Today on the Gut Health Reset Podcast, we are discussing the importance of digestive enzymes, and more with Dr. Ellen Cutler! When it comes to maintaining good gut health, digestive enzymes play a crucial role. These powerful enzymes are responsible for breaking down the food we eat into smaller, more manageable components that our bodies can absorb and use for energy. Without proper digestion, we can experience uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, gas, and constipation. That’s why it’s crucial to incorporate digestive enzymes into our diets, whether through enzyme supplements or incorporating enzyme-rich foods into your diet. These small efforts can go a long way in supporting your gut health.
In today’s episode, we will answer these questions:
– What are digestive enzymes and why are they important?
– What is an organ specific detox?
– What foods have helpful enzymes for our gut health?
– Why should we be more aware about the spread of mold spores?
– And more!
Still want to learn more? Schedule with Dr. Barter today!
Recommended Products From Today’s Show
About Dr. Ellen:
Dr. Ellen Cutler is a bestselling author and an internationally recognized teacher, public speaker, and media spokesperson. Her books include “MicroMiracles — Discover the Healing Power of Enzymes,” coming soon in a revised, expanded edition. She has a chiropractic degree and specializes in the use of desensitization of food and other sensitivities, gentle detoxification, and enzyme and nutritional therapies for chronic conditions that have perplexed the conventional medical establishment. This is all addressed in her revolutionary healing technique ECM (Ellen Cutler Method). Connect with her at DrEllenCutler.com.
Website: https://drellencutler.com/
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Dr. Ann-Marie Barter is a Functional Medicine and Chiropractic Doctor at Alternative Family Medicine & Chiropractic. She is the clinic founder of Alternative Family Medicine & Chiropractic that has two offices: one in Longmont and one in Denver. They treat an array of health conditions overlooked or under-treated by conventional medicine, called the “grey zone”. https://altfammed.com/
*As always, this podcast is not designed to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any condition and is for information purposes only. Please consult with your healthcare professional before making any changes to your current lifestyle.*
Transcription:
Dr. Ellen Cutler: [00:00:00] Well, I usually recommend a full spectrum digestive enzyme. The enzymes that digest carbs, that digest protein, that digest fats and fiber. Because we, the only way that we can digest fiber, because we don’t have that enzyme, is cellulose, is chew your food well. And most people don’t chew their food well.
So, A full spectrum digestive enzyme is usually good for, I would say, 80 to 90% of people. They need it. And it makes such a difference. See, if you don’t do it with every meal, just with one meal. The information provided in this podcast is educational and not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Are you struggling with bloating, gas, constipation, and fatigue, but don’t know what’s causing these problems? The Gut Health Reset Podcast with Dr. Anne Marie Barter dives deep into the root causes behind these issues that start in the gut. This podcast will give you the knowledge you need to heal your gut
and reset your health.[00:01:00]
Today on the Gut Health Reset Podcast, we are going to talk. All about digestive enzymes, what they are, why they’re important to your health and how to know if you might be lacking digestive enzymes and what chronic health conditions it could be contributing to, like Indigestion, bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, and low energy.
Thank you so much for joining us here today on the Gut Health Reset Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Annemarie Barter, and today I have Dr. Ellen Cutler. A best selling author, an internationally recognized teacher, she’s a public speaker and media spokesperson. She has a chiropractic degree and specializes in the use of desensitization of food and other sensitivities, gentle detoxification, enzyme nutritional therapies for chronic conditions that have perplexed conventional medical establishment.
This is all addressed in [00:02:00] her revolutionary healing technique, ECM. Many patients have come to Dr. Cutler as a last resort. Only to find their conditions could be traced back to sensitivities to food, their inability to digest what they’re eating, or other reactivities. Dr. Ellen at this point has almost a yearless waiting practice and she treats patients from all over the world in her clinic and online.
Dr. Ellen, thank you so much for being here today.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: It’s great to be with you. Awesome.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: So you have really created your practice around digestive enzymes and it’s a topic you’re very passionate about. So what are digestive enzymes and why are they important?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Digestive enzymes, first of all, there’s different enzymes in the body.
