“I remember the first time my doctor insisted I have surgery. This was before the internet (so I had no way of researching on my own), and I asked my GI for some more information. He loaded me up with a stack of textbooks and his research reports, and you bet I took it home and read it ALL.
The stat that hit me hardest was, “Every time you are opened up for surgery, the disease jumps to a minimum of 3 new sites.”
And I thought to myself…That’s INSANE. They know this will worsen my condition, but they have no other solutions. They are just trying to keep me alive, and so they want to do the surgery.
Thankfully that stat is now outdated, but at the time I thought…this is RIDICULOUS! It was like throwing darts in the dark and hoping something sticks. I refused surgery, but I stuck with what the doctors told me for 3 years…until I said, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. If I’m going to be anyone’s guinea pig, I’m going to be my own…”
Wow! How to convey about 6 hours of information in only an hour??
I do my best in this lecture presentation about the eight steps involved in healing IBD or IBS – using entirely natural methods. Then I also take some questions from the audience at the end.
Please post any questions you might have in the COMMENTS section below and I’ll answer them there…
Remember – I have a free Healthy Gut Guide available for you. Just click here and scroll down to the sign-up box to get your free info. This contains everything you need to get started, along with free teleseminars and eBooks.
And if you don’t want to purchase supplements online, then please just use the Listen to Your Gut Shoppe as a resource to write down the recommended supplements, and then get your local health store to order them in.
Soar higher!
Original post August 2015. Most recently updated December 2020.
Thank you, I’m very grateful for your candid information and clarity of content. Your well research and experience is proving to be of great help. Bless you for that. 🙂
Is it wise for me to take the wild oregano oil when I can only take a small amount of the B. Infantis goat milk probiotic. I have read in your book that the wild oregano oil must be followed by a probiotic, and I understand why, but is the B. infantis sufficient? I developed c-diff colitis and salmonella after high dose antibiotics in the hospital a few months back, and even though I went on probiotics when I came home, I obviously was not on high enough doses or the right strain of probiotics to avert this problem.
Hi Joanie,
If you just take the probiotic on its own then the good bacteria will be competing directly with the established gut flora without any help. Using wild oregano oil depletes the existing gut flora so that the B.Infantis has an advantage every time you take it. The wild oregano oil will kill off the B.Infantis as well but the idea is that the flora in your gut will get better each day because the good bacteria are getting reinforcements (via the dose you take) while the bad gut flora are not. Over time, your overall gut flora should be healthier as a result. If you decide to take the wild oregano oil you’ll just want to make sure to take it at least 2 hours before your probiotics. Jini recommends taking your probiotics right before bed.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Hey Justin,
I read your reply to Joanie, and I take the Mucosaheal before bed. Although I am reading this post without fully viewing the seminar. I take the probiotics earlier….
Hi Susan,
Jini recommends taking MucosaHeal at the same time you take your wild oregano oil, aloe vera juice, and L-glutamine (if the last two are applicable). The best time for these is on an empty stomach and between Absorb Plus shakes if you are on an elemental diet. For more details, check out this post:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/confusing-supplement-schedule/
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
been on shakes for a little over a week, still having bad gas and bloating, tried to start oil with but cant tolerate right now, afraid to add to much quickly because im in so much pain. i have strictures and have been dealing with terrible constipation for more than a yr. do the hot oil pack daily which has helped move old stool. im doing the unsweetened shake with a little ice a couple times a day (only 1/2 shake, that seems to b all i can tolerate) doing very little massage to painful, doing much is out of question, once again the pain keeps me hunched over and on couch or bed, any suggestion
Hi Lynn,
Are you taking wild oregano oil and probiotics to restore your gut flora? If not, that would be a good thing to try. Check out Jini’s cautious/sensitive approach to probiotics on page 175 of her Listen to Your Gut book for more details if you want to ease into it.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
I live in Los Angeles and have been hunting for a good functional or holistic doctor out here that could guide me alongside this journey of healing my ulcerated small intestine. No luck yet! If you happen to know any experienced practitioners in the LA area I would be grateful for some direction! I am currently trying a partial elemental diet, oregano oil, and probiotics but still experiencing a lot of bloating and belching. Not sure how to tell if the excessive bloating is hurting me more or cleaning me out. I appreciate this blog so much! I feel so supported! Thank you!!
