Reset Your Gut in 5 Days: A Medical Doctor’s Step-by-Step Protocol to Transform Your Health

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Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast. I am so glad that you're here.
So thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. And I know that you're not here because of me.
You're probably here because you want to know, what is the five-day reset plan for being loaded? I want to know it too, but I want to take a quick minute and just say, thank you, thank you, thank you. I know that you tune in because you are investing in yourself.
You're taking time to listen to something that's fun, but that's also backed by research and science and that can help you make your life better. And you know what? I'm really proud of you for that.
So well done. Well done.
And as you can tell, I'm really excited today because you and I are picking up where we left off in our last podcast episode. We were in the middle of having a conversation with the amazing Dr.
Amy Shaw. She's been on the podcast a number of times.
She has three Ivy League degrees. She's a double board certified medical doctor.
She also graduated magna cum laude from the prestigious Cornell School of Nutrition. You know what that means? That meant she spends a lot more time studying than I did because I did not graduate with distinction like that.
And we're going to benefit from her. I just love Dr.
Shaw. She's here because she's breaking down the topic of gut health for you and me.
And in the first part of our conversation, the background is this. I had reached out to Dr.
Amy Shaw because the truth is I was so freaking bloated after being on a road trip for work that my favorite red pants were no longer fitting. I looked like I was in the second trimester of pregnancy.
I was desperate. I picked up the phone.
I called Dr. Amy.
We taped the conversation. This is part two of that conversation.
In case you haven't listened to the first episode, you can catch that. It's very easy to remember because it's the one right before this one, and it's also episode one, two, three.
But just in case you haven't listened to it, let me just summarize real quick what we've already learned from Dr. Amy Shaw.
First of all, bloating is normal, and it is caused by having unhappy gut bacteria, something I didn't know. But I love how she explains it because I can visualize that.
She also said that bloating is caused by so many different things. I mean, it can be caused by stress, by hormones.
It can be caused by eating things like cruciferous vegetables, which I now know are broccoli, cauliflower, and things like sparkling drinks and gum and ibuprofen, not to mention just eating and drinking too much over the holidays. And you'll also remember that we talked at the very end of that episode about her 3F morning routine, which is something she does every single morning.
It's fasting, it's fitness, and it's fermented and fibrous foods. I got to talk to Dr.
Amy because that's like 5Fs. That's not 3Fs, but fasting, fitness, and fermented and fibrous foods.
That's where we left off. And one final thing, you and I learned about how the gut health and our overall health is connected to our hormone health.
So there was just so much to digest that about halfway through the conversation, I was like, ah, let's just make this one episode because you and I are busy. I don't have two to three hours to listen to a podcast episode and I know you don't either.
So I want this to be information you can absorb and then you can apply. And if you wanna listen to all of that, just go back to the episode one, two, three.
It's right there for you as a free resource. But right now, let's keep going.
We're gonna dig into probiotics. What is Dr.
Amy Shaw's opinion about probiotics? Do they work? Should you take them? If you're not going to take probiotics, how do you do that in a natural way? How do you heal your microbiome? If being bloated is a symptom that your gut health is unhappy, how do you make it happy? And of course, we're going to get to my burning question, which was, Dr. Amy Shaw, my pants are not fitting.
I feel like I have a food baby. Can you please tell me what I need to do? Give me a five-day gut reset, woman.
Come on now. Help a woman out.
What is the protocol that you recommend if you want to reset your gut health in five days flat? And Dr. Amy Shaw is going to deliver that five-day program and protocol to you in this conversation.
So get ready. Get ready to drop back in with me and Dr.
Amy Shaw. And I'm about to ask Dr.
Amy Shaw, what is the connection between stress and gut health? So let's go. So Dr.
Shaw, how does stress cause bloating in your gut? Oh God, don't you realize that the more I read about it, the more I learn about stress, because we didn't learn so much about it in medical school. We thought of stress as kind of just a part of life, right? Now we're realizing that it causes everything.
Like literally anything bad can come from stress when you're stressed you are in a emergency survival mode and people always equate it to kind of like you know you're getting chased by a tiger and you don't really care about taking care of your gut you don't't really care about balancing your hormones. Like your focus on how do I survive in the next minute? Yes.
And unfortunately for us, this is happening more and more. Our news media are designed to create a stress response.
The, you know, sitting in front of a computer all day and getting emails are designed to trigger the stress response. Social media is designed.
So we're living in this world that's actually trying to tap in to our stress response all the time. And it's our responsibility to actually manage all that and put ourselves into an enjoyment, into a relaxing state because everything else is designed to put us in a stress