There’s enzymes that digest food, there’s enzymes that help with metabolism, there’s help with inflammation. In fact, Our whole body is designed around good enzyme support. [00:03:00] Digestive enzymes are different. They are found in raw food, and because people don’t eat enough raw food and don’t chew it well, that’s a big one, and the soil just doesn’t have those cofactors that create the enzymes that we should have in the food, we are deficient in digestive enzymes.
There are different enzymes that are digested from food, like protease digests protein, amylase digests carbs, lipase digests fat. I have found that the most important supplement anyone could ever take is taking a digestive enzyme, because what it does, it optimizes the nutrition from your foods. So you don’t need to take so many other supplements.
Your health will improve dramatically. And you’ll get that good, you’re spinning, you know, my motto is it’s not only what you eat, it’s what you digest. So digestive enzymes are [00:04:00] paramount in my health care practice and save my life, basically.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Mm hmm. And, and what, you know, what is interesting for me in practice is that I’ll have people come in and they’re taking Hydrochloric acid or they’re taking kind of one of, of the enzymes and they’ll say, Hey, you know, I’m taking these digestive enzymes already, but I’m having X, Y, Z problems with my digestive health.
So you, you quickly described. Um, the different types of enzymes and what they were used to break down. Could you go into that just a little bit more in detail? Cause I see it all day long.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Yes, I do too. Well, I usually recommend a full spectrum digestive enzyme. The enzymes say it’s just carbs that digest protein that digest fats and fiber.
Cause we. The only way that we can digest fiber, because we don’t have that enzyme, is cellulose, is chew your food [00:05:00] well. And most people don’t chew their food well. So, a full spectrum digestive enzyme is usually good for, I would say, 80 to 90% of people. They need it. And it makes such a difference, even if you don’t do it with every meal, just with one meal.
Sometimes people are more protein intolerant. Sometimes people are more carb intolerant. I was carbohydrate intolerant. People that, after they eat, if they feel bloated or have symptoms, that usually means they don’t digest protein and fat. Maybe they need an enzyme that has a little bit more protein and fat digestive enzymes.
People that have more symptoms two hours or so after they eat, they’re usually carbohydrate intolerant. That’s the majority of the population. And you know what? Also, you usually crave the foods you’re most intolerant to. Oh, I think that’s true. If you’re craving carbs… You probably don’t digest carbs. And by digesting it, by the way, does help [00:06:00] the craving when you take an enzyme.
It will help reduce the craving because you’re getting the carbs you need and you’ll eat a little less too. So that helps so you don’t fool yourself. Because when you’re so full, it’s really doesn’t feel very good. So yes, but usually a full spectrum digestive enzyme is more commonly what most people do well.
And, and really see the difference with.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: So you mentioned that, um, that people that are carb intolerant are going to have issues two hours later and people that are maybe fat or protein intolerant are going to have issues right after their meal and have trouble. What other symptoms are people having that indicates that they’re having a digestive enzyme issue?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: That’s a great question. And people who don’t digest carbs, for example, which is probably most of [00:07:00] the population. Again, one of it is you crave those foods. And, and the carbs ferment. So symptoms that I have seen related to it is fatigue is one, which of course can be other things, but it can be that. And Other things, too, is brain fog is common with that, too, with people who are carbohydrate intolerant, also, and again, reduced energy, too, and again, bloating, and many people talk about bloating.
And, and they think it’s just part of their life that they should have, they should be, you know, that they feel like they get up in the morning, they’re okay. And by the end of the day, they feel like they’re three or four months pregnant, right? That’s common. Other one, big one, which I’m sure you see is problems with bowels, constipation or diarrhea or irritable bowel, where, you know, they go back and forth.
These are common symptoms too that are related to. [00:08:00] Carbohydrate intolerant to people with fat and protein intolerant. I always find maybe have more symptoms of liver issues. For example, skin issues, or they feel like they’re aging quicker than they should. They, they get bloated almost immediately to as well, lots of gas, lots of indigestion.