Hi Peggy,
We aren’t aware of any practitioners local to the LA area but Dr. Paul Goldberg does consultations via phone and Skype with people from all over the US and the world (he’s physically located in the Atlanta area). Dr. Goldberg shares methods and protocols with Jini and has read all of her books. He is a very rigorous practitioner and like Jini, has healed himself of a serious chronic illness, so he understands firsthand what you’re going through. We can highly recommend him.
http://www.goldbergclinic.com/
You can also watch this video for a detailed description of how Dr. Goldberg works and what’s involved with his healing approach:
http://vimeo.com/50486588
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Hi Peggy – the other thing you could try is to get in touch with medical intuitive, Dr. Katharina Johnson as she used to live in Cali so would likely have lots of contacts. More info and contact details for her here:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/inside-the-world-of-a-medical-intuitive-with-dr-katharina-johnson/
I just watched The Truth About Cancer and saw Dr Blaylock talk about how glutamine is too closely related to glutamate to be safe to use. He specifically mentions the people who are recommending glutamine for intestinal repair saying it accelerates degenerative brain diseases! This was most disturbing since I just ordered 12 tubs of Absorb plus and extra glutamine powder based on what I’ve read here! I am in crisis and my “last hope” has been Jinis protocol, which I’m due to start next week. And I’ve already referred others who have already bought products that I may need to update with this new info. Very distressing.
Hi Liana,
We’ve seen no credible research or scientific evidence which would suggest that Glutamine is unsafe. Glutamine is the most abundant of the 20 amino acids found in human blood and is produced naturally by the body. Here’s a link to an informational article about glutamine which cites various sources:
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/glutamine
And here is its entry at the Mayo clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/glutamine-oral-route/description/drg-20064099
I urge you to contact your doctor if you still have concerns and if you have any additional questions about any of Jini’s products or protocols please don’t hesitate to ask!
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Here’s another post I did specifically about L-Glutamine that you may find interesting:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/l-glutamine-usage-with-children/
I also urge you to consider the “healing in layers” concept I talk about in this video. I also wrote about it again in this post where people get anxious about maltodextrin feeding Candida albicans:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/does-absorb-plus-create-a-candida-problem/
Remember that Dr. Blaylock is just one physician, and to do your own research before you make up your mind. Take care.
One more point about L-Glutamine – as you can see Dr. Carolyn Dean also quotes Dr. Blaylock in her article here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/048511_MSG_magnesium_glutamates.html
But if you notice, she writes that the gatekeeper in the brain that PREVENTS this from happening is adequate magnesium. That’s why we carry the nano-sized magnesium (does not require digestion and does not loosen the bowels) so that people with sensitive GI tracts can also get a high enough daily dose:
http://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/shop-by-minerals-angstrom-nano-sized
In this link Dr. Carol Dean says: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Most glutamine is made and stored in muscles and lung tissue. Glutamine helps protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. For that reason, some researchers have suggested that people who have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) may not have enough glutamine. However, 2 clinical trials found that taking glutamine supplements did not improve symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
Why do you recommend it contrary to the above statement?
Hello Greg,
Jini is always interested in reading recent credible research about IBD/IBS so if you could provide some links to the studies you’re talking about then we’d love to take a look. Thank you for the information. Please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Rachel, below is your source. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Most glutamine is made and stored in muscles and lung tissue. Glutamine helps protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. For that reason, some researchers have suggested that people who have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) may not have enough glutamine. However, 2 clinical trials found that taking glutamine supplements did not improve symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/048511_MSG_magnesium_glutamates.html#ixzz4MLGanmdt
Hello Greg,
Thank you for sharing that article. However, I don’t see any links to the sources or clinical trials. We haven’t seen any credible evidence that suggests Glutamine is ineffective for people with IBD. Jini continues to recommend it as something that can potentially help diarrhea and with gut healing. If you do find any information on the trials we would love to see it.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hello, I am very interested in the Mini-Minerals supplements that LTYG carries. I’m wondering though, if I were to use the Minerals of Life, would it be necessary to use the separate magnesium or calcium mini’s? I am also very much in need of the iron supplement.