state, which is going away from digestion, moving away from hormone balance, moving away from repair, and just focusing on surviving the next minute. So are you saying that when you're on edge, or you're stressed out, that your nervous system interferes with your gut's ability to properly digest food and to stay in a balance in terms of your gut bacteria? Yeah.
I mean, think about it. When your body is focused on the task at hand, say it's an emergency situation, all of the blood flow is going to your brain away from your gut.
It's going to your big muscles, right? It's ready to run. We're ready to...
And we noticed that. I don't know if you noticed it, but your heart starts beating faster.
Your blood starts flowing. Your eyes start to dilate because your body's ready to fight whatever this thing is.
And a lot of times we're actively in that state and we have to work to take ourselves out of that state and really relax so that our digestion can work properly so that we can poop so we can, you know, eat food and not have acid reflux all of a sudden. Those are all things that happen from being chronically stressed.
And like I said, no, it's not our fault. We live in a world that's designed to keep us in the stressed state, because that's what gets your attention.
If you open a headline, and it immediately causes you to have fear and stress, you're going to pay attention to it, right? And spend more time clicking it. And so that's what works on social media or news media.
And so we're always, and it's good to, you know, obviously no real live world events, but it's also good to learn how to manage your body so that we can actually be in a state of rest and digest, which is the opposite of that stress mode. You mentioned just there acid reflux.
Can you just briefly explain how a state of being bloated or inflamed or just living with really unhappy gut Yeah. What other issues can that create in your life beyond just feeling like you have a food baby, and you're uncomfortable in your body? Oh, God, the list is just endless.
We're learning now that breast cancer is related to gut microbiome we're're learning. So cancers were heart disease, depression.
I mean, you name it. And it is related to poor gut health.
What I like to think about it is that it's not this brain and it's not just gut. It's this like brain gut access that's modulating our hormones, our immune system.
And so all of the things that we want in our life, like healthy aging, come from improving that gut bacteria and the hormones that go with it. Because we don't want to say anti age, right? We want successful aging.
So it's like not just a bloating in the short term, but we're talking, you know, do you want to live a long, healthy life? Do you want to have a happy life? Do you want to, you got to keep these bacteria happy. You got to keep them functioning.
They got to, they have to be talking to your brain and saying, we're doing good here. We're having a good time.
And that's when things feel really good in your body. I'm glad that you said that because selfishly, I reached out to you because my pants were tight and I felt like I had a food baby and I was really just uncomfortable and felt very gassy.
And I thought, I'm not the only one that feels this way. And I bet Dr.
Shaw can help me reset my gut. But the fact that you put this in a larger context, that gut health is mental health, gut health is physical health, and that we can't see what's going on in your gut.
But if you don't take your gut seriously and you don't learn how to make your gut bacteria happy, it's not about whether or not your pants fit. This has so many larger implications for your overall health.
And, you know, don't worry for you if you tuned in because you want to hear the five-day reset for bloating. We're getting there.