Heartburn, GERD, usually these are protein and fat intolerant people when, you know, they have a heartburn and that’s so common, even in young people. I’m sure you see it today. Also, it’s amazing how many young people come in with. Symptoms of reflux and GERD or heartburn too. And again, you crave protein and salt.
People who crave salt are protein fat intolerant. Isn’t that interesting?
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Hmm. Yeah, I actually heard that.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Yeah. This is what I, cause this has been my practice for years and years. People who crave salt, which is a lot of people usually. [00:09:00] are, are fat intolerant. So, so sometimes when you digest the fat, your salt craving will be reduced too.
And then you crave fat. You crave, again, you crave the foods you’re most intolerant to. So anything can cause anything. So as you know.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Right. Yeah. It was interesting. Um, I have an athlete in my practice who just kept on saying, I just, it’s like, I can’t tap into my second gas tank. None of the other symptoms.
But very, but pretty hungry all the time, but also, you know, a very incredible athlete and digestive enzymes just fixed the problem actually made, made her able to tap into that second gas tank and not have to eat. Everything in the house to actually be able to function, which is, which is difficult. Right?
And that’s in a young, young gal.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Well, I would say fatigue is really common with carbohydrate [00:10:00] intolerant. That’s one of the things. And how many people, how many patients, what are their first, they have a laundry list of symptoms. What’s their first thing? I’m tired all the time. Always tired.
And, and why do we say that people as they age should, uh, let’s normally be tired. Right?
No, that’s not normal, you know, and, and as you get older, it is, you do need those digestive enzymes more than ever. Yep. Really important.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Because, I mean, as I see on stool tests all the time, that’s where the digestive enzymes just go out to lunch. You know, you don’t see the same processes as you see in a younger, in, in, in somebody younger.
Yeah, exactly. Right. So you talk about, um, detoxing our bodies and you talk about an organ specific detox. What is that?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Well, I created a system called ECM. And it’s actually an [00:11:00] energetic healing system that developed 40 years ago that really gets to the root of underlying health problems. So if somebody comes in with asthma, if they come in with fatigue or they come in with eczema or psoriasis, what I do is energetically with a machine that I use and I created a program.
That’s nothing like it. There’s nothing that exists like it. Trust me. I can get to the root of what’s going on. You know, whether it’s a bacteria you’re still sensitive to, or it’s a food, or it’s a neurotransmitter, or it’s toxicity. So one of the first things that I check in the ECM technique is how your body’s detoxifying.
Look, we live in a toxic world. We’re all exposed to it. We don’t even know. Mold is huge. I know you’ve seen it. Okay. Huge. I mean, and, and I have discovered in people, and I see you go get your house checked and sure enough, yes. Mm-hmm. and mycotoxins, which are [00:12:00] toxins because you’ve been living in a moldy environment for so long.
So one of the things that I look at how your body’s detoxifying and which organs are. implicated in the body’s difficulty. Is it the lungs? It is the colon, it’s the skin. Is it all of them? Uh, is it the lymph? Based on that, I do recommend. I have a desensitization I do to help the body detoxify more efficiently and sometimes use, I like to use homeopathics or detoxification or certain diets or certain powders too that, and I have a lot of that on my website that I talk about and and that I recommend.
So yes, detoxification. If you are prob having a problem with weight, whether you can’t lose weight or you can’t gain weight, you need to look as to how the bias detox fight. Because as you know, toxins are stored in fat. You can’t lose the weight until you get rid of those toxins. And sometimes [00:13:00] it’s, it could be a virus that you had a long time ago and you’re still having symptoms of that.
That could be something you need to help detoxify. It’s, it’s interesting. It’s one of the most important things. That I look at first when someone comes to see me,
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So what are you waiting for? Go visit drannmariebarter. com and get 10% off your supplement bundle. Ciao. And now back to our episode. So do you really feel it’s, you said viruses, you said bacteria, you said, well, you know, in obviously people are going to have a combination of, of multiple of these things. Um, but you, you stated off with mycotoxins or mold.
