Author name: Vishi Sethi

Healing Protocol to reset your body, lose weight, reverse diseases, and restore balance naturally and powerfully! Weight gain isn’t your fault – it’s your body’s SOS signal for help! In a world overflowing with quick fixes and fad diets, true healing often begins when we shift our focus from restriction to restoration.  The body isn’t your enemy – it’s a miraculous system designed to repair itself when given the right environment. This means –  “You don’t need a stricter diet – you need a deeper healing protocol!” A healing protocol isn’t about counting calories or chasing the scale; it’s about identifying and reversing the root imbalances that caused weight gain and disease in the first place.  By nourishing your liver, balancing your gut microbiome, calming inflammation, and realigning your hormones through clean foods, mindful movement, and deep rest, you can trigger your body’s innate ability to heal.  This isn’t about temporary change – it’s about reversing disease and dropping weight by – fixing what’s really broken inside! Let’s dive deep into “the targeted Healing Protocol” that can help you lose weight, detoxify fatty liver, reset metabolism, reverse chronic conditions and metabolic disorders (like Cholesterol, BP, Type 2 diabetes, Thyroid, Obesity etc.) and naturally guide your body back to its ideal weight – one mindful step at a time. Follow the steps below to – reclaim your health, energy, and peace from the inside out. Let’s talk about “WHAT TO EAT, WHEN TO EAT AND HOW TO EAT?”  Step 1 – Upon arising in the morning (let’s say you wake up at 7 am) drink one glass of Lukewarm water.  Reason – this water does not get absorbed in the body rather it flushes out toxins and cleanses your kidneys Step 2 – Do some form of exercise – for atleast one hour (from 7 to 8am) preferably – meditation, yoga and pranayama. Reason – yoga and pranayama help in reducing stress. Stress as we know is a major underlying factor in the onset and progression of many diseases – for it has a direct impact on your digestion and can mess up your gut.  Step 3 – After getting done with the exercise at 8 am – Drink a cup of Milk Thistle Tea.  Reason – Milk Thistle is a potent ayurvedic herb that detoxifies your liver and removes toxins from your body. Step 4 – Sit in the sun for 15 to 20 mins. You can also sit in the sun while sipping milk thistle tea.  Reason – Sitting in the sun nourishes both mind and body. It enhances digestion and sets the mood and tone for the day. It also promotes Vit D synthesis, strong immunity and detoxication through mild sweating.  Step 5 – After drinking milk thistle tea, one hour later at 9 am, have a probiotic drink. Probiotics add good healthy bacteria to your gut. Which aids in digestion, strengthens the lining of your gut, decreases inflammation, and improves insulin sensitivity.  Here are my top 3 recommendations for the probiotic drinks –  Homemade kanji – made from beetroot and carrots Kefir – can be coconut kefir, goat’s milk kefir or kefir water Buttermilk – made from plain homemade yogurt or coconut yogurt. I suggest you add a spoon of flax seed powder, or chia seeds (soaked overnight) or psyllium husk fiber to your probiotic drink. All these fibers act as prebiotic (fodder) for the good bacteria in your gut.  Step 6 – One hour later at 10 am, have one fruit or a small plate of salad with few nuts and seeds. Make sure you eat different types of fruits and salad with different types of nuts and seeds for at least 7 days in a week and then repeat. This will help in diversifying your microbiome.  Note – you can choose to eat just salad at this hour and eat a fruit after lunch in the evening before 4pm. This is because some salads don’t pair well with fruits and so fruit should be eaten alone with nuts and seeds. Also, since salad is must for it adds fiber to the diet, it should be eaten as an appetizer at least one hour before lunch.  Make sure the nuts and seeds are soaked overnight before consumption.  For example – On  Mon – eat – 1 apple or cucumber and carrot salad with 5 to 7 almonds Tues – eat – 1 banana with a spoon of sunflower seeds Wed – eat – 1 pear – with a spoon of pumpkin seeds Thurs – eat – a bowl of papaya – with 5 cashews and so on Reason – eating fruits and nuts once a day is must for fruits are light to digest, high in water content, and rich in fiber and micronutrients.  Nuts and seeds are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, protein and vitamin E – which are healthy for your brain and heart.  Step 7 – Have an early lunch between 11 to 11:30am. Let’s call it a brunch.  Now the Lunch should be Nutri-dense! Your plate must contain –  A bowl of vegetables (any two seasonal vegetables mixed) – green leafy vegetables like – kale, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, water cress, asparagus, celery, peas, carrots, bell-peppers, Brussel sprouts, artichoke, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, okra, bottle guard/ridge gourd/Indian round guard (aka Ghiya/Tinde/Tori), bitter gourd, Potatoes and taro root (aka Arbi) in moderation (no more than once per week), onions and tomatoes in moderation (cooked only) A bowl of legumes – consume all lentils basically – black eyed peas, chana dal, moong dal, moong chilka dal, arhar or toor dal, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans.  A bowl of protein – such as tofu, edamame, soya, eggs, red -meat in moderation, chicken, turkey, fish, chick-peas, homemade paneer or cottage cheese, quinoa etc. as per your digestion preference.  Whole grains – now if you have a weak gut – I suggest you eat gluten free grains like – millets,

