What We’re Talking About In This Episode! How your fingernails can actually be an indicator of gut health Evan’s theory of ‘test don’t guess’ Why living in a big urban city could be wreaking havoc on your toxin levels Transitioning from fake food to real food Gaining a nutritional insurance policy through enzymes   Episode Summary:  Today we are talking about how an unhappy gut can be the root cause of many health issues, including fatigue, weight problems and hormone imbalance. The gut is known as our second brain, and allows our body to function on a day to day basis. Gut bugs can cause inflammation, mood imbalance, and increase your risk of chronic disease, and much more. There are very few doctors out there specifically trained to identify the root causes and educate their patients on these root causes, which is especially important when talking about gut health. Luckily, I am joined by one of those few specialists today, Dr. Evan Brand, to discuss all your questions about how the gut works.  Dr. Evan Brand is an author, podcast host, and certified functional medicine practitioner. After dealing with his own health struggles he started his company, Functional Medicine Clinic, to help his patients overcome issues such as chronic fatigue, obesity and depression.  Many of us are operating outside of mother nature’s natural rhythm because of the toxic environment we live in. In fact, chronic fatigue alone has increased 11,000 percent over the past decade. Now is the time to take back control over your gut health by focusing on fixing the root issues instead of just fixing the symptoms. It’s time to begin your proactive journey to better gut health and overall wellness, starting with Dr. Evan Brand’s expert advice.      Quotes: “I didn’t really get out of this trench until I got rid of these infections. I had done the whole paleo thing, I dialed in the diet, tons of plants, organic as much as possible, all the good things you should be doing, meditation, all the cool stuff people talk about. But it didn’t work because I had these root causes.” (10:52) “If you keep asking why usually you will get to the answer, and the answer is toxins.” (18:12) “If you have symptoms now and know somethings not right, I encourage you to be more proactive instead of reactive. If you wait till you are at rock bottom and you are about to lose your job because you are so tired, you’re so depressed that you’re about to get a divorce, you have so many gut issues you can’t leave the house because you are stuck to the toilet. Look, those are extreme cases and that’s usually when people reach out, but I just want you to tell you that you don’t have to do that. If something is off now, why not figure it out sooner rather than later?” (31:55)   Resources Mentioned: Dr. Evan Brands Website The Evan Brand Podcast Follow Dr. Evan Brand on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube  Evan and I are both speaking at The Candida Summit and we’d LOVE if you would tune in for free! Why Stomach Acid is Good For You Book   Check out the full show notes page Keep up with everything Dr. Mariza Follow Dr. Mariza on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube