Astra Aeternum X

🆕 Editor’s Note – Updated July 18, 2025:

Before we dive in, here’s something you should know:

⚠️ I am not a licensed medical provider. But I have worked in the medical industry, and I understand human anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology very well. That said, it’s exactly because I know the system — its strengths and limitations — that I now choose a natural, holistic path wherever possible. For years now, I’ve been my own “physician,” using research, self-observation, and logic to navigate my health.

I’m not suggesting you do what I do. I’m simply offering a detailed overview of what worked for me — and what didn’t. By all means, consult your doctor and explore all your options. Your body, your rules.

When Elemental Didn’t Work: My Carnivore Shift

I don’t believe in sugarcoating anything. This time around, the DIY elemental diet made me feel worse, not better. I felt drained, lightheaded, and started having daily diarrhea. That was the moment I realized: something had changed. My body wasn’t responding to this protocol anymore. So I pivoted. I went 100% carnivore.

And yes — it was brutal at first. I overdid the fats in the beginning, and with the microbial die-off in full swing, I ended up with a seven-day run of diarrhea that felt like a detox straight from hell. My electrolytes were depleted, my energy tanked, and I started seeing small red bumps appear on my arms and legs — my body was pushing out toxins from more than just the gut. I was taking electrolytes the entire time — high-quality ones, too — but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the sheer volume of loss.

Once I added TUDCA, everything changed. My digestion normalized within 24 hours. The diarrhea stopped. My energy came back. Then I introduced Biocidin. Just a single drop under the tongue on that first day. I felt the difference almost instantly — not in the dramatic, gut-emptying way TUDCA worked, but in a more subtle, stabilizing way. It felt like someone turned down the inflammatory noise. My brain fog started to lift, and for the first time in weeks, I felt mentally sharp again.

So, what are these two?

Biocidin is a botanical formula designed to target pathogens — including bacteria, fungi, and biofilms — without the harsh side effects of antibiotics. It’s strong, so I started slow. But it’s also precise. It felt like it was cleaning things out without wrecking my system. And that’s rare.

TUDCA (Tauroursodeoxycholic acid) is a bile acid derivative that supports healthy bile flow and liver function. In plain language: it helps your body flush out toxins more effectively, especially when you’re killing off pathogens or switching to a fat-heavy diet like carnivore. For me, it was the missing piece. The digestive reset. The pressure release valve.

Thirteen days into following the carnivore diet combined with my updated supplement protocol, including TUDCA and Biocidin, I finally started to see real, lasting change. The intense die-off phase was behind me, my digestion had stabilized, and my energy levels were steady. This wasn’t just a gut reset anymore — it was a full-body transformation.

And most shockingly, my skin began to transform. My dark spots faded. The tone evened out. The bloating disappeared. Water weight melted off. I felt calm, clean, and finally, clear.

My New Routine

Morning Routine (Empty Stomach)

Aim to leave a 15–30 minute gap between each major element.

Time	Supplement	Notes
7:30 AM	1 drop Biocidin	In a small amount of water or under the tongue. Wait 15–30 min.
8:00 AM	TUDCA (250–500 mg)	With a few sips of water. Great for bile + liver flow.
8:30 AM	Allicin	On empty stomach or with a very light meal (if too strong alone).
9:00 AM	Berberine	Take this either right before or after breakfast.
With breakfast	LMNT Electrolytes	Optional, only if diarrhea persists or you feel dehydrated.

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Midday (Lunch)

Time	Supplement	Notes
1:00 PM	Allicin	Best taken away from fats or heavy meals.
1:30 PM	Berberine	Take with or just after food.
With lunch	TUDCA (if not taken in AM)	Optional — many people split the dose.
Throughout day	LMNT Electrolytes	Optional, only if diarrhea persists or you feel dehydrated.

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Evening (Dinner + Wind-down)

Time	Supplement	Notes
6:00 PM	Biocidin (1 drop)	Only if the morning dose went well. If not, skip evening dose.
6:30 PM	TUDCA (optional)	If you had a heavier dinner or skipped daytime dose.
7:00 PM	Allicin	Final antimicrobial dose.
7:30 PM	Berberine	Final metabolic + antimicrobial dose.
Bedtime	LMNT Electrolytes	Optional, only if diarrhea persists or you feel dehydrated.

Shopping List (Amazon-Linked)

Here’s what I use and recommend:

• Allicin:
  Stabilized Allicin – 700,000 mcg
• Berberine:
  Integrative Therapeutics Berberine
• Biocidin Liquid Drops:
  Biocidin Botanicals
• TUDCA:
  Double Wood Supplements TUDCA
• Electrolytes:
  LMNT Raw Unflavored Electrolytes

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From Protocol to Personal Revolution

This isn’t just about healing SIBO. It’s about reclaiming agency over your health. I’ve learned to listen to my body, not just the trends or even past experience. What worked once may not always work again — and that’s okay. The key is having the courage to pivot.

