This episode is a deep dive into the gut/brain connection with Dr. Grace Liu PharmD.
We discuss how microbes in your gut are controlling your brain.
From food cravings to hormones to mood.. gut bacteria, fungus, and parasites are pulling our subconscious strings throughout the day.
Dr. Grace is one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve spoken with in regards to optimizing the gut microbiome for improved cognitive function.
Biohack Your Brainpower
Who Is Dr. Grace Liu
Dr. Grace Liu PharmD is an IFM-trained functional medicine practitioner and founder of The Gut Institute.
She is a clinical pharmacist with a doctorate in practice for 20+ years and specializes in complex disease management. Dr. Liu PharmD consults and helps clients gain optimal performance by rebuilding the microbiome after damage from modern living. She uses nutrigenomic tools and other advanced functional lab testing to give the solutions, strategies and treatments that reverse modern gut dysbiosis and disease
Grace Liu believes in educating clinicians and coaches at The Gut Institute to heal and improve ONE BILLION guts and impact the world around us.
Dr Grace’s clients include Paleo Diet leader Robb Wolf, Noad Lahat Bellator & UFC MMA fighter, Kyle Kingsbury retired UFC fighter, 8- time world title holder Miriam Nakamoto, executives and multi-tasking moms.
Dr Grace helps her clients reduce fatigue, fat, fog and food allergies in 6 months or less.
She is a consultant for investment firms, probiotic & prebiotic companies, investment firms,, microbiome and metagenomic industry leaders.
Topics Discussed
- Optimizing gut health in elite athletes for more strength and better performance
- Dr. Grace’s experience helping top MMA fighters improve gut function
- How gut health affects hormones
- Optimizing the microbiome can increase testosterone in men
- The devastating effects of antibiotics on the gut and brain
- Dr. Grace’s protocol of weed, seed, and refeeding for gut heeling.
- The prevalence of leaky gut in athletes.
- The bio-individuality of gluten sensitivity
- The harm of food additives on the gut and brain
- The prevalence of gut-related brain fog in high performers
- Why using a urine organic acids test is better than a stool test for analyzing gut health
- How mold contributes to brain fog
- Different bacteria strains found in probiotics that can break down mold, pull out chemicals
- The importance of pooping every day
- The importance of gut temperature for breaking down food
- Parasites in the body control our cravings for sugar
- Gut pathogens control the foods we crave
- How parasites like morganella morganii emit neurotransmitters and affects your mind
- Microbiome studies on Blue Zones show no antibiotic use and consumption of wide varieties of food including animal products eaten nose to tail
- The ABC’s of healthy gut bacteria: akkermansia, biffido longum (found in healthy people and centenarians, improves mood, good for all neurotransmitter pathways etc), clostridiales (good for lowering body fat, good metabolic health) – when you have these then you can defend against bad pathogens
- Need 80/20 good bacteria to bad bacteria
- Importance of controlled amounts of candida to chelate heavy metals
- The ecosystem of fungus and bacteria
- How oxalates found in healthy foods interact with the microbiome
- High blood pressure and heart attacks are calcification from oxalate pairing with calcium and congregating in organic, tissues, and endothelium
- Bladder issues in the prostate and kidneys tied to oxalate and fungus
- Oxalobacter formigenes ability to break down oxalate. Many people are missing this crucial gut bacteria strain.
- Why Dr. Grace does not like bone broth due to high arginine content
- The problems with collagen supplements
- Hyaluronic acid’s ability to make collagen naturally
- Dr. Grace’s Fiber Concoction: Inulin, psyllium husk, glucomannan
- The gut species that separate modern humans from ape ancestors
- The need for high acidity stomach
- The damage that antacid medications cause to the gut
- Endogenous digestive enzymes work best with warmer food and fluids
- Digestive bitters are great for enzymes
- Bitter vegetables are good for gut
Freebies
Get Dr. Grace’s Free Guide for boosting your microbiome health and Blueberry Crisp Dessert Recipe for Immune Function
Studies Mentioned
- Endotoxin-initiated inflammation reduces testosterone production in men of reproductive age
- Iron Behaving Badly
Supplements Mentioned
- Inulin, psyllium husk, glucomannan concoction
- Digestive Enzymes
- Probiotics
