Get A Deeper Look Into Your Gut
The GI-MAP breakdown 🫐🔎
Happy Wednesday lovely,
I hope you are enjoying the later days and lighter weather.
So this winter took quite a toll on my body.
In fact, since mid Jan, I’ve been at battle with not one, but two pesky stomach bugs 🤢
And so it got me diving pretty deep into gut health, digestion, and our immune system.
It also led me to re-take my GI-MAP test which helped me gain some more insight into the state of my digestive system.
So that’s what’s inspiring today’s post…
The GI-MAP is one of several functional medicine tests I use in my practice that allows us to look deeper into our gut health - and we’re going to be breaking it down below 👇🏼
WHAT IS THE GI-MAP?
The GI-MAP is an at-home stool test offered by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, providing a deeper insight into gut health.
While the GI-MAP does cover what your gastro will usually order (i.e., testing for things like salmonella and norovirus), but it also takes it a step further.
It assesses the levels of "beneficial" and "harmful" bacteria in your gut microbiome, identifies pesky pathogens like candida and parasites, and even looks at digestive health markers (i.e., gluten sensitivity)
Plus, it is all done in the comfort of your home — while not the most glamorous test, there’s no need to carve out extra time in your day to get to a doctors office, make an appt. etc. (a BIG plus for a busy gal like myself).
WHO SHOULD DO A GI-MAP?
In my practice, we’re primarily utilizing a GI-MAP when we see symptoms of…
unexplained bloating or indigestion
chronic constipation or loose stools
floating or fatty stool
heart burn (especially with chronic throat clearing)
potential gluten sensitivities without celiac
signs of hyper-intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut'“)
but since we know the gut can actually influence so much more than just digestion I will also often run this test with clients who are experiencing
acne (especially body acne)
PMS or other high estrogen symptoms
eczema or psoriasis
chronic yeast infections
unexplained fertility challenges
I’ve had clients who have tried to tackle their chronic yeast infections for years with prescription antifungals and antibiotics, only to then realize through the GI-MAP that it was candida.
I’ve had others who have dealt with acne and eczema to then learn it was more linked to the state of their microbiome.
And then some with unexplained fertility challenges to then realize that h pylori was at the root (H pylori is linked to nutrient deficiencies and even slowing sperm motility).
Ready to do one ASAP?
ALRIGHT, SO WHAT DOES IT SHOW ME?
OoooOOooh so much…
This test is a detailed 4-pages that allow you to look into the state of your gut health:
PAGE 1: Pathogens
Testing everything your GI-Doc would usually test for and then some. And for me, after a bout of food poisoning, I got some clarity on what the pesky was behind the ailment.
PAGE 2: H Pylori + Commensal (beneficial) Bacteria
Dives into H Pylori, a pesky (and very common bug) that can cause things like upper GI-bloating, nausea, heart burn, ulcers and more. Plus, a deep dive into the beneficial bacteria in your gut that are needed for a strong immune system, healthy skin, stable mood and more.
PAGE 3: Opportunistic Bacteria, Yeast, & Viruses…Oh My!
In our gut, we also have the presence of what’s called more opportunistic (“harmful”) bacteria. These are the microbes that when overgrown can lead to things like bloating, digestive issues, and other pesky GI symptoms.
It also tests for yeasts and fungi like Candida. As mentioned, candida can be linked to chronic yeast infections, but also symptoms like skin rashes, dryness, sugar cravings, and worsened conditions of Crohns and UC.
PAGE 4: Parasites and Intestinal Health Markers
Yes, I know - the parasites page is always a lil scary. With that, in my practice this is rarely coming back positive. Contrary to popular TikTok trends, it is actually *not* common to have parasites.
We also got intestinal health markers - which to me, is one of the most important pieces of this test.
It looks at things like how well your body is able to digest fat, whether certain enzymes are working well, if your estrogen is potentially high, your gut immune response, your sensitivity to gluten and so on.
I find for a lot of clients, we can identify reasons as for why their estrogen/pms/pre-menstrual migraines or bloating is happening with this page. If our bega-glucuronidase is high, it indicates that we are likely in an estrogen overload situation and need to bring in some support.
SO WHAT DO WE DO AFTER THE GI-MAP?
Well this depends on what the test shows.
For many clients, we utilize a combination of herbs, supplements, dietary recommendations and lifestyle changes to support our findings.
Check out my FullScript where I list some of my fav digestive health supplements 👇
For me, for example, the findings essentially showed that I needed to support a very important strain of bacteria called akkermansia, lower some inflammation that’s going on, support my pancreatic enzymes and slow the growth of candida and h pylori.
So, we’re bringing in…
specific probiotic strains (seed ain’t for everyone)
a natural antifungal/bacterial supplement
some bitter support
a lil extra green tea and cranberry juice
But each person is different. Our bodies are unique and require different interventions, care, and support.
And if you’ve been struggling with stomach issues for a while with no real relief, it might be time to invest in your care - you deserve to live life comfortably and at ease, not at battle with your digestion.
If you’re interested in better understanding you gut and running a test like this, let’s chat…
Written while taking my megaspore and sipping on green tea,