DO YOU HAVE CANDIDA OVERGROWTH? If you are experiencing chronic symptoms ranging from Brain Fog, Intestinal Discomfort, Joint Pain to Fatigue, but your doctor is at a loss to explain the reason, Candida Overgrowth could be to Blame!  What is Candida? Humans host a complex microbial ecosystem composed of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protists and archaea – each playing key and interconnected roles in maintaining health and supporting biological functions. The gut microbiome varies greatly between individuals, both in size (total microbial load) and composition (species diversity), due to differences in physiology, diet, lifestyle, and environment.  Candida is a yeast-like fungus that naturally lives on and inside the human body – primarily in the mouth, gut, skin and vaginal tract – without causing harm under normal circumstances (1). However, Candida can become opportunistic under certain conditions and cause infection – when the normal balance within the microbiome is disrupted or the host’s immune system is weakened (1). The main drivers of candida overgrowth include poor diet, antibiotics, stressful lifestyle, alcohol, high blood sugar, contraceptive hormones, immune suppression and gut disrupting drugs.  Over 150 Candida species have been recognized to date. But Candida Albicans is the most frequently associated with HUMAN INFECTIONS.  It is a dimorphic Gram-positive yeast, not acid-resistant, saprophyte (fungus that lives on dead or decaying matter) in 40–75% of healthy humans (28, 29). And is responsible for over 80% of human yeast infections (28,30). Among humans – Candida Albicans is the most studied and clinically relevant – an overgrowth of which affects millions of people; many of whom are unaware of the cause of their symptoms. In fact, it is estimated that one in three people suffer from yeast overgrowth due to Candida Albicans! Candida albicans is a common opportunistic yeast that causes oral thrush, vaginal infections, and gut issues! The genus name Candida is attributed to the traditional “white robes” worn by Roman candidates (candidatus) running for public office. The term albicans is derived from another Latin word albico/albicatus, which means “to be white” or “verge on white.” In essence, the term Candida albicans is redundant meaning “white to be white” and is associated with white color [2]. What is Candida Overgrowth or Pathogenicity? Candida overgrowth happens when the natural balance between Candida yeast and beneficial bacteria in the body is disturbed, allowing candida to multiply excessively and cause infection. This can occur in various parts of the body such as the gut, mouth, throat, or genital area.  When Candida overgrows, it disrupts the normal microbial balance and can lead to symptoms and infections collectively known as Candidiasis.  In most individuals with a healthy immune system, C. albicans is a harmless microbe that exists in harmony with other members of the gut flora that keep candida under control. Candida begins to overgrow when the environment in the body changes due to the following factors: Repeated use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (kills both good and bad bacteria creating room for fungus to grow) Changes in the host immune system (e.g., during stress, poor diet and lifestyle, infection by another microbe, or immunosuppressant therapy) Variations in the gut environment (e.g., shifts in gut pH, gastritis, or nutritional deficiencies) and, Conditions such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, organ transplantation Damaged physical barriers (damaged mucosal barriers such as mouth, gut, genital surfaces due to trauma, chemotherapy, or medical devices for example catheters) These conditions favor the trigger of fungal proliferation causing Candida to grow out of control, invade deeper tissues and turn into an            aggressive pathogen causing wide range of infections (1). These infections range from: superficial mucosal and dermal infections, such as oral thrush, diaper rash or skin rash, and vaginal yeast infections (75% of women will have yeast infection or UTIs at least once in their lifetime),  to more serious blood/organs related and deep tissue infections with sizable mortality rates (approaching 47% in some cases) (1). While women are more susceptible to vaginal or genital yeast infections (also known as UTIs in lay term), men and kids can also be infected.    