Reset Your Gut in 5 Days: A Medical Doctor’s Step-by-Step Protocol to Transform Your Health

1. 0:00 – 2:43

   Intro

   1. MRMel Robbins0:03

      You and I are picking up where we left off in our last podcast episode. This is part two of that conversation. I just love Dr. Shaw. She's here because she's breaking down the topic of gut health for you and me. It's not about whether or not your pants fit. This has so many larger implications for your overall health, so let's talk about your five-day gut reset protocol. Hey. What are we doing, Dr. Shaw? (upbeat music) Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast. I am so glad that you're here, so thank you, thank you, thank you for being here, and I know that you're not here because of me. You're probably here 'cause you want to know what is the five-day reset plan for being bloated. I want to know it too, but I want to take a quick minute and just say thank you, thank you, thank you. I know that you tune in because you are investing in yourself. You're taking time to listen to something that's fun, but that's also backed by research and science and that can help you make your life better, and you know what? I'm really proud of you for that, so (claps) well done. Well done. And as you can tell, I'm really excited today because you and I are picking up where we left off in our last podcast episode. We were in the middle of having a conversation with the amazing Dr. Amy Shaw. She's been on the podcast a number of times. She has three Ivy League degrees. She's a double board certified medical doctor. She also graduated magna cum laude from the prestigious Cornell School of Nutrition. You know what that means? That meant she spends a lot more time studying than I did, 'cause I did not graduate with distinction like that, and we're gonna benefit from her. I just love Dr. Shaw. She's here because she's breaking down the topic of gut health for you and me, and in the first part of our conversation, the background is this. I had reached out to Dr. Amy Shaw because the truth is, I was so fricking bloated after being on a road trip for work that my favorite red pants were no longer fitting. I looked like I was in the second trimester of pregnancy. I was desperate. I picked up the phone. I called Dr. Amy. We taped the conversation. This is part two of that conversation. In case you haven't listened to the first episode, you can catch that, it's very easy to remember 'cause it's the one right before this one and it's also episode 123, but just in case you haven't listened to it, let me just summarize real quick what we've already learned from Dr. Amy Shaw. First of all,

2. 2:43 – 4:37

   This double-board certified badass is back.

   1. MRMel Robbins2:43

      bloating is normal, and it is caused by having unhappy gut bacteria, something I didn't know, but I love how she explains it because I can visualize that. She also said that bloating is caused by so many different things. I mean, it can be caused by stress, by hormones. It can be caused by eating things like cruciferous vegetables, which I now know are broccoli, cauliflower, and things like sparkling drinks and gum and ibuprofen, not to mention just eating and drinking too much over the holidays. And you'll also remember that we talked at the very end of that episode about her 3F morning routine, which is something she does every single morning. It's fasting, it's fitness, and it's fermented and fibrous foods. I gotta talk to Dr. Amy 'cause that's like five Fs. That's not three Fs, but fasting, fitness, and fermented and fibrous foods. That's where we left off. And one final thing, you and I learned about how the gut health and our overall health is connected to our hormone health. So there was just so much to digest that about halfway through the conversation I was like, "Uh, let's just make this one episode," 'cause you and I are busy. I don't have two to three hours to listen to a podcast episode, and I know you don't either, so I want this to be information you can absorb and then you can apply, and if you want to listen to all of that, just go back to the episode 123. It's right there for you as a free resource, but right now, let's keep going. We're gonna dig into probiotics. What is Dr. Amy Shaw's opinion about probiotics? Do they work? Should you take them? If you're not gonna take probiotics, how do you do that in a natural way? How do you heal your microbiome? If being bloated is a symptom that your gut health is unhappy, how do you make it happy? And of course, we're gonna get to my burning question, which was, "Dr. Amy Shaw, my pants are not

3. 4:37 – 6:07

   What to do after your overindulgence in holiday food and drinks

   1. MRMel Robbins4:37

      fitting. I feel like I have a food baby. Can you please tell me what I need to do? Give me a five-day gut reset, woman. Come on now, help a woman out." What is the protocol that you recommend if you want to reset your gut health in five days flat? And Dr. Amy Shaw is going to deliver that five-day program and protocol to you in this conversation. So get ready. Get ready to drop back in with me and Dr. Amy Shaw, and I'm about to ask Dr. Amy Shaw, what is the connection between stress and gut health? So let's go. Hey, it's your friend Mel. I'm so excited that you're here, and I wanted to make a quick ask before we jump into this incredible, incredible episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast about the five-day protocol for resetting your gut health with the amazing Dr. Amy Shaw. Our YouTube channel literally lives or dies based on our subscribers and support from people like you, and my goal is to get to 50% of the views of our channel being by subscribers, and right now, believe it or not, only 20% of the people that watch this channel are even subscribers. It's free. Could you do me a favor 'cause it really helps a show like ours out to just hit the subscribe button? That way you're never gonna miss an episode, you're supporting the show, and you're giving something back to me as I am pouring so much into you. Thank you so much for that, and let's go to The Mel Robbins Podcast. How does stress...... cause bloating in your

4. 6:07 – 7:54

   The surprising link between stress and bloating

   1. MRMel Robbins6:07

      gut.

