Is Poor Fat Digestion Sabotaging your Blood Sugar?
If you can’t digest fat well you will have trouble stabilizing your blood sugar and blunting your insulin spikes.
We need to be able to digest and absorb fats… Not just any fats… good fats. Fats slow the absorption of glucose into the blood stream and keep our energy stable. If you can’t digest fats very well you will also have trouble absorbing those beneficial fat soluble vitamins that are needed for good health, hormone function and a balanced immune system. These are Vitamins ADEK.
Raise your hand if you have been diligently taking Vita D to support immune health only to find on your latest lab that your levels are low or very low?
We talked about this a lot over the years about how dysfunction in one area of the body has an impact on another and vice versa. All parts of the body and mind are in relationship with each other.
Insulin Resistance leads to poor gallbladder function , like stones and sludge and a poor functioning Gallbladder or gallbladder removal puts you at high risk for metabolic issues. Good bile is also require to safely detoxify heavy metals from the body.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF POOR FAT DIGESTION
- Dry Skin
- Itchy skin
- Peeling skin on the Feet
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Motion Sickness
- Anxiety
- Headaches on the right side of your head
- Fatty Meals run right through you
- Carb cravings
- Greasy Stools that also have THAT smell.
- Bloated and gassy after a meal
- Pale skin
- Pain at the right rib cage or between the shoulder blades
- There is more….
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE FAT DIGESTION?
•Avoid vegetable oils like canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, Rapeseed, grape-seed, etc. These fats drive fatty liver disease (where bile is made) and also inflame the gallbladder and the whole body. Instead add in Good Fats like Ghee, Coconut, Olive and Macadamia Oils
•Stop snacking and grazing: Bile is like dish soap. We need it to accumulate in the gallbladder so that we have enough of it during a meal. We also need to give our digestive system a chance to rest and repair between meals. On that note it is also important that you reduce your sugar and simple carb intake.
•Hydration is essential for proper fat digestion because like all digestive processes, we need adequate water to crest the digestive fluids like bile.
•Consume Bitter Foods: Bitter foods stimulate bile production. Some examples of these are arugula, radishes, and dandelion.
•Try Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with meals. ACV helps to stimulate bile acids. It also helps stimulate stomach acid and lowers the glucose response from meals so it adds a lot of bang for the buck.
•And finally, consider supplement support to improve fat digestion
- Digestive Enzymes to help improve Stomach acid and break down all food as well as fats. You already know I am big fan of Enzymix Pro.
- Digest Forte: Contains all the bitters to support digestion
- Betafood: Prevents gallstones
- AF Betafood: Bloating and fat intolerance and good overall support
- Choline: supports the action of bile salts and reduces the size of fat molecules
- Cholacol: Fat intolerance and constipation due to Gallbladder dysfunction
- LivCo: The Gallbladder and the Liver work together… So Liver support is needed.
What if you do not have a Gallbladder?
You will likely need bile replacement if you don’t have a gallbladder and digestive support.
For those who do have a gallbladder, keep in mind that Bile salts, if taken long term, will reduce your body’s own bile output and is not recommended.
If you are struggling with any of the symptoms we talked and need more support, then please reach out and make an appointment so we can get you back to good health.
Have a healthy week
Dr Pia