Certain factors, such as prolonged antibiotic use, increase the risk of candida overgrowth for both men and women. Prolonged Antibiotics use promotes yeast (fungal) infections, including gastrointestinal (GI) Candida overgrowth and penetration of the GI mucosa making the host more susceptible to yeast infections. Candida albicans may also play a role in the persistence or worsening of some chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (5,6). Many of the illnesses and symptoms that plague men and women and children today – from fatigue, bloating, and weight gain to prostates, brain fog, arthritis, allergies, ear infections and depression can be traced back to surprising factor – an overgrowth of yeast called Candida Albicans (5,6). In addition to these concerns, candida has also been linked to arguably more serious and debilitating illnesses such as autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and mental illness (5).    Infection caused by Candida are especially serious in immunocompromised individuals (such as those with diabetes, nutrient deficiencies, AIDS/HIV or those undergoing anticancer chemotherapy/radiation immunosuppression therapies) and healthy people with implanted medical devices such as catheters, pacemakers, prosthetics, heart valves, dentures etc. (1,6). Candida’s ability to shift from a harmless commensal to an aggressive pathogen exemplifies its opportunistic nature – it takes advantage of weak immune system or disrupted microbial imbalance to cause a disease.    Factors that lead to Candida Overgrowth    Diet high in sugar and refined carbs – Candida thrives on sugar.  Repeated Antibiotic use – Antibiotics kill beneficial and non-beneficial bacteria (not fungi), that normally keep candida in check. This disrupts the microbial balance allowing the yeast to overgrow.  Low stomach acid (Impaired Upper Digestion) – impacts gut microbiome and again makes the environment favorable for candida overgrowth Weakened Immune System and Health conditions – Conditions such as HIV/AIDs, diabetes, cancer, chemotherapy, and use of immunosuppressive drugs increase susceptibility to candida Excess alcohol consumption – Excess alcohol can lead to leaky gut, change gut flora and thus act as a fuel source for candida overgrowth. Estrogen Dominance – Changes

How did I beat Mold (Ochratoxin A)? My Mold Toxicity Story! All of this started when I was 16 years old (back in year 2000), studying in a boarding school (India) and was severely Constipated. To treat my Constipation, Doctors put me on Laxatives (Yellow tablets by Homeopathy, Cremalax and Dulcolax by Allopathy) and my health started deteriorating day by day. My symptoms were – Loose/watery stools, Low energy, Sinusitis, Brain Fog, Feeling Lethargic, Chronic Fatigue, Breathing problem, Forgetfulness, Problems in reading Textbook, Irritation on silly things, Bone and Muscle weakness, Dry Cough, Unexplainable Weight Gain, Intensified Sugar Cravings, Brain feeling deprived of nutrition even if I ate 5 meals a day, Problem in waking up early, Mood Swings, Feeling Frustrated, Inflammation in the joints and gut, Binge eating and Emotional eating too, Heartburn, Gas/Acidity/GERD. I SERIOUSLY NEEDED HELP!! After going to numerous Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Naturopathic doctors for 18 years in vain – I finally decided to see a Functional Medicine Doctor at the age of 37 (I moved to America in 2009 at the age of 25). I had seen a few functional medicine doctors earlier but they could not help much. They could not diagnose what was going on with me exactly. Finally, after a lot of research, I found two great Functional Medicine (FM) Doctors that had all the answers for me. First FM Doctor diagnosed me with SIBO (Small Intestinal bacterial overgrowth (Methane and Hydrogen dominant), Leaky gut issues, deficiency of trace minerals, imbalance in gut flora, hiatal hernia and gastritis. Second FM doctor diagnosed me with SIFO (Small intestinal fungal overgrowth) also known as Candida overgrowth and Liver and Gallbladder Congestion. Now I knew I was in the right hands! I hope you all know that SIBO is a medical condition in which – bacteria starts to populate in your small intestine where all of your nutrients are absorbed – leading to chronic malabsorption of nutrients from food. The right place for the bacteria is to reside in the large intestine. Same goes with SIFO – which refers to small intestinal fungal overgrowth which is also very common. Now, the first FM doctor began a treatment for SIBO. Her approach was – biofilm disruption for two weeks with LOW FODMAP DIET followed by antibiotics for two weeks. But did it work? NOPE it didn’t! Why didn’t it work? I followed her protocol exactly as she recommended:     1. Took Interface plus – a biofilm disruptor for two weeks   2. Ate LOW FODMAP food during those two weeks – I had turned vegan by that time so it was kind of hard because that made my food choices more restrictive. So all I ate was tofu and black gram tortilla with some LOW FODMAP vegetables. I used to rotate between salads and vegetables. 