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah6:07

      God, don't you realize that, um, the more I read about it, the more I learn about stress, because we didn't learn so much about it in medical school. We thought of stress as kind of just a part of life, right? Now, we're realizing that it causes everything. (laughs) Like, literally can cause anything bad, can come from stress. When you're stressed, you are in a emergency survival mode. And people always equate it to kind of like, you know, you're getting chased by a tiger, um, and you don't really care about taking care of your gut. You don't really care about, uh, balancing your hormones. Like, you're focused on, "How do I survive in the next minute?"

   3. MRMel Robbins6:49

      Yes.

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah6:50

      And unfortunately for us, this is happening more and more. Our news media are designed to create a stress response. The, you know, sitting in front of a computer all day and getting emails, uh, are designed to trigger the stress response. Uh, social media is designed... So we're living in this world that's actually trying to tap into our stress response all the time, and it's our responsibility to actually manage all that and put ourselves into an enjoyment, into a relaxing state, because everything else is designed to put us in a stress state, which is going away from digestion, moving away from hormone balance, moving away from repair, and just focusing on surviving the next minute.

   5. MRMel Robbins7:36

      So, are you saying that when you're on edge or you're stressed out, that your nervous system interferes with your gut's ability to properly digest food and to stay in a balance in terms

5. 7:54 – 9:53

   Why science says your gut microbiome is the key to better mental and physical health

   1. MRMel Robbins7:54

      of your gut bacteria?

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah7:55

      Yeah. I mean, think about it. When your body is focused on the task at hand, say it's an emergency situation, all of the blood flow is going to your brain, away from your gut. It's going to your big muscles, right? Your... It's ready to run. We're ready to... And we notice it. I don't know if you notice it, but your heart starts beating faster.

   3. MRMel Robbins8:14

      Mm-hmm.

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah8:14

      You got... Your blood starts flowing. Your eyes start to dilate because your body's ready, um, to fight whatever this thing is. And a lot of times, we're actively in that state, and we have to work to take ourselves out of that state and really relax so that our digestion can work properly, so that we can poop, so we can, you know, eat food and not have acid reflux all of a sudden. Um, those are all things that happen from being chronically stressed. And like I said, Mel, it's not our fault. We live in a world that's designed to keep us in this stressed state, uh, because that's what gets your attention. Um, if you open a headline and it immediately causes you to have fear and stress, you're gonna pay attention to it-

   5. MRMel Robbins9:02

      Right.

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah9:02

      ... and spend more time clicking it. And, um, so that's what works on social media or news media. And so we are always... And it's good to, you know, obviously know real live world events. But it's also good to learn how to manage your body so that we can actually be in a state of rest and digest, which is the opposite of that stress mode.

   7. MRMel Robbins9:26

      Um, you mentioned just there the, um, kind of acid reflux stuff. Can you just briefly explain how a state of being, um, bloated-

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah9:43

      Mm-hmm.

   9. MRMel Robbins9:44

      ... or inflamed or just living with really unhappy gut bacteria-

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah9:50

       Yeah.

   11. MRMel Robbins9:50

       ... what other issues can that create

6. 9:53 – 11:19

   The scientific link between gut health and depression, cancer, and heart diseases

   1. MRMel Robbins9:53

      in your life beyond just feeling like you have a food baby and you're uncomfortable in your body?

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah9:58

      Oh, God. Uh, the, the list is just endless. We're learning now that breast cancer is related to gut microbiome. We're learning, uh, so cancers, um, or heart disease, uh, uh, depression. I mean, you name it, and it is related to poor gut health. So what I like to think about it, is that it's not this brain, um, and it's not just gut, it's this, like, brain-gut axis that's modulating our hormones, our immune system. And so all of the things that we want in our life, like healthy aging, come from improving that gut bacteria and the hormones that go with it, because, um, we don't w- want to say anti-age, right? We want successful aging. So it's like not just the bloating in the short term, but we're talking, you know, do you want to live a long, healthy life? Do you want to have, um, a happy life? Do you want to, um... You gotta keep these bacteria happy. Um, you gotta keep them functioning. They gotta... They have to be talking to your brain and saying, "We're d- We're doing good here. Uh, we're having a good time." And that's when things feel really good in your body.

   3. MRMel Robbins11:05

      I'm glad that you said that, because selfishly, I reached out to you because my pants were tight and I felt like I had a food baby, and I was really just uncomfortable and felt very gassy. And I thought,

7. 11:19 – 13:53

   The reason 1 in 7 people experience bloating once a week

   1. MRMel Robbins11:19

      "I'm not the only one that feels this way, and I bet Dr. Shah can help me reset my gut." But the fact that you put this in a larger context, that gut health is mental health, gut health is physical health, and that we can't see what's going on in your gut, but if you don't take your gut seriously and you don't learn how to make your gut bacteria happy, it's not about whether or not your pants fit. This has so many larger implications for your overall health. And, you know, don't worry, for, for you, if you tuned in 'cause you want to hear the five-day reset-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah11:58

      Mm-hmm.

