The Five Roots Approach: Diving Deep into the Remove Phase

As a Registered Dietitian and CEO of Grounded Root Nutrition, I’ve developed the Five Roots Approach to help individuals achieve optimal gut health. In this post, we’ll explore the second phase of this approach: Remove. This crucial stage focuses on eliminating harmful elements from four main categories: pathogens, diet, lifestyle, and environment.

Understanding the Remove Phase

The Remove phase is designed to eliminate barriers to healing by addressing various aspects of your life that may be impacting your gut health. Let’s break down each category and explore how we can make positive changes.

1. Tackling Pathogens

Removing harmful pathogens from your gut is often the most obvious step in improving digestive health. Here’s what you need to know:

• Common culprits: Overgrowth of yeast, specific bacteria, and occasionally protozoa such as Giardia are typical targets for removal.
• Diagnostic tools: A comprehensive stool test provides a baseline and helps identify both harmful pathogens and beneficial bacteria (commensals) in your gut.
• Removal approach:
  • Supplements are typically used for 8-12 weeks, depending on individual needs and circumstances. Patients with secondary or multiple pathogens may have several 8-12 week phases in their protocol.
  • We start with a “low and slow” approach, gradually increasing intensity to prevent die-off symptoms (Herxheimer reaction). Additional supplements may be used to manage potential die-off symptoms and make the process more comfortable.

The goal is to create an environment where your gut can heal by removing these offending organisms that act as barriers to your health.

2. Refining Your Diet

Dietary changes play a significant role in the Remove phase. We want to minimize any chances of the unwanted pathogens to continue their residence in your gut. Here’s how we approach it:

• Identifying triggers: You may already have known or suspected food triggers, and now is the time to pull them out. Some patients will utilize LEAP MRT testing to gain further clarification into what foods are causing inflammation in the body.
  
• Transitioning to whole foods: We focus on moving away from processed foods and towards a whole food-based diet.
• Label reading: Learning to understand ingredient labels is crucial. If you can’t read or understand an ingredient, chances are your body won’t know what to do with it either.
• Eating habits: We examine factors like:
  • How well you’re chewing your food
  • Your eating speed
  • Coffee consumption (amount and timing)

While some practitioners might recommend strict anti-inflammatory, low FODMAP, or candida diets, I generally avoid these extreme approaches. They often raise stress levels significantly, which can be counterproductive. Instead, we aim to create a balanced, sustainable plan that you can confidently follow.

3. Lifestyle Modifications

Your daily habits and routines play a crucial role in your gut health. During the Remove phase, we focus on several key areas:

• Sleep hygiene: Sleep is crucial during this phase, as your body needs extra rest to support the removal of pathogens. We examine your bedtime routine, including:
  • Pre-bed activities (e.g., TV watching)
  • Use of blue light filtering glasses
  • Sleep duration and quality
• Stress management: We look at potential stressors in your life and explore ways to reduce them, even if temporarily. This might involve scaling back on certain commitments or responsibilities for a short period.
• Movement and exercise: Regular movement is essential for detoxification. We focus on:
  • Incorporating sweating activities a few times a week
  • Finding the right type and intensity of movement that supports your body during this phase
  • Understanding that all forms of movement are beneficial, not just intense workouts

4. Environmental Considerations

Your environment can significantly impact your gut health. Here are some areas we focus on:

• Household products: Do you know the toxin level of the products you use? Resources like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) can help identify safer alternatives. We examine daily-use items like:
  • Dishwasher detergent
  • Cleaning products
  • Personal care items and cosmetics
• Food storage: We look at how you store your food, considering:
  • Use of plastic containers
  • Exposure to styrofoam from takeout meals
• Water quality: We assess your water source and may recommend:
  • Filtered water (with reverse osmosis being the gold standard)
  • Avoiding regular consumption of bottled water due to potential contaminants
• Air quality: We consider exposure to:
  • Cigarette smoke (including secondhand smoke)
  • Other environmental pollutants (smog, pollen, etc…)

Implementing the Remove Phase

The key to success in the Remove phase is a personalized approach. As a practitioner, my role is to:

1. Provide you with choices based on your unique situation
2. Meet you where you’re at in your health journey
3. Help you decide what to remove and how to do it

Remember, this process can be as in-depth as necessary to support your healing journey. The goal is to ease the burden on your body and set it up for success, allowing you to experience the most healing possible.

By addressing pathogens, refining your diet, modifying your lifestyle, and considering environmental factors, we create a comprehensive approach to removing barriers to your gut health. This sets the stage for the subsequent phases of the Five Roots Approach, ultimately leading to improved overall well-being.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Five Roots Approach or how personalized nutrition can support your gut health, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can create a plan that works for your unique needs and goals.