Today’s guest is Dr. Norman Robillard, a microbiologist and a researcher who spent 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry before founding the Digestive Health Institute. Dr. Norm’s goal is to develop holistic treatments for digestive illnesses based on understanding the underlying cause of the disease, rather than just dealing with the symptoms. He has created the Fast Tract Diet, which he’s going to talk about in our interview, and he also has two books out — The Fast Tract Digestion and The Fast Tract Heartburn. Today, we discuss the complexities of gut health; touching on some interesting points around symptoms, treatment, carbs, enzyme supplements, fasting, fats, and why you should chew your food. We also get into some of the not-so-pretty stuff like SIBO, mucus membranes, fecal bacteria, and gas. But it’s all for a good cause and makes for an insightful conversation to help us understand our gut and how we can heal it. Take a listen! CLICK HERE for the full transcript. Key Points From This Episode: Dr. Norm’s drug and antibiotic free Fast Tract Diet. Current debates in gut health research. How does SIBO differ from IBS? Some of the symptoms specific to SIBO. What are fermentable carbohydrates? The benefits of intermittent fasting. Dr. Norm’s view on Keto diets. Resistant starch and low FP carbs. The effects of high fat diets on digestion. Hear Dr. Norm’s theory on the causes of acid reflux. Can the Fast Tract Diet help with silent reflux or LPR? Diet versus digestive enzyme supplements. The lactase gene and digesting dairy. The importance of a diverse diet. And much more! Tweetables: “A science-based diet with behavioral intervention should really be the first line of defense for these functional GI conditions.” — @DrNRobillard [0:12:30.1] “Just blasting fiber and a lot of fermentable carbs, I’m convinced is part of the problem, not the solution.” — @DrNRobillard [0:18:33.1] “I really do think for a lot of people, a ketogenic diet is a great way to start.” — @DrNRobillard [0:28:10.1] “Our main goal is not to overfeed the microbes.” — @DrNRobillard [0:29:22.1] “Some people confuse an effect that carbs are having on them and they blame the fats.” — @DrNRobillard [0:34:11.1] “People want the easy thing. They don’t want to have to follow a diet for years to get sorted out.” — @DrNRobillard [0:46:28.4] “Our mission is to get 10 million people off of drugs and antibiotics and onto a more holistic lifestyle and diet.” — @DrNRobillard [0:58:20.4] Links Mentioned in This Episode:  Fast Tract Diet Website – http://www.fasttractdiet.com/Digestive Health Institute – https://digestivehealthinstitute.org Dr. Mark Mattson TedX Talk – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UkZAwKoCP8 Increased Gut Microbiota Diversity And Abundance Of Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii And Akkermansia After Fasting: A Pilot Study – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763563 Rebecca Cumes’ Healthy Gut Website – https://thehealthygut.co/National Institute On Aging – https://www.nia.nih.gov/The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore – https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fasting-Intermittent-Alternate-Day/dp/1628600012 Fast Tract Digestion Heart Burn – https://www.amazon.com/Heartburn-Digestion-Surprising-Explained-Clinically-ebook/dp/B007WZHCWK Fast Tract Diet Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/FastTractDiet/ Dr. Norman Robillard on Twitter – https://twitter.com/drnrobillard?lang=en Clean Food Fest – http://cleanfoodfest.com/    SHARE YOUR LOVE FOR PMR AND YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN SOME GREAT PALEO SWAG! It's easy, simply post a review of PMR on iTunes and fill out our quick Registration Form and you'll be entered to win your choice of 4 great books and a Paleo Magazine vinyl decal! One winner will be randomly chosen each week.