Hydrogen vs Methane & Why Symptoms Look So Different In Lesson 1, you learned that gut overgrowth is not a food problem, it’s a movement and rhythm problem. In this lesson, we’ll explain why two people can have gut overgrowth and feel completely different. This is one of the biggest missing pieces in gut education. When food ferments too early in the gut, it produces gas. But not all gas behaves the same. Different gases create different symptoms, different bowel patterns, and different responses to food, fiber, fasting, and coffee. The Two Main Patterns Most people fall into one of these patterns (or a mix of both) 1. Hydrogen dominant 2. Methane dominant Let’s break them down simply. Hydrogen Pattern (Fast & Loose) What’s happening - Food ferments quickly - Gas is produced rapidly - Digestion moves too fast Common signs - Loose stools or diarrhea - Urgency after eating - Gurgling or bubbling sounds - Bloating that comes on quickly - Bloating often improves after a bowel movement People with this pattern often say- “Food goes right through me.” What tends to make this pattern worse - Large carb loads - Sugary foods - Fruit eaten alone - Fasting followed by big meals - Stress Methane Pattern (Slow & Stuck) What’s happening here? - Fermentation is slower - Gas builds gradually - Digestion moves too slowly Common signs - Constipation or hard stools - Bowel movements that feel incomplete - Lower belly bloating or pressure - Bloating that worsens after bowel movements - Feeling “backed up” or heavy People with this pattern often say - “I go, but it never feels finished.” What tends to make this pattern worse? - High fiber or “gut healing” foods - Resistant starch - Fasting - Skipping meals - Stress and poor sleep This pattern is very common in women over 40, especially around hormone changes. Mixed Pattern (Both) Some people experience: - Constipation sometimes - Diarrhea other times - Bloating that changes day to day - Foods that feel safe one week and not the next

Why It Helps Some People and Worsens Others Coffee doesn’t affect everyone the same way. That’s because coffee - - stimulates gut movement - raises stress hormones - changes digestion speed Depending on whether your gut is moving too fast or too slow, coffee can feel helpful or create problems later. Coffee is a stimulant.If your gut is slow, it can help. If your gut is already stressed or imbalanced, it can backfire. The difference shows up clearly between hydrogen and methane patterns. Coffee & Hydrogen Dominant SIBO (Fast digestion, loose stools, diarrhea, urgency) What coffee tends to do- - Speeds digestion even more - Increases urgency - Can trigger loose stools or diarrhea - Can worsen cramping or gurgling Why does this happens? In hydrogen patterns- - Fermentation happens quickly - Digestion already moves fast - Coffee adds more stimulation on top So instead of helping, coffee can- - push food through too fast - worsen symptoms - increase inflammation How people describe it? - “Coffee sends me running to the bathroom.” Coffee guidance (hydrogen pattern) - Often reduce or pause coffee early - Never on an empty stomach - Smaller amounts if used - Focus on calming digestion first Coffee & Methane Dominant SIBO (Slow digestion, constipation, lower belly bloating) What coffee tends to do - - Triggers a bowel movement - Feels relieving at first - Helps stool move out BUT then What often happens later - Belly becomes more distended - Lower abdominal pressure increases - Gas feels trapped - Bloating worsens hours later Why does this happen in methane patterns? - Digestion is slow - Gas is already trapped upstream - Coffee forces movement without coordination So then the - - Stool moves - Gas gets pushed downward - The belly distends later Coffee didn’t fix motility, it just overrode it temporarily. How people describe it? - “Coffee helps me go, but I bloat worse later.”

