What Is Leaky Gut & How We Heal It

Jack Tips, Ph.D., CCN has created a cutting-edge, detailed assessment that he has run in tandem with clinical case studies (real live patients) for a full two years using before and after lab work as a marker to measure the efficacy of the assessment. After our first Gut Thrive™ launch where 2000 people took the assessment, we were able to fine-tune the assessment even further. So we can accurately slant your program to YOUR unique situation (viral, SIBO, FODMAPS, yeast and fungal infections, heavy metal toxicity, bacterial overgrowth, pancreatic deficiency, liver/gallbladder depletion, etc.). This assessment should save you $1000-$2000 in expensive lab work, helping you identify a root cause and a viable starting point. Our assessment has been clinically tested and proven in over 2000 individuals, and after fine-tuning it, we took a beta group of 100 through it to check it for accuracy. It measures 180 variables and takes into account both frequency and severity of symptoms and issues.

It's helpful, but not necessary. If you are eating clean before you begin, your die-off symptoms (as the bugs leave your body) will be less severe, but we plan to give you a week to prepare yourself with small changes and then move into the full diet after that. Our process is so gentle and holistic that it turns the power over to your own body to decide the pace of detoxification. Christa guides you throughout the course with a myriad of cleansing methods to speed it up or slow it down, depending on what your unique needs are.

If you choose to do the supplement plan, supplements will cost extra. They run anywhere from $539-$799, depending upon your Gut Thrive in 5™ Plan. You will only need ONE round and will not need to stay on them after the GT5™ process is complete. We have worked meticulously with a molecular biologist, Ph.D. in nutrition, and have a combined 60 years of clinical knowledge behind these formulas that will work synergistically to re-establish order to your entire microbiome (and immune system) and to make sure this happens in the most holistic way possible. That means you'll be able to find what works for your genetics and you'll allow your immune system to do the work to build your health instead of having the formulas “do it for you.” We believe in the philosophy “teach a man how to fish” instead of “give a man a fish” and have a high success rate with these formulas in changing and improving people's lives for the long-term. We intentionally kept the price of this course much less than its worth to allow you to use your income toward this advanced and essential clinical therapy.

If there is anything you reorder in your life to make the supplements work for you, like suspending your cable or even your gym membership (maybe you're too tired to go right now) to pay for this round of supplements, we suggest it because that's how important they are.

However, there's more than one pathway to self-healing, and indeed the program needs to fit your individual circumstances. The Gut Thrive in 5™ diet, lifestyle, support, and cleansing methods will certainly give you very positive results that alone could be a complete and life-changing engagement. But if you want to compress and accelerate the timeline, work more assertively, and reach deeper healing more quickly (in 10 weeks or less); then consider the merits VS expense of the additional supplemental approach.

There have been thousands of hours and decades of learning put into teaching you how to provide foundational support to the body's healing endeavors. The program will build your knowledge base for a healthy life. If you are facing a greater challenge (history of antibiotic use, a diet of commercial, antibiotic meat, exposure to pathogens while traveling, history of more chronic derangement, an autoimmune disorder, IBS), then the clinical formulas are essential to addressing the GI microbiome in its entirety. Using the supplements and our carefully devised protocol can provide a foundational point of leverage for lasting whole body health.

If you skip the supplements this time, depending on how tough your case is, you will need to budget to do the FULL course sometime within 12 months of starting your program to leverage the “hard work” you put in within the program on diet, lifestyle, and cleansing.

We have brought together the highest quality of supplements into our Gut Thrive in 5™ Supplement Kits. They contain no gluten, dairy, corn or soy and there are absolutely no fillers. We provide a list of every single ingredient before you purchase the kits so you can make an educated decision before doing so.