Thank you, I always appreciate your quick response to my questions
Dr Blaylock says that there are receptors in every cell, not just beyond the BBbarrier as previously thought. Also, with a damaged liver from toxicity, isn’t there a chance of ammonia build up and/or poisoning? I’m trusting that at low dosages for just a few months it’s not problematic and I’m so desperate that I’m now on day two of using the shakes. Unfortunately because I’m in Ecuador and it’s so exhorbitantly expensive to get things here I’ve got to wait for the rest of the supplements to arrive to start the full elemental protocol. The only thing I’m doing differently though, is coconut oil, coconut milk, and my own fresh egg yolks. I’m curious why there is no mention of coconut oil and/or milk in the IBD book?
Coconut oil is fine to use, but if you add coconut milk and/or egg yolks then the shakes will no longer be elemental. If you’re tolerating some foods, then you may want to do only a half-elemental diet and use these for the other half:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/use-common-foods-to-heal-inflammatory-bowel-disease/
Why does adding coconut or rice milk no longer make it an elemental diet? What do you define as elemental or half elemental? If whey in your absorb plus product is from a milk source and makes the shake with water elemental, then why is milk from other sources when mixed with Absorb Plus non-elemental?
Hello Greg,
Those are great questions. The medical dictionary definition of elemental diet is this: Elemental Diet – contains nutrients as small molecular weight compounds, i.e. proteins as amino acids or peptides, carbohydrates as oligosaccharides or monosaccharides, and fats as medium-chain triglycerides. Used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease. Called also monomeric diet.
So according to this definition the Absorb Plus would qualify as an “elemental” product since whey isolate is a protein peptide.
Jini’s best source to get more detailed information on the elemental diet is in this book: http://listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/5/the-ibd-remission-diet-achieving-long-term-health-with-an-elemental-diet-and-natural-supplementation-plan.html
You can also read some more on it in these articles as well:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/what-is-an-elemental-diet/
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/all-about-elemental-diets/
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/elemental-vs-semi-elemental-vs-polymeric-diets/
Please let us know if we can help with any other questions.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Oh, I forgot to mention someone you may want to know about regarding prolapses. Christine Kent of Wholewoman.com. Really great information there too. As a chiropractor I can vouch for the anatomical soundness of her approach. I’ll be giving her your info too, because I feel that you both have helped me recover from a very traumatic and dramatic year!
Thanks I’ll check her out!
Hi there
I was wondering if you had any updated info about probiotics, as there’s so many new brands coming out these days. I find it hard to believe that all the different strains in the gut are fighting and killing each other. Aren’t the good guys supposed to be getting along ? Why don’t the experts like Chris kresser, etc teach us about taking one strain at a time ?
Thanks,
NM
Hi Natalie,
Probiotics have recently been making their way into the mainstream so a large number of companies are bringing (often inferior) products to market in order to capitalize. Jini’s research is ongoing but Natren remains as the brand that, she feels, delivers the best and most effective probiotic products. Here’s a link to a blog post Jini did last year about some recent developments:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/recent-research-on-prebiotics-and-probiotics/
If you would like to evaluate a probiotic for yourself, you can find Jini’s evaluation criteria at this link:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/how-to-choose-a-potent-probiotic/
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Thank you Justin
Hello there
I have been living with colitis for 8 years now and just stared reading listens to your gut.My last blood work shows that my vitamin D levels are low. Do you have any recommendations that is vegetarian and won’t cause a flare up. I have tried some over the counter but all gave me a flare up.
Thank you
Hello Manisha,
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately the Vitamins D’s we sell are not vegetarian. However, doing a online search it looks like Source Naturals has a Vegan option in Vitamin D, which is a supplement brand that Jini has researched and trusts. We just can not comment on that exact supplement as we do not have experience with it. If you decide to try it we would love to hear how it works for you. Please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hi, I absolutely love to make yogurt from natren yogurt starter. Do you think I could use soy milk to make it? I’m in the menopause years and am looking for some natural estrogen.