   3. MRMel Robbins11:58

      ... for bloating, we're getting there. But I think it's important to elevate this too, because you're saying......that you have to pay attention to this if you want to live a long and healthy and vibrant life, because your gut informs everything about your mood, about the way your brain is functioning, and you can start to literally heal from the inside out if you pay attention to this. I mean, that's basically what you're-

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah12:26

      A-

   5. MRMel Robbins12:26

      ...saying, right?

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah12:27

      Absolutely. No, the sad thing is, is that because this is so unknown to everybody, like, everybody listening right now is in on this, right? You're in on this, I'm in on this, everybody listening today. But most of the world, the developed world, does not understand this, and we are seeing one in seven people this year, it ca- it came out in a study, one in seven people feel bloating at least once a week. Uh, we found out that 98% of people don't eat enough food for their gut bacteria, which is fiber, right? Like, healthy foods, real vegetables and fruits. Eh, you know, two per- there's only 2% of Americans that are actually eating food that is keeping their gut bacteria happy. Like, it's crazy. And then, um, exercise, we all know that exercise is an issue for all of modern, the modern world. So all, this morning routine that we're talking about, like the f- um, you know, the fasting, the fitness, and the food, the f- fiber, fermented food, this itself ha- has the ability, the potential to help you in so many more ways than just bloating. It's, um, you know, can make you happier, help you successfully age, help with your hormonal transition if you're in menopause or, uh, pregnancy. So there's so much potential out there.

   7. MRMel Robbins13:45

      You mentioned fiber as something that is really important for happy bacteria. Could you just give us a shorthand list-

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah13:52

      Yeah.

   9. MRMel Robbins13:52

      ...because

8. 13:53 – 16:20

   10 foods to eat to get over vacation or holiday

   1. MRMel Robbins13:53

      I'm sort of a, you know, like, I'm... This is not my area of expertise. So you say fiber, you know what I hear? I literally think about, like, um, the kind, the Mucinex crap-

   2. ASDr. Amy Shah14:03

      Yeah. (laughs)

   3. MRMel Robbins14:03

      ...that you, like, stir into a drink. But what do you mean when you say fiber and that we need more fiber in our diet?

   4. ASDr. Amy Shah14:09

      Whenever I say fiber, everyone's always like, "Oh, like, what brand of fiber?" And I'm like, "No, I'm not talking about a brand. I'm saying fiber is," but it is hard to conceptualize. So the best sources of, say, let's talk about non-bloating fiber, okay? Fiber that you would eat when you're, um, trying to get over a, say, a week-long binge or vacation-

   5. MRMel Robbins14:29

      (laughs)

   6. ASDr. Amy Shah14:29

      ...or whatever it is.

   7. MRMel Robbins14:31

      Yes. Yes.

   8. ASDr. Amy Shah14:31

      It's spinach, leafy greens-

   9. MRMel Robbins14:33

      Okay.

   10. ASDr. Amy Shah14:33

       ...um, are a great source of fiber. Berries are a great source of fiber. Asparagus is a great source of fiber. Um, uh, spices, uh, they work like prebiotic fiber. So these are, uh, amazing things like turmeric and ginger and all of these, uh, foods. So, uh, also fruits and vegetables. So the best fruits to have when you are bloated is bananas, um-

   11. MRMel Robbins14:57

       Really?

   12. ASDr. Amy Shah14:58

       ...is avocados, is eh, um, uh, pineapple, papaya. So pineapple and papaya ha- have natural digestive enzymes in them. So while they're going through our system, they're, they have natural de- like, ways to break themselves down, so it's really gentle on our gut. Um, uh, bananas are the same way. They've been shown to actually help with bloating. So, uh, and they all have fiber. So they're, like, helping you in the short term with, um, eh, with the de-bloat and then in the long term. Oh, asparagus, cucumbers, uh, celery, those are all amazing things. Parsley, cilantro, like, the herbs, fiber and de-bloating all at the same time. These are, like, the things you wanna have when you're like, "Okay, I wanna have more fiber, but I want it to be gentle on my stomach and help me digest." Um, have a big bowl of papaya, pineapple, um, bananas, and then have maybe some avocado. Have, you could have, like, if you're not sensitive to bread, you could have a sourdough, uh, with avocado on it, because sourdough doesn't have as many of s- of the fructans, which are these, um, basically gas-causing, um, sugars that your, your gut, uh, uh, can't digest as well in some people. So

9. 16:20 – 17:09

   The one type of bread that heals your gut

   1. ASDr. Amy Shah16:20

      having, um, an avocado sourdough toast with some fruit on the side would be a great breakfast to have. Eh, um, some asparagus would be amazing to have. These are really, really... Also yogurt if you're not lactose intolerant. Like you said, you love that yogurt. I love probiotic yogurt and cottage cheese in the morning, and even though I can't tolerate a lot of dairy, that yogurt, it's, it's just ha- my body loves that stuff. So that's a great thing to have when you're trying to de-bloat 'cause yogurt, as you know, has some bacteria in it. It's a probiotic food, and it's going to be your, um, it's gonna help you in this setting.