3. Then in the third week I started my course of antibiotics (Rifaximin and Metronidazole) for two weeks. I saw the difference within first week. I lost some weight and was passing lot of gas which of course was a good sign of those bad bugs being killed. Didn’t put any sugar in my mouth. 4. However, in the second week of antibiotics, I started craving sugar. So I made myself some orange juice at home thinking it’s a LOW FODMAP food. BUT THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE! 5. My SIBO relapsed immediately – flaring up a reaction instantly. I knew I had messed up. Sugar is what the bad bugs love. Also, another  mistake I made was I didn’t add a binder and didn’t do enema daily. However, I was doing all other spiritual practices like – meditation, yoga and breath work since SIBO is supposed to be a cause of Stress and Fear. (I will talk more about on the spiritual aspect of SIBO and Candida in my next blog post) 6. Anyways, finally completed the course for two weeks with no long lasting results. Discussed with my FM doctor, told her I can’t eat tofu and the same vegetables anymore. My body had given up. My kidneys and liver were rejecting protein completely. Also, I had this complaint that whenever I ate sugar, especially, it came in my eyes like it made my eyes blurry. It also caused lot of congestion in my chest area underneath my rib cage specifically. 7. She just thought they were all signs of bloating due to SIBO. So, she came up with a new plan. She decided to put me on an elemental diet  for two weeks. It’s a liquid diet which contains pre-digested nutrients which do not reach your small intestine so bad bugs never get to feed on them. The idea is to starve the bad bugs in the intestine and kill them. 8. I had a great experience with elemental diet. Lost 7 kgs of weight, gave rest to my liver and kidney, felt amazing in brain, had lot more  energy and my concentration improved. But my chest pain was still there. It just won’t go away even with this diet. Another major side effect  I had of this diet was infection in my ears. However, I ignored it thinking we will deal with this later. Let’s just focus on beating SIBO first. 9. In the second week of my elemental diet program, I accidentally put a piece of almond in my mouth and there it was again, the reaction  flared up. I was like “you kidding me – it came back with just a piece of almond?” Told my doctor and she said it’s hard to do it. I was            disappointed with this response. I knew there was something more going on in my body besides SIBO. 10. Well this time she tweaked the plan again and she put me on Herbal antimicrobials (Candibactin AR and BR) for 4 weeks. I started taking those coz they are easy on your stomach and liver. But also started doing my own research

Panchakarma Treatment Feeling sluggish, depressed, unmotivated? Having difficulty with emotional issues, digestion, or concentration? You may benefit dramatically from panchakarma: detoxifying through Ayurveda. Panchakarma (translated as five cleansing actions in Sanskrit) is a gentle, yet profound purification therapy, designed to reduce the body of toxins, which cause disease and discomfort. Feeling good already? Panchakarma is supreme for disease prevention and life extension and is the heart of healing with Ayurvedic medicine. When the energetic forces known as vata, pitta, and kapha get out of balance, it lowers our digestive fire, and toxins are created. The ama enters the blood stream, clogging the channels, and lodges into joints, muscles, organs, and reproductive tissue, etc. This is detrimental to our prana (life-force or energy), tejas (metabolic energy), and ojas (immunity). When using Ayurveda to heal, we can choose palliative care—which includes diet, meditation, yoga, pranayama, herbs, etc.—and/or take a deeper path of cleansing. Cleansing enables us to get to the root of imbalances—rather than reducing symptoms—and can heal chronic conditions. For thousands of years, Ayurveda has emphasized that the stress created by our minds directly affects our Gastrointestinal Tract, causing inflammation and slow digestion, ultimately creating ama. The ama causes us to hold on to emotionally driven habits that ultimately lead to disease and imbalance. Detoxing with panchakarma allows us to unravel these patterns, increase our energy andmental clarity, and move forward with our dharma and our dreams. Panchakarma resets digestion and allows the body to do what it’s supposed to—detox naturally. The complete process of Panchakarma involves the following three