Essential 5R Protocol
Just as the gastrointestinal (GI) system is located centrally in our bodies, it also plays a central role in the overall health of both body and mind. Medical researchers and healthcare professionals have recently turned more focus towards the importance of gut health, studying how the gut microbiome responds to the food we eat, influencing obesity, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, and even mental health.
When the GI microbiome is compromised due to stress, infection, dysbiosis, allergies, parasites, or toxins, local symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal bloating and cramping, acid reflux, and constipation can result. Other less local symptoms such as headache, lack of focus, mood, and fatigue can also occur. Restoring balance to the gut microbiome can be difficult as there are likely multiple factors contributing to an unbalanced gut.
Addressing GI function is often a first step to restoring whole body health and wellness. The Essential 5R Protocol offered by Metabolic Maintenance provides a synergistic approach to restoring balance to this important system.
Each step of the Essential 5R Protocol is designed to address specific insults to the GI system. Each product in the Essential line has been carefully selected to address one or more crucial factors in each step of the 5R Protocol.
For detailed information and the complete protocol, please download our brochure.
Step One: Remove
Remove focuses on eliminating pathogenic bacteria, fungus, parasites, and viruses from the GI system. Problematic diets and food intolerances can create unbalanced gut terrain where opportunistic, less healthful bacteria can move in. Stress in our lives decreases the ability of our immune system to ward off pathogens. It causes a decrease in digestive secretions and alters the transit time of food through the digestive tract. It alters the makeup of our healthy flora, decreasing the number of healthful species, and increases the number of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium.
Essential: Happy Belly® • Take 2-4 capsules twice daily (starting with 1-2 per day and gradually increasing). • For mild symptoms, continue for 2-3 weeks. For chronic issues, severe symptoms, or moderate to severe overgrowth, continue for 4-8 weeks.
Step Two: Replace
Replace refers to the supplementation of digestive factors and/or enzymes when intrinsic secretions may be insufficient or in limited supply. Stress and the resulting sympathetic state runs counter to the digestive process and can result in reduced secretions of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
Essential: GluDaZyme™ • 1-2 capsules per meal • GluDaZyme™ provides a complete spectrum of digestive enzymes including a proprietary dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme blend, amylase I and II, lipase, glucoamylase, cellulase, hemicellulase, lactase, xylanase, and alpha galactosidase. • GluDaZyme™ is especially helpful for those with gluten and dairy sensitivities.
Step Three: Reinoculate
Introducing desirable probiotics to the intestinal tract replenishes beneficial species and leaves less space for pathogenic bacteria. Healthy microflora increase production of vitamins, degrade toxins, and produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) that support healthy mucosal cells. A diverse microbiome is associated with most robust overall health.
Essential: BioMaintenance™ Shelf Stable Probiotic • This product delivers high potency doses of shelf stable probiotic strains. • 1-2 capsules during Remove protocol. • Dose 1-2 hours away from Happy Belly® and continue for 4-8 weeks beyond end of Remove protocol.