   2. MRMel Robbins16:58

      So let's talk about your five-day-

   3. ASDr. Amy Shah17:01

      Mm-hmm.

   4. MRMel Robbins17:01

      ...gut reset protocol.

   5. ASDr. Amy Shah17:04

      Eh.

   6. MRMel Robbins17:04

      What are we doing, Dr. Shah?

   7. ASDr. Amy Shah17:05

      All right, so ef- so every day, we're doing the three Fs, okay? So

10. 17:09 – 17:48

    Dr. Shah's 5-day reset protocol and why you need it to reset your gut health

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah17:09

       every morning, you're gonna wake up, no matter what, whether you're doing the gut reset protocol or not, every day, you're gonna do the fasting, the fitness, and the fiber, fermented foods. That's, uh, without s- goes without saying.

    2. MRMel Robbins17:22

       Okay.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah17:23

       When you start on the five-day reset, the first day, uh, in addition to what you've already done in the morning, you're gonna add exercise. Add E. It's the first E of the four different Es that we're gonna be doing, and the last day, we're gonna add all of the, um, Es together. So it's like-

    4. MRMel Robbins17:41

       Okay.

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah17:41

       ...exercise is the first E, okay? And exercise for all the reasons we already talked about. Your gut bacteria get happy.

11. 17:48 – 19:17

    Why walking is the best probiotic

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah17:48

       It's the best probiotic that you could ever do, and when you start moving your body, all of that distension starts to move because whether it's fluid, whether it's a food baby, whether it's, you know, stool in there, whether it's, um, it needs-

    2. MRMel Robbins18:03

       Just a lifetime of chronic overeating-

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah18:06

       (laughs)

    4. MRMel Robbins18:06

       ...and making terrible choices or-

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah18:09

       Is-

    6. MRMel Robbins18:09

       ...doing keg stands-

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah18:10

       (laughs)

    8. MRMel Robbins18:10

       ...or going to 17 weddings this summer.

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah18:13

       There you go.

    10. MRMel Robbins18:13

        Regardless of how you're coming to the table, you're welcome.

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah18:16

        (laughs) Yeah.

    12. MRMel Robbins18:17

        And we're gonna start this protocol-... by adding in exercise. And does it matter what exercise you do during the five-day reset?

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah18:28

        No, it doesn't matter. Just move your body, because let's be honest-

    14. MRMel Robbins18:31

        Okay.

    15. ASDr. Amy Shah18:31

        ... any kind of exercise is good exercise.

    16. MRMel Robbins18:34

        Okay.

    17. ASDr. Amy Shah18:34

        Now, if you want to add in yoga because you got, get the twisting, amazing, 'cause we know that physically twisting your gut is going to help release some of that gas and some of that fluid retention and get things moving. So I love things, um, like yoga, uh, to add when you're exercising. But walking, more walking. So say you walked in the morning, walk in the evening again. Uh, weight training. You know, as you know and I know, we lose about one to three percent of muscle mass each decade as women, and during menopause, that speeds up to almost double. And so getting that body moving, lifting weights.

    18. MRMel Robbins19:11

        Okay.

    19. ASDr. Amy Shah19:12

        Okay? So exercise is number one.

    20. MRMel Robbins19:13

        Okay. Day two?

    21. ASDr. Amy Shah19:15

        Day two, eliminate,

12. 19:17 – 20:07

    What an elimination diet is

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah19:17

       E. So the second E is eliminate. So what that means is that food elimination diet we talked about, you're gonna start doing that. So take out dairy, gluten, white sugar, whatever you think may be triggering. So, so for some people, that could be nuts. For some people that can be shellfish. For some people, it can be corn. But usually, it's gluten, dairy, and sugar. If you're not sure, just take those three out, okay?

    2. MRMel Robbins19:39

       Okay.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah19:39

       That's eliminate. That's day, that's day two.

    4. MRMel Robbins19:41

       Okay. Day three?

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah19:42

       Day three, you're gonna start eating foods your gut bacteria loves. The stuff we've already talked about, the things that are going to help your body, um, you know, recover-

    6. MRMel Robbins19:53

       Mm-hmm.

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah19:53

       ... from this, uh, crazy thing that you put your gut through. So it's gonna be that spinach, that asparagus. It's gonna be that fruit, uh, that bromelain from that pineapple, that, uh,

13. 20:07 – 21:48

    The foods your gut bacteria love to digest

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah20:07

       papaya that has digestive enzymes in there that help you digest it. So you're gonna add foods back that your gut bacteria love. So yogurt is another one.

    2. MRMel Robbins20:16

       I have a question.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah20:17

       Yeah.

    4. MRMel Robbins20:17

       What protein-

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah20:19

       Mm-hmm.

    6. MRMel Robbins20:20

       ... is better for your gut than other, in terms of, like, types of meat or-

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah20:25

       Yeah.

    8. MRMel Robbins20:25

       ... fish or beans or lentils? Like, what is the, the, the kindest-

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah20:31

       Yeah.

    10. MRMel Robbins20:31

        ... protein to make for a happy gut?