But I think it's important to elevate this too because you're saying that you have to pay attention to this if you want to live a long and healthy and vibrant life, because your gut informs everything about your mood, about the way your brain is functioning. And you can start to literally heal from the inside out if you pay attention to this.
I mean, that's basically what you're saying, right? Absolutely. No, the sad thing is, is that because this is so unknown to everybody, like everybody listening right now is in on this, right? You're in on this, I'm in on this, everybody listening today.
But most of the world, the developed world does not understand this. And we are seeing one in seven people this year, it came out in a study, one in seven people feel bloating at least once a week.
We found out that 98% of people don't eat enough food for their gut bacteria, which is fiber, right? Like healthy foods, real vegetables and fruits. There's only 2% of Americans that are actually eating food that is keeping their gut bacteria happy.
Like it's crazy. And then exercise, we all know that exercise is an issue for all of the modern world.
So this morning routine that we're talking about, like the fasting, the fitness and the food, the fiber fermented food, this itself has the ability, the potential to help you in so many more ways than just bloating. It can make you happier, help you successfully age, help with your hormonal transition if you're in menopause or pregnancy.
So there's so much potential out there. You mentioned fiber as something that is really important for happy bacteria.
Could you just give us a shorthand list? Because I'm sort of a, you know, like I'm, this is not my area of expertise. So you say fiber, you know what I hear? I literally think about like the kind of the mucinex crap that you like stir into a drink.
But what do you mean when you say fiber and that we need more fiber in our diet? Whenever I say fibers, everyone's always like, oh, like what brand of fiber? And I'm like, no, I'm not talking about a brand. I'm saying fiber.
But it is hard to conceptualize. So the best sources of say, let's talk about non bloating fiber.
Okay. Fiber that you would eat when you're trying to get over, say a week long binge or vacation or whatever it is.
It's spinach, leafy greens are a great source of fiber. Berries are a great source of fiber.
Asparagus is a great source of fiber. Spices, they work like prebiotic fiber.
So these are amazing things like turmeric and ginger. Also fruits and vegetables.
So the best fruits to have when you are bloated is bananas, is avocados, is a pineapple, papaya. So pineapple and papaya have natural digestive enzymes in them.
So while they're going through our system, they have natural ways to break themselves down. So it's really gentle on our gut.
Bananas are the same way. They've been shown to actually help with bloating.
And they all have fiber. So they're helping you in the short term with the de-bloat and then in the long term.
Oh, asparagus, cucumbers, celery. Those are all amazing things.
Parsley, cilantro, like the herbs, fiber and de-bloating all at the same time. These are like the things you want to have when you're like, okay, I want to have more fiber, but I want it to be gentle on my stomach and help me digest.
Have a big bowl of papaya, pineapple, bananas, and then have maybe some avocado. If you're not sensitive to bread, you could have a sourdough with avocado on it because sourdough doesn't have as many of the fructans, which are these basically gas-causing sugars that your your gut can't digest as well in some people.
So having an avocado sourdough toast with some fruit on the side would be a great breakfast to have. Some asparagus would be amazing to have.
Also yogurt, if you're not lactose intolerant, like you said, you love that yogurt. I love probiotic yogurt and cottage cheese in the morning.

