THE FOODFAST METHOD

MICROBIOME AND GUT HEALING

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There are more microorganisms that live in the digestive system than all the cells of the human body. Though they are separate, together microbiome and host work together to maintain metabolism and enhance survival (1).

To heal any digestive issues the microbiome must be brought to a state of symbiotic existence. Most of the microbiome exists in the large intestine. Nutrients already sufficiently broken down are absorbed easily in the small intestine, and it’s in the colon where the microbiome really has a big impact in extracting nutrients and converting biologically unusable nutrients like resistant starch and fiber into readily available nutrients in the form of short-chain fatty acids and many unique micronutrients. In this way fiber-rich carbohydrate based foods increase fat metabolism.

It’s the microbiome that explains why some people can function just fine and have normal blood sugar parameters on a high-carb diet, whereas others for optimal wellness function better with a higher fat diet, perhaps even requiring a ketogenic diet to adequately stimulate fat metabolism. Lipids are energy dense at 9 kcal per gram and fatty-acids are easily transported throughout the body. When the evolutionary goal is to maintain metabolism for as long as possible and enhance survival, maintaining stable and robust fat metabolism is central. To best accomplish this requires a healthy organic diet, normal blood sugar levels, and brown fat.

Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Microbiome Gut Interaction in Real Life

Ever noticed how it’s usually quickly after a large first meal that you need to use the bathroom?

With a new meal loaded into the stomach and soon on its way to the intestines, room must be made and the colon empties. With a malfunctioning microbiome and stressed gut, this could mean that valuable nutrients that were unable to be converted and absorbed are still locked up and expelled. Losing any resources acquired before fully processing them is a serious problem. With a properly functioning gut and healthy digestive system, most of the nutrients the human body requires and thrives on will have been extracted, feces only consisting of dead microorganisms, living microorganisms that take their chances outside the body, true waste products, and minimal toxins.

The microbiome influences human behavior and body functions through the vagus nerve (2). So long as new food hasn’t been eaten it is advantageous for human and microbiome to work together to process the food still in the digestive system to its absolute maximum. In a paleolithic environment 10,000 years ago, or even in the preindustrial era just 200+ years ago, significant lengths of time existed in-between meals for most individuals. Periods of fasting or low food input lasted for days, and because microorganisms experience fast evolutionary processes, the microbiome that existed going into the fast was different than the microbiome that existed afterwards. Each period of fasting or low caloric input better enabled humans to survive the next period of hunger. Whereas microorganisms evolve quickly, humans evolve slowly, and the result of millions of years of hunger/starvation being regularly experienced created and fine-tuned recycling and restorative cellular processes in the body known as autophagy.

Autophagy - Autophagy (from Ancient Greek meaning "self-devouring" and "hollow") is the orderly degradation and recycling of cellular components via lysosomes. Autophagy is also involved in the homeostasis of non-starved cells. A dysfunctional autophagic system can result in many different human diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

After a 48 hour fast for example, the microbiome of the host will be better adapted at processing food down to it’s absolute minimum. In this situation, it’s to the advantage of the human and microbiome if the last meal eaten is as nutrient dense and varied as possible. Nutrients we’ll define as fats, carbs, soluble and insoluble fibers, proteins, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and mycochemicals. Without new meals pushing on the last, the microbiome delays the signal to expel the nutrients still in the colon, and as time passes the gut microbiota continuously adapts and evolves to process everything (now a soup of water, chemicals, and microorganisms) to its lowest potential energy. Why ditch resources if more haven’t arrived yet? If a fast or period of low food intake is long and/or often enough, then the microbiome has sufficient time to optimize and human autophagy ramps up, keeping cellular processes efficient.

Human Microbiome Evolutionary Process

For most people in the modern environment there is always a readily available meal, though the quality might be low due to decreasing soil nutrients (3). Because of these conditions, most people don’t consciously choose to fast, only fasting when it’s forced upon them. Therefore it’s very rare to go through a long fasting process which turns on autophagy and optimizes the microbiome to best digest the food last eaten. If living in a modern society it is not rare to have never fasted for greater than 24 hours ever in life, a relatively short length of time that was commonly experienced in the past. The ultimate goal of life is to maintain metabolism for as long as possible and to enhance survival, and without longer periods of nutrient scarcity, human and microbiome will not be adequately prepared when health crisis demands these fall back systems.

In-fact a health-crisis (such as cancer) precipitates to force human and microbiome into experiencing longer periods of evolutionary pressure. During cancer for example, appetite naturally decreases and cellular autophagy ramps up, and if enough time can be spent in this evolutionary acutely stressful state without dying, then wellness will be restored as the human body finishes its much needed comprehensive cellular and atomic restructuring. Meanwhile the microbiome evolved to better provide the host with usable nutrients from the diet provided.

