Want To Fix Your Gut? Follow The 5R Protocol
Support your gut using Functional Medicine
The 5R Protocol is a science-based, holistic approach that transforms gut health.
It’s systematic approach is designed to help you absorb your food better, increase your nutrient levels and take you from bloated, gassy and uncomfortable to long lasting gut health.
If you have been experiencing persistent digestive symptoms, struggling with inflammation, or you are seeking a deeper understanding of your gut’s role in overall health, this guide will help you better understand the Tru Health approach to gut healing.
Five impactful steps
Remove irritants and harmful substances affecting your gut
Replace essential nutrients and digestive factors your body needs
Reinoculate with beneficial bacteria to rebuild a balanced microbiome
Repair the gut lining to restore optimal function
Rebalance your lifestyle to sustain long-term health
Each step plays a crucial role in restoring gut integrity and improving digestion, metabolism, immune function, and overall well being.
Often we take some steps together, for example removing thrush / candida overgrowth and repairing your gut lining at the same time.
Let’s explore them one by one.
Remove: Removing harmful triggers that damage your gut
The first step towards a healthy gut is to remove irritants that contribute to inflammation, microbiome imbalance (dysbiosis), and digestive distress.
Common gut irritants
Bacteria overgrowth, parasites, thrush, H. Pylori and SIBO are some of the most common gut irritants that we see at Tru Health. We pick up these gut bugs from lots of places but thankfully testing via stool analysis or breath tests can identify imbalances in a non-invasive way.
Food sensitivities and allergies are common culprits when it comes to gut irritation. If you are sensitive to foods such as gluten, dairy, eggs, soy or are regularly consuming refined sugar, artificial additives, and processed foods then your gut is not happy.
Toxins and common medications can also put a strain on your gut. Regularly taking painkillers like ibuprofen and other NSAIDS can cause constipation or irritate your gut lining, while antibiotics can kill off your good gut bacteria along with the bad. Any long term medications, including contraceptives can reduce your gut microbiome diversity and impact your digestive health. Environmental toxins (pesticides, heavy metals, pollution, mould) also disrupt the microbiome.
Replace: key digestive support for optimal absorption
Once irritants are removed, the next step is to restore proper digestion by replenishing essential digestive factors. This may be increasing digestive enzymes to help break down food and support absorption of key nutrients, such as Vitamin D, B12, folic acid, iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc, as well as macro nutrients including fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
So often, our Tru Health members come to us with complex gut, hormone, energy or immune system issues. Getting your gut health right, means we can build on solid foundations and know that you are getting the benefit from the foods that you are eating. Absorption is a key first step in returning to full health.
Bile flow is seldom talked about unless you have had an issue with your gallbladder or pancreas or have been looking at ways to ease constipation. Bile flow is essential for digesting fats and eliminating toxins. So bile support is often a key part of this phase.
Reinoculate: support your gut with healthy bacteria
Repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria is key to rebalancing the microbiome and strengthening the immune system. The use of probiotics, prebiotics and fermented foods to support your gut health is a fundamental step in regaining gut health. It’s important that this is done at the right time so that it is not overwhelming your gut.
How to restore a healthy gut microbiome
Probiotics: Support gut flora with beneficial strains, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Consider introducing kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and kefir for diverse microbial support.
Prebiotics: These are fibre-rich foods that feed beneficial bacteria (e.g. leeks, onions, garlic, aspargus, grated carrots, bananas, chicory root (inulin)).
Probiotics: These are the compounds which the beneficial bacteria produce which support health. Supporting a balanced, flourishing microbiome helps their production, as well as eating fibre and resistant starches, such as cooked rice that’s been stored in the fridge overnight.
Repair: Support the gut lining for long-term health
The gut lining is a critical barrier preventing toxins and undigested food from entering the bloodstream. When compromised, it can lead to intestinal permeability or leaky gut, systemic inflammation, and worsen autoimmune conditions.
Nutrients to help heal the lining
L-Glutamine: An amino acid that fuels intestinal cells and repairs the gut lining. It is naturally found in cabbage, beef, spinach, chicken and parsley.
Collagen and bone broth: Bone broth and marine collagen have become more and more popular because their rich in glycine and proline content is essential for tissue regeneration. While collagen is more known for skin health and facial plumping, it also supports the skin barrier in your gut.
Zinc and quercetin: These nutrients tighten intestinal junctions and reduce permeability. They also help to support your immune system and reduce allergy symptoms like hay fever.
Aloe vera: Helps to sooth inflammation and coat the gut lining, and can also combat reflux and heartburn.
Rebalance: Sustainable gut health
The final step involves sustaining gut health by adopting long-term lifestyle habits that prevent gut dysfunction from recurring. These lifestyle medicine elements are the ones that often take the most work and can be the hardest to stick to. They also have the greatest reward.
Build a lifestyle to support your gut
Stress, whether it is physical, emotional or mental, has a short term long term effect on our gut health. Short term, when we are stressed we are not in ‘rest and digest’ mode, this can cause malabsorption issues, constipation or loose bowels and can leave us feeling depleted. Chronic stress weakens the gut lining and changes the microbiome.
Insufficient sleep or poor sleep disrupts gut-brain communication and increases inflammation. Waking feeling unrefreshed, not rested, irritable or on edge, or waking feeling congested or ‘hungover’ despite not drinking are warning signs that you are not getting sufficient sleep or good quality sleep and that this is affecting your recovery and digestion.
Chewing food thoroughly and eating in a relaxed state is extremely important for good digestion. Not only does your gut need you to chew your food for absorption and to prevent bloating, it acts as a first line of defence against infection and helps the body regulate blood sugar and hunger/fullness cues. So many of us eat at our desks or while doing something else e.g. looking at our phone and forgetting to chew. This comprises our digestion and alters our microbiome. While chewing and eating mindfully helps with concentration, energy, digestion and focus.
Putting it all together
By following the Five R Protocol, you will learn how to restore balance to your gut microbiome, reduce chronic inflammation and enhance your energy levels, understand and address the root causes of your symptoms. This approach is so empowering, it gives you all the tools you need to banish bloating, improve digestion, support immune health and overall vitality.
The key to whole-body health
Since the gut is connected to nearly every system in the body and absorption is a foundation stone to good health, supporting your gut can also help improve symptoms of:
Autoimmune diseases
Anxiety, ADHD, chronic brain fog
Heart disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes
PMS, Acne, Thyroid dysfunction, Endometriosis, PCOS, Perimenopause
Chronic fatigue, long COVID and fibromyalgia
By following the Five R Protocol, you lay the foundation for systemic healing, improved energy, and long-term health.
You can do this!
Gut healing isn’t a quick fix, but by implementing the 5 R Protocol, you can take charge of your digestive health and see improvements in many areas of your well-being.
Discover more about how to implement this process in our comprehensive Gut Healing Masterclass, rooted in the functional medicine 5R framework.
Whether you’re experiencing persistent digestive symptoms, struggling with inflammation, or seeking a deeper understanding of your gut’s role in overall health, this masterclass will guide you step by step toward lasting vitality.
Reserve your seat here!!
(Yes! there will be a recording if you can’t make it live)