And even though I can't tolerate a lot of dairy,

that yogurt, it's just, my body loves that stuff.

So that's a great thing to have

when you're trying to deep look.

Because yogurt, as you know, has some bacteria in it.

It's a probiotic food.

And it's going to be your,

it's going to help you in this setting.

So let's talk about your five-day gut reset protocol. And it's going to be your, it's going to help you in this setting.

So let's talk about your five-day gut reset protocol.

What are we doing, Dr. Shaw?

So every day we're doing the three Fs.

Yeah, the three Fs for gut health. That was part of your three F morning routine.

But Dr. Shaw, could you just remind us one more time?

What are the three Fs?

So every day you're going to do the fasting, the fitness, and the fiber fermented foods.

Thank you. routine.
But Dr. Shaw, could you just remind us one more time? What are the three F's? So every day, you're going to do the fasting, the fitness and the fiber fermented foods.
That's without goes without saying, okay, when you start on the five day reset, the first day, in addition to what you've already done in the morning, you're going to add exercise. And E, it's the first E of the four different E's that we're going to be doing.
And the last day, we're going to add all of the E's together. So it's like, okay, exercise is the first E.
Okay. And exercise for all the reasons we already talked about your gut bacteria get happy.
It's the best probiotic that you could ever do. And when you start moving your body, all of that distension starts to move because whether it's fluid, whether it's a food baby, whether it's, you know, stool in there, whether it's just a lifetime of chronic overeating and making terrible choices or doing keg stands or going to 17 weddings this summer, regardless of how you're coming to the table, you're welcome.
And we're going to start this protocol by adding in exercise. And does it matter what exercise you do during the five day reset? No, it doesn't matter.
Just move your body because let's be honest, any kind of exercise is good exercise. Now, if you want to add in yoga, because you get to get the twisting, amazing, because we know that physically twisting your gut is going to help release some of that gas and some of that fluid retention and get things moving.
So I love things like yoga to add when you're exercising, but walking more walking. So say you walk to the morning, walk in the evening, again, weight training, you know, as you know, and I know, we lose about one to 3% of muscle mass each decade as women.
And during menopause, that speeds up to almost double. And so getting that body moving, lifting weights.
Okay, so exercise is number one. Okay.
I can do that. So day one is exercise.
And Dr. Shaw, we got to cover four more days of your five day gut reset, what to do, why it works.
And we're going to do that after we hear a short word from our sponsors. Our sponsors are so important because they allow us to bring you this information at zero cost.
So just sit there, take a listen to our sponsors. Don't go anywhere.
Let day one digest because Dr. Amy Shaw and I are going to be back for you right after a short break.
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Welcome back. You're here with your bloated pal, Mel Robbins, and we're talking to the amazing Dr.
Amy Shaw. And we've just learned that the five day gut reset protocol that she recommends begins with day one, where we do her 3F morning routine.
We know that we're going to do that all five days, just recapping here. So you remember, you got to do the fasting, you got to do the fitness, and then you got to do the right kind of foods.
And then day one, we add in the 30 minutes of exercise. So got that.
Let's move on to day two. What do we do? Day two, eliminate E.

So the second E is eliminate. So what that means is that food elimination diet we talked about,

you're going to start doing that. So take out dairy, gluten, white sugar, whatever you think

may be triggering. So for some people that could be nuts, for some people that can be shellfish,

Thank you. start doing that.
So take out dairy, gluten, white sugar, whatever you think may be triggering. So for some people that could be nuts, for some people that can be shellfish, some people it can be corn, but usually it's gluten, dairy, and sugar.
If you're not sure, just take those three out. That's eliminate.
That's day two. Okay.
Day three. Day three, you're going to start eating foods your gut bacteria loves.
The stuff we've already talked about, the things that are going to help your body recover from this crazy thing that you put your gut through. So it's going to be that spinach, that asparagus.
It's going to be that fruit, that bromelain from that pineapple, that papaya that has a digestive enzymes in there that help you digest it. So you're going to add foods back that your gut bacteria love.
So yogurt is another one. I have a question.
Yeah. What protein is better for your gut than other in terms of like types of meat or fish or beans or lentils? Like what is the kindest protein to make for a happy gut? So if you're not plant-based, then egg protein is nicely digested by a lot of people, you know, doing an egg scramble or doing fish is a good way to get your protein.
But if you're plant-based and you could do beans, but make sure they're soaked, like black beans soaked are really gentle on their stomach.

Whereas certain beans, if you don't soak them, they can be gas producing. Tofu is a nice thing to eat when you're trying to get that.
And of course, like I said, probiotic yogurt and cottage cheese are awesome ways to get that protein.