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah20:33

        So if you're, uh, not plant-based, then egg protein is nicely digested by a lot of people. You know, doing an egg scramble or doing, um, fish, uh, is a good way to get your protein. Um, but if you're plant-based, then you could do beans, but make sure they're, uh, soaked. Like, black beans soaked are really gentle on their stomach, whereas certain beans that, if you don't soak them, uh, they're, they can be gas-producing. Um, tofu is a nice thing to eat when you're trying to get that. And of course, like I said, yogurt, probiotic yogurt and cottage cheese are awesome ways to get that protein that's not necessarily meat, but it's, uh, it's a dairy-based, high protein food, uh, that you can have. And then, of course, nuts. Um, although nuts aren't necessarily the biggest source of protein, they do have some protein in them. Um, and so having that protein. But protein, in general, is a great, great way to, uh, keep your gut bacteria happy and satisfied as well. So that's a really, like, gut... Your gut loves protein. What it doesn't love is fake protein. Do... You know what I mean? Like those shakes-

    12. MRMel Robbins21:43

        Fake meats and stuff.

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah21:44

        ... and bars and fake meats and, like, all the fake stuff. Like,

14. 21:48 – 25:14

    3 foods you should consider removing from your diet for 7 days

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah21:48

       um, when you have a protein shake, I don't know about you, but I immediately get bloated. Uh-

    2. MRMel Robbins21:52

       Yes, pretty much.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah21:54

       My body does not like, uh, processed protein, so the shakes and the bars... And we all are busy. I eat protein bars and shakes. Like, we have to. It's part of our busy lives. But when you're trying to reset, try to have the protein in its whole form, because that's gonna be the kindest thing that you can do to your body. You don't wanna exacerbate the issue.

    4. MRMel Robbins22:14

       Now, I noticed you didn't say locally raised meats, chicken, lamb. Do you not-

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah22:21

       You can.

    6. MRMel Robbins22:21

       ... would you not want to eat meat during this five-day period?

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah22:24

       You, you know, the studies on meat have become very controversial, as you know. Okay, but a new study came out, and this is becoming a really big thought. It's that we used to think that meat, in general, was very inflammatory and that your gut was very inflamed with meat. But there's new data that show that maybe it's not necessarily the meat itself. Maybe it's the type of meat that you're eating, like is it fast food meat versus meat... So the meat story-

    8. MRMel Robbins22:53

       Mm-hmm.

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah22:53

       ... remains to be pieced out. But if you're eating something that's super healthy, locally raised, you know, not full of antibiotics, not from, you know, your local fast food place, this is going to be a nice source of protein. And as I said, our biggest goal is to make that gut bacteria happy. And although fiber and fermented is the number one goal, we said protein is also the goal, and so getting that. But it's a very nuanced conversation, because you basically could argue still the bulk of the research still shows that, um, red meat, or especially processed red meat, is probably inflammatory to the gut and causes all kinds of issues. But the stu- you know, things are changing. So I would say it's, like, a complicated answer. If you enjoy it, it's doing good for your body, you're feeling healthy, that's a great thing to, um, add to your diet.

    10. MRMel Robbins23:48

        Okay, I just want to recap for everybody. So the five-day reset, one of the things that you're doing is Dr. Amy Shaw's morning routine, which are the three Fs. And so you're gonna do this every morning, which is the 12-hour fast before you have your first meal. It is the fitness, and then it is a breakfast that includes some sort of fibrous and fermented food-

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah24:08

        Yes.

    12. MRMel Robbins24:08

        ... because that makes your gut bacteria happy. Day one, you're gonna add in exercise, meaning in addition to the fitness walk in the morning, you're gonna add in a little yoga, a little something else. Day two, you're gonna start an elimination of dairy, gluten, and white sugar. Day three, you're going to be adding in and eating-...the kind of food that your gut bacteria loves-

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah24:30

        Mm-hmm.

    14. MRMel Robbins24:30

        ...which we're learning all about, and what is the E-

    15. ASDr. Amy Shah24:33

        Yeah.

    16. MRMel Robbins24:33

        ...that we add in on day four, Dr. Shah?

    17. ASDr. Amy Shah24:35

        I love this E because... You're going to love it too. It's... The E is for enjoy. So, when we're in our stressed and, um, opposite of enjoyment, right, is when you're stressed and anxious, you can't digest and you can't heal from what you've just-

    18. MRMel Robbins24:51

        Hmm.

    19. ASDr. Amy Shah24:51

        ...what's just happened to your body. And a lot of people, they come back from vacation or holidays, and they're so stressed, and they're punishing themselves by doing all these crazy diets and cleanses and exercises, and it's making things worse. You actually need to go back and enjoy. Spend time with people who are good for your

15. 25:14 – 28:23

    Why bonding is a love language for your gut health

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah25:14

       mental health-

    2. MRMel Robbins25:14

       Mm-hmm.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah25:14

       ...because they're also good for your gut health. Okay?

    4. MRMel Robbins25:17

       Mm-hmm.