The beautiful thing about these magically crafted formulas is that they were developed for highly sensitive people who have both food and chemical sensitivities. We then staged out an approach to let all Gut Thrivers customize the pace of their detox to avoid herbal interactions as much as possible. Because the formulas are so gentle, their side effects are much less than traditional supplements, because there is not enough of one herb in them to upset medications or to have an interaction. The strength of this supplement program comes from the unity of all the herbs acting synergistically (this strategy employs the epigenetic component of this program). This way none of the “bad critters” living inside your body will get smart and resistant to any of the botanicals, and you will be set up for great success. Our knowledge base, customer support team, and videos will answer your specific medication and herbal questions to make sure you feel safe and comfortable with the approach.

You have access to the program for 1 year after you enroll. Once you're in, you may begin at any time, but we suggest at least logging in, taking the assessment to see what plan you fall into, and then ordering your supplements if you intend to do Gut Thrive in 5™ within one year of purchase. Keep in mind that we have a 14-day money back guarantee, so you'll also want to be sure this is the right program for you within that time-frame.

You will have access for the lifetime of the product and be able to access it at any time once enrolled.  We suggest at least logging in, taking the assessment to see what plan you fall in and then ordering your supplements if you plan to do Gut Thrive in 5™ within one year of purchase. Note: Access methods to this program may change as technology changes through the years.

If you are on a short course of prednisone (10 days or less) or another immunosuppressant, you can eat within our diet parameters, but wait to start your supplement plan until you finish your medication. If you are on a long (extended use) course of immunosuppressants, you can start the program now. Our program can successfully run side-by-side and should not interfere with your medication. You may consider re-doing the program six months after discontinuing your immunosuppressants to re-boot and re-empower your immune system when it no longer is being suppressed. It's kind of like when a parent doesn't let their child ever speak up and then later in life they have to go through therapy to “find their voice.” Eventually, you will need to train your immune system that it's okay to live up to its full power and potential to take care of you.

If you're only on antibiotics for 10 days or less, wait to take the supplement program until after you finish your antibiotics, but jump right in and fill out the assessment, get your supplements ordered, and start watching the videos and following our instructions. If you've been on antibiotics for a long time (anywhere from one month to years) because of acne or a very hard to kill bacterial infection and must continue them, start the program as soon as possible, and you should still get good results and be doing your body a huge favor.

All logins are delivered within 2-24 hours of purchase.

Yes, 100% – this course is for anyone with a digestive system and will dive DEEP into the entire microbiome and provide an education you and your family can use for the rest of your life. The three- month program would have set you up well to experience minimal die-off and to come into GT5™ with more balanced hormones. You will be set up well for success by already understanding the basic tenets of our philosophy and approach to health.

You can eat according to any of the GI healing diets and do great on our program. It doesn't interfere with any other modalities. So if you are comfortable with the way you're eating, and it works for you, that can trump our eating plans. You can use them later because as your microbiome heals, we’ll want you to introduce one new food per week to expand to a full and varied diet.

We welcome those from age 12-80 to do Gut Thrive in 5™. Rejuvenating and restoring the microbiome can and should be done routinely (annually or every few years). Think of it as an equivalent to changing the oil in your car. It can add YEARS and infinite QUALITY to your life. Note: We also have a referral partner who can help to customize the protocol for children under 12. He offers a discounted rate to all of our Gut Thrive enrollees.

Start slowly and gradually build up as you're able to tolerate the formulas. The information provided in the program will likely help you figure out your “sweet spot,” and if not, you may need a half hour consult with Jack Tips to further customize the protocol based upon how you progress. Of course, we also want you first to check with your doctor and to continue to be guided by them.

This program will be extremely helpful and beneficial for you but check with your doctor first. It is not recommended if you are currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation but would be a wonderful endeavor after that to help rejuvenate the liver, microbiome, and immune system.

If you've been diagnosed or suspect you have Celiac disease, you can participate in this program. This program supports the body's GI tract healing abilities. Microvilli (the little “hair-like” fingers in the intestinal tract that absorb your nutrients) turn over and grow back frequently, as long as they are not assaulted with foods and other forms of inflammation. All of the supplements that we have chosen for each of the Gut Thrive™ plans are entirely gluten-free and free of other excipients. Our research and clinical studies show you can restore your microbiome after years of damage from undiagnosed Celiac disease.

