When performing a consultation with a client you will want to identify if they do not have at least 2 bowel movements per day, eat a poor diet, skip bowel movements for a day or so frequently, have to “push” when having a bowel movement or have loose stool they will want to start on a Probiotic supplement. These are signs of an imbalance in the gut bacteria and a therapeutic dose of 40-75 part per billion a day is needed to bring the body back into balance. It is important that Probiotics are taken daily (without skipping) to build up the amount of “good” bacteria in the large intestine. Infrequent use will not get the job done.

More advanced signs of gut imbalance are: urgency to go (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), going 2 or more days without a bowel movement (constipation), diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease or Colitis and severe bloating or stomach discomfort. In addition to Probiotics, the Clove Hill Bowel Rejuvenator and Bowel Revitalizer Series is highly recommended. The herbal series will repair the gut wall without providing dependency on use like laxatives do. Earlier in this module the benefits of each of these formulas is discussed. Note: Irritable Bowel Syndrome needs 1 Bowel Rejuvenator and 1 Bowel Revitalizer per day, please see herbal dosage instructions for Bowel Rejuvenator at the beginning of this module.

It is important to educate the client on the importance of gut health. The most common imbalance we see is the lack of at least 2 bowel movements per day. Less than 2 per day is considered constipated! Most people think that having 1 BM per day or skipping a day here and there is “normal”. This is normal in the sense that a lot of people have an unhealthy gut and do not have an optimal amount of bowel movements per day. Our goal is to optimize health, not to be well adjusted or unaware of an unhealthy “norm”. In sum, two bowel movements per day is our goal with our clients.

Diarrhea or loose stool is also common. Diarrhea can mean that the stool is watery or runny or it can be a form of constipation. Chronic diarrhea is sign that the gut flora is imbalanced and that the body is not absorbing nutrients properly. Acute diarrhea can be caused by eating fatty foods or food with “bad” bacteria that cause food poisoning. For chronic diarrhea, it is very important to start a therapeutic dose of a Probiotic. Very quickly the bowels should start to form again. The Clear Skin Cleanse is also a great way to heal the body of chronic diarrhea. As previously mentioned, the danger of chronic diarrhea is the lack of nutrients the body is absorbing. Over time this can lead to malnutrition.

If a client is currently taking antibiotics or has done so in the last 1-16 months, we know that the antibiotics have depleted the large intestine of ALL bacteria- the “good” and the “bad”. In this case, a therapeutic dose of Probiotics is highly recommended. Probiotics can be taken along with antibiotics even though we do not condone the use of antibiotics to clear acne. Should they be taking both, they will want to take the antibiotic several hours before taking the Probiotic.

Previous Accutane use is also known for destroying the gut and depleting it of all beneficial bacteria. It is not uncommon for a client that has used Accutane more than once to have developed autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s Disease or Colitis. It is recommended for clients who have been on Accutane in the last 1-3 years to take Probiotics and also go through a series of Bowel Rejuvenator / Revitalizer.