloating, heartburn or acid reflux, and constipation are some of the first signs of leaky gut. This is especially true if a gut infection played a role in your leaky gut. When those symptoms start to dissipate and then go away completely, this is a good sign your hard work is producing results.
Food sensitivities go away: If you have increased intestinal permeability, you likely also have multiple food sensitivities because partially digested food particles are escaping via your bloodstream and your immune system is attacking them. Another sign your gut is repairing is that you’ll be able to eat foods that once caused digestive problems.
Skin issues clear up: Skin issues are another common symptom. Whether it’s eczema, rosacea, dandruff, rashes, or even acne, most skin issues are an outward manifestation of an internal problem in the gut. That’s why, once your gut begins to repair, you will likely see your skin issues begin to subside as well.
Autoimmune labs improve: Because gut health plays such a critical role in your immune system, repairing your gut also often leads to improvement in your autoimmune lab markers. Many patients see their lab results improve, and some even see their antibodies go negative.
You are your optimal self: If you are dealing with a leaky gut, you are very likely living with symptoms that affect the quality of your life in some way. A good indication that the gut repair program is working is when your energy and vitality have returned, you have regained mental clarity, your mood has improved, you’ve returned to your ideal weight, and you feel like your best self.
Repairing your gut is the first step in restoring your health. By overcoming GI problems, you can reverse your symptoms, reduce your risk for a number of chronic illnesses, and start living a fruitful life like Julie did!
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Recipe of the Week
Refer to the 7 Systems Plan Sample Meal Plan.