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah25:17

       These gut bacteria, just like we said, we want to make them happy, they are super happy when you're spending time with people who make you feel your best. And it's so crazy to think, but they love bonding. Bonding is l- a love language for your gut bacteria. They love it. So, you want to enjoy yourself. So it's spending time with people you love. It's dancing. It's, uh, you know, doing something that lights your bra- you know, body on fire that's like so- you're so passionate about. Enjoyment is like one of the things that people don't realize, that can be so healing to our body, not just our gut-

    6. MRMel Robbins25:56

       Yeah.

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah25:56

       ...but our entire bodies.

    8. MRMel Robbins25:59

       Got it. Okay. What do we do day five?

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah26:01

       We're putting it all together. We're doing-

    10. MRMel Robbins26:03

        All right. Tell me what that means.

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah26:04

        All of these. So, in the morning, you're waking up. You have... You're checking if you fasted for 12 hours, wait 12 hours before you eat f- your first meal. Then you're going for your fitness, um, right after that. Then you're coming back, and you're like, "Oh, time to eat." You're going to have, you know, a big scramble with veggies, yogurt, and berries on the side, and you're going to have your ginger tea, uh, because you're trying to eat the foods, uh, that are great for your body, so high protein, high fiber, fermented food at breakfast. And then, you are going to maybe go for a yoga class or do some stretching or, um, exercises, um, again later in the day. That is going to help you. You're going to be on this elimination diet journey. It's not one day. You know, you're not going to know what things you're, um, sensitive to. Our gut, um, our gut microbiome maybe- doesn't even respond for a few days. You'll have to do this, extend this for as many as three weeks for some people to really find out what their true food sensitivity is, but at least one week, you want to be doing, um, the elimination. Um, and then you want to eat foods all day that your body loves. Like, this is not the time, um, to maybe have your artificially sweetened, um, you know, snacks and, uh, chips and crackers and fast food. This is time to eat really healthy whole foods. Maybe you'll have a spinach salad, and you'll have, um, a bowl of fruit on the side. These are... Uh, that's your, that's your eat, and then do something... You know, bond with someone. Go out to-

    12. MRMel Robbins27:37

        Hmm.

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah27:37

        ...for a walk with a friend. Go have coffee with, um, someone that you haven't seen in a long time, a mentor, a friend, a colleague, your loved one. Uh, spend time with your dog, your baby. Um, do something you love. Maybe you're doing some creative writing, and that is like the perfect day at the very end, and you've... That's like if you did all the things, and you put it all into one day, that would be the day.

    14. MRMel Robbins28:02

        Now, how long do I have to do this-

    15. ASDr. Amy Shah28:05

        (laughs)

    16. MRMel Robbins28:05

        ...before I'm going to start to feel (laughs) like, uh, the bloating is going down, and my gut bacteria is happy and healthy again?

    17. ASDr. Amy Shah28:14

        I'm so excited to tell you this because there's actually research behind this. It's as little as three days. Three days,

16. 28:23 – 31:43

    How many days does it really take to reset your gut?

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah28:24

       you could start feeling... On day three, you could start feeling like, "Wow, I... You know what? My mood is better. My bloating feels better. My cravings are gone," and then after, you know... And it keeps going. Af- it just starts at three days, but in two weeks, you should be markedly better. Um, so I love saying three days, because to me, three days feels so doable, and it's backed by science. We saw a study where they took people, and they rapidly changed their diet, and they said, "Okay, we're going to rapidly change your diet from a fast food, crazy processed diet, um, to this super healthy, gut-loving diet, and we're going to see how long it takes for your gut microbiome to completely transform." And they expected two weeks, and they saw it in three days.

    2. MRMel Robbins29:08

       I'm so happy you said that because this conversation is going to release during the holidays, and I don't know about you listening, but I frickin' love the holiday food, and particularly here in the US, the Thanksgiving fare. I have four or five helpings of the turkey with the stuffing and the mashed potato and this cranberry Jell-O thing that we've always made in my family, and I just love it, and then I love the leftovers. And I think what happens for me is I do feel like I have a food baby, and I feel discouraged, and so I do these extreme things, and then they don't really work, and then I feel more discouraged. And so hearing that you can leverage science and you can follow this reset and you can understand the greater context of this, and if you simply stick with it for these three to five days, you'll likely start to feel better because you're using the science of all of this, that makes me feel more motivated honestly-

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah30:08

       I... Yeah, me too.

    4. MRMel Robbins30:10

       ...because oftentimes you... Yeah, because I... You know, like I felt, after this week, where the pants started out fitting at the beginning of the week, and at the end of the week, I kid you not, I could not even button these pants, and the pictures... I li- I do look like I am in my second trimester of a pregnancy-

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah30:28

       (laughs)

    6. MRMel Robbins30:28

       ...in these pants, and I...... Felt like I was. And so, I felt really discouraged, 'cause I thought, "What is going on?" Is this memi- menopause? Is it stress? Is it travel? Is it, is it, what is it? It's probably all of those things.

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah30:43

       Mm-hmm.