The Importance of Food Quality

For best survival and longevity, humans are required to dip their toes into the evolutionary flow from time to time. The longer one is insulated from evolutionary processes, the more dramatic reentry will be, and this can manifest as a strong illness or life-threatening disease. The illness or disease forces strong evolutionary processes on the body and microbiome, and either adaptation occurs or death ensues. If heavily insulated from evolutionary processes for a long time, death can occur very rapidly. A good example would be the SARS-CoV-2 virus which forces evolutionary changes very quickly. The SARS-CoV-2 virus does this primarily due to its spike protein, which creates a lot of cellular damage and stresses the abilities of the immune and autophagic systems. If unable to regenerate quickly from the cellular damage and stress, the SARS-CoV-2 virus will overwhelm and kill the host, returning the stored enthalpy back to the Earth.

Unoxidized and undegraded nutrients are required to build and repair healthy cellular structures and maintain metabolism. Oxidized fatty-acids are poorly incorporated into cell membranes and other structures and will place greater repair demands on the autophagic system over time than unoxidized fatty-acids will. In all situations it is advantageous to eat the highest quality whole, unprocessed, and nutrient packed foods possible. Many different foods exists, so there is no “one perfect meal”, instead the guiding principle being to select for variety and minimal alteration. A great example of this would be the meal below which consists of black beans, brown rice, quinoa, jalapeno, fermented tempeh, butternut squash, avocado, parsley, and a garlic drizzle. This meal contains a good ratio of fats carbs and protein, ample fiber, many micronutrients, probiotics, and very importantly delights the tastebuds and is fun to eat.

If evolutionary pressures create the conditions for extended fasting, in order to make it through the period of resource scarcity then the last few meals eaten best be of the highest quality and contain the greatest amount of nutrients possible. If the last food eaten is of lesser quality, then the nutrient demands of the body to cope with evolution will not be met, metabolism will fail and life will cease to exist.

When the last meals eaten before an extended fast are organic, whole, and unprocessed, then nutrition will be extractable from the food for many days. Take a raw green bell pepper grown in a biodynamic garden for example. This bell pepper is free from toxic pesticides, loaded with pure water, contains ample vitamins and minerals, and has antioxidant phytochemicals like carotenoids and chlorophyll used by the body during autophagy. Stored in the flesh of the bell pepper are some quick digesting sugars and amino acids. The bell pepper contains fiber, some of which only the microbiome can break down and convert into short chain fatty-acids. The bell pepper might contain a trace amount of capsaicin, the molecule which makes peppers spicy, and this increases metabolism of the microbiome and human. This one raw biodynamic pepper contains everything the body needs, is nutritionally complete for the length of a fast, and contains no toxic chemicals like glyphosate which kill microorganisms. When a meal is eaten containing many of these types of foods before and after a fast, it is transformative.

The FoodFast Method

With understanding of these broad interactions between the microbiome, gut health, wellness/disease, and longevity in place, it is possible to consciously and safely “dip the toe into the creek of evolution” for optimal wellness by adjusting what you eat and when you eat it. I call this the FoodFast method.

The FoodFast method is defined by the realization that feasting and fasting are equal in importance, that disease and wellness are different sides of the same coin. When following the FoodFast method, gut health is restored to proper function, cellular autophagy performs its regular structural and metabolic cleanup duties, and the gut microbiota optimizes in its symbiotic relationship with you. Disease can be prevented and the immune system now free from chronic stress strengthens. The FoodFast method is used to maintain a perfect state of balance between anabolism and catabolism by the conscious timing and quality of meals. Depending on the situation, fasts of different lengths and meals of different nutrients and quantities can be prescribed for the greatest wellness healing effect.

There are an endless number of ways to create a FoodFast protocol and I present a one week FoodFast protocol below to demonstrate what this looks like. The meals suggested can be adapted but the principles remain the same.

One Week Gut and Microbiome Healing FoodFast Protocol

General Conditions: Drink one gallon (4 liters) of pure spring water everyday. Sleep a full nights rest everyday. Keep stressors to a minimum in order to best maintain a restful parasympathetic state throughout. Acquire the highest quality (organic) and freshest food (raw) possible for each meal. Any oils used are cold-pressed and free from chemical extraction such as extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, and pasture-raised butter. Meals can be seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, sesame seeds, and herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary (fresh or dried).

