The Case:  Alexandra’s everyday was determined by the state of her stomach She was often bloated, gassy, and struggled to keep her weight healthy She tried restrictive diets, tried over the counter gas remedies, digestive enzymes, and various probiotics but nothing gave her long-term relief   The Investigation It was clear that there was something going on with her gut and it seemed likely that dysbiosis was at play. I knew her microbiome needed support but, I also suspected that with everything she’d tried, we needed to approach the solution methodically as there was likely more than one thing going on.  Gut issues and the state of our microbiome plays a huge role in how we feel physically but it can also seriously impact our mental health, organ health, immune system, and our ability to lose or maintain a healthy weight.    Wheat Belly Author’s Latest Book When it comes to understanding gut health and addressing Alexandra’s problem, I knew that one of the best people to talk to would be the author of the best selling book, Wheat Belly. Dr. William Davis has a new book out called Super Gut where he addresses exactly what Alexandra is going through. The book also shares a ‘4-week place to reprogram your microbiome, restore health, and lose weight’.    Symptoms of a Disrupted Gut Microbiome There are many symptoms that could point to a disruption in the microbiome balance. Most people think of the symptoms that Alexandra was experiencing because they are related to the gut itself (bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, etc) but there are many other issues that can be traced back to microbiome disruption. Dr. Davis points to a myriad of issues including, weight gain, skin rashes and eczema, arthritis, pain, inflammation, wrinkles and healthy skin, and sleep health. He also believes that just about every human disease needs to be reconsidered in light of the microbiome.   What Causes the Microbiome to be out of Balance? There are many reasons that the microbiome may be out of balance including use of antibiotics as well as other drugs like stomach acid blocking drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen diclofenac), synthetic sweeteners (Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin),  emulsifying agents (Sorbate 80, carboxymethyl, and cellulose), and even something as common as stress can disrupt microbiome.  One condition that is directly related to microbiome health is the silent epidemic of SIBO.    What is SIBO SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. Dr. Davis says that many people have SIBO but go undiagnosed (which can lead to long-term health issues). There is now a breath test that people can do to better understand SIBO and where the bacteria overgrowth is happening, specifically, in the digestive pathway.  Microbes belong in the colon which has a protective barrier against microbes. When there is an imbalance or overgrowth, microbes can end in the small bowel where the mucus barrier is thinner and can be easily damaged by these misplaced microbes.  Exposure to antibiotics and emulsifying agents can further erode the lining as well as disrupt the balance of stool microbes like E coli, and citrobacter. These proliferate and offset the balance. And then, these microbes die (within a few hours) and release a lot of byproducts that break down and make it into the bloodstream. This process results in something called endotoxemia which is extremely toxic to humans. With all of this going on internally, it can be difficult to detect but may show up as depression, brain issues, joint swelling or intestinal issues.  Dr. Davis estimates that 1 in 3 people are dealing with SIBO which can lead to Endotoxemia when untreated.    Testing for SIBO Conventional doctors can conduct a test for SIBO but Dr. Davis says the method they use does not identify all forms of SIBO.  One of the early signs of SIBO is the presence of hydrogen gas (produced by the bacteria) within 90 minutes of consuming food. The