Optimizing our Health and Digestion with BIOptimizers
👉 Get the Digestion Stack I carry with me daily HERE and use code NATALIEJILL to save
You all have learned by now if you follow me and the podcast that gut health is CRITICAL for our health. I was experiencing a whole bunch of mysterious symptoms that I was just chalking up to “aging badly” in perimenopause and menopause. You’ve heard me talk about gut testing, and getting rid of parasites, and removing toxins – you name it. But I wanted to dive deeper into WHY we need to do certain things like HCL, probiotics, etc. Wade and Matt are the founders of BIOptimizers and I am excited to have them on today to talk about just that!
When their worlds first collided, Wade was a vegetarian and Matt was on keto. And while we might think that diet is the most important aspect…what it REALLY boils down to, is HOW nutrition works. There is one single assumption that every nutritionist believes: that everything you put in your mouth will be delivered to your body to use. This is simply not true. You can be eating the BEST food in the world, but your body needs to be able to break down the food and in order to absorb it so it gets into your bloodstream to use as fuel.
5 Stages of the Digestive Process and Associated Symptoms to Focus On
There are 5 essential stages in the digestive process and if there is a disruption at any stage, you will have issues:
- Anticipation of eating. This sensory experience stage gets your body into a state of being aware that you are eating and creates a nervous system response.
- Chewing your food. This is when you’re chewing your food – and yes, chewing more is better than chewing less.
- Swallowing your food. This is when it gets into the esophagus. What sets us apart as humans is that a vast majority of us do not eat a live, raw diet. Therefore, we are stripping away the natural enzymes needed to digest our food. This is when if you do not have enzymes, you are not going to carve out the essential amino acids needed to set up your digestion (which leads to things like constipation and other issues).
- Enters your intestinal tract. There are hundreds of species of bacteria in our gut and when we eat, we are feeding them, not us. The modern world continually assaults these little guys but the biggest enemy to your health and wellbeing are proteolytic probiotics. There are about a million probiotics on the market and in their lab studies, there were only TWO that could actually break down protein properly! When this happens, your body thinks it’s under attack!
- Eliminating the food. If you are not properly hydrated on a daily basis, having too much caffeine, imbalance in your minerals, or misalignment of certain vertebrae, you will have issues here.
How Do I Know If I Have Digestion Issues?
If you have any of the following:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Indigestion
- Heartburn
- Food sensitivities
- Bad breath
- Brain fog
- Crusty eyes upon waking
- Stinky bowels
You have a dysfunctional digestive system and your body is warning you of a bigger issue brewing. 12% of emergency room visits right now are gastrointestinal issues – there are over 100 million people (one third of the population) in the U.S. suffering from digestive conditions on any single day, with 50% of those people on prescription or OTC meds regularly. Left unchecked, digestive issues can cause a whole host of other diseases.
Benefits of Taking HCL
I started taking HCL after my meals because I had a friend tell me that it will help prevent parasites. Come to find out, HCL naturally declines as we age so it was a win win for me to add more into my life. When you do not have enough HCL, not only can you have an overgrowth of H.pylori, but your food can start to ferment. This can be the indigestion/heartburn feeling you feel. Which leads us to antacids…that reduce our already low acid…and it becomes a vicious cycle of us making things WORSE. Having enough HCL vastly helps your digestion!
Why BIOptimizers Enzymes?
A lot of enzymes are not designed to work specifically with the body’s natural process. After the first 30-60 minutes post-meal, your body releases HCL to both disinfect your food from bugs and bacteria, and changes the pH of your food. A sophisticated enzyme formulation understands that certain enzymes work within certain pH ranges. As the HCL kicks in, it stops the enzymatic activities and activates the others through the whole process. MOST people throw a bunch of enzymes and hope for the best, but you really need a variable pH enzyme that can optimize at every stage appropriately. They found that by using their digestive enzymes, they got 1200% times MORE amino acids compared to NOT using it. This is important because amino acids are the building blocks of life.
Why is Microbiome Breakthrough So Important for Gut Health?
Harvard released a study last year that nearly everyone in North America has some level of leaky gut! Microbiome Breakthrough is a phenomenal, world class product that should have been named gut patch! lol It comes down to “colonizers” and “transient strains”. Most products will go through your body, will provide some benefits while they are in there, and then see their way out. This is what we call transients. Microbiome Breakthrough, on the other hand, is designed and proven in the labs to build healthy biofilm by building healthy colonies, thus earning the name “colonizers”.
Does Your Body Get Depended On These Things If You Supplement?
No. Unlike hormones, just for example, your body does NOT get dependent on them. Your body does not shut down production, rather, it will just go back to its “normal”. But as we get older, we do need to replace and supplement to combat the natural decline that occurs.
When and How Often Should I Take HCL, MassZymes, P3-OM and Microbiome Breakthrough?
Ideally you should take the enzymes BEFORE you start eating. The more you eat, the more the enzymes are going to help you. You need them when you eat – it won’t hurt you to take them more. So if you eat six times a day, you can take them 6 times a day. In a perfect world, you would do the Enzymes first, HCL second, and the P3-OM’s at night (with Microbiome Breakthrough in the morning).
However, our BIOptimizer founders have simplified it to a recommended 3-2-1 formula when you eat:
- 3 MassZymes
- 2 P3-OMs
- 1 HCL
You can take them all at the same time before you eat. In the morning, take your Microbiome Breakthrough.
✅ You can get my favorite BIOptimizers products mentioned above HERE and use the code NATALIEJILL at checkout to save money on your order!
About Matt Gallant and Wade Lightheart – BIOptimizers Founders
Matt Gallant is the CEO and Co-Founder of BIOptimizers and has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. He’s been a strength and conditioning coach for multiple pro-athletes, a self-defense instructor, and has over 15 years experience formulating supplements. He’s also a serial entrepreneur that’s built over 13 profitable companies.
Wade Lightheart is a 3-Time Canadian Natural Bodybuilding Champion, Wade Lightheart, is one of the world’s premier authorities on Natural Nutrition and Training Methods. Having majored in Sports Science at the University of New Brunswick, he has authored numerous books on health, nutrition, and exercise which have sold in over 80 countries. Wade is sought out by athletes and high-performance oriented individuals worldwide for his advice on how to optimize their health and fitness levels.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Optimal health is about what we DIGEST, not just what we eat
- The importance of gut health and digestion in midlife issues
- Why BiOptimizers takes gut health and digestion so seriously
- The concept of enzymes and probiotics in aiding digestion
- Misconceptions around bloating and gas