If you’ve been stuck in bloated discomfort or chasing symptom suppression, maybe it’s time to try something radical. Maybe it’s time to clear the slate completely.

I’m still on this path, and I’ll be updating more as I go. But for now — no bloat, better skin, steady energy, and mental clarity. This was the reset I didn’t know I needed.

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Original Post:

Your Gut Is Not to Be Trifled With

Feeling bloated? Still carrying your “winter belly” into summer and stressing about how it looks in beachwear? Maybe you’ve overindulged, traveled, or just feel off — and now you’re desperate for a quick fix. If you’ve been scrolling wellness content or gut-health TikTok, you’ve probably come across the elemental diet. It promises fast relief, a flat stomach, and a full-body reset. But is it really the miracle it sounds like — or is this another trend being misused by the masses?

Gut health trends have exploded in recent years, and with them, a wave of “reset” protocols promising to heal digestion, flatten the belly, and fix fatigue. Among the latest to be embraced by influencers and wellness communities is the elemental diet — once a clinical tool, now increasingly promoted as a fast-track detox or bloating cure. But can this stripped-down, nutrient-only protocol truly serve as a universal gut reset?

The short answer is no, not without context.

As someone who has used an elemental diet multiple times over the years to treat methane-dominant SIBO, I’ve seen firsthand what it can do. It’s powerful. It works. But it’s not a shortcut or a general health tonic. When used improperly, it can do more harm than good.

This post explores why the elemental diet is gaining popularity, how it works, who it’s truly for, and why following trends blindly can backfire, especially when it comes to gut health.

***Note: I’m not a medical provider. Everything shared here is based on personal experience and extensive research. Please consult your physician before attempting an elemental diet of any kind, especially if you have underlying conditions.***

The Elemental Diet Trend: Why Is It Everywhere?

The term “elemental diet” has quietly slipped out of clinical circles and into the wellness mainstream. It’s now discussed on TikTok, Reddit, and in gut health forums as a kind of magical digestive reset — the idea being that by consuming only pre-digested nutrients in liquid form, you allow your gut to “rest,” reduce inflammation, and support microbiome balance.

Some people now use it:

• After overeating, to “cleanse” their system
• As a crash diet for rapid weight loss
• To calm vague digestive symptoms without identifying the root cause
• Post-antibiotic use, without knowing how to rebuild their microbiome

While these motivations are understandable, they miss the mark. The elemental diet was never designed as a general reset for healthy people. It’s a medical intervention, and using it casually can lead to nutrient imbalances, microbial disruption, and even worsen gut issues in the long run.

What an Elemental Diet Really Is

An elemental diet is a nutritionally complete liquid formula made of fully broken-down nutrients that require minimal digestion. It typically includes:

• Amino acids (instead of whole proteins)
• Simple sugars like glucose or maltodextrin (instead of complex carbs)
• Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) as the primary fat source
• Electrolytes, vitamins, and trace minerals

This formula is absorbed in the upper small intestine, which means almost nothing is left for bacteria to ferment further down the gut. That’s why it works so well for conditions like SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), Crohn’s disease, and severe food intolerances. It deprives problematic microbes of fuel, allowing the gut lining to recover while still delivering nutrients to the body.

In other words, it is a clinical starvation strategy — one that’s only effective when done right, for the right reason.

Why I Used It: From Clinical Success to DIY Reality

I didn’t come to the elemental diet lightly. I’ve used the Physician’s Elemental Diet — a clinically formulated, medically supervised product — on two separate occasions for extended periods. It was the only intervention that brought lasting relief from methane-dominant SIBO, a condition marked by constipation, bloating, sluggishness, and food intolerances. The bloating subsided, my energy returned, and I could finally eat without discomfort.

That protocol worked — not as a trend, but as a targeted, evidence-based intervention.

However, I later relocated to an environment where the local diet is heavily based on carbohydrates — something my system doesn’t tolerate well. I gradually slipped into overeating the wrong things, and over time, a mild recurrence of methane SIBO symptoms set in. This time, I needed to act early, but importing the original elemental formula was either impossible or prohibitively expensive.

So I turned to a DIY version. With the right ingredients, careful measurement, and past experience as a guide, I recreated the elemental framework as closely as possible. It wasn’t ideal, but it was effective enough to manage symptoms, calm inflammation, and prevent a full relapse.

Now, I use these DIY resets strategically. A few days here and there. Sometimes, even half a day is enough. But I never do them casually — and never without antimicrobial support and a solid refeeding plan afterward.

What’s Missing from the Trend: Antimicrobials, Strategy, and Real Science

One of the most troubling aspects of the elemental diet trend is how stripped of context it has become. Many people now attempt a DIY version with just collagen or protein powder, skip the fat and electrolytes, and do it without supporting antimicrobials, or even knowing if they have bacterial overgrowth.