It's hard to find an exceptionally skilled, compassionate functional medicine practitioner who will take your case and be your partner in your wellness. Jack Tips, our resident Gut Thrive in 5™ practitioner, is that type of practitioner and he sees cases to their completion (i.e. you have gotten your life back). While his practice is typically overflowing with a 3-month wait list, he has agreed to make himself available for appointments for our Gut Thrivers and to offer ½ hour consults at $125 to be mindful of the expense you've already invested. As a Gut Thriver, his team will do their best to get you an appointment within 10 days if you need one (but we're hoping you'll get such great results that you won't!)

We totally understand. When you have been sick and suffering for a while, you've already spent a lot of money on your health, and it's so frustrating. That is part of the reason we created this course, because sickness bankrupts people. We take your trust seriously and care about you, your long-term health, and your future and we want our program to be finishing work for your gut healing process and not just another program you test out.

But you will have to choose health above EVERYTHING else. This is a must so you can see your kids grow up, play with your grandkids, have kids of your own, be who you're meant to be, create what you're meant to create, spend time in nature, and do the things you love.

There is nothing on earth more valuable than your health and if you truly believe that too, you will find a way to participate with us so you can get well and then increase your creative and earning potential from a healthy place.

We strongly encourage you to look at your lifestyle and the places where you might be leaking money – be it eating out, enjoying fancy coffees, monthly subscriptions for things you don't use, or even the gym (maybe you're too tired even to go). It may be time to re-appropriate those funds toward your health.

To do our program as laid out, you'll spend approximately  $1200 (course fee and supplements), and then you also have to budget for healthier food. Isn't that better than seeing yet another practitioner and typically paying far more in specialist and lab fees, and prescriptions or additional supplements because you didn't find your “formula” the first time around?

Time is money so also take into account the long turnaround time for lab work and appointments when determining the value of our doing our program. This is your one life to live, trust your gut if this feels right to you.

You will be able to participate in Gut Thrive while pregnant and/or nursing by making some adjustments to the supplement protocol, increasing carbohydrate intake in the diet and eliminating of some of the detoxification techniques (ie no coffee enemas, salt flushes or castor oil packs). We provide two different modifications to the supplement protocol – one for during pregnancy and for moms who have been nursing less than 3 months (using digestive enzymes and probiotics) and a second modification for mothers who have been nursing for 3 months or more (multiple digestive enzymes, probiotics, a leaky gut support formula and reduced doses of 2 different anti-microbials). We also recommend adding a high quality prenatal supplement, fish oils and vitamin D, as needed to this protocol.

We believe you are a smart, capable, and powerful human being and that you can think for yourself. The reality is no doctor cares about your health more than you do. With that in mind, we'd encourage you to do a Google search for “intestinal permeability and heart disease,”  “intestinal permeability and diabetes,” “intestinal permeability and weight gain,” or “intestinal permeability and cancer.”

Read the studies. There are over 10,000. Take your favorite one to your doctor to read. MDs are fantastic, and we need them, but most are not educated in this way. It is an entirely different school of thought and having only 20 minutes with you is simply not enough time to ever get to the root of what's truly ailing you. You are the CEO of your health, not us, and not your doctor. You get to make the decisions, and we encourage you to be as informed as possible and to believe that anything is possible.

We commend you for your journey and know it's likely been a long, taxing road. Most of our clients have said the same thing. We are usually people's “last stop,” and thankfully so because the last stop means we can achieve real healing. Gut Thrive in Five™ is different because the assessment is unprecedented, the strategy PROVEN, and the formulas are customized and more holistic than any other approach out there.

We approach the WHOLE person, not just the physical body. Our program reconnects you to your original genetic blueprint and therefore gives your body the chance to reach its inherent genetic potential and to “turn off” disease.

We share with you over 40 years of combined clinical experience, and a step-by-step approach that is easy to follow, with food that tastes good and doesn't take forever to prepare. We help you create a mindset of wellness that lasts. We are exceptionally proud of this groundbreaking program. There is nothing else out there like it and we believe this process will revolutionize not only your own life, but also the integrative health care model.

The fact that you already eat this way tells us that you have the dedication and ability to fix your health. Our diet plan may even be more relaxed and easier for you to follow. We believe the human body is stronger than we give it credit for being. It's flexible and adaptable and shouldn't have to stick so hard to diets to maintain equilibrium.

Our goal is to bring you back to your original self and to the most powerful strength that you may not have even experienced yet in this life. Bringing you to this place as you go through this course, should enable you to live an 80/20 balance because your body will be strong enough to burn sugar efficiently when there are carbs present and to burn fat efficiently when there is fat present. If you stick to a healthy, clean diet 80% of the time, you can manage your health for life.

We have four diet options depending on where your assessment results take you. If you have SIBO or FODMAPS, your diet will be stricter than the rest. You must adhere to a specific diet for the first 6 weeks, and then we help you determine (based upon the level of healing you've achieved) when you're ready to move toward your 80/20 balance.

Diet is just one piece of healing your gut and fixing other health problems. You also need proven high-quality supplements with a strategy behind them that are proven to work time and time again, simple but effective lifestyle habits, and to eliminate any hidden root and environmental causes that are keeping you sick. GT5™ is different because it's all pulled together under one program with easy steps for you to incorporate into your daily life.

Results vary, but most people typically feel MUCH better after four weeks because the pathogen purge will be well underway and your intestinal terrain will begin to change. Some feel completely different within just the first two weeks.

Everybody is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to biochemistry. The average time to healing is one month for every year you've been unwell, but our course can slash that by 50%. So for example, if you've been very sick for 20 years, it may take you up to 10 months to realize the full effect of GT5™.

If you're coming to us already “healthy-ish” with some GI distress, your results will likely be more pronounced sooner. So as with anything in health, nothing is guaranteed… but we think you'll be incredibly pleased with your progress.

This has worked for us time and time again in clinical practice and thousands of people from around the world. It's also what the latest trusted research shows to be effective for the long-term, and what some of the top functional medicine doctors and practitioners in the world do with their patients with stellar results.

Nobody has time these days, but what you truly value in life, you will create the time and energy to execute. It's a value that has to be cultivated. Outsourcing your health to your doctor or another practitioner hardly ever works. You have to be involved and committed to your healing process, and you must understand what's going on in your own body because it will empower you to always keep it in balance after that.

You just have to make the hard decision to make your health the #1 priority above all else. The airlines have it right: In an emergency, always put your oxygen mask on first and then save others. If you don't invest in your health today, who will? And who will be there for your loved ones down the road?

Yes, you can access the membership site from anywhere as long as you have high-speed Internet and email access.

We can offer shipping to the following countries: Austria. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland), Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore.

NOTE as of 8/1/2016 Belgium has been removed from this list due to tighter Customs regulations.

AND PLEASE NOTE: USPS Priority International will be added to the cost of the Supplement Kit upon check-out but will NOT include any additional customs fees/duties imposed during the shipping process. The purchaser of the Supplement Kit will be responsible for any additional costs. If customs is refused, a refund on the Kit will not be granted.

If you are in a country we are unable to ship to and want to do the program, we recommend that you collect the ingredient list of the needed products and take them to your local health store/practitioner to try to match the ingredients and dosages as close as possible based upon what's available in your country.

Spending 7-9 hours/week is ideal, and you will be setting yourself up for tremendous success. That's just an hour or two dedicated to Gut Thrive in 5™ per day, and then you can move on with your life!

Here is a very realistic breakdown of the time you will be putting towards this program on a weekly basis:

2 hours to watch all videos, read through materials and plan your actions items

2 hours for the live portion of the program (webinar Q&A)

3-5 hours for grocery shopping, prep and cooking

An additional 1-2 more hours for self-care in the mornings or evening (for things like oil pulling, meditation, or castor oil packs) would be a huge bonus. Self-care is essential throughout this program!