Peptides: Gut Health First

As a holistic clinician, I get asked about my opinion on peptides often, especially the weight loss medications and while I'll admit I was slow to arrive, I am absolutely a fan. I've shared quite a bit about the GLP-1s in various posts, talks, and certainly in my educational programs, and have shared about the growing popularity of the various peptides utilized in regenerative or anti-aging medicine in my programs, but today I wanted to talk a bit about why sometimes these don't work for clients or why sometimes they don't quite get the results they desire.

Gut Health Must Come Before Peptides

Peptides are very cutting edge right now and clinicians are eager to support clients in not just their journey towards weight loss, but also in their efforts to sustain vitality as they age. The challenge though is that in all this eagerness, we often skip that foundational step - getting gut health right - because otherwise these advanced therapies can backfire or be a complete waste of money.

The underlying cause for many who are aging faster than they anticipated or even for those who are obese is inflammation, and that inflammation has a cause. Ignoring this can not just wreck havoc on one's effort with peptides, but it can continue causing damage and lead to worsening symptoms and diseases. Imagine your inflammation being the noise is a super busy, and noisy train station, and your peptide being a whisper into that chaos. The message may not be heard.

A functional medicine consult can help identify any underlying infections, toxins, or stressors weighing on the system, which we will want to clean up to minimize the ancillary noise before introducing new strategies. This isn't overwhelmingly challenging or expensive, but it isn't a quick fix either. Once the path is somewhat made clear, we can then start to replace and replenish as one might lay a new garden over nourished soil. Peptides are part of this effort.

Consider though, a client coming in to meet with me and just wanting the "weight loss medication" or "performance peptide that helps them get better results in the gym" but they are also struggling with a chronic infection. This may not be obvious to them though. Maybe they feel a bit exhausted, a bit overwhelmed, even a bit of brain fog, but they are convinced peptides, or even hormones will help. It did for their colleague after all.

It can be a challenge for me, because I do want to respect the desire of my clients, but when we jump directly into peptides or hormones, and the gut isn't first address, or their immune burden, or even nervous system overwhelm, they often fail to get desired results. Therapies just won't land the same, and the client then makes the assumption that "those drugs simply didn't work for me." Imagine though throwing seeds down on a plot of land that's rock is solid from years of travel. It isn't ripe for receiving seeds, let alone nourishment to nurture the new growth.

Sometimes when we integrate new treatments in the gut, even supplements, botanicals, and even foods, our body can reaction and symptoms worsen. Our immune system is so overworked it tags everything as danger. We must calm the system first, if we want to create the capacity within our bodies to move in a new direction. Some will even experience illness, or viral overload if their bodies are not ready.

Gut Health is Pretty Non-Negotiable

Most of us eat three to five times a day, so our nutrition is one of the more frequent and direct inputs we give our body. If the gut isn't able to absorb these nutrients, no supplement or therapy can fully succeed. Stress and overwhelm also impact the gut, so we have to address both - and sleep.

Clean nutrition is important and honestly, it can be easier to change someone's religion than their diet, so if there is no room for change here, these peptides are going to be an expensive investment potentially for very little result. Quality and cleanliness in your food choices is pretty vital for optimal results, and I'd even argue, for most, the willingness to plan ahead and prepare food at home.

I am a fan of plant-based diets, or heavily plant-oriented diets, but for women, especially those who are aging, long-term vegetarianism can contribute to nutrient depletion, reduce bone marrow quality and cause premature aging. We often need to lean into a diet that is flexible, changes with the seasons and having a very embodied experience while choosing and eating our foods.

Movement is also key. Walk daily and wear a weighted vest, but again, if you are feeling overwhelmed and haven't addressed healthy boundaries, toxic relationships, or have space in your life to invest in your own needs, again, your results are going to be significantly reduced because healing requires that your nervous system feels safe. Many times we don't even realize our brain perceives threat until we share our realities with someone else, and we hear our story aloud. This is a big reason why I adore yoga. It causes us to check in - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Without a systematic approach, these treatment modalities can cause harm. Introducing stem cells for healing, for example, but not addressing the viral burden someone has can increase viral replication instead of regulating the system. There is no short cut even with these cutting edge medicinal tools.

Key Take Aways

We really do need to get back to the basics first. Peptides and hormones are for healthy people, although this is not an exclusive statement because sometimes... sometimes this can be exactly what a client needs to get going in the right direction, but these components are at minimum, integrated simultaneously. This is an art to managing sometimes, but it really isn't a boutique, quick fix approach.

The foundations of healing must be respected, including clean, nutrient-dense food, emotional regulation, optimal sleep, movement, and time in nature so we can create the capacity to receive these new offerings, rather than overload the body. Advanced therapies thrive in a prepared system - not a burdened one.

I've created a complete program for optimizing physical wellness and also maintaining your youthfulness if you might be interested in investing in yourself. Connect with me.