steps:    Poorva Karma This is a preparatory procedure required before the main treatment, to soften the tissues so that the lipid-soluble toxins deposited into them are liquefied and flow back into the digestive tract. From here, they can be eliminated. This treatment prepares the patient mentally and physically for the main procedure of Panchakarma. It involves three procedures: Pachan Karma – improves digestion with herbs and fasting so that the patient can digest the ghee (clarified butter) which is provided to liquefy the fat-soluble toxins. Snehan Karma – medicated ghee is given to the patient in increasing doses to aggravate and liquefy the fat-soluble toxins deposited in the deep tissues. Swedan Karma – a full body steam bath is given to the patient thereby opening the body channels and allowing the heat to liquefy the toxins further. This facilitates their movement from the tissues to the digestive tract. Pradhan Karma This is the Panchakarma, a five-step procedure which is highly individualized depending on the needs, age, digestive strength, immune system, and other factors. This intense Panchakarma procedure can only be done under the guidance of an Ayurvedic practitioner. The five karmas to cleanse the complete body are:    Vamanam (therapeutic emesis) – induced vomiting which helps clear the upper GI tract to the duodenum (end of the stomach) and a part of the respiratory tract.  Virechanam (purgation) – induced purgation clears the GI tract from the duodenum to the exit. Anuvasana (enema using medicated oil) – the oil enema helps lubricate the rectal area and remove the lipid soluble waste out through the anus. Nasyam – nasal inhalation of medicated substances which help clear the respiratory tract and the para nasal sinuses. Paschaat Karma This is a post-therapy dietary regime to restore the body’s digestive and absorptive capacity to its normal state. It includes rejuvenating treatments, lifestyle management, diet management, and intake of herbal supplements. It includes the following procedures: Sansarjan Karma – food therapy after detoxification, which aims at gradually increasing the patient’s diet from liquids to semi-solids to a normal diet. Rasayan Adi Prayogam – a rejuvenating rasayan therapy which aids in increasing natural immunity and enhancing your general well-being. Shaman Chikitsa – a pacification therapy with herbs and lifestyle management. It is important to note that a panchakarma procedure is designed specifically for an individual after a thorough physical examination and pulse diagnosis.

How did Ho’oponopono prayer help me Neutralize Past Memories and Bad Karma? Ho”oponopono is a process of letting go of toxic energies within you to allow the impact of Divine thoughts, words, deeds and actions. It is a process of forgiveness, repentance and transformation. We learn that everything that happens in our lives is only a projection of our ‘programs.’ Therefore, we must take 100 percent responsibility and ask for forgiveness for ourselves. Say these four statements over and over, nonstop, addressing them to the Divine:    I’m Sorry Please Forgive me Thank you I Love you Ho’oponopono simply means – “to make right” or to “rectify an error.” Ho’o means ‘cause‘ in Hawaiian and ponopono means ‘perfection.’ According to the ancient Hawaiians, error arises from thoughts that are tainted by painful memories from the past. Ho”oponopono offers a way to release the energy of these painful thoughts, or errors, which cause imbalance and disease. This process allows you to directly work with the original source who can transmute erroneous thoughts into LOVE. It’s simply a problem-solving process. But it’s done entirely within yourself. Try operating yourself and your relationships according to the following insights:    The physical universe or my life is an Actualization of my thoughts. If my thoughts are cancerous/destructive, they create a cancerous/destructive physical reality. If my thoughts are perfect, they create a physical reality brimming with LOVE. I’m 100 percent responsible for creating my physical universe the way it is. I’m 100 percent responsible for correcting the cancerous/destructive thoughts that create a diseased reality. There is no such thing as out there. Everything exists as thoughts in my mind. Whenever you encounter a problem – Ask yourself: “What is going on in me that I have caused this problem, and how can I rectify this problem in me?”   