Hi Pam – absolutely! You can use cow, goat, sheep, soy, coconut or almond milk to make the yogurt. Here are the detailed Yogurt-Making Instructions direct from Natren: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/how-to-make-homemade-yoghurt-using-probiotic-cultures/
I understand I need to listen to my gut with regard to moving forward and adding additional protocols in your 8 steps…I am at the very beginning of the 8 steps and just would like to know how soon would it be good to implement the probiotics, after bowels become more solid and no longer liquid. I desperately need this to wprk. My GI wanted to put me on Humira and I just could not consider that biologic drug. I have been in remission from crohn’s for over 25 years when this issue reoccured this year with a vengeance. I have never had crohn’s be so severe. And I have had 2 resection though. I don’t want any more surgeries and today’s drugs are nothing like the sulfur drugs of 20+ years ago. Please advise as to an estimate of how long on the elimental diet before I should be able to wean off and add probiotics and the other 7 steps. Thank you in advance.
Hello Felecia,
Thank you for reaching out! Jini’s 8 steps is vital for healing the various symptoms of crohns, and they also work synergistically (better together) to accelerate healing. Some people start the probiotics at the same time they start the Elemental diet and Oregano,But the key there is timing.
You just have to test a little bit (a pinch, or 1/8 tsp) of probiotics and see how your gut reacts. If you get too much die-off, or bloating etc. then it’s too soon, or you need to go slower. Everyone’s pace is different, so you need to listen to your own gut.
You can download this daily supplement schedule Jini developed for people on The IBD Remission Diet, since it gives you a specific break-down of how to work in all the shakes and supplements throughout the day. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
My 14-year-old son has been dealing with ulcerative colitis for two years. Is the IBD Remission Diet something he can use?
Hello Laura,
Thank you for contacting us here! Yes, the best and fastest way to heal colitis is to go on an elemental liquid diet in order to rest the bowel, eliminate any foods that trigger inflammation. An elemental liquid diet is also a good idea if he’s malnourished or underweight, or if there’s an ongoing intestinal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, stricture in the colon (narrowing), or blockages.
Some used The IBD Remission Diet exclusively for three months (the usual duration is 6 weeks). The goal is always remission so the transition back to normal food should start when symptoms have disappeared. Aside from bowel rest using Absorb Plus liquid diet, other important steps that he need is to eradicate pathogenic microorganisms (like bad bacteria, yeast, fungi, etc.) using Wild Oregano and then re-populate the bowel with good bacteria using Probiotics .
For more detailed information about that, please get a copy of Jini’s book Listen to your Gut since it contains everything you need to heal your son. And after reading it, you’ll have a good idea of whether you need/want him to embark on an elemental diet, or not.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Hello and thanks for all this info. Do any of the books — or do you have any info on — how to deal with strictures resulting from Crohn’s of the small bowel? I’ve mainly had problems with strictures from scar tissue buildup but am otherwise feeling fine, inflammation markers are always normal and I follow the gaps diet.
Hi Jay,
Thank you for reaching out. Yes, Please check out Jini’s Healing Guide: Natural Treatments for Intestinal Strictures (eBook).
We recently gathered some information from those who have tried the StrictureHeal. You can see these testimonials here: http://listentoyourgut.com/testimonials/19/strictureheal.html
As well as these survey results: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/intestinal-strictureheal-survey-results-are-in/
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
I went to my functional medicine doctor, yesterday. I bought my 3 bottles of Natrel with me. He told me they are the reason I am still having digestion problems. Because of the dairy in them. My belly would gurgle all night long while taking them???
Hi Louisa, did you know before that you are dairy-intolerant? The full line of Natren probiotics also comes in a Dairy-free version, so you can switch to that.
HOWEVER, unless a family member can take your current supply (and I’ve given my cats, dogs and horses Megadophilus), I would hang onto it because you can use it – as guided by your body wisdom – to HELP you develop a tolerance to Dairy, over time.
So after a period of 3 weeks with no dairy at all, you then check in with your gut and add half a capsule, or 1/8 tsp of ONE species, in the morning. See how your body likes that. Maybe you try a different species. Maybe you only add the Dairy probiotic every 2-3 days, or once a week. As I said, you’ll need to listen very closely to your gut and proceed accordingly.