That's not necessarily meat, but it's a dairy-based high protein food that you can have. And then of course, nuts.
Although nuts aren't necessarily the biggest source of protein, they do have some protein in them. And so having that protein, but protein in general is a great, great way to keep your gut bacteria happy and satisfied as well.
So that's a really like gut, your gut loves protein. What it doesn't love is fake protein.
Do you know what I mean? Like those shakes and bars and fake meats and like all the fake stuff. Like when you have a protein shake, I don't know about you, but I immediately get bloated.
Yes. But my body does not like processed protein.
So the shakes and the bars and we all are busy. I eat protein bars and shakes like we have to it's part of our busy lives.
But when you're trying to reset, try to have the protein in its whole form, because that's going to be the kindest thing that you can do to your body. You don't want to exacerbate the issue.
Now, I noticed you didn't say locally raised meats, chicken, lamb. Do you not? Would you not want to eat meat during this five day period? You know, the studies on meat have become very controversial, as you know.
OK, but a new study came out, we used to think that meat in general was very inflammatory, and that your gut was very inflamed with meat. But there's new data that show that maybe it's not necessarily the meat itself, maybe it's the type of meat that you're eating, like it's a fast food meat versus meat.
So the meat story remains to be pieced out. But if you're eating something that's super healthy, locally raised, not full of antibiotics, not from your local fast food place, this is going to be a nice source of protein.
And as I said, our biggest goal is to make that gut bacteria happy. And although fiber and fermented is the number one goal, we said protein is also the goal.
And so getting that, but it's a very nuanced conversation because you basically could argue still the bulk of the research still shows that red meat or especially processed red meat is probably inflammatory to the gut and causes all kinds of issues. But things are changing.
So I would say it's like a complicated answer. If you enjoy doing good for your body, you're feeling healthy, that's a great thing to add to your diet.
Okay, I just wanna recap for everybody. So the five-day reset, one of the things that you're doing is Dr.
Amy Shaw's morning routine, which are the three Fs. And so you're going to do this every morning, which is the 12-hour fast before you have your first meal.
It is the fitness, and then it is a breakfast that includes some sort of fibrous and fermented food because that makes your gut bacteria happy. Day one, you're going to add in exercise, meaning in addition to the fitness walk in the morning, you're going to add in a little yoga, a little something else.
Day two, you're going to start an elimination of dairy, gluten, and white sugar. Day three, you're going to be adding in and eating the kind of food that your gut bacteria loves, which we're learning all about.
And what is the E that we add in on day four, Dr. Shah? I love this E because you're going to love it too.
It's the E is for enjoy. So when we're in our stressed and opposite of enjoyment, right, is when you're stressed and anxious, you can't digest and you can't heal from what you've just, what's just happened to your body.
And a lot of people, they come back from a vacation or holidays and they're so stressed and they're punishing themselves by doing all these crazy diets and cleanses and exercises. And it's making things worse.
You actually need to go back and enjoy, spend time with people who are good for your mental health because they're also good for your gut health.

Okay.

These gut bacteria, just like we said, we want to make them happy.

They are super happy when you're spending time with people who make you feel your best.

So it's spending time with people you love.

And it's so crazy to think, but they love bonding.

Bonding is a love language for your gut bacteria.

They love it.

So you want to enjoy yourself.

It's dancing.

It's doing something that lights your body on fire

that you're so passionate about.

Enjoyment is one of the things that people don't realize

that can be so healing to our body, not just our God, but our entire body. Got it.
Okay. What do we do day five? We're putting it all together.
All right. Tell me what that means.
All of these. So in the morning, you're waking up, you have, you're checking if you fasted for 12 hours, wait 12 hours before you eat for your first meal.
Then you're going for your fitness right after that. Then you're coming back and you're like, oh, time to eat.
You're going to have a big scramble with veggies, yogurt, and berries on the side. And you're going to have your ginger tea because you're trying to eat the foods that are great for your body.
So high protein, high fiber, fermented food, breakfast, and then maybe go for a yoga class or do some stretching or exercises. Again, later in the day, that is going to help you, you're going to be on this elimination diet journey.
It's not one day, our gut microbiome doesn't even respond for a few days, you'll have to do this, extend this for as many as three weeks for some people to really find out what their true food sensitivities, but at least one week you want to be doing the elimination. And then you want to eat foods all day that your body loves.
This is not the time to maybe have your artificially sweet, snacks and chips and crackers and fast food.

This is time to eat really healthy whole foods.

Maybe you'll have a spinach salad and you'll have a bowl of fruit on the side.

And then do something, you know, bond with someone.

Go out to for a walk with a friend.

Go have coffee with someone that you haven't seen in a long time.

A mentor, a friend, a colleague, your loved one.

Spend time with your dog, your baby.

Do something you love. And that is like the perfect day at the very end.
And that's like if you did all the things and you put it all into one day, that would be the day. Now, how long do I have to do this before I'm going to start to feel like the bloating is going down and my gut bacteria is happy and healthy again? I'm so excited to tell you this.
Well, you know what, Dr. Shaw, based on the smile on your face, I'm excited to hear your answer to this because I'm hoping it takes only five days for the reset and for the bloating to go away.
And I can tell this is going to be good news. So let's take a quick pause.
I want to hear a word from our sponsors, give a chance for this information to really just sink in. We're making your gut health happy.
And when we come back, Dr. Amy Shaw has got good news for us because she's going to tell us, how long do you have to do this before you're going to start to feel like the bloating is going away?

