Tag Archive for: gut health testing

Dr. Bonnie Schnautz Naturopathic Doctor, Digestive Health Specialist and Mental Fitness Coach opening the door

Health Information Forms

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Welcome to B Renewed Wellness Solutions! Your next step is to complete the health information forms. This provides the background of your health and the current symptoms that you are experiencing. The more details you can provide, the better I can help you balance your body and manage your stress.

Please complete the following forms at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. 
1. Food and Beverage Intake
Be sure to track your food and beverage for a minimum of 4 days. More is better. We don’t need to know calories, just whether you dine in or out and what time you are eating or drinking.
You can track your food in a notebook and share it with me if you prefer. If you use a food tracking app, you can also share that with me instead of using the forms. The more details you can provide, the better I can help you determine the source of your stressors. If you like to use the online form, you can do that here.
2. General Health Assessment

 Complete the Health Assessment

3. Hormone Assessment for Women

This applies to women over the age of 13 or who have started menstruating.
Complete the Hormone Survey 

4. Mental Fitness Assessment

Curious about what a mental fitness assessment is? There are two parts to the assessment. One is the percentage of time you are being hijacked by the negative saboteurs that we all have. These negative saboteur thoughts are creating loads of stress which is impacting our mental and physical health. Take the Mental Fitness Assessment here. 

The second part of the assessment is your total PQ score. This measures your potential for happiness and success in everything you do.  Once complete, you’ll receive the results (two separate results) via email.  Forward those to me at bonnie@brenewed.com.

I’m looking forward to helping you overcome your health challenges and restore your body and mind to wholeness. You deserve this!

If you have any questions, please email or call. Or check out our page of Frequently Asked Questions.

Thank You and God bless.

Bonnie Schnautz DHS, ND

 

Note: The consultation is not designed to treat, cure or diagnose an illness. This is for educational purposes only.

Rev 1/31/2024

pH strips and test bottle

Understanding the 24 Hour Urinalysis

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Understanding the 24 Hour Urinalysis is key to balancing the body and reducing stress from tissues and organs. The key insight is determining optimal digestion.  I work primarily with women who typically want to balance their hormones and lose weight. The number one insight to understanding their health is that it is extremely difficult to balance the hormones until we balance the gut. Truly, balancing the gut is the first step before working towards rebalancing the body from any health condition.

The 24-hour urinalysis collection provides information on what a person can absorb, assimilate and digest as well as nutrient deficiencies.  The test is prognostic, not diagnostic. These insights tell what could lie ahead with your health if you don’t make the changes to clean up your diet and support your digestion.

A 24-hour collection is a way of peeking at the blood (the extracellular fluid or ECF). The health of the blood takes precedence in the body and cells will sacrifice nutrients in attempting to maintain the blood’s pH. So, therefore, the blood takes what it needs from the cells to achieve its balance or homeostasis.

Volume

The total urine output in relationship to the specific gravity indicates how well the kidneys are functioning.

Specific Gravity

Measures the weight of total dissolved substances in the urine against an equal amount of water. Specific gravity shows the general water content (hydration) of the body.

Indican

This indicates the degree of toxicity, putrefaction, gas, and fermentation in the intestines. Indican comes from putrefying undigested food in the large intestine which is kicked back into the blood and excreted through the kidneys. Indican is extremely toxic and cause many symptoms.

Calcium

If a nutrient does not show in the blood, it means the body is using all there is. For example, if the level of urinary calcium is low, that indicates that the blood doesn’t have enough calcium to spare and may be leaching calcium out of the cells and bones. This could lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis. If the nutrients are too high, the blood is dumping excess calcium into the urine. For example, the urine test can show too much calcium or electrolyte chloride (salt) which means you are eating too much salt. It can also indicate a lipase deficiency.

pH

If the urine shows an acidic pH, it means the blood is dumping excess acid reserves into the urine to maintain an optimal pH. A high alkaline urine pH means the blood is dumping excess alkaline into the urine.

Kidney Stress

Signs of kidney-lymphatic stress include allergies, dark circles under the eyes, swollen lymph glands, kidney pain, low blood sugar, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. This is usually worse in women during menstruation and pregnancy. Urine volume in relation to specific gravity shows whether the person is suffering from kidney-lymphatic stress. A normal or low volume with a low specific gravity indicates a kidney lymphatic stress pattern.

Total Sediment

Total sediment is about determining optimal digestion. The reading looks at the ability to digest protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Understanding this value helps determine which digestive enzyme and diet would be best for your body.

Vitamin C 

Levels of vitamin C indicate body reserves.

Additional Resources

A great resource to learn more is The Enzyme Advantage for Women by Howard Loomis Jr., D.C., F.I.A.C.A.. In this book you will learn how diet and digestion can impact female health; from puberty, PMS, and infertility to menopause, as well as the four types of PMS, and much more! I was so fortunate to complete my Digestive Health Training directly from Dr. Loomis along with a team of other brilliant doctors from Loomis Institute.

Call us with questions at 812-461-8922 or schedule a complimentary Wellness Strategy Session.

 

Listen to your gut

What are the Key Components of Gut Health – Listen to Your Body

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What are the key components of gut health? Remember to listen to your body as it leaves us clues.

 The gut is the cornerstone of wellness. GI discomfort is often the primary issue or a secondary result of other problems within the body.

How do you know if your gut is out of balance? Your gut is most likely out of balance if you experience gas, bloating, belching, stomach pains or soreness, constipation, or diarrhea. There can be numerous other signs but these are the most common.

GI discomfort seems to grow as changes in our environment, stress, eating and drinking habits, food supply, medications all impact the function and strength of the gut.

Balancing and optimizing gut health can be achieved through the correct dietary protocols, nutraceuticals, and stress management.

Critical components of gut health are ensuring that

  1. We are putting real food in the body
  2. We have the appropriate enzymes to break the food into nutrients
  3. Our pH is balanced
  4. We have a sufficient amount of good bacteria

It’s not as difficult as it sounds, I promise.

First, to put real food in the body, focus on shopping the perimeter of the market. Here is a sample of what I eat. Green smoothie with plant protein for breakfast, lentil soup and GF crackers for lunch, and Clean, organic meats with a vegetable for dinner or large salad with boiled eggs.

Second, add a digestive enzyme to your diet and take it with each meal. Here is a general one that uses clean ingredients to use if you haven’t tested to determine what you need.

Third, you can determine your pH with 24 Hour (UA) Urinalysis which provides insights on 17 areas of your gut and overall health. As important we can see macronutrients you aren’t breaking down such as fats, carbs, proteins, or ALL the above! This is critical as you may be eating a healthy diet and you aren’t receiving the critical nutrients to heal and repair your body. Once we know which specific enzymes you need to support with, we can recommend a specific diet and supplement best for you. Learn more about the test here.

Last, add a probiotic that also contains a post-biotic and a prebiotic. The 24 UA testing will tell us your bowel toxicity but everyone can benefit. If you’ve been taking the same one for years, it’s time to switch! Your body needs a variety of good bacteria. A good Trebiotic can be a little more of an investment than you may be making but well worth it if you are ready for a positive transformation in your health.

Want more insights, take this 3-minute Health Quiz and we will respond with more specific recommendations.