Problems are nothing but the replayed memories from the past. This means – to solve the problem one must delete those painful memories. To identify and delete those memories – one must notice that – every time they suffer from a problem, the source of the problem – is the erroneous thoughts within them. Therefore, as you begin the cleaning of the erroneous thoughts within you by practicing – Ho”oponopono – those thoughts are replaced by loving thoughts in you, in your family, relatives, and ancestors and everyone else associated with you. The cleaning process involves the appeal of repentance and forgiveness to the original source – GOD/LOVE. “I am sorry for the erroneous thoughts within ME that have caused me to attract this person or situation in my life; please forgive me.” In response to the repentance and forgiveness appeal of you, God begins the mystical process of transmuting the erroneous thoughts. In this spiritual correction process, LOVE first neutralizes the erroneous emotions that have caused the problem, be they resentment, fear, anger, blame, or confusion. In the next step, Love then releases the neutralized energies from the thoughts, leaving them in a state of void, of emptiness of true freedom. The result – as you are renewed and restored in LOVE, so is everyone involved in the problem. Where there was despair in you, now there is LOVE. Where there was darkness in your soul, there is now the healing light of LOVE. Apparently, this method of healing from inside out is called – Self-I-Dentity through Ho”oponopono (SITH). It’s all about taking 100 percent responsibility for everything in your life. It’s about cleaning yourself. As you clean yourself, the world gets clean, because you are the world. All outside of you is a projection and illusion – a mirror of yourself. So it is your responsibility to fix everything you experience, from the inside of yourself by connecting to Divine. The only way to fix the outer anything is by saying “I love you” and “I’m sorry” to Divine which is described as God, Universe, Life or Higher Power. Think about it this way, when you erase something from your computer, where does it go? It goes to the Recycle Bin, correct? It’s still on your computer but it’s out of sight! Your memories are like that. They are still in you just out of sight. What you want to do is erase them completely and permanently. You have two ways to Live your Life – From Memory or From Inspiration. Memories are old programs replaying! Inspiration is the Divine giving you a message. Memory is Thinking and Inspiration is Allowing! You want to come from Inspiration. The only way to hear the Divine and receive inspiration is to clean all memories. The only thing you have to do is clean. Divine is our Zero state – It’s where we have zero limits. No Memories. No Identity. Nothing but the Divine. In our lives we have moments of visiting the zero limits state, but most of the time we have garbage – called as memories playing out. Now the question comes:    How do you know whether something is a memory or an inspiration? How do you know if someone who gets cancer gave it to themselves or it was given to them by Divine as a challenge to help them? In other words how do you know “when an event is from your own mind or from the mind of the Divine?” THE ANSWER IS – ONE NEVER KNOWS – IT’S HARD TO SAY! And that’s why you have to constantly clean, clean, clean. You have to clean on anything and everything, as you have no idea what is a memory and what is inspiration. You clean to get to a place of zero limits, which is the Zero state. – Nothing exists at zero, no problems, including the need for the intention. – For example Weight concerns are simply memories replaying, and these memories displace Zero, you. To return to Zero, you, requires Divinity erasing memories behind weight concerns. – Only two laws dictate experiences: Inspiration from Divinity and Memory stored in

How did I beat SIBO? (My Story) All of this started when I was 16 years old (back in year 2000), studying in a boarding school (India) and was severely Constipated. To treat my Constipation, Doctors put me on Laxatives (Yellow tablets by Homeopathy, Cremalax and Dulcolax by Allopathy) and my health started deteriorating day by day. My symptoms were – Chronic Constipation, Low energy, Sinusitis, Brain Fog, Feeling Lethargic, Chronic Fatigue, Breathing problem, Forgetfulness, Problems in reading Textbook, Irritation on silly things, Bone and Muscle weakness, Dry Cough, Unexplainable Weight Gain, Chronic hunger, Sugar Cravings, Brain feeling deprived of nutrition even if I ate a lot, Problems in waking up early, Mood Swings, Feeling Frustrated, Inflammation in the joints, Binge eating and Emotional eating too. I SERIOUSLY NEEDED HELP!! After going to numerous Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Naturopathic doctors for 18 years in vain – I finally decided to see a Functional Medicine Doctor at the age of 37 (I moved to America in 2009). I had seen a few functional medicine doctors earlier but they could not help much. They could not diagnose what I was going through exactly. Finally, after lot of research, I found two great Functional Medicine (FM) Doctors that had all the answers for me. First FM Doctor diagnosed me with SIBO (Small Intestinal bacterial overgrowth – Methane and Hydrogen dominant), Leaky gut issues, deficiency of trace minerals, imbalance in gut flora, hiatal hernia