We'll be right back.

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Terms and conditions apply. Welcome back.
I'm so glad you're still with us. Yay you and yay me that I get to hang out with you.
And yay both of us, because we're here with Dr. Amy Shaw.
And we're just about to jump into that burning question around probiotics. Do they help? What are they? What should you take? But I want to just recap where we are.
She just walked us through her five-day gut reset. And to recap it real quick, I want to make sure you get all this.
You do her morning routine, which is the three Fs of fasting, fitness, and the food that you're going to eat. Day one, she wants you to just add in exercise.
And all you need to do is walk for 30 minutes. I think we can handle that.
Day two, you're going to start eliminating dairy, gluten, or and either one, you can do them all, you can do whatever ones you want, white sugar from your diet. Day number three, you're doing the three F morning routine.
You eat the foods that your gut bacteria loves,

foods that are rich in fiber.

Day four, you're gonna do the 3F morning routine

and you're gonna enjoy time doing something that you love.

Why?

Because that helps make your gut bacteria happy.

I love this reset program.

And day five, we're gonna put all these things together

for a day of optimal gut health. Simple.
I can do that and so can you. But before we took that short break, I had asked Dr.
Shaw, how long do you and I need to do this in order to start to debloat, in order for the button on our pants to get some relief,

in order for us to feel better.

What does the research show, Dr. Shaw?

I'm so excited to tell you this

because there's actually research behind this.

It's as little as three days.

Three days you could start feeling,

on day three, you could start feeling like,

wow, you know what? My mood is better. My bloating feels better.
My cravings are gone. And then after, you know, it keeps going.
It's just starts at three days, but in two weeks, you should be markedly better. So I love saying three days because to me, three days feel so doable.
And it's backed by science. We saw a study where they took people and they rapidly changed their diet.

And they said, okay, we're going to rapidly change your diet from a fast food, crazy process diet to the super healthy gut loving diet. And we're going to see how long it takes for your gut microbiome to completely transform.
And they expected two weeks and they saw it in three days. I'm so happy you said that because this conversation is going to release during the holidays.
And I don't know about you listening, but I freaking love the holiday food. And particularly here in the US, the Thanksgiving fair, I have four or five helpings of the turkey with the stuffing and the mashed potato and this cranberry jello thing that we've always made in my family.
And I just love it. And then I love the leftovers.
And I think what happens for me is I do feel like I have a food baby and I feel discouraged. And so I do these extreme things and then they don't really work.
And then I feel more discouraged. And so hearing that you can leverage science and if you simply stick with it for these three to five days, you'll likely start to feel better because you're using the science of all of this.
That makes me feel more motivated, honestly. Because oftentimes- Yeah, me too.
Yeah, because I felt after this week where the pants started out fitting at the beginning of the week. And at the end of the week, I kid you not, I could not even button these pants and the pictures.
I do look like I am in my second trimester of a pregnancy in these pants. And I felt really discouraged because I thought, what is going on? Is this menopause? Is it stress? Is it travel? Is it, is it, what is it? It's probably all of those things.
But I now feel very empowered because this is something I can do. And when you tell me that there is research that says within three days, the studies show that you'll start to feel better if you follow this.
Obviously, I can't, you know, be downing a bottle of Jim Beam on top of this. I got to really pay attention to all the things that you're talking about.
Can't be taking Advil first thing in the morning while I'm doing my fast. Like this makes sense to me.
One thing that you didn't mention was taking a probiotic. Do you recommend that people take probiotics? Okay.
This is how I would think of it. Our species in our gut is like the Amazon jungle.
There's like hundreds, if not thousands of different species in there. Of probiotics? Of bacteria.
Yeah. So a probiotic- Is probiotic the same thing as a bacteria? Yeah.
So it's a probiotic is a bacteria that you take by mouth, right? So a probiotic might have, say, hundreds of strains, right? But that's not even close to how many different types of bacteria are in your gut. So the problem with probiotics today is that if you threw seeds from a plane into a barren land, right, you just threw them, not knowing what climate you were in, not knowing what the local kind of weather soil was like, you know, some seedlings may come out of it.
You know, if you got lucky, but you don't know what you're doing. You're just throwing things at the wall and hoping something sticks, right? So the difference is when you eat probiotic foods, like yogurt, like cottage cheese, like kimchi and sauerkraut, the bacteria come in a food matrix, and they're delivered to your bacteria that already live there.
Like, hey, look, I brought you some friends. And then for some reason, our body is just more likely to incorporate those guys into our existing ecosystem than they are when you throw a whole bunch of pills into your body.
That makes a lot of sense. And so I just want to make sure that you listening are tracking with me and Dr.
Shaw. So I want to ask a couple questions.
So are you saying that probiotic food based on the research is a more effective way to put healthy bacteria and to get your gut health in order,