This is not just ineffective — it’s potentially dangerous.

When done for therapeutic purposes (like in SIBO), an elemental diet needs to be accompanied by one of the following:

• Targeted antimicrobials to kill off excess bacteria (herbal or pharmaceutical)
• Biofilm disruptors in some cases (e.g., NAC, serrapeptase)
• Motility agents to prevent relapse (ginger, magnesium, prokinetics)
• A refeeding plan to slowly rebuild microbiome diversity

Without these elements, you’re simply starving your microbiome — good and bad — and setting yourself up for a potential rebound.

If You Choose to DIY: What I Used and Why

I developed a reliable DIY elemental formula based on clinical research and practitioner protocols. For those who are medically cleared and want to try a short protocol (under supervision or for symptom management), here’s what worked for me:

Amino Acids — The foundation. I used a free-form amino acid blend with no added flavors or fillers. These absorb quickly and bypass the need for digestion.
I use: Nutricost EAA Powder 30 Servings (Unflavored) – Essential Amino Acids – Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Friendly

Carbohydrates — You might need to include pure glucose (dextrose) and, in some cases, maltodextrin. Both are absorbed in the small intestine without fermentation, but dextrose is absorbed more rapidly. I have to skip carbs, but you might not. I recommend: NOW Foods, Dextrose, Pure and Natural Sweetener, Easily Utilized by the Body, Energy Source

MCT Oil — Added slowly over time (starting with 1 tsp/day). It provides essential fat without overloading the digestive process.
I use: Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Brain Health 100% Organic Coconut MCT Oil

Electrolytes — Absolutely critical. I used magnesium citrate, sodium chloride (sea salt), and potassium chloride. Sometimes I added a comprehensive electrolyte powder.
I use: LMNT Zero Sugar Electrolytes – Raw Unflavored Salt

Optional Supports —

• Glutamine to support gut lining integrity
• Glycine for soothing inflammation and taste improvement
• Hydrolyzed collagen (though technically not elemental, it worked for me in small amounts)

Antimicrobials (when treating overgrowth) — Depending on the protocol, I used:

• Allicin (targeted toward methane) – My recommendation: Stabilized Allicin (Non-GMO) – 700,000 mcg Allicin Per Bottle – Laboratory Tested – cGMP Certified Manufacturing

• Berberine or Neem extract – My recommendation: Integrative Therapeutics Berberine – 1000–1500 mg Daily – Berberine HCL Supplement for Metabolic Support* – Gluten-Free & Vegan Supplements

• Occasionally, oregano oil, though it was harsh on my system – My recommendation: Biotics Research A.D.P. Emulsified Oil of Oregano Tablets for GI Health -Sustained Release for High Absorption Contains Carvacrol, Wild Oregano Oil 50mg/S – Patented Formula -Non GMO –120 Tablets

***Important: Always rotate and monitor dosage when using herbal antimicrobials. These aren’t benign.***

What People Get Wrong

Here’s where casual elemental dieting goes wrong:

• Doing it just to “feel clean” or lose weight
• Following influencer versions that skip vital nutrients or macros
• Using only collagen or protein powders and calling it “elemental”
• Going too long without electrolytes
• Forgetting that the post-diet phase matters just as much

This isn’t a cleanse. It’s a targeted therapeutic fast that should mimic clinical formulas as closely as possible. It’s also temporary. More is not better.

Duration and Refeeding: Do Not Skip This

I’ve done elemental protocols lasting two weeks, three days, and even just half-days. Each has its place, depending on symptoms and goals. What matters most is the exit strategy.

When the elemental phase ends, your gut is quiet but vulnerable. Refeeding should begin slowly, with soft-cooked low-FODMAP foods like:

• Broths
• Steamed carrots or zucchini
• White rice
• Blended vegetable soups
• Poached eggs or soft proteins

Introducing fermented foods or fiber too quickly can backfire, causing a sudden bacterial bloom or digestive shock. Go slowly. Introduce one variable at a time. Support with enzymes, bitters, or probiotics if needed.

Final Thoughts: Miracle or Misstep?

The elemental diet is not a miracle, but when used properly, it can feel like one. It gave me relief when nothing else worked, and helped me regain control over symptoms that were once daily and debilitating.

But it’s not a casual tool. And it’s not for everyone.

If you’re considering an elemental diet as a gut reset, ask yourself why. Is it for a real condition, or a trend? Are you looking for silence in your digestion, or just trying to shortcut your way to wellness?

This protocol deserves respect. Used properly, with real strategy, it can be one of the most effective gut tools available. Used carelessly, it can do real harm.

I share my experience not to encourage blind imitation, but to provide insight for those walking a similar path. If that’s you, I hope this post gives you clarity and the confidence to take the next step with care.

If you’ve had a similar journey, or if you’ve found a different approach that helped calm or resolve your methane SIBO, I’d love to hear from you.