and gastritis. Second FM doctor diagnosed me with SIFO (Small intestinal fungal overgrowth) also known as Candida overgrowth and Liver and Gallbladder Congestion. Now I knew I was in the right hands! I hope you all know that SIBO is a medical condition in which – bacteria starts to populate in your small intestine where all of your nutrients are absorbed – leading to chronic malabsorption of food. The right place for the bacteria is to reside in the large intestine. Same goes with SIFO – which refers to small intestinal fungal overgrowth which is very common. Now, the first FM doctor began a treatment for SIBO and the second one began a treatment for liver and kidney drainage which is a must for SIBO treatment. Yes, you must detoxify your liver and clean your kidneys before doing the SIBO protocol. This is one of the reasons my SIBO kept coming back. How I discovered this problem – When I ate food rich in protein (Tofu, cheese, tempe etc – I recently turned vegetarian) I experienced severe pain in my lower back that traveled up to my shoulder blades and all the way to my neck. Lower back pain is an indication of kidney dysfunction due to eating high protein diet (yes I used to eat meat, steak a lot. also I was on Herbal Life Protein shakes that made my condition worse). Mid back pain and pain on the right side right underneath the ribcage is an indication of fatty liver. Now when you are on SIBO treatment, you are asked to follow a protein rich diet along with low FODMAP food. So, my body could not tolerate protein due to liver and gallbladder congestion nor could I eat other vegetables or carbs because it aggravated the reaction instantly since those bacteria love to feed on carbs and sugars specifically. I knew I was stuck in a loop! And, had to do something to break it first because this was hampering the cleaning up of SIBO. How did I find that? I had one round of Conventional Antibiotics (Rifaximin 550 mg and Metronidazole 250mg) first for two weeks and saw a decline in symptoms in the first week. But in the second week it came back up again. YES, SIBO IS A RELAPSING MEDICAL CONDITION. Second, I tried the elemental diet (powder with pre-digested nutrients) for two weeks – lost weight, symptoms almost vanished but came back again when I resumed my normal diet. Third time, I tried the Herbal Antimicrobials (Candibactin AR and BR) for four weeks. This gave a temporary minimal relief. And, all this time I was trying to stay on low Fodmap and protein rich diet strictly. So my liver gave up on me. I had symptoms of ammonia breath, lower back pain, mid back pain, pain in my neck, and underneath the right rib cage. Hence, I knew I was stuck in the loop of liver and kidney dysfunction vs. SIBO treatment. Another challenge I faced in getting rid of SIBO and SIFO was that these bacteria and yeast create a biofilm in your body and start to reside inside that biofilm (symbolic to creating walls for themselves). So unless this biofilm is disrupted or completely removed, the antibiotics will not prove effective because they can’t break down the biofilm and so can’t kill or get to the bacteria. Another mistake you can make is to take probiotics while you are dealing with SIBO. Stay away from probiotics for it is like adding fuel to the fire. So my doctors had to back up a little, and take a different route in treating my SIBO and SIFO. Here are the following steps they finally took:    Detoxify Liver first Clean up the kidneys second Provide essential nutrients via supplements for healthy functioning of liver Work on disrupting the biofilm – very very important Try a stronger dose of Antibiotics (100% knock off results with Sulfamethoxazole-TMP DS – beware if not suited well it can give rashes in mouth or body – that’s the potential side effect) Take Anti-fungal for SIFO for two weeks (I took Flucanazole – 150mg and saw a huge difference) dosage is one tablet in 3 days. Stay on LOWFODMAP food for a month or so If things go well you are good – Fingers-crossed   SYMPTOMS OF SIBO                   Brain Fog Gas and Bloating when you eat sugar or drink alcohol Intensified Sugar Cravings Food sensitivity or allergy to gluten, dairy and/or peanuts

My SIBO was the Greatest Teacher of all!   We have all heard that SIBO is stress induced.  But Where does this stress actually come from? Is it the day to day stress related to our family, our partner, our boss, kids OR is it a carried over stress from our ancestors?   Where is this Stress stored in our body? And How does it prevent us from living a wholesome life?   THE PRESSING QUESTION – WHERE DOES THIS STRESS COME FROM?    