more healthy and effective than taking an oral probiotic?

Absolutely.

When we get to the place where I can say,

Mel, let me see the organisms that are in your gut right now.

And let me produce a cocktail that's going to be complementary to them.

And then you're going to be like, oh, yeah, this definitely works.

And that's what to be complimentary to them. And then you're going to be like, oh, yeah, this, this definitely works.
And that's why

fecal transplants work so well.

Fecal transplants? What the hell is that?

So the best way...

Fecal transplants.

So the best way to deliver...

I'm just trying to get rid of the food baby I have from Thanksgiving. I don't know if I need

a fecal transplant.

So, you know, we're talking about delivery of bacteria, right?

So you can deliver them through a probiotic.

Yep.

You can deliver it in a food matrix, like, you know,

here, serve it on a platter through a food matrix.

So you're eating sauerkraut and the bacteria are kind of in that matrix of the food.

Makes sense.

Or you deliver it like straight up poop

from someone else that already has that.

Wait, from somebody else?

Yeah, it's called a fecal transplant.

Ew, do you have to eat the poop?

Like what do you do?

No, you can do it placed there through colonoscopy.

It is curative for so many diseases.

Really?

Because it's the best way. You should see everybody's facial expressions.
Think about it. I mean, I know it sounds gross, but you don't have to eat it.
You can have it. Say, okay.
I know your husband. Okay.
I know he's a super healthy guy. He's a very super healthy guy.
And you're like, you know what? I am so sick and tired.

Like, say you want his motivation. Like, it's crazy, but it also athletic performance, mood, all of this stuff can be transplanted through the gut.
So there is a theory, and it's already been seen in some diseases that you take a family members or someone that's really healthy, doesn't have diseases and you take their feces, their poop, you get it transplanted and placed into your colon through a colonoscopy. Okay.
And you let it sit there. So it can kind of like, it's like adding soil, you know, you let it kind of like sit there, let it get incorporated.
It can cure diseases. Like we already know, we think it may be able to cure depression.
It may be able to heal ADHD. It may be able to stop cancer.
I mean, there's like the potential for the fecal transplant is insane. So I'll give you that.
I'll give you that. I will give you that.
I can wrap my brain around that. And I remember it may be something that you shared on one of the other episodes that you were on, that there was a study done, I think on rats.
Yeah. What they did is they took the patients who had schizophrenia and they took their gut bacteria and they put it into mice that didn't have their own gut bacteria so that they could see what happens when we don't change anything in the animal's brain.
We just give them the gut bacteria and they exhibited the change in mental health. So yeah, you understand that that potential is there.
So when you ask me what's the best way to get bacteria

into your gut, and I'm like, okay, probiotics is a C, you know, food-based probiotic foods is a B, and the A is actually getting bacteria from another human. What you're basically saying is that the healthiest way to get a sample of live, healthy gut bacteria is when that live, healthy gut bacteria moves from the stomach down the intestines and out somebody through the colon.
And so we obviously know that's fecal matter, but inside that is live, healthy bacteria and a healthy person. And what you're saying in terms of the emerging science is that that source of live, healthy bacteria, even if it's encased in something we all think is disgusting, that is actually the most effective way to help somebody else grow.
And I would imagine as the technology emerges, especially with all this research that's showing over and over and over again, how effective it can be in the positive or the negative to transfer healthy gut bacteria from one person or species to another, that they will figure out a delivery mechanism for that. That doesn't sound disgusting, but that I hear you in that it is wildly effective.
You know, and to add on that, you know, one of the other ways to get healthy bacteria from other humans, you broke it down so, so nicely because the best way to get healthy, good gut bacteria is from other humans.