Day 1 - 16 hour fast, lunch, snack, dinner

• 12:00 Lunch - pasture raised eggs, potato, berries, banana

• 15:00 Snack - raw unsalted cashews

• 20:00 Dinner - beans, brown rice, squash, tempeh, tomatoes, avocado, pickles

Day 2 - 18 hour fast, lunch, snack, dinner

• 12:00 Lunch - pasture raised eggs, potato, berries, banana

• 16:00 Snack - raw pumpkin seeds

• 18:00 Dinner - beans, brown rice, squash, tempeh, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, pickles

Day 3 - 20 hour fast, lunch, dinner

• 14:00 Lunch - salad greens, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, other vegetables

• 18:00 Dinner - chickpeas, quinoa, squash, avocado, sautéed swiss chard & kale, pickles

Day 4 - 24 hour fast, green tea, dinner

• 08:00 - 12:00 Green Tea

• 18:00 Dinner - salad greens, quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, mushrooms, olive oil

Day 5 - 24 hour fast, green tea, dinner

• 08:00 - 12:00 Green Tea

• 18:00 Dinner - beans, quinoa, avocado, tempeh, mushrooms, pickles, squash, tomato, pepper

Day 6 - 24 hour fast, green tea

• 08:00 - 14:00 Green Tea

Day 7 - 24 hour fast, green tea, dinner

• 08:00 - 12:00 Green Tea

• 18:00 Dinner - beans, brown rice, avocado, tempeh, pickles, squash, tomato, jalapeno

Written vegetarian and wheat-free but can be modified vegan or more omnivore, keeping protein in mind. It is best to keep this protocol as plant-based as possible. Does contain some common allergens and intolerances, substitute or remove foods below like eggs, nuts, and soy as needed.

How Green Tea Heals the Digestive System

As you noticed, green tea is consumed on 4 of the 7 days of the protocol, corresponding to the longer periods of fasting. Green tea is an excellent fasting aid, making it easier while increasing the healing effect. Black tea is oxidized and higher in caffeine and is therefore not recommended for use during the FoodFast Method.

Green tea contains a unique blend of plant polyphenols like EGCG, caffeine, and the amino acid L-theanine. Green tea polyphenols known as catechins are potent antioxidant phytonutrients that aid in lowering inflammation and healing the lining of the gut. Caffeine speeds up the metabolism, and L-theanine stabilizes heart rhythms and helps propagate calming alpha 8-12 Hz brainwaves. Alpha brainwaves are good for focus, enhancing sleep, and decreasing appetite.

Thanks to the unique combination of catechins, caffeine, and L-theanine, green tea is the ultimate fasting enhancer by boosting metabolism, ramping up autophagy, increasing fat oxidation, and suppressing appetite.

Compared to coffee, green tea does not contain as much caffeine, typically 1/4 to 1/2 as much so it is unlikely to experience any caffeine jitters. One cup of green tea can have 20-60 mg of caffeine, with matcha green tea responsible for the high end of that range. Matcha green tea also has the highest polyphenol and L-theanine levels and is recommended for green tea fasting and therefore for the FoodFast method.

The green tea that I use comes from Mountain Rose Herbs and Pique Tea.

Healing Epithelium Tight Junctions

The purpose of the digestive system is to take nutrients gathered from outside the body and to assimilate them into the body. While the digestive system is hosted inside the human body, everything passing though it is still outside the tissues of the body. Only until nutrients are broken down into small enough pieces and diffuse and/or are transported across the epithelium into the bloodstream are they truly inside the body.

Tight junctions are where epithelial cells tightly press up against each other. When the digestive system is stressed and inflamed, the tight junctions loosen and gaps form. The size of the gaps determines what is able to squeeze its way into the circulatory system. Under normal conditions, only individual amino acids, dipeptides (2 amino acids linked), and tripeptides (3 amino acids linked) are able to pass into the circulatory system. For those who experience food intolerances or food allergies, large food particles not fully digested are making their way into the bloodstream, causing a strong immune response. Once inside the bloodstream, protein tetrapeptides and larger are unable to be broken down as needed and require cleanup by the immune system before interacting in ways undesirable in the body. It is the undesirable interactions of food particles too large and the inflammatory response of the immune system that causes the symptoms associated with food intolerances and food allergies.

Digestive health problems such as leaky gut, food intolerances, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease are all characterized by the presence of degraded tight junctions. Tight junctions must be healed for these health conditions to be fully resolved.

It is very important that the body is careful in only allowing certain chemicals and compounds into the circulatory system, because if viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungal spores are successful in breaching the tight junction barriers of the digestive system, then they can multiple rapidly by feeding off the rich supply of available nutrients in the bloodstream, causing a immune system response commiserate to the level of breach. If the immune system doesn’t kill and inactive these foreign invaders, then the invading microorganisms will multiply rapidly, starving human cells of much needed nutrients while simultaneously dumping their own toxic waste into the bloodstream. Some invading microorganisms will attack human cells directly causing widespread damage and possibly organ failure if the infection is very serious. If left unchecked beyond this point and critical systems begin collapsing, then metabolism cannot be maintained and death occurs.