This stress is passed on to us from our ancestors during our birth. It was passed onto your parents by your grandparents during their birth. And from your parents to you and your siblings during your birth. We take into consideration a cycle of three generations. Let’s discuss my example here – This means that before my mother was even born, my grandmother already had traces of my mother and me in her reproductive organs. And when my mother was born she was already carrying the traces of me and my siblings as an unfertilized egg in her ovaries. So you see the programming of the cells for my mother and myself was already induced in my grandmother when she was born. It’s like She (my grandmother) had been carrying that cellular information since her own birth which is passed onto us in the form of genes. Hence, the term genetic mapping of the family. This term is commonly used in biology to trace down the medical history of the family because clearly the 3 generations are seen to share the same biological environment. Similarly your inception can be traced in your Paternal line – your Father’s side! The precursor cells of the sperm you developed from were present in your father when he was a fetus in his mother’s womb. Your Father’s sperm continued to multiply when he reached puberty, whereas your mother was born with her lifetime supply of eggs. Now your mother and father met at the age of 25 or 30, got married, and you were born. This means one of the eggs from your mother was fertilized by your father’s sperm and eventually developed into who you are today. So until you were born your father and mother were both susceptible to traumatic events happening in their life. The events could be in the form of experiencing family stress, financial struggles, break-ups, divorce, health issues, physical fights with friends, arguments with their own parents, broken relationship with their own parents, hardships in general, anger, insecurity, miscarriage etc. Where does all of this go? It is stored in different organs of our body especially Liver – for liver is the biggest detoxifying organ in our body. And all of these organs are associated with corresponding chakras – the energy centers in your spiritual body. Therefore, all of this trauma if not resolved, in time, is passed on to the subsequent generation. The implications of which lead to an imbalance in your spiritual body – the yin and yang! These inherited energies or trauma is what makes you relive the past again and again unconsciously. You would even notice a pattern repeating in your life or feel like you are stuck and going in circles. It is this unresolved family trauma or the unspoken truth that often is the main reason behind your struggles – that most people are unaware of. This serves as one of the greatest roadblocks in stopping you from living a wholesome life and is the actual reason behind your undiagnosed diseases, unexplained financial struggles and unworthy relationships. Thus, SIBO/Candida or any other disease is the manifestation of this ancestral stress. It could also be a stress/fear that you picked up in this lifetime and are holding onto it unconsciously. Holding on to the waste in the form of stress or fear or bad food is characterized by constipation at the physical level and as karmic knots at the spiritual level. Therefore, treating the disease merely at physical level is not enough. All of the diseases must be attacked from the spiritual perspective as well. This is one of the reasons why SIBO and Candida are known as relapsing conditions. They keep coming back or will come back if not handled well at the spiritual level. Therefore, adding spiritual practices like Meditation, Yoga and Breath-work will/do prove highly beneficial in getting rid of these medical conditions permanently. All of these also activate your Vagus Nerve which helps in improving the Gut Brain connection. The more you clean up your subtle body the sooner your symptoms will dissipate and you won’t have to worry about the relapse. I learnt this the hard way from my personal experience. WHERE IS THIS STRESS STORED?    It is stored in the liver. Liver is the biggest detoxifying organ in our body. It not only detoxifies food toxins but also negative thoughts, emotions and beliefs. This is because all your body parts/organs are linked to energy centers from which they derive energy to function. These energy centers are called CHAKRAS. Chakras are the energetic control centers which cannot be seen but exist at the spiritual level. An imbalance in energies lead to imbalance in chakras and that imbalance is reflected as a disease in our physical body. In simple words – a disease is an indication of an imbalance of energies in our spiritual body. Basically, a disease is a body’s way of saying – Hey I need help, I’m out of balance!   Now, the mistake we make here is that we start treating the disease at the physical level. We start looking for best of the doctors one after the other. But sometimes the doctors are unable to diagnose the disease and most of the times our blood work shows nothing, comes out absolutely normal. But we know that inside us it feels like a mess. Then why and how does everything seem normal in the blood report or ultrasound or even in the