It's just by spending time with other humans that you want to be like. Wait a minute.
So am I catching Chris's bacteria? Like if I kiss him, am I going to catch his bacteria? You share food with him. You hug him, kiss him.
You are more like Chris's gut microbiome than your identical twin sister, if you ever had one. Really? Yes.
Identical twins that are separated at birth, their microbiomes look closer to the people that they live with or their significant others than each other. And when you want to be more like someone, you want the athletic prowess, you want to be as happy, you want to be as successful as they say, you know, the people you spend your time with, you become like, when you look at it through this gut bacteria lens, that actually is happening.
That's fascinating. All right.
Well, more importantly, we now know, regardless of what is causing you bloat and how you got to this conversation, we now know a five-day science-backed protocol by the absolutely extraordinary Dr. Amy Shaw.
I want to thank you so much for being here with us. I'm so grateful to you and the team.
And I'm happy to be on here to talk about maybe the most important part of health that, you know, we don't ever talk about is this whole world of the gut brain hormone connection. It can make us happier.
It can help us age successfully. It can make us better people in general.
And I think it's something that everybody needs to hear. Awesome.
I just love Dr. Shaw.
Every time I talk to her, I feel smarter. And we just learned so much.
That was a goldmine. I mean, you know exactly what to do.
And of course, you have to decide whether or not it's something that fits for you and your lifestyle and your health. but she just gave you the research and she walked you through step by step by step based on the research and her expertise, what you could do to not only fight the bloat, but more importantly, take control of your gut health.
And as she explained in the very beginning, your gut health and happy gut bacteria means a happy you. And I want that for you.
You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Because I love you.
That's right. In case nobody else tells you today, I'm going to remind you that I love you.
That's why I show up here twice a week to be with you. And I also believe in you.
And I believe in your ability to take the information that you're learning when you listen and apply what you feel is right to your life

so you can create a better life.

All right?

I got a reset to go do.

I got to find some fibrous foods, you know?

I'm going to go eat a banana and some blueberries,

and I'll talk to you in a few days.

Let's go, Jesse! Here we go, people. Thank you.
I am super hot. Thank you.
From the waist up, Jesse. She don't like that, people.
She don't like it. Jesse's girl.
Oakley Robbins, ladies and gentlemen, what's up? Do you need money? Is that why you're here? Well, yeah, I was gonna ask. I didn't want to like be like that.
I knew it. Of course.
I don't know. I'm just being a weirdo.
Okay, here we go. Take 55.
Take 55. Here we go take 55 take 55 here we go can you hear that Andrea I absolutely can yes okay we're gonna take a pause for a second just consider that like tapping okay there we go do want to hear the problem with alcohol so let's take a quick...
Wait, where are we? Oh, I think I might be in the wrong thing. Oh, I just clicked to the wrong thing.
I'm sorry. I was in the other one.
I'm like, I think I read that. Okay.
Do you want to do that one more time, Andrea? I mean, that was good for me. Okay.
If it's good for Andrea, that means it's way better than my standards. Oh, and one more thing.
And no, this is not a blooper. This is the legal language.
You know, what the lawyers write and what I need to read to you. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes.
I'm just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist.
And this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good.
I'll see you in the next episode. Stitcher.
Hey friends, Ted Danson here, and I want to let you know about my new podcast. It's called Where Everybody Knows Your Name, with me, Ted Danson, and Woody Harrelson, sometimes.
Doing this podcast is a chance for me and my good bud Woody to reconnect after Cheers wrapped 30 years ago. Plus, we're introducing each other to the friends we've met since, like Jane Fonda, Conan O'Brien, Eric Andre, Mary Steenburgen, my wife, and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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Listen to Where Everybody Knows Your Name wherever you get your podcasts.