    8. MRMel Robbins30:44

       But I now feel very empowered, because this is something I can do. And when you tell me that there is research that says within three days the studies show that you'll start to feel better if you follow this. Obviously, I can't, you know, be downing a bottle of Jim Beam on top of this-

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah31:04

       (laughs)

    10. MRMel Robbins31:04

        ... or, you know, may, I, I, I gotta really pay attention to all the things that you're talking about. Can't be taking Advil first thing in the morning while I'm doing my fast. I, like, this makes sense to me. One thing that you didn't mention was taking a probiotic.

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah31:19

        Yeah.

    12. MRMel Robbins31:20

        Do you recommend that people take probiotics? Like, what do you, what's your... And, and I realize that not all probiotics are created equally, but does taking a probiotic help if you're bloated?

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah31:33

        Yeah, I mean, okay, this is how I would think of it. In, um, our species in our gut is like the Amazon jungle. There's like thousands

17. 31:43 – 34:26

    Why your daily probiotic pill isn’t really working

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah31:43

       of different, you know, hundreds if not thousands of different spe- species in there. And when you get a-

    2. MRMel Robbins31:47

       Of probiotics?

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah31:49

       Of, of, uh, bacteria. Yeah, so a probiotic-

    4. MRMel Robbins31:51

       Is probiotic the same thing as a bacteria?

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah31:53

       Yeah. So it's-

    6. MRMel Robbins31:54

       Okay.

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah31:54

       ... a probiotic is bacteria that you take by mouth, right? So-

    8. MRMel Robbins31:58

       Okay.

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah31:59

       ... a probiotic might have, um, say hundreds of strains, right? But that's not even close to how many different, uh, different types of bacteria are in your gut. So what the problem with probiotics today is that if you threw seeds from a plane into a barren land, right?

    10. MRMel Robbins32:17

        (laughs)

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah32:17

        You just threw them, not knowing what climate you were in, not knowing what the local kind of, uh, weather, soil was like, you know, some seedlings may come out of it.

    12. MRMel Robbins32:29

        Yeah.

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah32:29

        You know, if you got lucky.

    14. MRMel Robbins32:31

        Yeah.

    15. ASDr. Amy Shah32:31

        But you don't know what you're doing. You're just throwing things at the wall and hoping something sticks, right? So, the difference is when you eat probiotic foods, like yogurt, like cottage cheese, like kimchi and sauerkraut, the, the bacteria come in a food matrix, and they're delivered to your, um, bacteria that already live there. Like, "Hey, look, I brought you some friends." And then for some reason, our body is just more likely to incorporate those guys into our existing ecosystem than they are when you throw a whole bunch of pills into your body.

    16. MRMel Robbins33:11

        That makes a lot of sense. And so I just want to make sure that you listening are tracking with me and Dr. Shaw. So I want to ask a couple questions.

    17. ASDr. Amy Shah33:22

        Yeah.

    18. MRMel Robbins33:23

        So are you saying that probiotic food, based on the research, is a more effective way-

    19. ASDr. Amy Shah33:29

        Yes.

    20. MRMel Robbins33:30

        ... to put healthy bacteria and to get your gut health in order, more healthy and effective than taking an oral probiotic?

    21. ASDr. Amy Shah33:42

        Absolutely. When we get to the place where I can say, "Mel, let me see the organisms that are in your gut right now, and let me produce a cocktail that's going to be complementary to them," and then you're going to be like, "Oh, yeah, this, this definitely works." And that's why fecal transplants work so well. (laughs)

    22. MRMel Robbins34:04

        Fecal transplant? What the hell is that?

    23. ASDr. Amy Shah34:07

        So the best way-

    24. MRMel Robbins34:08

        Fecal transplant? (laughs)

    25. ASDr. Amy Shah34:10

        (laughs) So the best way to deliver-

    26. MRMel Robbins34:10

        I'm just trying to get rid of the, the food baby I have from Thanksgiving.

    27. ASDr. Amy Shah34:14

        (laughs)

    28. MRMel Robbins34:14

        I don't know if I need a fecal transplant. (laughs)

    29. ASDr. Amy Shah34:16

        So, you know, we're talking about delivery of bacteria, right? So you can deliver them through a probiotic.

    30. MRMel Robbins34:21

        Yep.
18. 34:26 – 38:44

    What the heck is a fecal transplant?

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah34:26

       matrix.

    2. MRMel Robbins34:26

       Yep.

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah34:26

       So you're eating sauerkraut w- and the bacteria are kind of in that matrix of the food.

    4. MRMel Robbins34:31

       Makes sense.

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah34:32

       Or you deliver it like straight-up poop from someone else that already has that, um... It's like taking-

    6. MRMel Robbins34:39

       Wait, from, from somebody else? (laughs)

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah34:41

       Yeah. It's called a-

    8. MRMel Robbins34:43

       What?

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah34:43

       ... fecal transplant. It's, it's-

    10. MRMel Robbins34:44

        Ew. Do you have to eat the poop? Like what, how do you do it?

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah34:47

        No, it could be just placed there through colonoscopy. It is curative for so many diseases.

    12. MRMel Robbins34:53

        Really?

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah34:53

        Because it's the best way.

