Post-Antibiotic Gut Rehab: Month 1

We all pretty much know that reducing the use of antibiotics is essential to a healthy gut, but sometimes you just can't avoid taking them. For instance if you have an acute infection, or surgical procedure. For me it was the latter.

In late February, I had gum grafting surgery, where they took tissue from the roof of my mouth and grafted it to my lower front gumline. Yup, it was just as fun as it sounds;) I knew I was going to need antibiotics and an antibiotic oral rinse after the procedure so I did everything I could leading up to it to fortify my gut. I increased my intake of probiotic and prebiotic foods and purchased my favorite probiotic that is effective DURING and AFTER a course of antibiotics.

2 weeks after finishing the antibiotics I ran a GIMAP stool test and MRT food sensitivity test to get a good baseline so I knew how much rehab work had to be done.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the antibiotics had NOT wiped out my commensal bacteria(the good guys)! I credit this to the RestorFloraPD and my vigilance with my pro and prebiotic food intake prior to the treatment.

But there was definitely work to be done. I had high Hpylori, overgrowth of a lot of the opportunistic bacteria(bad guys) and candida(yeast) overgrowth- all common after you take antibiotics. Plus my secretory IgA and Elastase were lab low which means that my immune system was exhausted and my body was not producing adequate digestive enzymes.

Next up was the MRT food sensitivity test. This is not your normal food sensitivity test that most practitioners run.

Most food sensitivity tests (like IgG) look for antibodies your immune system might make in response to certain foods. But here’s the catch: having IgG antibodies doesn’t always mean you’re sensitive to that food—it could just mean you ate it recently, and your body recognizes it as familiar, not harmful.

👉 It’s like seeing smoke but not knowing if there’s a fire.

The MRT test, on the other hand, measures your body’s actual inflammatory response to a food or chemical. It looks at something called mediator release—these are the chemicals (like histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins) your white blood cells release when your immune system gets triggered.

👉 In simpler terms: MRT shows the fire, not just the smoke.

So instead of just guessing which foods might be a problem based on antibodies, MRT tells us which foods are actively causing inflammation in your body right now.

IgG tests = detect exposure, not always a problem
MRT test = detects inflammation, which is what you actually feel as symptoms like bloating, fatigue, joint pain, or brain fog

That’s why MRT is often a better guide when you’re trying to calm inflammation, heal your gut, and feel better—it helps you cut through the noise and focus on the foods that matter most.

Below you will see the foods that lit up on my test. Yes these seem like "healthy" foods right??? But it speaks to the condition of my gut and immune system. I am dealing with some degree of leaky gut, which is allowing particles of these foods to move from the gut into my bloodstream and my immune system is picking them up as "invaders" and mounting a response. The food in red has to be eliminated for 6 months. I thought, no big deal, I don't even eat soy. Until I checked one of my supplements.... SOY!

I really do miss my broccoli, blueberries, vanilla, cherries and chicken. And it's crazy how many things contain corn or corn derivatives and potato or potato starch.

Let's get to the good stuff- 1 month results

The first 2 weeks were tough. I was adjusting to different foods(since a lot of the ones I reacted to were my daily staples), and get my supplement regimen dialed in. During these first 2 weeks I had headaches, increased bloating, constipation and I was ANGRY. Anger is often related to liver health, so I increased liver loving foods like beets, greens and limonene(lemon peel), and did castor oil packs 3x/week.

By week 3, I was starting to turn a corner, the headaches were better, and the bloating was subsiding but my joint pain increased- go figure!

Now, at the end of week 4, I am seeing improvements:

Joint pain is better
No more undigested food in my stool(undigested food in stool is a sign of enzyme insufficiency and low stomach acid, can also be due to not chewing well enough!)
No headaches
Less nasal congestion
More rested in the mornings, even after the same amount of sleep
No more afternoon slump between 1-2 pm!

Am I missing some of my "regular" foods- YES. Am I tired of taking supplements- YES. Am I going to stay the course- YES.

This is a 3-month protocol, at which point I will do another GIMAP and see where things stand. It may take longer.... There is no timeline, everyone heals at a different pace. Some full gut healing can take 6-12 months, so I am prepared and willing to do the work. Post-antibiotic gut rehab is critical so you don't dig yourself into a deeper and deeper hole with your health.

I would love to hear your questions about my protocol or process- feel free to drop comments here or email me at info@rebeccaarsena.com. Let's have a conversation!

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Post-Antibiotic Gut Rehab- Month 1

Post-Antibiotic Gut Rehab: Month 1

Let's get to the good stuff- 1 month results

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