Do you find that most commonly?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: I have, I don’t know what it is, but I have been finding it more and more all the time. I just had a patient who, she, we helped her with her [00:15:00] Parkinson’s and, and, and she did some things herself like Qigong and I did my ECM technique with her. And then I found mold and her health was deteriorating and I said, she lives in Santa Monica part time.
I said, please have that house tested. And sure enough, they said it was so bad, they said, you should never go into the house again. You should even destroy all the clothes because it was that bad and, and you can see, and, and I just had a mycotoxin test on her and it was so many of the mycotoxins were high.
And she said, I know, I knew I wasn’t feeling well. Nobody found that. We found that. So Yes, helping her detoxify that mold is for her paramount for sure in her health, especially because somebody who’s dealing with Parkinson’s and she’s been doing so well, but she noticed she’s, she said the other night, she said to me, I think [00:16:00] I’m dying.
That’s how intense it is, and I’m sure you’ve seen it. Mold is very big. I also have a lot of people have trouble with chemicals. And you know what? A lot of people have trouble with marijuana. Since it’s been legalized here in California, you smell it a lot. There are a lot of my clients that are sensitive to marijuana, that are dealing with that.
So it, you know, it can be any, it’s, the, the work that I do is very tailored to the person. So I’m able to figure out what that toxin is that they are dealing with, too. And some people, as you know, genetically do not detoxify that well. Mm hmm. So you need some support. Fortunately, we have people like us that can help them because it’s, it’s very difficult on their bodies, for sure.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Mm hmm. Absolutely. Yeah. Mold is definitely one of the most, yeah, underfound things that really deteriorate someone’s health, really severe. I, yeah, I’ve experienced mold. I’ve seen a lot in my practice. [00:17:00] We’re in a lot of mycotox, so yeah,
Dr. Ellen Cutler: I fully agree. And once you’ve been exposed, it’s almost like you’re more hypersensitive to it again.
Absolutely. You know, like going to a church or a temple or whatever, and there’s inevitably there’s some mold. And we’ve had so much damage here in California from all the, the rain, the flood last year, so there’s a lot of. Mold too.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: I can see that. Absolutely. Yeah. Fires and floods, right? Fires and floods.
So you, you talked initially about there being enzymes in the foods that we eat, um, specifically raw foods, but you know, you also stated that, Hey, We’re not really eating a lot of raw foods. What foods have enzymes that could help us break down our food?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Well, all raw vegetables and fruit do have enzymes that are inherently in that food.
So if we chewed that food well enough, We [00:18:00] should be able to digest it adequately. Unfortunately, it’s almost like you need to chew it 30 times for really to get it. But like I said, those cofactors that help those plants have the enzyme support that is needed is just not there anymore. Because it’s been so over…
Agricultur. So we are, we’re missing those co-factors. So unfortunately, even though, and I’m a raw vegan by the way, even though I eat raw and I chew my food really well, I still take my digestive enzyme. Literally, I, I probably on this planet, been the one that’s taking digestive on longer than anyone else, , because first of all, it saved my life.
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. And nobody, you know, the medical profession, the only answers was being on steroids and possibly surgery later on in life. [00:19:00] Someone, one of my mentors in a, in a postgraduate course I was taking said, Ellen, try a digestive enzyme. And nobody knew about it at that time.
And I’ve been taking it ever since. And anybody who comes out to eat with me or comes to my, they, they start digestive enzymes and then they never stop. Well, you gave me something. Why don’t you give me? I, I had such good digestion. You know, I have this other enzyme that we have. It’s called GICOM. That is the best for heartburn and reflux.
And if you overeat and that you give somebody that, you know, they’re like, Oh, thank you so much.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Yeah. I mean, obviously you have, and you being a raw vegan, eating a huge diversity of different fruits and vegetables all the time, that’s going to hugely diversify your microbiome, which is one of the big problems we see with ulcerative colitis too.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Yes. Yes. And, and, and, [00:20:00] you know, sometimes people, you know, they come in with, A suitcase full of supplements. And one of the things that I have seen, I’m sure you see, if they don’t digest the food, how are they going to digest and absorb both of those supplements? So I like to reduce the amount. I like to minimize the amount.
And they love that because the amount of money they’re spending. It’s, you know, sometimes, wow, it’s crazy and they go on a digestive enzyme and literally it’s one of those supplements they do feel the difference. Yeah. One thing that really makes a difference is women’s hair. Women when they lose hair, it’s so, it, it’s, it’s very difficult, you know?
Absolutely. Yeah. And there could be other things. There could be a b vitamin deficiency, thyroid toxicity could cause it, but taking a digestive enzyme can make such a difference. Mm-hmm. . And it also helps you detoxify better too. Also supports glands. It, it’s such a boost to the hormonal [00:21:00] balance. For men and women, so there are many symptoms I’ve seen over time that make such a difference when you, you, you digest your food.
It’s so darn simple.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: And, and what do you believe is the best food to feed our gut in our, in our brain?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: I. I love my green vegetables, so as many green vegetables you can get, that’s, that’s where I could, I could just live on a green. I make a green drink I have for lunch because I don’t have that much time during lunch and I have, it’s chlorella and spirulina and blue green algae.
I just love those greens. You know, you could see it in somebody’s body. When they start, when they take those, when they add those greens to their, you know, to their recipes [00:22:00] and, and whatever supplement or, you know, as a food in itself, as a meal replacement makes such a difference. So that’s where I go to, but all the vegetables, fruits are good, but people use fruits sometimes to substitute for sugars and it can gain weight and, and it’s sugar.
So. Even though I love fruit myself, I just think blueberries are probably okay, but still minimize. Sometimes people make these shakes and they put so much fruit in there and you wonder why their sugar, their, their, their fasting blood glucose level is still a little bit high. I think you have to watch the amount.
So I’m more vegetables too. And not the sugary vegetables either. You know, would be, you know, potatoes and sweet potatoes are good, but more the greens are really the most important, I think.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: So, is there, is there anything that I didn’t ask that you feel like is important before we [00:23:00] wrap up?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: I, I think, I think we’re good.
I, I do think that people should eat, try to eat more, eat like 80%. Uh, a plant, a whole plant food diet. I really encourage that too, whether you eat animal protein or you are a vegetarian that eats dairy or whatever. I do feel like if you could do 75 to 80% of your diet could be whole plant food. That is my advice.
And so that is one point I, I put out for longevity, for wellness, and for happiness too. It makes you happier too. And teach your children that. And it’s important that you are their models, their role models. If you’re eating junk, you’re eating, you know, empty calories, of course they’re going to follow you.
So you [00:24:00] Make the example for your children and for your grandchildren, too.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: I think you made a very, very important point that it is, um, you know, plant based, like, vegetable based. Because a lot of times I will see people come in and they are granitarians. And that is like a’s recipe for disaster. It’s just a recipe.
So I mean, I think that you made point.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: I’m so glad. I’m so glad you said that because people with carbohydrate intolerant probably don’t. Should not eat all those grains. I like that grainitarian. That’s a good one.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: I’m like, so how many vegetables do you eat per day?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Oh, one. I’m like, oh, I try to have a salad once or twice a week. Okay.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Yeah. We got to, we got to up that. That’s why you’re having some GI issues. That is the point. So yeah, [00:25:00] very, very great. So where can people find you, uh, if they want to get in touch with you?
Dr. Ellen Cutler: So my website is drellencutler. com and I talk all about this. My new updated book, Micromiracles, is now can be pre ordered and it has, it’s all on enzymes, the miracles of enzymes, and it has two new chapters on, or updated chapter on anti aging and on post COVID enzyme use too.
Because one of the things we did talk about is the use of protease enzyme as an anti inflammatory. It’s very important, something I use in my practice quite a bit for people to, I have all of that in there in the book and talk more and more about cardiovascular symptoms, kidney problems, and female problems related to enzymes and what you can do.
So I’m excited to have that re updated again and published.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Well, thank you so much for being here.
Dr. Ellen Cutler: Thank you so [00:26:00] much. This was great. I appreciate it.
Dr. Ann-Marie Barter: Thank you for listening to the Gut Health Reset podcast.
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