Coffee on an Empty Stomach Stimulates- 1. Cortisol (stress hormone) - Coffee directly increases cortisol - On an empty stomach, the spike is larger High cortisol- This is the biggest issue for women with night waking, lack of belly fat loss or constipation. 2. Adrenaline (Epinephrine) - Triggers “fight or flight” - Increases alertness and heart rate Can feel like it's helpful short term, however it may be stressful long term (for specific people & conditions).This stalls fat loss. 3. Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine) - Sharpens focus - Suppresses appetite - Tightens blood vessels and gut muscles This can temporarily reduce hunger but slow digestion. 4. Dopamine - Increases motivation and pleasure - Reinforces the habit (“I need coffee to feel normal”) This is why coffee can feel emotionally regulating. 5. Glucagon - Signals the liver to release stored glucose (sugar) - Raises blood sugar when no food is present This is why coffee can feel energizing even without eating, but it increases stress signaling. This stalls fat loss. 6. Reduced Insulin Signaling (indirect effect) - Coffee before food can blunt insulin sensitivity short term. This stalls fat loss. When coffee is taken without food, the body interprets it as “We need energy, but none is coming in therefore...... release the stress hormones.” This raises blood sugar. For someone already dealing with- - Constipation - Bloating - Night waking - Fat loss resistance This can reinforce the stress loop. Why is coffee is different with food? When coffee is taken after eating then - - Cortisol response is smaller - Blood sugar is more stable - Digestion is less disrupted - Less rebound bloating later Same coffee , VERY different hormonal response. FitnHealthy Forever Tip - Coffee on an empty stomach pushes stress hormones up, coffee after food is much gentler on your system. Does all of this mean that Coffee is bad? Heck no! Coffee can be a powerful tool, however like any Power Tool, it's best when used properly.

If you have ever been told your thyroid labs are “normal” but you still feel - tired, - foggy, - stuck, - cold, - anxious, - constipated, - or unable to lose weight, you are not alone An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and nearly 60 percent of them do not know it. Many spend years feeling off before anyone recognizes what is actually happening. Part of the problem is how thyroid health is tested and interpreted. Most doctors rely heavily on one number, TSH, to assess thyroid function. But TSH is not a thyroid hormone. It is a signal from your brain telling your thyroid how much hormone to make. It does not tell you how much hormone your body is actually using. So it is entirely possible for TSH to be “in normal range” while your cells are functionally underpowered. That is why so many women feel dismissed when their labs look fine but their bodies do not. What does your thyroid actually do? Your thyroid produces two main hormones, T4 and T3. T4 is a storage form. It circulates in the blood but does not do much on its own. T3 is the active form. It enters your cells and tells them how fast to run, how much energy to produce, how warm to be, how quickly to digest food, how well your brain functions, how your heart contracts, how your bones rebuild, and how easily you burn fat. Every cell in your body depends on T3. So having thyroid hormone in your blood is not enough. You have to be able to convert T4 into T3 and actually deliver it into your cells. Why do symptoms persist even on medication? Synthroid and levothyroxine give your body T4. Your body still has to convert that T4 into T3. Under healthy conditions, that conversion happens mostly in the liver and the gut. Are your Liver & Gut 100% Healthy 7 happy? Under stress, inflammation, infection, calorie restriction, nutrient deficiencies, or poor sleep, the body often diverts T4 into reverse T3 instead. Reverse T3 is an inactive form of thyroid hormone that blocks thyroid receptors. It acts like a brake on metabolism.

Supported by research. - Short strolls after meals help blunt blood sugar spikes even 2-5 minutes can make a measurable difference. Increase to 10-15 (when you're conditioned enough) - Walking before breakfast shifts your metabolism toward fat use because insulin is low in the fasted state. - Interval walking (when you're conditioned enough) can yield more improvements in fat loss and fitness than steady walking for the same total time. 1- 2 minute "faster" and 1-2 minutes "slower" - Uphill walking (when you're conditioned enough) increases calorie use and recruits bigger muscle groups. - Moderate-pace walking trains your body to burn fat more efficiently over time. - Spending time walking in green spaces can lower stress hormones and support better sleep and mood. - Tracking your steps reliably increases daily movement and builds consistency. - Adding a bit of weight (when you're conditioned enough) to your walk increases the metabolic cost and strengthens muscles. A backpack can work easily. Which 1 or 2 will you start this week?