And of course, if that doesn’t feel like a good idea, or not at this time, then don’t. Your doc may also be able to guide you in this process if they are familiar with it.
Hello,
I woke up this morning feeling so grateful that my son has been symptom-free (and I believe he’s healed) for 6 years from Crohn’s. After his devastating diagnosis at age 6 and then 5 years of active determination, despite disheartening advice from the “best” doctors, he was finally cured. Listen To your Gut was a huge part, and a turning point in his healing. Doctors repeatedly assured me that he would never be healed, surgeries were guaranteed, medication and stunted development were unavoidable, and I should quit my abusive unwillingness to accept the inevitable course of the disease. LTYG and Absorb plus were the first signs of hope we encountered. It was a long and frightening journey with many well-intentioned doctors advising me to give up. I’m so glad we persisted. I wanted to give back by telling anyone who might need to hear this, that it IS POSSIBLE to heal. My son is about to turn 18, and without any medications he is perfectly healthy, symptom-free, and strong. LTYG is the first source I recommend to anyone who asks me about his healing.
Amy, that is just FANTASTIC. Thank you so much – not only for sharing a bit of your son’s story with us, but also for sharing your experiences with everyone else here on this blog. I’m just ecstatic to hear he has been symptom free for 6 YEARS. =)
Would you mind if we reposted and used this as a testimonial? I can of course keep you anonymous, if you’d like. =)
Feel free to repost my testimonial. I’ve always felt such gratefulness for the help I received from LTYG. It was horrifying to watch my son suffer and deteriorate the way he was. I can’t imagine what his life and health would be like without what I learned from your book and the the products here. Thanks for all that you do.
Hi Amy, do you mind if I reached out to you to get more insight into your story. I also have a son who’s going through a similar experience and we’ve been taking the probiotics and wild oregano. Just wanted to get more insight into your journey and the steps you took. Let me know and I can pass on my email. Thank you!
Hi Farah! You can also join our private FaceBook group and post a message there to get feedback from the community:https://www.facebook.com/groups/519239322277825/ All the best! 🙂
And also wanted to add Amy – GO MOM!! I can only imagine how challenging those 5 years were for you. I hope you are also nurturing and caring for your own precious body. I know how us mums can put self-care on hold when our child is in crisis… so just wanted to encourage you to give yourself the same loving support xo
Hello, I am writing to say I have been on the elemental diet and Natren probiotics (and some supplements) for one week, as of today. I am optimistic and grateful beyond words. I also want to say (again) that every encounter I have had with LTYG staff (and email posts/responses from Jini to my posts) have been incredibly positive, kind, informative and helpful! Wow! Talk about customer care and service! Thank you – each and all.
A challenge for me is to be sure I get everything correctly “timed” as I’m taking the organic oregano oil-aloe Vera-mucosacalm combination, as well as the shakes, and also bone broth.
I know to take the oregano-ale Vera-mucosa 2 hours (both before and/or after) away from the shakes, but somewhere (I thought in The IBD remission book – but now can’t find this info there):
that if I want bone broth AFTER a shake, I need to wait 2 hours before I drink the bone broth – correct? But, if I want to drink the broth broth “first” and then want to drink the shake, I only need to wait 30-45 minutes after having the bone birth to be able to drink the shake – correct?
I am currently drinking 3 shakes (with Natren probiotics powders in them) a day, doing the oregano combo 3 times a day and the bone broth 1-2 times a day and then the 3 probiotics in water once before bed each night.
I THINK I have my daily time schedule for such all worked out, but need the bone broth timing confirmation, please.
Again, I thank you so much for everything! I placed another order over the weekend and am so grateful for your shoppe, along with the amazing wealth of information and support LTYG provides/offers! Kathleen
Hi Kathleen! Thanks so much for reaching out! Here are some blog posts I think you may find beneficial, as they are supplement schedule guides. 🙂
Confusing Supplement Schedule – HELP!
Confusing Supplement Schedule – 4 Simplifying Tips (VIDEO)
Before & After Examples of Supplement Schedules
These should help! 🙂 Best to you!