    14. MRMel Robbins34:56

        (laughs) You, you should see everybody's facial expressions. (laughs)

    15. ASDr. Amy Shah35:00

        But, no, think about it. I mean, I know it sounds gross, but you don't have to eat it. You can have it, um... Say, okay, say it's your husband.

    16. MRMel Robbins35:09

        Okay, well, here, I'm getting-

    17. ASDr. Amy Shah35:10

        I know your husband, okay?

    18. MRMel Robbins35:11

        Well, I don't want his poop.

    19. ASDr. Amy Shah35:11

        I know he's a super healthy guy.

    20. MRMel Robbins35:13

        Yes, he's a very super healthy guy. (laughs)

    21. ASDr. Amy Shah35:15

        Okay? Say he... And you're like, "You know what? I am so sick and tired..." Like, uh, say you want his motivation. Like, it's crazy, but it also athletic performance, um, mood, all of this stuff can be, uh, s- transplanted through the gut. So, there is a theory, and it's already been seen in some diseases, that you take a family member's or someone that's really healthy, doesn't have diseases, and you take their feces, their poop. You get it transplanted and placed into your colon through a colonoscopy.

    22. MRMel Robbins35:47

        Mm-hmm.

    23. ASDr. Amy Shah35:48

        Okay? And you let it sit there, so it can kind of like... It's like adding soil.

    24. MRMel Robbins35:52

        Right.

    25. ASDr. Amy Shah35:52

        You know?

    26. MRMel Robbins35:53

        Yep.

    27. ASDr. Amy Shah35:53

        You let it kind of fer- like sit there, let it get incorporated. It can cure diseases. Like, we already know. We can... We think it may be able to cure depression. It may be able to heal ADHD. It may be able to, um, stop cancer. I mean, there's like... The potential for the fecal transplant is insane. There's absolutely-

    28. MRMel Robbins36:15

        So I'll give you that. I'll give you that.

    29. ASDr. Amy Shah36:16

        Okay.

    30. MRMel Robbins36:17

        I will give you that. I can wrap my brain around that. And I remember it may be something that you shared on one of the other episodes that you were on.... that there was a study done, I think on rats.
19. 38:44 – 41:52

    Why crazy diets are not working to “reset” your gut

    1. ASDr. Amy Shah38:44

       Um-

    2. MRMel Robbins38:44

       Wait a minute. So am I catching Chris's bacteria?

    3. ASDr. Amy Shah38:46

       You're catching his bacteria.

    4. MRMel Robbins38:46

       If I kiss him, am I going to catch his bacteria?

    5. ASDr. Amy Shah38:49

       You share food with him. You, um, hug him, kiss him. You are, um, basically more like Chris's, uh, gut microbiome than your identical twin sister, if you ever had one.

    6. MRMel Robbins39:03

       Really?

    7. ASDr. Amy Shah39:04

       Yeah.

    8. MRMel Robbins39:05

       For real?

    9. ASDr. Amy Shah39:05

       Identical twins that are separated at birth, their microbiomes look closer to the people that they live with or their significant others than each other. And when you want to be more like someone, you want the athletic prowess, you want to be as happy, you want to be as successful, as they say, you know, the people you spend your time with, you become, like when you look at it through this gut bacteria lens, that actually-

    10. MRMel Robbins39:30

        That's fascinating.

    11. ASDr. Amy Shah39:30

        ... is happening.

    12. MRMel Robbins39:32

        That's fascinating. All right, well, more importantly, we now know regardless of what is causing you bloat and how you got to this conversation, we now know a five-day science-backed protocol by the absolutely extraordinary Dr. Amy Shah. I want to thank you so much for being here with us.

    13. ASDr. Amy Shah39:54

        I'm so grateful to you and the team, and I'm, um, happy to be on here to talk about maybe the most important part of health that, you know, we don't ever talk about, is this whole world of the gut-brain-hormone connection. It can make us happier. It can help us age successfully. It can b- make us better people in general, and I think it's something that everybody needs to hear.

    14. MRMel Robbins40:20

        I just love Dr. Shah. Every time I talk to her, I feel smarter. And the other thing that I love about her is she doesn't talk down to you. We just learned so much. That was a gold mine. I mean, you know exactly what to do. And of course, you have to decide whether or not it's something that fits for you and your lifestyle and your health, but she just gave you the research, and she walked you through step by step by step based on the research and her expertise what you could do to not only fight the bloat, but more importantly take control of your gut health. And as she explained in the very beginning, your gut health and happy gut bacteria means a happy you, and I want that for you. You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Because I love you. That's right, in case nobody else tells you today, I'm going to remind you that I love you. That's why I show up here twice a week, to be with you. And I also believe in you, and I believe in your ability to take the information that you're learning when you listen and apply what you feel is right to your life so you can create a better life. All right? I got, uh, a reset to go do. I got to find some fibrous foods, you know? I'm going to go eat a banana and some blueberries, and, uh, there we go. I'll talk to you in a few days. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here on YouTube with me. Thank you for subscribing and sharing the episodes that you love, and now here's an episode I love. You got to go and watch the first part of this conversation, episode 123 with Dr. Amazing Amy Shah.

Episode duration: 41:52