Life can spiral downwards very quickly if the multiple failsafe systems that exist are not supported adequately and things are left unchecked.

In a normal healthy environment, the epithelial cells of the digestive system are strong and healthy, and very few if any microorganisms are able to breach into the bloodstream. Those that do are quickly inactivated by the immune system. The problems described above arise when the many to most of the tight junctions of the digestive system are degraded.

To better understand this relationship between wellness, the immune system, and intestinal tight junctions, let’s examine wheat proteins.

Wheat proteins like gluten are found by many be very inflammatory and disruptive to the body. Wheat proteins are folded in complex shapes, and wheat proteins able to make it into the bloodstream fully or mostly intact are very difficult for the immune system to break down. In the process these proteins create a lot of damage and inflammation. When the tight junctions are fully intact, then any wheat proteins eaten will be fully broken down into amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides in the digestive system and will behave just like any other fully digested protein source. The glaring problem with wheat is that most wheat grown is sprayed heavily with pesticides like glyphosate (roundup). From seed to storage, wheat is sprayed with glyphosate dozens of times. Glyphosate directly degrades epithelial tight junctions, creating the gaps which allow complex wheat proteins into the bloodstream, triggering the inflammatory and immune response. It’s the one-two punch of complex proteins and heavy pesticide use that makes wheat such a problem for so many, and while other foods commonly allergic too such as peanuts and tree nuts have complex proteins of their own, they aren’t as heavily sprayed with pesticides as wheat is, and therefore aren’t as commonly problematic in creating gut health problems.

Symptoms common to degraded tight junctions:

How to Heal Tight Junctions

The two most effective ways in healing epithelial tight junctions is fasting and eating an organic whole and unprocessed diet.

When fasting the digestive system is given a break from the rigors of digestion. Free from inflammatory food particles and abundant microorganisms constantly leaking through the tight junctions, the body is able to repair the tight junctions by up to 20% per day via autophagy. The tissues of the digestive system turnover rapidly and this means that with the right approach, digestive issues can be healed to a large extent very rapidly. Immune system memory can take a long time to reset, but with time (6-24 months) even food intolerances and allergies can be healed. This I have done personally with a wheat, fructose, and peanut intolerance, which I had simultaneously. When many of the systems of the digestive are compromised and the immune system is overactive, it is very common for many foods to create inflammatory responses. With some individuals it’s so bad that nearly zero foods are able to be eaten without symptoms manifesting, and in this case it really is only fasting which can begin the healing process as the body needs a gut environment free of input to heal quickly and properly.

Eating organic whole and unprocessed foods reduces exposure to toxic chemicals like glyphosate while increasing exposure to health boosting phytochemicals like flavonoids and anthocyanins. When healthy foods and fasting are done together as with the FoodFast method, epithelial tight junctions can be healed rapidly and provide quick relief of the symptoms common to digestive health problems.

Every Meal is a Choice

Everyday the question must be asked: “What should I eat and when should I eat it?”

Eating more and often is not the most advantageous for metabolism, longevity and survival. There are times when eating a consistent three meals a day is advantageous, such as when increasing strength and building lean body mass, and there are times when eating only one meal a day (OMAD) is most advantageous (healing the digestive system, increasing fat metabolism, optimizing gut microbiota). Depending on where an individual is with their health, it might be most advantageous to fast for many days or even weeks (massive body fat reduction, complete cellular overhaul and renewal, cure autoimmune disease).

To end goal is to achieve balance between the catabolic and anabolic systems of the body. Once the systems are in balance it’s not hard to maintain balance, and once achieved the end point for the FoodFast method is a fairly regular eating schedule with occasional 16-24 hour fasts. To get to this state of balance might require more drastic action like one or many 48 hour fast or greater, it’s highly individual and few medical practitioners have any experience with fasting methods. It is best to start slow when leaning these methods and developing your FoodFast intuition.

Every meal is an opportunity to intake the nutrients the body needs most, and choosing when to eat a meal is a conscious choice made based on current gut health status. With practice, success, and failure, dietary intuition can be developed to the point where maintaining the balance between feasting and fasting is easy, the digestive system is healthy, and internal wellness is achieved.

As Hippocrates wisely stated 2500 years ago: “All disease begins in the gut”.

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References:

1. Visconti A, Le Roy CI, Rosa F, et al. Interplay between the human gut microbiome and host metabolism. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):4505.

2. Galland L. The gut microbiome and the brain. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2014;17(12):1261-1272.

3. Kopittke PM, Dalal RC, Finn D, Menzies NW. Global changes in soil stocks of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur as influenced by long‐term agricultural production. Glob Change Biol. 2017;23(6):2509-2519.